Threatened Tribal Groups

‘PRIMITIVE’ TRIBAL GROUP AND DEVELOPMENT

Our attempt to understand the ‘Primitive’ tribal Groups the communities which represent the miniscule population that hold the continuum use and practice of traditional Knowledge.

While Exploring the various marginalised communities in the context of Discrimination during our dialoged with our partners Srujan (Yawatmal), we came across a group specifically vulnerable within the tribal community, termed by the Government as Primitive Tribal group or now as per the new Draft Tribal Policy as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group.

Exploring the subject further at Econet we were not much convinced of the government definition primarily because it was too generic and in contemporary situation also was in conflict with some of the facts which did not correspond with the communities enlisted under this specific schedule. Also looking closely at the criteria defining this community was highly derogatory (Primitive) and did not recognise the knowledge base of these communities specifically with regards to their surroundings or ‘habitat’ as mentioned in some of the policy document.

On one hand we see a mad rush of documenting the biodiversity in lue of this traditional knowledge being lost and on other hand we are labeling the communities who hold this knowledge as primitive which is highly contradictory to the views and parameters expressed in this definition. The study done by Econet explores some of this.

While exploring the enlisted ‘Primitive Tribal Groups’ of Maharashtra what we could see as a common thread within the tribal communities where these particular communities live, are some of the vary specific areas were the Natural resource are at abundant and the Economic development wants to  source these resources form these areas. And thus these are also the areas subjected to ‘Development’ initiatives by the government in the ‘habitats’ zone of such ‘primitive people’. These are also the same area which as per the latest draft of the National tribal policy should be protected and in absence of protection of which existence of ‘PTGs’ faces threat.

In the following study Econet explored 4 sites in Maharashtra covering all the three communities and explored the impacts of various ‘Development‘projects on them. Those who are more exposed showed better ability to adjust with the ‘external’ pressures and for those who have been away from the mad rush of the two digit economic growth find it difficult to comprehend a scenario of existence in absence of their habitat which is based on their knowledge systems and has sustained over generations due to their long term perspective of conservation. In their world when they see ripples of Global warming they often wonder and tend to look inward where they went wrong unlike any of us outside trying out best to end what mother nature has to offer us without our contribution to its existence.

Thus we as Econet present the following study which would not have been possible without dialogue with the members’ form these communities.

This is our first step as a community in collaboration and support of those communities who would like to foresee development for all communities without discriminating in terms of their status and economic reach but gratitude and acknowledgement of the knowledge (knowledge and not information ) verbal or documented passed on from generation to generation to contribute towards sustainable future...