Paper
Land as the Mediator between Tribal Life and Their Cultural EcologyTraditional Knowledge System and Unravelling the Complexity of Issues on Land Rights from the Perspective of Traditional Knowledge System
presenters
km Pushpa Rani
Nationality: India
Residence: India
Department of Anthropology and Tribal Studies, Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India
Presence:Online
Keywords:
Traditional Knowledge, Land, Rights, Alienation, Cultural Life
Abstract:
Alienation is a complex term that takes different definitions, but it can broadly refer to a sense of detachment from the environment. As a noun, it can also mean the state or experience of being alienated. It is also referred to as the process in which one withdraws or separates one's affection from something. However, in sociology alienation is understood as an individual's estrangement from his community or others in general. Indeed, alienation is quite associated with the atomism of modern society that develops a different set of values to differentiate it from others who were supposed to be in contact with others emotionally as well as in terms of materialistic life, and for example, the nuclear family becomes an atypical example as it has emerged as a modern phenomenon as well as a problem in the modernized urban life. As such, alienation can be understood as a process of within and from outside, that, either one moves away from something or something is taken away from, and in fact, both the processes are not similar and not comparable in toto. From the psychological perspective, it becomes a problematic separation from self and other that belong together, and here self and other must be understood in broader terms involving symbolic elements of replacement. However, this paper tries to locate the nature of any kind of alienation that happens in the tribal life in Jharkhand and conceived broadly, this paper tries to accommodate various issues associated with the tribal life that range from land, property and nature to their established identity. Data for this paper will be collected from secondary sources, and a comprehensive analysis will be carried out in order to understand the position of the tribal people in terms of alienation politics. Further, through this paper, it is argued that in some of the cases, the separation is a diagnostic process, but otherwise, it involves a lot of politics that collapses its original identity and rebuilds a new identity either for the benefit or to lose certain advantageous positions. The tribal community is one of the most vulnerable communities in India. Although, the Constitution of India guarantees social, economic and political justice to the tribal community, yet the same remains due for effective implementation. This is clearly discernible if we look closely into their living standards. The unchanged condition of tribal communities even after 75 years of independence evidences the severity of marginalization and lack of empathy from the government and mainstream society. Numerous pieces of evidence of exploitation such as land alienation, displacement, denial of forest rights, forced labour etc. discern the violence that tribal communities have to go through. However, if we aim for a developed India that is not just an economic might but has less inequality and more justice, then we need to change our approach towards tribal welfare. Declining tribal population and vanishing tribal identity are plaguing the tribal society. The authors believe that most of the miseries of tribal communities emanate from an important single source which is the exploitation of the land rights of the tribal population. The status of the tribe is lost when they lose their lands and have to migrate to another place in search of livelihood. It is like taking the life out of the body. Thus, the development of the country at the tribal welfare is not sustainable and should be checked. India should aim for better GDP growth but should not achieve it by losing its uniqueness and diversity. This study delves into the issues of tribal land rights in India. It aims to analyze the challenges faced by tribal communities due to the loss of their land and forest rights, and its implications on their lives. The study envisions a future where India's tribes thrive economically, socially, and culturally, contributing significantly to the nation's overall progress and prosperity.