Adivasis who form 8.6% of India’s population, are one of the oldest inhabitants of our country. But the reality of over 700 communities spread across India is quite distant.
Two Major Challenges faced By The Adivasis
1. Ethnic discrimination and violent hate crimes.
2. Discrimination in employment access to government facilities and education.
In order to understand the present, we must understand how Adivasis entered the situation they are in now. Before colonisation by the British, Adivasi areas were essentially self-governing. Non-Adivasis communities and the British moved to thick forests. The British government passed laws to maintain peace with tribal communities as they showed resistance. These laws permitted the relative independent existence of the Adivasis. But even after 71 years of independence, Indian Adivasis face a number of challenges.
In the last 35 years, a sum of Rs 2.8lakh crore that was set aside for Scheduled Caste (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) was unspent. Children of Adivasis are proven to be malnourished and underweight because they don’t have any means to earn and eat. The government is giving permission to establish entities in forest areas, which violates the constitutional safeguard given to Adivasis. A Tribal sub plan was formed by the Ministry of Tribal affairs to ensure the development of these communities. However, in practice, it had largely failed to achieve its objective.
Now the question is,
How can we ensure that the earliest inhabitants of this country get their due rights? What can we do to safeguard their interest?