Tribes Of India Research Articles

Tribal people and education: the Indian scenario

Tribal people i.e. Scheduled Tribes (STs) represent a sizable amount of the most disadvantaged sections of our society due to their socio-economic exploitation and isolation over a long period of time. The tribes in India are spread over the length and breadth of the country. India has the largest concentration of tribal people anywhere in the world except perhaps in Africa. They lag behind the rest of the population in terms of both human development as well as economic indicators. Scheduled Tribes (STs) distinguish themselves from other communities with their distinctive culture and isolated habitation and lag behind the rest of the society due to their socio-economic backwardness. So the economic and social empowerment and educational upliftment of people belonging to ST category is imperative for achieving faster and more inclusive development. In India, tribal population constitutes about 8.6% of the total population. Various policies and programmatic and legislative interventions have been made for the socio-economic development and empowerment of the STs. Despite continued support by the Government of India, low educational levels among STs remain an area of concern. To address this issue, Pre-matric Scholarship Scheme, Post-matric Scholarship Scheme, Top class Education Scheme etc have been launched. In this paper, an attempt has been made to give a synoptic view of the policies and programmes adopted by the Government of India for expansion of education among the tribal people and examine the role played by the Government for the development of tribal education.

Social Exclusion and Inclusion of De-Notified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Tribes in India

India is not just an ordinarily democratic country but it's a democratic country based on social and humanistic perspectives. Indian constitution has given safeguard to all its citizens and emphasized its marginalized section of the society for their welfare which considered Castes, Tribes, Other Backward Classes, Special Economic Backward Classes, Women, People With Disabilities and Minorities to create an equal platform for all. The Constitution made a provision to include the rest of the population for further welfare programmes for their upliftment which was not taken further seriously by the government in its follow-up which brought into result that, the communities like De-notified and Nomadic Tribe (NT-DNTs) could not involve for direct beneficial programmes for their welfare due to the negligence of further government procedure as per the constitution and also found ignorance from communities those are remained out. India is going towards the stage of developed countries but still NT-DNTs are one of the marginalized social categories, which excluded from the mainstream of development since pre-independence. These communities are struggling for their livelihood sources in society. These communities are not able to get benefit from the government welfare policies and programs since independence. Thus, this paper provides the insights about how these communities are remained excluded and discriminated in social and economic safeguard point of view from both society and government. This paper is based on secondary data.

Doctors for Tribal Areas: Issues and Solutions.

Health parameters of tribal population had always been a concern for India's march towards Millennium development Goals (MDG's). Tribal population contributes 8.6% of total population, in spite of efforts and commitment of Government of India towards MGD, India lagged far behind from achieving and optimal health of tribal population will be a concern for achieving Sustainable development Goals SDG's also. Some of the common health problems of the tribal population face are deficiency of essential components in diet like energy malnutrition, protein calorie malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. Goiter, Gastrointestinal disorders, particularly dysentery and parasitic infections are very common. High prevalence of genetic disorders like sickle cell anemia and others are endemic in few tribes of India. Tribal Health is further compounded issues by social issues like excessive consumption of alcohol, poor access to contraceptive, substance abuse and gender based violence. Besides other reasons, like poor budget allocation, difficult to reach, poor access to health care facility, severe shortage of qualified health workers and workforce led to poor governance of health sector in tribal areas. Present view point reflects on the issues of inadequacy of doctors in tribal area and suggests possible solutions.

Prevalence of malnutrition, diarrhea, and acute respiratory infections among under-five children of Sugali tribe of Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Introduction:Over a period, tribal population has migrated to cities in search of livelihood. Data on various health problems of the tribes are sparse. Sugalis constitute the third largest tribe in Andhra Pradesh and have settlements in urban areas.Objective:To estimate the prevalence of malnutrition, diarrhea, and acute respiratory infections (ARI) among under-five children of Sugali tribe living in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh state in South India.Materials and Methods:A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in four community blocks/mandals in 2012. A total of 500 Sugali households with under-five were identified. Demographic details, episodes of diarrhea, and ARI among under-five children and treatment/care seeking behavior were collected from mothers/care givers by interview. Nutritional status was assessed using new WHO standards.Results:Of the total 669 children in these 500 households, 343 (51.3%) were girls and 326 (48.7%) were boys. In the last 1 month, 21.4% (18.4-24.6) reported diarrhea and 51.6% (47.7-55.3) reported ARI. The prevalence of underweight, wasting, and stunting among under-five children was 32.7% (29.1-36.4), 18.3% (15.3-21.4), and 38.3% (34.2-41.9), respectively. Majority (70%) sought treatment for illness in modern system of medicine and only few continued with the practice of herbs and traditional medicine.Discussion:Despite living in urban area, the tribal children had high prevalence of malnutrition, diarrhea, and ARI, though lower compared to other tribes in India possibly due to improved access to health care services. Efforts need to be strengthened for social inclusion of tribes into mainstream.

Social Customs and Beliefs among the Kadars of Anamalai Region in Coimbatore District

The social organization of the tribes in India is very diverse and often quite complicated. This is quite natural as they come from so many different races and cultures which are at various stages of development. They have also been much influenced by the surrounding superior cultures. Among the nomadic food gathering tribes, the social structure is based mainly on the natural family. Usually several such families, united by ties of kinship, form a local group. They live together, hunt and collect together and share out among themselves what they have gathered. They have obligations towards each other, and support each other in want, sickness and old age. Social life, however, is not entirely restricted to the local groups. The local groups meet occasionally to celebrate feasts, for the arrangement of marriages and for other important matters. This paper focuses on social organization, customs and culture of the Kadars, the primitive hill tribes of Anamalai region in Coimbatore District.

331P Head and neck cancer and its association with tobacco chewing habits in Paniya tribes of India

331P Head and neck cancer and its association with tobacco chewing habits in Paniya tribes of India

Oral Health Disparities among the Privileged and the Underprivileged Tribes of India – A Study on Periodontal Disease Prevalence.

Oral Health Disparities among the Privileged and the Underprivileged Tribes of India – A Study on Periodontal Disease Prevalence.

Reflections on Rights Discourse Among American Native Tribes and Indian Tribes: A Comparative Legal Study with Special Reference to Odisha.

Indigenous tribes have faced systematic alienation from their ancestral domain and common property resources in land, water and forest resources due to the application of Eurocentric Anglo-Saxon epistemology of positivism in counter opposition to the narratives of local traditions of the tribes based on customary law. This is true of the treaty concluding Native American tribes as well as the numerous scheduled tribes of India, who were ruled mostly by Ex-feudatory Chiefs under British paramountcy. The symptomatic similarities of resource appropriation lay in the structured political and economic designs of the colonial state system in the early part of American and Indian history. In the Post 1950’s phase it was the extension of earlier legal stereotypes that perpetuated this system to cause great impoverishment and marginalization of the tribal people. Contemporary history of tribal resistance movement therefore rejects the legal legacy of colonial state and demands the progressive inclusion of the right to self determination. It demands better compensation packages on an inter-generational basis, market rates and share-debenture stakes in assets lost, codification of customary rights and their eventual restitution, better resettlement and rehabilitation policy and legislative guarantees through Acts for tribal people experiencing involuntary displacement for public purpose takings under eminent domain laws etc. In fact the academic and activist militancy has forced the United Nations to pass important resolutions on Indigenous concerns and nation states are following suit. This trend has forced international donor and financial organizations to make the ‘equator principle’ mandatory for all project funding. Therefore any realistic attempt to integrate tribal ethos into development praxis must sincerely begin the exercise by making the tribes real stakeholders at the core of the processes of development rather than mute spectators standing on the powerless periphery.

Drinks and Drinking Habits of the Bondo Highlanders

During my college days, an interesting phenomenon caught my attention. On the one hand, there was a growing popularity of booze. Boozing amongst the peers was seen as modern, liberal, progressive. On the other hand, back home parents viewed drinking liquor as a social evil, undesirable influence of western culture, associated mostly with social discrepant. Parents often were haunted by the horror of their children giving in to boozing there by ruining their reputation and future. The question thus arises, are these only two available perspectives on booze and social drinking or do we have any other value system around the same prevalent in a society? Is social drinking a sign of the modern liberal society? Is it a foreign influence hazardous for Indian culture? Do we have an alternative story on the culture of drinks from within Indian community? I found that there are historical documentations on drinking, habits in royal courts, merchant guilds, etc. However, it was among the tribes of India that, I found the most extensive cultural practices, and a holistic value system on indigenous drinks and drinking habits. In this paper, I would like to describe the role and use of indigenous drinks in the life cycle and various ceremonies of one of the identified Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group, called the Bondo Highlanders.

Functional nutraceutical profiling of wild edible and medicinal mushrooms consumed by ethnic tribes in India.

Wild edible mushrooms occupy an important place in the traditional food habits of the ethnic tribes of India. Specimens collected from the forests and local markets of Meghalaya, India were affiliated to ten different species. The mushroom extracts were analyzed for nutrient and mineral compositions along with phenolics, flavonoids, ascorbic acid, β-carotene, and lycopene. These extracts were also investigated for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities. Fungal extracts were found to be rich in nutrients and minerals, and exhibited potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities under assay conditions. The nutrient profiles generated for each of these ten species revealed them to be rich sources of functional nutraceuticals.

The Tribal Economy in Western Madhya Pradesh: Environmental Perspectives and Changes in Livelihood Patterns

Economy is the base of all activities in human life. It provides food which is the foremost important need of any living organism on earth. Food and related activities to acquire food vary from region to region and community to community. Hence, tribals form the hunters, gatherers, primitive agriculturists and so many other categories on the basis of their economy. Forests have remained the usual abode of the tribals in most parts of the world, particularly in India. Hilly tracts with the forest covers have become permanent shelter grounds for them due to obvious and non-apparent politico-economic reasons. Forest provides a suitable hunting ground and definitely a gatherers’ paradise for most of the hunting and food-gathering tribes of India. It is the call of the time to have sensible exploitation of the forest resources along with substantial forestation in the same area for keeping the balance of means and consumption in the forest. About a couple of decades ago the population was less and the forests were plenteous in quantity and variety both. Now, the situation is almost reverse. Forest reserves have gone down, while the population has increasingly gone up. The tribals are still the greatest friends of the forests and coexistence of both is essential. The Bhilala and the Patelia of some areas of Western Madhya Pradesh are deemed to be the good cultivators in the region due to their hard work, adoption of new agricultural techniques and use of fertilisers.

Wild Mushroom Poisoning in North India: Case Series with Review of Literature

Mushroom is an important constituent of diet in many ethnic tribes in India. Ethnic Indian tribes are known to consume nearly 283 species of wild mushrooms out of 2000 species recorded world over. Although they are experts in distinguishing the poisonous from edible mushrooms, yet occasional cases of toxicity are reported due to accidental consumption of poisonous mushrooms. We report amanita like toxicity in a family after consumption of wild mushrooms resulting in fatal outcome.

Tribal Culture in the Matrix of an Inclusive Society: A Case of Marginality of Tribes in Terai and Dooars Region of West Bengal in India

Tribes in India are not a homogenous group and are at different levels of integration with the mainstream in the society. Originally living on marginal economy and practicing a religious life based on beliefs in spirit and supernatural powers, tribal life is now gradually witnessing conversion under the influence of a number of factors and forces like Hinduisation, Christianity, modernization, industrialization and urbanization; resulting into an admixture of tribal culture and economy with those of the mainstream in the society. In order to integrate the tribal culture with that of the rest of society, the Government of India has so far experimented with three approaches based on the politics of segregation, assimilation and integration.

Use of contraceptives and unmet need for family planning among tribal women in India and selected hilly states.

The paper provides a comprehensive picture of knowledge and use of contraceptives among scheduled tribes of India and selected central hilly states where tribal population contributes more than 30% of the total tribal population of the country. An attempt is also made to know how far scheduled tribes differ from non-tribes in the states, namely Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, using information collected in the third round of District-level Household Survey (DLHS-RCH III: 2007-2008). Bivariate analysis was used for understanding the level of knowledge, use of and unmet need for contraception among different tribal and non-tribal groups. Binary logistic regression was used for understanding the factors associated with the use of contraception and unmet need for family planning among tribal women. Knowledge and use of temporary contraceptive methods are considerably lower among tribal women compared to their non-tribal counterparts in the three states under study. Low acceptance due to phobia of adverse health consequences, accessibility to and lack of sound knowledge of contraception are the leading reasons for not using contraceptives. The unmet need for family planning among them was quite high, especially in the state of Jharkhand. Multivariate analysis substantiated the role of women and husbands' education, age of women, and number of surviving boys in the use of any modem method of contraception. Educating women and their respective husbands about proper use and benefits of modem contraceptives is important to solve the problem of high unmet need for family planning among these tribal women. A simultaneous attention to the health systems strengthening component is crucial for ensuring sustained delivery of good-quality family planning services.

OVERVIEW OF FOLK MEDICINE USED FOR TYPHOID IN INDIA

Typhoid fever is a systemic infection caused by Salmonella typhi , which remains a serious problem in developing country. The traditional Vaidya belonging to various tribes are using folk m edicine to prevent and cure the various diseases including Typhoid. The herbs used for Typhoid from various national - international journals and discussed. Most of the mentioned herbs have Katu - Tikta Rasa, Krimighna and Jvaragna property which help to displ ace or kill the microbe by Prakriti V ighat by decreasing Kapha and Malas on which these microorganisms lodges, flourish, grows and increase in numbers, thus leading to disease. Most of the mentioned folk herbs used for Typho id have significant result in vi tro and in vivo anti microbial activity as well as clinical efficacy and also justified the concept of Ayurveda. Hence it can be stated that Typho id can be treated by giving herbal drug which is already in use by traditional Vaidya and tribes in India, tho ugh there is further need of documentation for experimental and clinical study. Keyword: Typhoid, enteric fever, folk medicine, herb

In-vitro and In-vivo Anthelmintic Effects of Gynura angulosa (Compositae) Leaf Extract on Hymenolepis diminuta, a Zoonotic Tapeworm

The leaves of Gynura angulosa DC (Compositae) have been widely used in the indigenous system of medicine of Naga tribes in India for curing intestinal-helminth infections. In this study, the anthelmintic effects of G. angulosa leaf extract were investigated in-vitro and in-vivo against Hymenolepis diminuta, a zoonotic tapeworm species. In in-vitro study, the anthelmintic effects of extract were judged on the basis of paralysis and mortality of test worms, at 5, 10, 20 and 40 mg/ml concentrations, while in in-vivo study, the leaf extract was tested at 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg doses against experimentally induced H. diminuta infections in rats. The results revealed that G. angulosa leaf extract possesses dose-dependent anthelmintic effects. In in-vitro study, at 40 mg/kg concentration, the leaf extract showed mortality of test worms in as early as 2.92 h. In in-vivo study, the effects of extract were found to be more prominent against the adult stage than the larval stage of test parasite. Against the adult worm, the 800 mg/kg dose of extract, given for 5 days, resulted into 78.60 % reduction in eggs per gram of faeces (EPG) counts and 70.75 % reduction in worm counts of treated animals. In both the assays, the effects of extract were found to be quite comparable with that of a reference anthelmintic drug, praziquantel. These results prove that G. angulosa leaves possesses significant anthelmintic properties. Therefore, this plant may be useful in the treatment of intestinal helminth infections and could also be a potential source of new anthelmintic compound.

Enzymatic profiling of wild edible mushrooms consumed by the ethnic tribes of India

Wild edible macrofungi are known to produce a wide range of biologically active metabolites and enzymes. In the present study, macrofungi consumed by the mycophillic ethnic tribes of India were collected from the local markets and forest habitats and identified based on their morphology. They belonged to ten different species under nine genera and eight families. Amylase, cellulase, protease, tyrosinase and laccase enzymes of the macrofungi were investigated. Two strains of Lactarius showed higher activity of the enzyme laccase and were subjected to further purification and analysis. The partially purified laccases from these two strains showed efficient dye decolourization ability when tested against four different synthetic dyes. The present investigation suggests the potential of these wild edible macrofungi in the production of biotechnologically important enzymes for use in an array of applications from pharmaceuticals to treatment of chemical and biological effluents.

Diversity of Edible Insects and Practices of Entomophagy in India: An Overview

Insects, a traditional food in many parts of the world, are highly nutritious and especially rich in proteins and these represent a potential food and protein source. The ethnic people of India also consume insects as food. A review on the practices of entomophagy in India revealed that about 255 species of insects are taken as food by different tribes of India. Among these edible species of insects, consumption of coleopteran species was highest constituting about 34%; followed by Orthoptera (24%); Hemiptera (17%); Hymanoptera (10%); Odonatae (8%); Lepidoptera (4%); Isoptera (2%) and the least was Ephimeroptera (1%). Food insects are chosen by members of various tribes according to their traditional beliefs, taste, regional and seasonal availability of the edible insects. Depending on the species, only certain, but sometimes all, developmental stages are consumed. Preparation of the edible insects for consumption involves mainly roasting or boiling. Sometimes spices are added to enhance the taste. Practice of entomophagy is quite common among the ethnic people of North East India particularly among the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur and Nagaland and to a lesser extent by the tribes of Meghalaya and Mizoram. Comparatively this practice is much lower (constituting about one to five insect species) among the ethnic people of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha of South and Central part of India. Therefore, there is an urgent need to focus on the studies related to entomophagy, and to promote entomophagy/ethno-entomological research to document all edible insects and their mode of consumption by various tribal communities in India.

Work Participation of Tribal Women in India: A Development Perspective

“This paper has been written on the basis of qualitative and quantitative data collected from secondary source and discussed work participation of tribal women in India in a descriptive manner. The tribal women have been equal partners with tribal men in the contribution to household economy. Quite often their women do more physical labour in their agricultural fields and forest than that of the tribal men. Tribal women have usually enjoyed a higher social status in their own communities than Indian women in general. Some of the tribes like Khasi in Mizoram and Meghalaya are matriarchal. However, the literacy rate among the tribal’s and more so in case of tribal women is quite low and this is also associated with poor nutritional and health status among the tribal’s. The estimate of poverty made by Planning Commission for the year 1993-94 shows that 51.92 percent rural and 41.4 percent urban Scheduled Tribes were still living below the poverty line. They are engaged in various occupations like hunting shifting cultivation to settled agriculture and rural crafts. A very negligible percent are engaged in non-agricultural activities The Scheduled Tribes constitute 8.2% of India’s total population. In all there are 700 Scheduled Tribes in India. States of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa all together have about 40% of the total tribal population of the country.”

Traditional Prescriptive Marriage versus Cross-Cultural Marriage System Among the Chothe of Manipur

This paper highlights the significant of popular cross-cultural marriage among the Chothe with the neighbouring communities that poses threat to their traditional endogamous prescriptive marriage system. However, it indicates that despite the declined the system is still ideal, stable and adaptable. The declined of their traditional marriage system does not mean that the system is totally breaking down but rather a deviation. It indicates that the increased in cross-cultural marriage was develop due to their exposure, liberal worldviews and flexibility in their socio-cultural norms influenced by the thoughts of modern education, Christianity, westernisation and modernisation, etc. This liberal attitudes impacted by such factors allow a person to have more options in choosing a girl or a boy outside his/ her tribe. On the basis, a new trend of love and arranged marriage becomes popular a blend of tradition and modern marriage, common even among other Northeastern tribes of India.