Page 28 - DSOC201_SOCIAL_STRUCTURE_AND_SOCIAL_CHANGE_ENGLISH

Unit 2: Major Segments of Indian Society

to Bailey, a tribe is organised on a ‘segmentary solidarity’ while a caste is organised on an ‘organic Notes
solidarity’. But Bailey avers that at what point of continuum a tribe ceases and a caste begins is
difficult to say. In India, the situation is such that there is hardly any tribe which exists as a
separate society, having a completely separate political boundary. Economically too, the tribal
economy is not different from the regional or national economy. But we do regard some communities
as tribal and include them in the recognised list of scheduled tribes.

Tribal exploitation and unrest
For ages, tribals were considered a primitive segment of Indian society. They lived in forests and
hills without having more than a casual contact with the so-called civilised and advanced
neighbours. There being no population pressures, there was no attempt to penetrate their areas
and impose alien values and beliefs on the tribals. But when the British con-solidated their position
in the country, their colonial aspirations and administrative needs necessitated ‘opening up’ the
entire country through an effective communication system. The British introduced the system of
landownership and revenue. Annual tax was trebled which was beyond the paying capacity of
tribal cultivators. Under the increasing pressure of population, many outsiders also started settling
in tribal regions. With their money power, they offered credit facilities at the doorstep. Initially, it
provided relief to tribals but gradually the system became exploitative. Newly established courts
of law helped the exploiters. This economic, and later social and cultural exploitation, aroused the
tribal leaders to mobilise fellow tribals and start agitations. With the increasing feelings of
deprivation, mass agitations, struggles and movements also increased. Initially, they were against
blood suckers and usurpers of their rights but ultimately they turned against the government or
the rulers.
Tribal unrest and discontent, thus, may be described as the cumulative of a number of contributory
factors. The main factors were:
• Lethargy, indifference, and lack of sympathy from administrators and bureaucrats in dealing
with tribal grievances.
• Harshness of forest laws and regulations.
• Lack of legislation to prevent the passing of tribal land into the hands of non-tribals.
• Ineffective government measures to rehabilitate tribal population.
• Lack of interest and dynamism among the political elite to solve tribal problems.
• Delay in implementation of recommendations made by high level bodies.
• Discrimination in implementation of reformatory measures.
In short, the causes of tribal unrest may be described as economic, social and political.
Tribal Problems
The main problems the tribals face are:
• They possess small and uneconomical landholdings because of which their crop yield is less
and hence they remain chronically indebted.
• Only a small percentage of the population participates in occupational activities in the
secondary and tertiary sectors.
• Literacy rate among tribals is very low. While in 1961, it was 18.53 per cent, in 1991 it
increased to 29.60 per cent which compared to general literacy rate of 52.21 per cent in the
country is very low, because while the growth of literacy rate in the past three decades in the
country was 28.21 per cent, among the STs it was only 11.7 per cent (The Hindustan Times,
July 11, 1995). Though tribal literacy rate in Mizoram is 82.71 per cent and in Nagaland,
Sikkim and Kerala it is between 57 per cent and 61 per cent, lack of literacy among tribal
people has been identified as a major development problem.
• A good portion of the land in tribal areas has been legally transferred to non-tribals. Tribals
demand that this land should be returned to them. In fact, tribals had earlier enjoyed
considerable freedom to use forests and hunt animals. Forests not only provide them materials

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