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Volume: 2, Issue: 8, 630- Aug 2015 allsubjectjournal e-ISSN: 2349- p-ISSN: 2349- Impact Factor: 3.
Dr. Nabarun Purkayastha Department of Sociology and Social WorK, University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya, (USTM).
Correspondence Dr. Nabarun Purkayastha Department of Sociology and Social Work, University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya, (USTM)
Tribal Development Approaches in India
Nabarun Purkayastha
Abstract
Tribal studies in India have been experiencing ideological and socio-political upheavals vis-à-vis taken serious turns. Comparative studies are done reflecting the complex aspects like tribe-caste interaction, habitation, ecological setting and other aspects of their life. Theories and methods developed continuously reflect that tribal studies do not remain confine within the stipulated boundaries and approaches of social anthropologists and sociologists only, rather scholars from other disciplines too show tremendous interests to re-look into the issues and problems of the tribes. The 8Isolationist approach9 of Verrier Elwin, the 8Assimilationist approach9 of G Ghurye and the 8Integrationist approach9 propounded by Jawaharlal Nehru by now is seriously reviewed and re-written. This paper highlights these major Approaches are how far relevant in Contemporary period.
Keywords: Isolation Approach, Assimilation Approach, Integration Approach
Introduction Tribal studies attract scholars across disciplines. European anthropologists and sociologists lay foundation of tribal studies. Australian aborigines, African and Indian tribes become subject of intensive study for these scholars. Colonial admistrators cum anthropologists too put immense interest to study tribes. European model of tribal study becomes dominant which is subsequently corroborated by contextualized theories and methods. Indian tribes are unique in terms of distinctive socio-historical features. Tribal studies in India or studies relating to the multi- dimensionalities of the tribes in India started during the late British period. The domination of British anthropology upon Indian anthropology and sociology continued. At least concepts, methods and approaches developed by them were followed by most of the scholars in India. Subsequently the studies of American anthropologists and other scholars from Africa and other regions also influenced/motivated the Indian scholars. However till the early 1970 Malinowski and Radcliffe-Brown9s methods remained to be the most popular methods for the Indian scholars. Therefore, Tribal studies in India become a matter of immense debate and discussion among scholars across disciplines throughout the world. Indian sociologists, colonial administrators and policy makers could not put similar view on problems and prospects of Indian tribes. There are three major approaches 8Isolation approach9, 8Assimilation approach and 8Integration approach9 emerge on Indian tribes.
Isolation Approach Verrier Elwin in his book, The Baiga (1939), advocates establishment of a sort of 'National Park' in a wild and largely inaccessible part of country under direct control of a tribal commissioner. Inside this area, administration should allow tribesmen to live their live with utmost possible happiness and freedom. Wide power would be given to old tribal council and authority of village headman would be established. Non-tribal settlings in this area would be required to take out license. No missionaries of any religion would be permitted to break up tribal life. Everything possible would be done for the progress of tribals within this area, provided the quality of tribal life would not be impaired. Tribal culture would not be destroyed and tribal freedom would be restored and maintained. Tribe9s contact with outsiders should be minimised. Economic development would be given high priority. Simple and need oriented education would be given to tribal people. Fishing and hunting would be freely permitted and dictatorship of subordinate officials within the area should be eradicated. Tribal population in India belongs to various stages of cultural development. Verrier Elwin in his book 8The Aboriginals9 (1943) divides Indian tribes into four classes according to their stage of cultural development. Class I is the purest of pure tribal groups comprising about two or three million persons. Elwin and a large section of missionary reformers and anthropologists grow lyrical over the robust, vibrant and healthy life of this tribal group. According to Elwin, these
Highlanders do not merely exist like so many villagers, they really live. Their religion is characteristic and alive, their tribal organisation is un-impaired, their artistic and choreographic traditions are unbroken, and their mythology still vitalises healthy organisation of tribal life. Geographical conditions have largely protected them from debasing contacts of the plains. It is said that the hoot of the motor-horn would sound the knell of the aboriginal tribes. A section of this category of tribes has been experiencing contact with plain and consequently undergoing change. This group is coming under class II of Elwin9s classification. Though such group retain its tribal mode of living it may exhibit many contrasting characteristics with the first group. Instead of communal life this group lives a village life which has become individualistic. Their communal life and traditions are only preserved through their village dormitories. They do not share things with one another. Axe cultivation has ceased to be a way of life for them. Members of these tribes are more contaminated by life outside. They come in contact with groups living on periphery who live a more complex i. civilised life. Members of these tribes are less simple and less honest than members of tribes belonging to class I. Tribe belonging to class III constitutes the largest section of total tribal population, about four-fifth of it, i. nearly twenty millions. Members of this class of tribal groups are in a peculiar state of transition. They bare tribal in name but have become as like as Hindus who belong to lower rung of Hindu society. One section of this class has got converted into Christianity. This group of tribes has been appreciably affected by external contacts. They have been exposed to influence of economic and socio-cultural forces of Hindu society. They have also subjected to missionary influences. But above all, they have been most adversely affected by the economic and political policies of the British which resulted in their being dragged into orbit of colonial- capitalist system in India. Members belonging to this category of tribal groups were uprooted from their mode of production in same way as were millions of cultivators and artisans living in the multitude of autarchic of villages of pre-British India from their self-sufficient, self-contained village community setting. During British period under impact of new economic and politico-administrative measures these tribesmen lost their moorings from their economy, social organization and cultural life. A large section of this population was reduced to status of bond slaves or agrestic serfs of money- lender, zamindar and contractor who emerged due to political and economic policy pursued by British. Another section was reduced to category of near to slave labourer working on plantation, mine, railway or road construction or other enterprise. They were uprooted from their habitat and condemned to a wretched existence. A number of these tribes were branded as criminal tribes as their members could survive only by criminal means. They lost their land and occupation and had no alternative means to subsistence because of economic and political exploitation of British. Class IV tribals consists of old aristocracy of country, represented today by great Bhil and Naga Chieftains, Gond Rajas, a few Binshevar and Bhuyia landlords, korku noblemen, wealthy Santal and Uraon leaders and some highly cultured Mundas. They retain their own tribal names, clan and totem rules. They observe elements of tribal religion despite of adopting full Hindu faith and live in modern or even European style. According to Elwin, tribals of this class have won the battle of cultural contacts. It seems that they have acquired aristocratic traditions, economic stability, affluence, outside encouragement, a certain arrogance and self-
confidence characteristic alike ancient families and modern enterprise. This class of tribals has secured benefit of civilisation without injury to themselves. Elwin observes, whole aboriginal problem is to how to enable tribesmen of the first and second classes to advance direct into the fourth class without having to suffer the despair and degradation of the third. For this purpose Elwin advocates policy of isolation. He feels it is important to give some protection to tribal people in transition period during which they must learn to stand on their own feet and become strong enough to resist those who exploit them. In his book 8 A Philosophy of NEFA9 he advocates for development of tribes residing in remote areas of North-East Frontier and suggests for spending a great deal of money to eradicate their poverty, degradation and unhappiness. This approach is not followed for long term. Looking into perspective of third world, Indian strategy of tribal development, in spite of its limitations, is described as a unique experiment. Assimilation approach paved way for tribal people to mingle with neighbouring non-tribals. In India, process of assimilation takes place in different parts of the country resulting in gradual acceptance of Hindu culture by tribals. Advocates of this approach support a direct assimilation without waiting for a slow and long-drawn change.
Assimilation Approach Govind Sadashiv Ghurye in book 8The Scheduled Tribes 1959 describe nature of assimilation of tribes in wider Hindu society. Like Elwin, Ghurye also divides tribes into three sections. First section is constituted of Rajgonds and others who have successfully fought the battle and are organised as members of fairly high status within Hindu society. Second category is large mass that has been partially Hinduised and has come to closer contact with Hindus and third, the hill sections, which has exhibited the greater power of resistance to the alien cultures that have passed upon their border. A large number of tribes in India, according to Ghurye, Santal, Munda, Oraon, Kond, Gond and Korku speak languages which either belong to Kherwari or Mundari group of languages or to Dravidian family, These languages are, more often than not, different from languages of plains people among whom tribals have larger social intercourse. Languages of latter in most cases belong to Indo-Aryan family. Many of these tribes, though they have preserved their tribal languages, can and do employ Indo-Aryan languages of surrounding people in their routine intercourse. Many of them thus are bi- lingual, having their own mother-tongue and having more or less acquired languages of neighbouring people. There are others, like Baigas, who have taken up Indo-Aryan tongue of the locality in place of their own language. Others like Bhils speak languages which are dialect of local languages. In all case language spoken by so-called aborigine were till recently not spoken tongue and no script of their own. Tribal solidarity, according to Ghurye, has been broken by two distinct agencies. One is Hinduism and its assimilative process and other is British policy. Hindu assimilation makes tribes not so absorbed rather weak and benumbed under feeling of brokenness. If section of tribes gets assimilated in Hindu fold they are ushered into an altogether strange social world. Hindu castes, at least many of them, have characteristics of tribal society as regards to management of internal affairs. Tribal sections on joining Hindu society develop an internal organisation of caste pattern, and thus have been regulating and controlling power within them. Many of tribes get smugly
tribes close to his heart. Inspired by the work of his students, Ghurye writes on grand theme of ' Integration of Tribals ' in 1943 and it is essentially in reply to 'isolationist' approach of Verrier Elwin, which forms basis of British colonial policy. G Ghurye views that only solution to the problem is their progressive assimilation with the farmers and peasants of the adjoining districts. He has vision to conclude that the major problems of the tribals are never different from the problems of poor rural people in general. In subsequent editions of the book ' The Scheduled Tribes ', G Ghurye becomes critical of independent India's government policy which sows seeds of disintegration by its internally contradicting step of laying down integrationist approach in constitution and on other hand promoting fission by giving importance to idea of Scheduled Areas. Comprehensive study of Ghurye on problems of Indian tribes conducted 65 years ago lead to a great methodological contribution at present.
Conclusion Indian tribes are unique in terms of distinctive socio-historical features. Therefore, Tribal studies in India become a matter of immense debate and discussion among scholars across disciplines throughout the world. Indian sociologists, colonial administrators and policy makers could not put similar view on problems and prospects of Indian tribes. There are three major approaches 8Isolation approach9, 8 Assimilation approach9 and 8Integration approach9 emerge on Indian tribes. Regarding major theories of tribe as of now only three theories are found and visible to wider extent. Though attempts are made at different levels to build up theory at every level, their significance or existence is yet to be felt. That is why probably isolation approach, assimilation approach and integration approach are now debated and contradicted.
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