Loss of tribal land and displacement: Impact on women Shetty Jyoti Documentation Consultant, Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration, PUNE Online published on 6 March, 2013. Abstract India has the largest concentration of tribal population, second only to the African continent. Tribals are generally called ‘Adivasis’ implying ‘original Inhabitants’ of the land. They are notified as Scheduled Tribes (STs) by the President of India under Article 342 of the Constitution. However, the first notification was issued in 1950. The STs are indigenous, geographically isolated people, having their own unique culture, and of lower socio-economic conditions. There are as many as 573 tribes constituting about eight per cent of the country's population. Most of the tribal areas are hilly, inaccessible, undulating plateau lands in the forest areas of the country where general developmental programmes are not accessible. Due to this, infrastructure and development such as education, roads, healthcare, communication, drinking water, and sanitation is not readily possible. Thus, they lag behind other areas ¸which has resulted in a wide development gap between the tribals and the general population for a long time. Due to the backwardness and lower socio-economic status of the STs, the government has made affirmative policies and programmes, and also enacted laws. There are many constitutional safeguards for the welfare, development, and protection of STs in the country. Some of these are The Provision of (Panchayats Extension to the Scheduled Areas) PESA Act, 1996 that confers special powers to Gramsabha in 5th Scheduled Areas; the Forest Rights Act, the Land Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy, and so on. Though these provisions are in place, their effective implementation in letter and spirit by the state is a great impediment for the welfare and development of the STs in the country. Despite many affirmative actions, majority of the tribals in India have remained deprived of the fruits of development. Their condition deteriorated over time, especially after 1980s. Various special schemes have not reached them (Lobo 1993; Jain 1980). They face many problems such as poverty, unemployment, displacement, indebtedness, lack of opportunities, accessibility, and awareness of the government programmes. Their poverty prevents them from making use of these benefits (Kurien 1996). Despite six decades of planning, a large number of them have remained impoverished because most policy makers view development as only an aspect of economic growth and neglect the social components of education, health, nutrition, and hygiene. Top |