Photo from KARANDEEP SINGH

Photo from KARANDEEP SINGH

Globalization and industrialization have uprooted villages, disrupted ancient cultures and forced Tribals to give up their traditional occupations. Many have become migrant wage workers in unorganized-sector units, living one meal at a time. Unbridled interaction between tribes and the general population has resulted in indigenous cultures being suppressed. Yet, a largely ameliorative approach of isolation amounts to the promotion of primitivism

Jawaharlal Nehru had advocated ‘Panchsheel’ for Tribal development to address issues of Tribal justice. This is based on a dual approach of integration and development.

Nearly three-quarters of a century after independence, several policies and constitutional safeguards, fortified by statutes and judicial pronouncements, are now in place. But the situation, unfortunately, is far from ideal. India has not ratified the International Labour Organization’s 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples, which recognizes Tribal rights over land and natural resources. This ratification would assert India’s choice to assimilate Tribals while respecting their social and cultural autonomy. The potential of a pragmatic action plan in consonance with Panchsheel is yet to be fulfilled. The crevice between policy and performance seems to widen over time, while inclusion without intrusion remains a challenge to be addressed.

https://www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/enlarge-the-panchsheel-approach-to-tribal-upliftment/amp-11630526171859.html