Major Tribes in India

Tribes

Traditionally all ethnic groups of Indian Territory were identified and addressed as jatis with a suffix of their independent ethnic name. Tribe has been identified as an animistic group. Before India came under Britih rule there was no equivalent word for the English term Tribe. In 1891 census used a term as forest tribes that had a population of 16 million. After Indepencdence these ethnic groups treated under one category of people were popularly refered to as Aadibasis and other corollary terms like adim jati, adya jati, etc who have been treated as scheduled tribes under Article 342 of the constitution. During 1950 the total scheduled tribes enlisted as 212 with its population of a little more than 22 million suddenly increased to 426 with 52 million population.

Adivasi society is based on an ecological awareness in which their mode of production links people with the bio-physical environment (jal, jungle and jameen). Adivasis regulate their relationship with natural resources and their relationship with the ecosystem provides them a sense of identity, unity and sense of resistance. They are intrinsically linked to their environment through different strategies, i.e. economic exchange, ceremonies, language and spiritual traditions.

Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group

In respose to Dhebar Commission report 1960-61 Government of identified total 75 groups as PTGs. The other name of primitive tribal groups (PTG) is PVTG which stands for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group. These PVTGs are least literate, adhered to pre-agricultural technology, demographic profile is stagnant or declining, backward, deprived and vulnerable in many frontiers of life and living in comparison to their ST ethnic brothers and extremely marginalised compared to general population of the nation.

There was a direction by Ministry of Tribal Affairs to all state administration to identify the tribal
groups on the basis of the following parameters to be treated as PVTGs –

1. Demography remains stagnant or declining
2. Educationally backward
3. Livelihood is derived from pre-agricultural economy,Economic backwordness
4. Shy in nature who live in relatively inaccessible area

As per 2011 census PVTG’s total population is 2768322 and they constitute 2.65% of total ST population(10,42,81,034) and 0.22% of total population (121,05,69,573). In India, there are 75 PVTGs spread over 17 states and one Union Territory (Andaman & Nicobar Islands) of which Odisha sheltered the highest number i.e; 13.

State-wise List of PVTG’s and Scheduled Tribes

Constitution And The Tribals

• In India most of the tribes are collectively identified under Article 342 (1&2) of Indian Constitution as Scheduled Tribes and right to self determination guaranteed by Part X of the Constitution: The Scheduled and Tribal Areas – Article 244: Administration of Scheduled Areas and Tribal Areas.
  • Scheduled Areas of Article 244(1) are notified as per the Fifth Schedule and Tribal Areas of Article 244(2) are notified as per the Sixth Schedule.
• The Fifth Schedule envisages notification of tribal-dominated areas as Scheduled Areas and the formation of a Tribal Advisory Council (TAC) at the State level.
• Sixth Schedule contains provisions as to the administration of tribal areas in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
• The law notes that each autonomous region shall have its own autonomous Regional Council and every autonomous district its own autonomous District Council.
  1. The provisions of the Fifth Schedule shall apply to the administration and control of the Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes in any State (other than the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram).
  2. The provisions of the Sixth Schedule shall apply to the administration of the tribal areas in the State of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.

The Scheduled Tribes And Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition Of Forest Rights) Act, 2006

Important Provisions

Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996

The fundamental spirit of the Panchayat Extension Act for tribal areas under 5th Schedule is
that it devolves power and authority to Gram Sabha and Panchayats rather than delegation;
hence it paves way for participatory democracy. The Act extended the provisions of Panchayats to the tribal areas of nine states that have Fifth Schedule Areas. Most of the North eastern states under Sixth Schedule Areas (where autonomous councils exist) are not covered by PESA, as these states have their own Autonomous councils for governance. The nine states with Fifth Schedule areas are: Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand ,Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh,Orissa and Rajasthan.

It also directs the state government to endow powers and authority to make Gram Sabha and Panchayats function as Institutions of Local Self Governance, specifically on matters of enforcing prohibition of sale and consumption of intoxicant; ownership of minor forest produce; power to prevent alienation of land and restoration of unlawfully alienated land, management of village markets, control over money lending, etc.

PESA also empowered gram sabha of the Scheduled Areas to approve plans, programmes
for social and economic development, identify beneficiaries under poverty alleviation programmes, certify utilization of funds by gram Panchayats, protect natural resources, including minor forest produce and be consulted prior to land acquisition.

PESA make sure that each tier of the Local Governance is independent and Panchayats at higher level should not assume the powers and authority of any Panchayat at the lower level or of the Gram Sabha. Further, it also calls for creating the appropriate levels of Panchayats similar to 6th Schedule area, where the Administrative boundaries are Autonomous enough for self-rule.