Tribal Development

Any development process in India should begin with the schemes/programmes meant for scheduled tribes (STs) and scheduled castes (SCs), as these are the most disadvantaged and neglected people in the society. These are the people who are economically backward and oppressed by the landlords and rural gentry over a period of time. Therefore, there is a need for sincere efforts on the part of the government to help improve the quality of life of STs and SCs. This book is a result of the author’s work experience in the Tribal Cultural Research and Training Institute. The book is divided into 12 chapters and can be classified into three broad divisions: (i) Significance of tribal culture, indigenous skills and knowledge; (ii) Land problems, unrest, and remedial measures; and (iii) Critical analysis of past efforts and present strategies of tribal development.

The first chapter discusses the concept of culture and Indus valley civilisation in relation to tribal culture. The author cites parallels between clan names of some of the tribes and the brahmanical gotras. He also discusses the need for national policy of culture and development for STs, scheduled areas and other tribal areas of our country. In fact, the tribal population in India accounts for 8.08 per cent and their literacy rate is about 30 per cent. Majority of the tribals are found in central India (80 per cent), the north-eastern states (12 per cent) and southern India (8 per cent).