ABSTRACT
The central Indian tracts including the states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, at the centre, Odisha and Jharkhand to the east and Rajasthan to the west and Telangana to the south represent the heartland of Adivasi India. The chapter examines the relationship between tribal communities and development, the impact on their lives and livelihoods from a historical point of view. In addition, the chapter examines the status of land reform and its impact on Adivasis in the form of land alienation. The chapter examines each of the individual states to examine the status of Adivasis from colonial to post-colonial India.
