NOMADS AND DENOTIFIED TRIBES IN INDIA

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TAG: GS 2: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

THE CONTEXT: Nomads and Denotified tribes in India are an invisible and marginalized section of society, facing numerous challenges due to historical and contemporary factors.

EXPLANATION:

Background: Historical Context of Nomadic and Denotified Tribes

• During British colonial rule, nomadic tribes were unjustly labelled as ‘born criminals,’ marginalizing them within society.
• Traditional roles of these communities in providing services and contributing to India’s cultural heritage disrupted by societal perceptions and legislative acts.

Invisibility and Visibility: A Perspective

• Invisibility defined as a complex and relative phenomenon linked to terms like ‘neglected,’ ‘marginalized,’ and ‘hidden.’
• Perspectives shaping visibility – civil society, intellectual class, policymakers, and marginalized groups neglected on social, epistemic, and policy levels.

Nomadic and Denotified Communities: Historical Impact and Marginalization

• Pre-Colonial Contributions: Traditionally, these communities contributed services in transportation, entertainment, healthcare, and livelihood support.
• Colonial Legislation Impact: Criminal Tribes Act (1871) stigmatized nearly 200 communities as ‘born criminals.’
• Economic Reasons Behind Stigmatization: Ayyangar Committee (1950) highlighted economic motives behind branding certain groups as ‘born criminals.’
• Effects of Colonial Legislation: Acts such as Criminal Tribes Act (1871-1947), Forest Act (1865, 1878, 1927), and Salt Act (1835) marginalized nomadic communities.
• Disruption in Livelihoods: Legislation impacting access to natural resources like water, forest, and land led to livelihood challenges.

Socio-economic Invisibility

• Nomads and denotified tribes are on the periphery of all forms of modern development.
• They lack basic documents to receive state assistance, basic amenities such as drinking water, toilet and bathroom facilities, electricity, modern education, and healthcare services.
• They are commonly found living in makeshift and tent settlements on the outskirts of villages and towns.
• Following Independence, some nomadic and denotified communities were included in the constitutional categories of Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Castes (OBCs).
• However, the socio-economic profile of these communities shows that they lag behind the general population in terms of education, employment, and other development indicators.
  • More than half is illiterate among nomadic and denotified groups in Haryana compared to the state average.
  • Higher illiteracy rates and lower work participation in urban settings among these communities.

Conclusion

• Need for Attention and Support:
  • Emphasis on addressing lack of basic amenities and assets for marginalized groups, especially in urban areas.
  • Urgent requirement for focused policies to uplift the historically and presently marginalized segments of society.

SOURCE: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/governance/nomads-and-denotified-tribes-are-the-invisible-people-of-india-93113