Tribals: The Endangered Species

The existence of the Tribal people is in danger. The Indian government refuses to recognize the Tribal people and Adivasis of India as the Indigenous Peoples of the country. Jal-Jangle-Jameen is at the centre of the Tribal people’s meaning system and the orga­- nizational system. Land is at root of the Tribal identity. Therefore, land alienation of any kind is a threat to their Tribal identity. There is a systematic violation of the rights of the Tribal people. They do not enjoy their rights to their lands and resources. In the name of development and common good, the Tribal land is being grabbed by the government and the corporates. The Tribal people are displaced from their habitat and are forced to migrate because of actions and policies taken by government. Thus, the Tribal people become the victims of unbalanced and lopsided development. In the pretext of Naxalism, arbitrary arrests, labelling of indigenous peoples as ter­- rorists, torture and extrajudicial killings — continue