ABSTRACT
It is commonly perceived that rights and exclusion are quite opposite in nature, therefore they do not co-exist in the same place. But surprisingly they, i.e. rights and exclusion, manifest with Adivasis in India. In the light of their systemic marginalisation and exclusion, the fundamental rights aimed at addressing Adivasi deprivation need to be questioned since it is clear that their constitutional rights and the subsequent policies which followed have failed to end the processes that have excluded Adivasis since the colonial era. The discussion in the present volume intends to understand the intensity of Adivasi exclusion on a range of aspects relating to their life systems.
The Adivasi identity is not uniform across India. There is a diversity within the tribal society and among various tribal communities. This diversity is evident in their language, health systems, livelihood processes, culture, geographical locations, gender relations, village settlements, income-generation activities and so on. If this is the reality, then how can a uniform law or act help them to address their diverse issues? Whatever acts or laws are made to address the tribal issues in India are uniform in nature.
No political party in governance has explored any meaningful solutions to reduce the severity of Adivasi problems. No uniform law or act can serve any real purpose considering the diversity inherent among the Adivasi communities in India. This, therefore, implies that the intentions of various governments since India’s independence have been to retain the status quo in affairs related to tribal development. The intention to keep the Adivasis away from the mainstream society has resulted in their exclusion in different aspects of their life. These aspects/issues with reference to Adivasi rights and exclusion have been rationally dwelt upon by the scholars in this volume.
