Adivasi
Adivasi (Hindi, m, आदिवासी, Adivasi, literally. First inhabitants, natives) is the self-designation of the indigenous population in what is now India. The word Adivasi means " first people " or " first settlers ".
Term
The use of the term Adivasi has been explicitly rejected by the creators of the Constitution of India, as it gives the impression that the tribals were longer a resident of the box - Hindus. Instead, they officially used since the term scheduled tribes, whose special status is regulated by the Constitution Annex 5. The Government of India Act 1935 they had been referred to as backward tribes.
Social structure
Adivasis are also called " tribals " ( " tribal people " ) refers to the extent that they traditionally organizes live in small companies. However, they were increasingly displaced in the course of history of the Indo-European invaders from their original settlement areas and associated with their habitat also largely to their livelihoods. Their share of the Indian population is about 7 % (about 70 million ). The 2000 divested from the state of Bihar, Jharkhand is now home to the largest population group Adivasi.
The Adivasis are not a homogeneous population, but feel certain societies ( tribes = " tribes " ) belong. The largest peoples are the Koli and Bhil in the West, the Gond, Dongria Kondh, Savara, Gadaba in central India, Dafla, Naga, Khasi, Garo in the northeast, Oraon, Munda, Ho, Santal in the east and the Chenchu , Sholega, Toda, Kota, Irula, Kurumba and Kadar in southern India. The people living in the villages of adivasis share a tradition that is driven by the strong connection to nature and to one's own country, a holistic and all -pervading religion lives, traditional dances, music and festivities in the village community. (see also Indian folk religion )
Economic and social situation
Most Adivasigemeinschaften are still active in farming, husbandry and craft and this is usually only for their own care. The own and often jointly managed land, therefore, forms the historical basis of existence for the Adivasigemeinschaften.
Together with the untouchable box ( Dalits ) are among the Adivasis of the poorest people in India. Approx. 10 million adivasis live in urban slums, about 90 % below the poverty line. As non - Hindus are in addition to the Dalits in Indian society in defiance of laws (known as " scheduled tribes " gives them the Indian Constitution minority rights ) remain disadvantaged as outcasts.
The sustained economic growth in India is urging the natives being further marginalized. In the course of major projects, development of industrial sites and tourist regions are Adivasis in the construction of dams in the exploitation of raw materials, establishment of heavy industry, road construction or for nature and theme parks resettled over a large area or even expelled. Germany's participation in the construction of the steelworks in Rourkela in 1958, were sold at the 16,000 Adivasis, is still controversial. In the ongoing construction of the Sardar Sarovar dam in the Narmada Valley in the state of Gujarat, in which approximately 110,000 Adivasis are forced to move and significant shortcomings in the resettlement occurred, international donors have therefore withdrawn their participation with continued public pressure.
In order to improve the lives of the Adivasis have been adopted by the Indian government to provide protection laws, carried out for the other numerous specific programs and projects. However, neither the laws - such as the prohibition on the transfer of Adivasi land to non- Adivasis, land reforms, elimination of bonded labor or trade in alcohol in Adivasi areas - yet the programs and projects for infrastructure development, health promotion and poverty reduction could sustainably improve their situation, because they were incomplete, were hardly implemented or go past the reality of the Adivasis.
In the Adivasi areas, numerous non -governmental organizations work (NGOs). They provide social services to, engage, inter alia, for education, infrastructure development, awareness raising and environmental protection, and support the increasingly inter-group alliances and organizations, women's organizations and self-help groups in which the Adivasi struggle even for the improvement of their living conditions. A very successful self-help project is ACCORD / AMS in Gudalur / Nilgiris / South India. Here live the Kattunaickans, Moolakurumba, Bettakurumbas, Irulas and Panniyas.
For decades, the writer Mahasweta Devi is committed to the rights and culture of the Adivasis. In 1999, the Adivasi Academy in Tejgadh, Gujarat, established that explores, among other things, the hundreds of languages of the Adivasis and committed to the dignity of indigenous peoples worldwide.
Maoists as representatives of the Adivasi
In many inhabited by Adivasi regions, such as northern Andhra Pradesh, in Südbihar, in Jharkhand and Assam have Maoist organizations, known as Naxalites, a not inconsiderable support among the adivasis. This manifests itself both in the voting for acting within the law parties like the CPI ( ML) Liberation, whose member Jayanta Rongpi the constituency of Karbi Anglong / Assam 1991-2004 in the Lok Sabha represented, as well as in the membership of Maoists built organizations. Adivasis also support Naxalite guerrilla groups. An example is the CPI ( Maoist) who reside in the forests of central India.
As a counterpoint to the Maoists has been involved for 20 years, the human rights organization Samata in the mountain ranges of the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh and in southern Odisha. The project supports the Adivasis, especially in legal matters and in the construction of infrastructure.
History
Until the beginning of the 19th century Adivasistämme lived mostly independently and off the Indian kingdoms. Only then can the British colonialists started the jungle areas of the Adivasis their administration on to lease fields and taxing forest products.
Hundreds of bloody uprisings were the result (see uprisings and revolts against the British rule in India). The most important: