Question

Write short note.

Problems of tribal community.

Answer 1

Problems faced by the tribal community :

1. Alienation from forest land: Many tribes engage in primary agriculture, food-gathering and hunting hence they are heavily dependent on the produce of the forest. Therefore, when outsiders exploit the tribal land and its resources, the natural eco-cycle and the tribal life dependent on it is greatly disturbed. Industrialisation and construction of water reservoirs resulted into further acquisition of land by the State. Various State governments have passed several acts to abolish transfer of sale of tribal land to non-tribal but the issue of tribal alienation has not reduced till date.
2. Bonded labour: Though Bonded labour is banned by Indian Law, it still prevails in some tribal areas. Bonded labour is considered to be a serious problem, which started due to rampant poverty and lack of stable income among the tribals. In fact, land alienation, indebtedness, bonded labour and poverty are problems which exist hand-in- hand. However, due to the efforts of the government and voluntary organisations many tribals are being freed from this problem.
3. Shifting cultivation: Shifting cultivation among tribals is a problem since it involves largescale deforestation and soil erosion. Shifting cultivation is known by various names such as Jhum, Khallu and Podu.
4. Illiteracy: Illiteracy among tribal is a major hindrance towards their development. School hours often clash with agricultural and wage-earning activities of children. Children are looked upon as economic assets and are thus expected to supplement their parents' income Also, schools are often not located in the vicinity of tribal settlements. The formal courses in schools are not taught in tribal languages, so children lose interest in learning, leading to a high dropout rate.
5. Poverty and indebtedness: Majority of tribal people live below the poverty line. They practice simple occupations based on primitive technology. Most of the occupations fall into the primary categories such as hunting, gathering and agriculture. There is no profit nor surplus in such economy. Hence, their per capita income is very low. Most of them are steeped in debt. In order to repay the debts, they often have to mortgage or sell their land.
6. Health and nutrition: In many parts of India, the tribal population suffers from chronic waterborne infections and diseases. They also suffer from malnutrition since childhood and various deficiencies caused by it. Infant mortality is quite high among them. Lack of proper medical and sanitary facilities as well as poverty also lead to difficulties in maintaining proper health and nutrition.