More Minnus, Draupadis – Every tribal success story is a reminder how much govts need to do for genuine Adivasi empowerment

Source: The post is based on the article “More Minnus, Draupadis – Every tribal success story is a reminder how much govts need to do for genuine Adivasi empowerment” published in The Times of India on 15^th February 2023.

Syllabus: GS 2 – Social Justice

Relevance: concerns associated with tribals in India

News: Minnu Mani, a tribal girl from the Kurichiya tribe in Kerala has secured a contract in the Women’s Premier League auction.

This is an effort towards empowering the tribal communities in India, however, there are also problems associated with the tribal communities.

What are the concerns associated with tribals in India?

Declining conditions: As per the Tribal Development Report 2022, tribes constitute 8.6% of the population.

Despite a lower share, their condition is worse than others when it comes to access to sanitation, drinking water, education and proper nutrition.

The report also says that tribal communities have been pushed away from the fertile lands which has affected their livelihoods. Of the total Scheduled Tribe districts in the country, 90% are in either forested or hilly or dry areas.

Concerns with amendments to Forest Conservation Rules: Tribals have protested against the amendments made in the Forest Conservation Rules last year.

They say that the amendments take away the rights of tribes and forest dwellers over forest resources provided by the Forest Rights Act, 2009.

Moreover, these amendments give an advantage to businesses to easily obtain forest land for commercial purposes. Thus, affecting the tribal welfare.

Political Issues: Tribals have been mostly used for political purposes such as to get votes while their conditions have not been improved.