Who are the people included in the category of scheduled tribes in our Constitution? It all began with the decennial census after independence. Census commissions in different states observed that certain groups of people particularly those living in hills and forests did not fit into the general pattern of classification based on religion and caste.
These people came to be referred to as adivasis (early inhabitants), girijanas (mountain people), and vanavasis (forest dwellers). The indigenous people, better known as tribal’s were found to be characterised largely by egalitarian society, simple economic system with minimal specialisation of functions yet self- sufficient, deep religious, cultural and emotional affections with their habitat, and relative isolation from the rest of the world.
It is a fact that every tribal community is not classified as a scheduled tribe. A scheduled tribe is one which has been given a place in the Schedule for the concerned state by the President. That the President may specify the tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within tribes or tribal communities which shall be deemed to be Scheduled Tribes in selection to that state in consultation with the Governor of the state.
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A tribal community in different parts of the country may not be accorded the Scheduled Tribe status. A tribal community spread out in two or more states may not be treated as Scheduled Tribe everywhere. Even in a single state the social and economic condition of a particular tribal community may vary widely.
It is, therefore, possible that a community may be assigned the Scheduled Tribe status only in limited areas of districts in a state and not everywhere. It is not incumbent on the President to provide special status to an entire community even within a state.
Some members of a community who start from the same base may diversify a great deal from the parent group to an extent that they come to comprise a distinct, identifiable group. Such groups may not be in need of special provisions.
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The President may, in such cases, decide to include specific groups within a tribe under the Scheduled Tribe cover leaving out others. Such decisions are, however, based on the socio-economic condition of the people in a group. The designation of a community as Scheduled Tribe provisioning special favours is based on the socio-economic condition which is ever-changing.
The list of Scheduled Tribes in different states, therefore, needs to be reviewed and revised regularly. The Schedule may be reviewed and modified by an Act of Parliament. This is not an easy procedure. The result is that the Schedule is not revised regularly and the tribes that have been included in it remain for there a long time.
In the absence of the date of 2001 census, the population of Scheduled Tribes is estimated to be 88.8 million by 2001 which is roughly 8.6 per cent of the total population of the country.
The process of alienation has had far reaching consequences on tribal lifestyle and economic condition. Contacts with non-tribal people who seek to pursue vested interests are able to target the alienated, displaced tribal’s easily. Notwithstanding the threat to cultural identity that such encounters bring, tribals are falling prey to indebtedness.
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In times of famine, scarcity, floods, and other crises, the moneylenders exploit them mercilessly. The tribal’s who are largely illiterate and innocent do not maintain their own records of the transactions nor are in a position to check the records kept by the moneylenders. They remain under the grip of moneylenders for generations. Several of them live below the poverty line.
While some do not realise the importance of education and want to send their children to schools facing all ads, others are not so keen. Many tribal children do not fare well because the medium of instruction is school does not match with their language. Moreover, the curriculum does not suit their needs; it is completely incomprehensible to them.
Again tribal teachers who may impart education effectively are not available, and there is a general lack of interest. Lack of both education and awareness of their rights and provisions made by the government for the upliftment of their social and economic conditions makes them easy victims of exploitation at the hands of corrupt officials to who are responsible for dispensing the welfare measures.
Often they are not able to avail the provisions made for easy access to loans on soft terms and conditions, reservation of 7.5 per cent of seats in educational institutions and in jobs in the public sector, scholarships, reservation of seats in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assembly etc., optimally.
There is no denying that the welfare programmes for scheduled tribes should be drawn up in a way that they relate with their cultural system and are delivered at their doorstep, yet despite several welfare programmes that already in operation, scheduled tribes continue to struggle hard for basic amenities.