Tribes and State Policy in India: Revisiting Governing Principles from a Decolonial Social Work Perspective

Abstract

AbstractSocial work theorists have begun talking about a fundamental shift in social work education, marked as the rise of decoloniality and decolonial thinking. Within this context, distinct social work formulations that make a fundamental break from past paradigms are being posited in the form of decolonial social work. In India, decolonial social work is constituted primarily by two theories—Tribal Social Work and Dalit Social Work. The former arising directly out of British colonialism and the latter premised on an anti-caste social work perspective. Taking the case of tribal policy with specific reference to principles of governance vis., tribes an attempt is made to historicise the same from a decolonial social work lens. The article contextualises tribal policy in India, lays the framework of decolonial social work, historicise principles of governance from a decolonial lens, draws out the underlying political structure that embeds these principles and throws new light on key theoretical debates concerning policy practice.