Author Description

"Marginalisation of tribals and commercial exploitation of their land and forest date back to the British period. After independence, the nexus between development administration, banias and non-tribals on the one hand, and laws governing their commons on the other, further deprived them of not only their livelihood, but also resulted in a loss of their identity. The present volume discusses some of these important issues. The book is divided into six thematic sections. The first Livelihood and Land Alienation has two chapters that operationalise these constructs in the context of western tribal belt of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The next section Empowerment has three chapters that trace changes in the tribal society in the context of 73rd Constitutional Amendments. Two out of three chapters in the section on Education and Health have discussed educational backwardness among tribals and the remedial measures. One chapter on health perceptions, beliefs and practices amongst tribals in western India is also part of this. The thematic section Economic Change and Social Deprivation has five chapters that present socio-economic deprivation of tribals due to the process of economic change. Two chapters under the section Development and Displacement discuss the deprivation of tribals due to mega irrigation projects and the interaction between the state, the civil society and the community in the process of their relocation and rehabilitation. The last section Partnership Ethics and Environmental Politics has one chapter that debates how varied perceptions have transformed livelihood and commons, over the years, into a new politics of environment. The book will interest a range of readers including researchers, bureaucrats, policy makers, planners and those concerned with the plight of tribals."