GENDER IMPLICATIONS OF TRIBAL CUSTOMARY LAW: The Case of North-East India
This book has to be read against the backdrop of renewed calls from many tribes for strengthening the customary law regime among the tribal communities of North-East India. The papers in it examine the changing status of women in the interface of the customary law with the forces of modernisation. The papers outline the distinct origin, practice and prevalence of the tribal customary law and describe the role played by women in moulding lives, guiding families and building societies. The articles in the book represent the tribal communities of the Seven Sisters of North-East India and look into the changing role of women in the arena of education, economy, religion and politics. While capturing the stories of women at the grassroots, they do not hesitate to pinpoint the lacunae of the customary law system in addressing the new issues that have arisen due to the rapid changes taking place because of the inroads made by the market forces.
GLOBALIZATION, NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRIBAL IDENTITY
An outcome of a national seminar, this book attempts to take stock of the status of tribal identity with reference to national development and globalization in the historical perspective. It also underlines factors and conditions responsible for origin, functioning and change in indices of tribal identity, emergence of new identity, interface between traditional and modern identity and overall impact of changes in identity on their material and non-material culture as well as their physical and social quality of life. Besides scholars and students of tribal studies, the book will also be useful for thinkers, policy makers and planners.
IMPACT OF GLOBALISATION ON TRIBALS: In the Context of Kerala
Globalisation, which has swept through all the nations of the world, has brought about tremendous economic changes in India. But, its effect is differently experienced by different sections of people. In this book, the impact of globalisation on tribals in Kerala, the most backward and marginalised section in the state, on their livelihood, including employment and the availability of essential commodities, and on the sociocultural life, including their cultural and religious practices, health, education and on women, has been studied. At the outset the book gives a comprehensive description about the socio-economic and cultural situation of tribals in Kerala, particularly their land alienation and organisational struggle for land. It offers a few suggestions and strategies to counter the negative impact of globalisation on tribals. As the issue dealt with in this study has a national dimension today, the book is relevant for academicians and social activists both in Kerala and in India.
INDIAN TRIBES AND THE MAINSTREAM
Edited by Sukant K. Chaudhury and Soumendra Mohan Patnaik
The volume posits a critique to the prevalent dichotomy between the mainstream of Indian society and the tribal cultures. Here, an attempt has been made to explore why this dichotomy came into existence and what have been its consequences in the socio-political reality of the nation. Drawing from both micro and macro studies the authors question the utility of traditional anthropological discourses on tribal societies. An endeavour to move beyond the straightjacketed approach helps in understanding the nuances and fluidities of cultural boundaries. It also enables us to see tribals as both victims and instruments in the social and political processes of nation-building. Further, the volume examines the structure and processes of the tribal society vis-à-vis their problems, policies, transformation, ethnic discourse and the future. It will be of interest to planners, researchers and students from both a theoretical perspective and empirical understanding.
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN ASIA AND CHALLENGES OF THE FUTURE
Fr Mario Saturnino Dias (General Editor)
This volume touched upon various important aspects of the sad plight of the Indigenous/Tribal Peoples and proposed possible course of action by the Church to serve them best and to bring them the Good News of liberation.
LEGACY OF AMBEDKAR: Analysis and Appraisal
Edited by Lancy Lobo and Dhananjay Kumar
This collection of essays examines the legacy of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar with regard to his ideas of social democracy, eradication of caste system, formation and strengthening of constitutional institutions, and the role of religion and caste in a democracy. This volume is not a eulogy for Ambedkar, but an analytical attempt to look at his contributions and failures. The primary objective of the volume is to assess Ambedkar from a detached, unbiased and objective view in the light of changing contemporary India.
MAKING OF MODERN INDIA: Sociological Explorations into Postcolonial Indian Modernity
The present work is an attempt to understand how the founding leaders of independent India envisaged and made an effort to realise the modern Indian society by rupturing the colonial legacy with the typical local, blended with the western universal principles of equality, justice, freedom and socialism. At the time of independence, most of the population of the country was backward, illiterate and poor, and was living in villages. Cities were the seats of exercise of colonial power and all decisions were taken in the urban centres. On top of all these challenges was the socio-cultural diversity of the country’s population. The members of the Constituent Assembly dominated by the Congressmen who were mostly the freedom fighters under Gandhi, took upon themselves to meet the daunting task of drafting the Constitution which would seek to resolve all contradictions and take the country on the path of not only development but also nation-building.
MINORITY RIGHTS: Between Diversity and Community
The question of minority rights is one of the great dilemmas of contemporary politics. Increases in the flow of immigrants, migrants and refugees have raised public concerns that greater cultural and ethnic diversity creates instability within nation-states. But does stability really require homogeneity? Or can it be maintained in the presence of different minority groups? In this path-breaking book, Jackson Preece analyses whether traditional minority rights theory is sufficiently dynamic to inform effective responses to modern challenges. The central premise behind minority rights is that groups recognized and supported by the political community are far less likely to challenge its authority or threaten its territorial integrity. However, as Jackson Preece shows, the potential for collisions of values and interests still exists, and the possibility of a permanent solution to the problem of diversity remains elusive. Minority Rights will be an indispensable resource for students and scholars of political science, international relations, law, and sociology.
PLANNED DEVELOPMENT AMONG TRIBALS: A Comparative Study of Bhils and Minas
Tribal development has given rise to several debates in our country. If the tribals of our country aspire to the level of development which will incorporate them into the regional society. Will they be able to retain their culture which gives them their identity? Another aspect of the debate is that in the case of the withdrawal of constitutional benefits given to the tribals, what will happen to their affairs? There has been a complete lack of self-sufficiency among them.
RELEVANCE OF AMBEDKARISM IN INDIA (Second Edition)
Edited by K S Chalam
Ambedkarism as an ideology of the oppressed in India, particularly with reference to Bahujan masses, has emerged as a dominant discourse. It was during the centenary year 1991 that academics and activists discussed the contributions of B.R. Ambedkar in detail and realised the potential of a liberation thought. The book being an outcome of a national seminar for the first time twenty-five years ago, established theoretical foundations of building Ambedkarism as a philosophy. There are four sections containing 26 papers. Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, A.M. Rajasekhariah, Sharad Patil, S.G. Kulkarni, S.K. Sarkar, K.N. Kadam and others; along with K.S. Chalam deliberated at the seminar around the theme of the book. This edition of the book contains new material that recorded the immensity and exuberance of Ambedkarism during the last twenty-five years since the first edition appeared.
RESOURCES, TRIBES AND DEVELOPMENT: Competing Interests and Contours of Possibilities
Editors: M.C. Behera and Jumyir Basar
The papers included in this volume primarily focus on contradicting perspectives, competing interests and emerging outcomes when the relation between tribes and their resource perceptions shifts along the line of corporate-induced development projects. Precisely, it is a compendium of issues related to development induced displacement. With distinct analytical frames and empirical findings, the papers, contributed by the experts in the field – academics, bureaucrats and activists alike – unambiguously present a critique to perspectives of people’s development within the frame of contemporary development discourse.
RETHINKING TRIBE IN INDIAN CONTEXT: Realities Issues & Challenges
The general understanding about tribes in India is somewhat hazy, confusing and at times biased. Tribals are almost invariably equated
REVISITING TRIBAL STUDIES: A Glimpse After Hundred Years
Tribal studies have been a critical area of enquiry, starting from colonial requirements to contemporary interest of government organizations and NGOs, anthropo-sociological adoption to cross disciplinary recognition, culture and ethnography to multidisciplinary methodological perspectives, academic pursuits to project-induced necessity of evaluation and assessment and from depicting tribes as ‘others’ to integrating them in nation-building.
SCHEDULED CASTE ELITES
As a consequence of government’s reservation policy, Scheduled Castes have acquired higher education and thereafter achieved dignified and qualified designations at a higher level, both in government and non-government sectors.
This generation of elites comprising of intellectual, administrative, professional and political elites have migrated to urban areas and have evolved a unique position in the social and cultural fabric of upper caste society.
SOCIAL INEQUALITY IN INDIA: Profiles of Caste, Class & Social Mobility (Second Edition)
Edited by K.L. Sharma
Since independence restructuring of Indian society has been an active agenda on the policies and programmes of the Indian State and various movements launched by several organisations and groups of people. Such a restructuring is being sought by transformation of the inegalitarian traditional social order into a more egalitarian system of social relations. The focus in this volume is on the study of theory, structure and process relating to hierarchy and social inequality.
SOCIAL MOVEMENTS IN TRIBAL INDIA
The history of tribal social movements in India is very old. These social movements have impacted tribal culture and tradition
STRATIFICATION AND SOCIAL CHANGE AMONG TRIBALS: An Anthropological Study among the Sherdukpens of Arunachal Pradesh
This book is a valuable addition to the context of understanding the tribal situation of Arunachal Pradesh; and also for a critical cognition on the nature of inequality and stratification among the Sherdukpens. Sherdukpen is one of the major tribes of Arunachal Pradesh inhabiting the western most part of the state. The people of this community have a rich cultural heritage; their dance forms, songs, arts and crafts of magnificent beauty have enriched the culture of the state. Sherdukpen society is passing through a crucial phase of transition. This study attempts to understand the historicity and nature of stratification in the Sherdukpen society. An attempt has been made to see the implications of material as well as economic life on stratification within the society and on various traditional socio-political institutions, religious systems and on social structure and value systems. The work is based on extensive fieldwork on migration narratives and their economic, social and political life.
THE NO-NONSENSE GUIDE TO CLASS, CASTE AND HIERARCHIES
Upper, middle or lower? Which class are you? Perhaps you don’t think class exists any more, but Jeremy Seabrook argues that it most certainly does, just in the way that caste still operates in India – even though it is officially outlawed in that country. Hierarchies and rankings have been with us since the earliest times and they show no sign of disappearing yet. Those at the top would have too much to lose.
And don’t think that ‘class’ is just a British phenomenon. It’s alive everywhere. In the US everyone is ‘middle class’ – except of course those who don’t work, are homeless and poor. They are the ‘underclass’, a fate almost worse than death.
TRIBAL ECONOMY AT CROSSROADS
Edited by S.N. Chaudhary
This book deals with nature and dynamics of tribal economy in India. It also discusses functional and dysfunctional implications of the changing patterns of tribal economy on physical and social quality of life of the tribal masses. Tribal economy, in relation to institutional intervention, civil society initiatives and other macro-micro factors, has been examined in a thorough manner. Some of the articles have also underlined priority areas of teaching and research on tribal issues. Besides, it also suggests blueprint for comprehensive and sustainable development of tribal economy in an era of globalization when interactions between tribal economy and outside forces have massively increased.
Besides the students of Sociology, Social Anthropology and Social Work, the book will be quite useful for planners, policy makers, NGOs, PRIs and all the chaange agents who are directly or indirectly associated with the question of tribal development.
TRIBAL HEALTH AND NUTRITION
Edited by S.N. Chaudhary
Health and nutrition are two interrelated issues which have drawn the attention of scholars across the world. This book, which is the outcome of a national seminar, examines different issues relating to tribal health and nutrition in India in specific context of their culture, local ecology, voluntary efforts and institutional intervention. The broad conclusion of most of the papers included in this volume highlights pitiable conditions in this regard. Scholars have however suggested ways and means to deal with inhibiting factors responsible for slow and lop-sided process of improvement in health and nutritional status of tribes. Also, some fruitful suggestions have been made in several articles. Altogether this book is a valuable contribution to the field of tribal health and nutrition. Its study would profit both the students and researchers of Sociology, Social Anthropology and Social Work.
TRIBAL INTEGRATION IN INDIA: Northeast and Beyond
Tribal Integration in India: Northeast and Beyond provides a critical insight to understand the regional concerns on tribal issues in India. Tribal population in India is heterogeneous, representing multiple cultures, languages, religious beliefs with myriad regional diversity spread from North to South and East to West, including the Northeast. Then, if this is the reality, would it be possible to think about their integration? What does integration mean in the context of tribes in India? Is it cultural integration, religious integration, ethnic integration, economic integration, social integration or political integration?