Tribes- Meaning, Definition, Characteristics, Problems, Welfare and Basic safeguard provided by Indian Constitution
# Meaning of Tribes
The word ‘tribe’ is derived from the Latin word ‘tribus’ meaning ‘one third’. The word originally referred to one of the three territorial groups that united to form Rome.
A tribe is a group of people who share a common religion, history, language or culture. Each tribe is unique and often will have own practices, many of which differ from other tribes.
Tribes in India are called Janjati, Vanyajati, Vanavasi, Adimjati, Adivasi, etc.
# Definition of Tribes
1. According to Majumdar:- “A tribe is a collection of families or groups of families bearing common name, members of which occupy the same territory, speak the same language and observe certain taboos regarding marriage, profession or occupation and have developed a well-established system of reciprocity and mutuality of obligations.”
2. According to Gillin:- “Any collection of pre-literate local group that occupies a common general territory, speaks a common language and practices a common culture as a tribe.”
3. According to Ralph Linton:- “Tribe is a group of bands occupying a contiguous territory or territories and having a feeling of unity driving from numerous similarities in a culture, frequent contact and a certain community of interests.”
4. According to G.W.B. Huntingford:- "A tribe is a group united by a common name in which the members take a pride by a common language, by a common territory and by a feeling that all who do not share this name are outsiders, 'enemies' in fact."
5. According to Oxford Dictionary:- "A tribe is a group of people in a primitive or barbarous stage of development acknowledging authority of a chief and usually regarding themselves as descendants of a common ancestor."
6. According to Imperial Gazetteer of India:- "A tribe is a collection of families bearing a common name, speaking a common dialects, occupying or professing to occupy a common territory and is not usually endogamous through originally it might have been so."
# Characteristics of Tribes
1. Definite common topography:- Tribal people live within a definite topography and it is a common place for all the members of a particular tribe occupying that region.
2. Sense of unity:- Unless and until, a group living in a particular area and using that area as a common residence does not possess the sense of unity, it cannot be called a tribe. Sense of unity is an invariable necessity for a true tribal life.
3. Common culture:- Common culture of a tribe springs out from the sense of unity, common language, common religion, and common political organization. Common culture produces a life of homogeneity among the tribals.
4. Endogamous group:- Tribal people generally do not marry outside their tribe and marriage within the tribe is a highly appreciated and much applauded. But due to increased contact with other tribes, inter- tribe marriage/ marriages are becoming more and more common.
5. Common dialect:- Members of a tribe exchange their views in a common dialect. This element further strengthens their sense of unity.
6. Ties of Blood-relationship:- Blood-relation is the greatest bond and most powerful force inculcating sense of unity among the tribals.
7. Distinct political organization:- Every tribe has its own distinct political organization which looks after the interest of tribal people. The whole political authority lies in the hands of a tribal chief. In some tribes, tribal communities exist to help the tribal chief in discharging his functions in the interest of the tribe.
8. Importance of Kinship:- Kinship forms the basis of tribal social organization. Most tribes are divided into exogamous clans and lineages. The marriage among tribals is based on the rule of tribal endogamy. Marriage is viewed as a contract and there are no prohibition on divorce and remarriage.
9. Egalitarian Values:- The tribal social organization is based on egalitarian principle. Thus, there are no institutionalized inequalities like the caste system or sex based inequalities. Thus, men and women enjoyed equal status and freedom. However, some degrees of social inequality may be found in case of tribal chiefs or tribal kings who enjoy higher social status, exercise political power and posses wealth.
10. Rudimentary type of religion:- Tribes believe in certain myths and rudimentary types of religion. Further, they believe in totems signifying objects having mystic relationship with members of the tribe.
# Problems faced by Tribes in India
1. Loss of control over natural resources:- As India industrialized and Natural Resources were discovered in tribal inhabited areas, tribal rights were undermined and state control replaced tribal control over natural resources.
2. Lack of education:- In tribal areas, most schools lack basic infrastructure including minimal learning materials and even minimal sanitary provisions. Due to the lack of immediate economic return from education tribal parents prefer their children to be engaged remunerative employment. Most tribal education programs are designed in official or regional languages which are alien to tribal students.
3. Problems of health and nutrition:- Due to economic backwardness and insecure livelihood, the tribals face health problems such as the prevalence of disease like malaria, cholera, diarrhea and jaundice. Problems associated with malnutrition like iron deficiency and anemia, high infant mortality rate, etc also prevail.
4. Poverty and indebtedness:- Majority tribes live under poverty line. The tribes follow many simple occupations based on simple technology. Most of the occupation falls into the primary occupation such as hunting, gathering and agriculture.
5. Gender issues:- The degradation of the natural environment particularly through the destruction of forests and a rapidly shrinking resource base has its impact on the status of women. The opening of the tribal belts to mining, industries and commercialization has exposed tribal men and consumerism and to commoditization of women.
6. Displacement and rehabilitation:- Acquisition of tribal land by the government for the development process of core sectors like huge steel plants, power projects and large dams led to large scale displacement of the tribal population. The migration of these tribals to the urban areas causes psychological programs for them as they are not able to adjust well to the urban lifestyle and values.
7. Erosion of identity:- Increasingly, the traditional institutions and laws of tribals are coming into conflict with modern institutions which create apprehensions among the tribals about preserving their identity. Extinction of tribal dialects and languages is another cause of concern as it indicates an erosion of tribal identity.
# Improvement or Welfare of Tribal people
1. Improvement in Healthcare facilities:- Mobile medical camps to improve outreach in remote tribal population would play a major role. Health workers from tribal communities may become the link between the healthcare facilities and tribal communities to guide patients, explain doctor’s prescriptions, help patients take advantage of welfare schemes and counsel them on preventing and primitive health behaviors.
2. Improvement in food and nutrition facility:- Large scale opening of mini-Anganwadis with much relaxed norms and expansion of Village Grains banks to tribal areas are some of the strategies that can be adopted to ‘Reach the Unreached’ in the travel areas.
3. Management of water resources:- There should be a more effective operationalization of the national water policy in tribal areas, so as to cover extension of irrigation facilities and provision of drinking water with a special thrust on: watershed management, rainwater harvesting and water saving practices.
4. Infrastructure development:- The government can collaborate with tribal groups for infrastructure development in their local areas.
5. Employment and income generation:- Employment and income generation opportunity should be ensured for tribals areas, either through wage or self-employment to raise their income status.
6. Empowering tribal women:- Effective measures should be taken to improve the lot of tribal women throughout promoting leadership role in Joint Forest Management and Panchayati Raj Institution.
7. Inclusion of tribal population:- The tribal should be encouraged to collaborate with the government for identifying and collecting medical plants from the wild and also collecting suitable species from their self-consumption as well as for sale.
8. Social inclusion:- Social exclusion by the tribal people are largely due to the discrimination at social and institutional level, it has led to their isolation, shame and humiliation and in turn who self-exclusive among tribes.
# Basic safeguard provided by Indian Constitution for Scheduled Tribes
The Constitution of India does not endeavor to define the term ‘tribe’, however the term Scheduled Tribe was inserted in the constitution through Article 342 (i).
It lays down that the President may, by public notification specific the tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within the tribes or tribal communities or parts which shall for the purposes of this Constitution be deemed to be Scheduled Tribes.
The fifth Schedule of the Constitution provides for the setting up a Tribes’ Advisory Council in each of the states having Scheduled Areas.
(1) Educational and Cultural Safeguards
Article 15(4) : Special provisions for advancement of other backward classes.
Article 29 : Protection of interests of Minorities.
Article 46 : The state shall promote with special care, the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the people and in particular, of the Scheduled castes, and the Scheduled Tribes and shall protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation.
Article 350 : Right to conserve distinct language, script or culture.
(2) Political Safeguards
Article 330 : Reservation of seats for STs in Lok Sabha.
Article 332 : Reservation of seats for STs in State Legislature.
Article 243 : Reservation of seats in Panchayats.
(3) Administrative Safeguards
Article 275 : It provides for the grant of special funds by the Union Government to the State Government for promoting the welfare of Scheduled Tribes and providing them with a better administration.
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