SUBJECT- SOCIOLOGY

TOPIC- TRIBES

 MEANING OF TRIBES
 DEFINITION OF TRIBES
 CHARACTERISTICS OF TRIBES
 PROBLEMS FACED BY TRIBES IN INDIA
 IMPROVEMENT OR WELFARE FOR TRIBAL PEOPLE
 BASIC SAFEGUARDS PROVIDED BY INDIAN
CONSTITUTION FOR SCHEDULED TRIBES
 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 Raph 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 dialect, 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 FOR 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 behaviours.
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 SAFEGUARDS PROVIDED BY INDIAN
CONSTITUTION FOR SCHEDULE 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.
 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.
 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.
 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.
 Thank you
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