Ethnic Diversity and Politics of Inclusion: Tribes in North East India

Abstract

In a multi-ethnic country like India, accommodating diverse realities around different communities and regions has been engaging framers of national policy since the beginning of the Indian state. The ability to accommodate newer politico-legal and administrative structures that would minimise conflict and maximise social, political and economic justice has been an unending issue, especially for the tribes in the Northeastern region. The autonomy framework needs to be premised on the condition that people of a specific locality know best what specific autonomous spheres’ activities/powers and resources they should be endowed with and be given constitutional recognition. In this context, it is pertinent to examine whether this framework has fulfilled the aspirations of tribals and addressed their grievances, and thus yielded the desired results, or if there is a need to relook at the structure. The political instability and peoples’ resistance, especially the tribal group as well as the ethnocultural minority group that clamour against the state and dominant politics, has been a never-ending issue in the region. The article brings forth the nuances of inclusive policies and their limits for accommodating ethnically diverse communities. It also examined the framework of federal arrangement and elucidated peoples’ experiences of self-governance and its problems.