National convention on

Hundred Years of Anthropological Contribution for Tribal Development

18-20 October 2019. IBRAAD,Kolkata.

Paper title- Hundred Years of Anthropological Contribution for Tribal Development

Dr. Vijay Prakash Sharma, Former Director, Institute for Human Development, ERC, Ranchi

President and Director, VAIDYAS-India

Background:
Looking at history, the importance of the knowledge of anthropology for effective
administration was, perhaps realized as early as 1807 when the Court of Directors of the East
India Company made a formal decision that “Such Knowledge would be of great use in the
future administration of the country”(Roy, 1921). Consequently, Francis Buchanan was
appointed by The Governor-General in the Council of East India Company to undertake
ethnographic survey “to enquire into the conditions of inhabitants of Bengal and their religion”.
(Buchanon,1920). In this regard works of Risley (1891), Thurston (1909), Gurdon (1914),
Grigson (1938), and Dalton (1972) have become monumental volumes of first recording/
documentation about the people, their culture and traditions. Anthropological knowledge in the
changed situation in free India as a welfare state is again of great importance.
ISOLATION- the British adopted the policy of isolation and tried to keep the tribal’s away from
the mainstream of Indian life. The Scheduled District Act of 1874 had kept most of these areas
administratively separate. The same situation was allowed to continue under the Government of
India Act of 1919 and 1935.So , from 1919 to 2019 a journey of 100 years for tribal
development in India adopted the following approaches of tribal development where
anthropologists were involved in suggesting measures for tribal development.

The First Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, on the basis of his experience with the tribes of
North East India and those living in hinterland of central India, made him opine, “We should
avoid two extreme courses: One was to treat them as anthropological specimens for study and
the other was to allow them to be engulfed by the masses of Indian humanity. I began to doubt
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how far the normal idea of progress was beneficial for these people and, indeed, whether this was
progress at all in any real sense of the word. It is true that they could not be left cut off from the
world as they were Political and economic forces impinged upon them and it was not possible or
desirable to isolate them. Equally undesirable, it seemed to me, was to allow these forces to
function freely and upset their whole life and culture, which had so much of good in them”. This
Five Point Formula of Tribal Panchsheel was considered as the corner stone of the India’s
Government policy if there is any to be taken for guidance in dealing with assurance problems of
the scheduled tribes. At least this was the position of this valuable principle guideline at the time
of independence of India or immediately after that when country’s Constitution was being
prepared and documented.
INTEGRATION – By and large anthropologists believe in the ultimate integration of the tribe
into the mainstream of Indian Life .(Vidyarthi 1976,430). After Independence, a new policy of
tribal development and integration was adopted. The major identified tribes in country number
about the 428 scheduled tribes in India though the total number of tribal communities are
reported to be 642 and several of them have become extinct or merged with other communities
as the tendency for fusion and fission among tribal population is a continuous process. Thus, if
the sub-tribes and state tribes will be taken into consideration, the number will be many more.
These 428 communities speaking 106 different languages have been so far notified as the
scheduled tribes in 19 states and 6 union territories. They have their own socio-cultural and
economic milieu.

In fact, the largest concentration of tribal people, anywhere in the world and except perhaps
Africa is in India. About 50% of the tribal population of the country is concentrated in the states
of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar and Orissa. Besides, there is a sizeable tribal
population in Maharastra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and West Bengal. Tribal communities live in about
15% of the country’s landmass in various ecological and geo-climatic conditions ranging from
plains to forests, hills and inaccessible areas.
"Tribal Panchsheel."" The Nehru's Panchsheel -
The goal of tribal development in India were best summarised in Nehru's forward to Verrier
Elwin's Book on NEFA . It is otherwise known as "Tribal Panchsheel." " The Nehru's
Panchsheel (five point) are:

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1 People should develop along lines of their own genius and we shouldavoid imposing anything
on them. We should try to encourage in every - way their own traditional art and culture.
ii Tribal right in land and forests should be respected.
iii. We should try to train and build up a team of their own people to do the work of
administration and development. Some technical people from outside will no doubt be needed,
especially in the beginning. But we should avoid introducing too many outsiders into tribal
territory.
iv. We should not over administer these area so over whelm them with multiplicity of schemes.
We should rather work through and not in rivalry to their own social and cultural instructions,
and
v. We should guide results not by statistics or the amount of money spend but by the quality of
human character that is involved.
Anthropological Approach-
Anthropologists believe in the ultimate integration of tribes into the mainstream of national life.
After independence, some anthropologists came out with several papers and addresses, dealing
with the importance of applied anthropology in tribal welfare programmes. The various tribal
research institutes are engaged in conducting researches on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes. Besides, many University Departments in the country undertake research on them.
(Compendium 1971).
The anthropologists have generally suggested the followings:
1. Understanding of tribal organization and values through sustained scientific studies.
2. Identifying the problems of tribe at different levels of technological, economic and
cultural development.
3. Identifying the integrative forces in tribal life.
4. Identifying the areas of minimum and maximum resistance to innovations in their culture.
5. Reorganizing vital linkages in their cultural fabric.
6. Orienting the administrators to tribal life and culture and to give them special training for
their tasks they have to undertake among the tribes
7. Cautious formulation of welfare plans accommodating tribal needs.

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 8. Careful watch on the trends set in motion by these measures, with a view to eliminating
elements that destroy the social solidarity of the tribes and kill their zest for life.
(Vidyarthi1976,431).
This suggestion accepted by the government and area development tribal sub plan system was
introduced through 4th five years plan which is still in force.

Area Development and Tribal Sub-Plan Approach- was introduced by Anthropologists and
accepted by the government since 4th five year plan for tribal development which is still in
practice.

Development of PVTG-

The National Advisory Council, Government of India, organized two national level
Consultations on Developmental Challenges Specific to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups
(PVTGs); first on 21st February, 2013 at the National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD),
Hyderabad, and second in the Planning Commission, New Delhi, on 15th May, 2013. The
objective of holding these two consultations was to evolve a sensitive and appropriate policy
framework for PVTGs that addresses the concerns of protecting their livelihoods, cultural
identity and habitats while facilitating their access to development programmes and services and
to improve their quality of life.

As a result following nine point draft recommendations were developed by the member
participants for development of PVTGs:

Recommendation 1
Create an environment in which the state and non-state actors realize their responsibilities
to respect, protect, and fulfill PVTGs' rights.
Recommendation 2
Develop sustainable livelihood strategies for the PVTGs
Recommendation 3
Participatory development approach should be followed
Recommendation 4
Evolve effective service delivery mechanism for the development of the PVTGs
Recommendation 5
Separate Census for the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) should be undertaken

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 Recommendation 6
All Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) should be given the status of
Scheduled Tribes
Recommendation 7
Prepare vulnerability indices of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)
Recommendation 8
Control factors that contribute to decline in the population of the Particularly Vulnerable
Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
Recommendation 9
Launch special drive to improve educational status of the PVTGs .

References:

1. Ratha . Bikash, 2012 The Regional Consultation On Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups Of
Odisha And The National Rural Livelihood Mission, RCDC, Bhubaneswar

2. NAC draft recommendations on Development Challenges Specific to Particularly Vulnerable

Tribal Groups (PVTGs), 2013, Jun 19,

3. Sharma. V.P 2012 Participatory Development, Ramesh Chandra edited book Tribal
Development Administration and Management, DEC, National Institute of Rural Development,
Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, Hyderabad (AP),

4. Vidyarthi , L.P. 1976 Tribal Culture of India, Concept Publishing Company, New Delhi.