Nomadic & Semi-Nomadic Tribes

“The Nomadic Tribes of India, were formally known and notified as the ‘Criminal Tribes of India'(DNTs) by the British as per the 1871 Act. Today they constitute a total population of about 60 million. While these communities are enlisted in various disadvantaged sub categories by the government […]. These tribes were originally nomadic and traditionally seen as traders in commodities like salt and honey. After the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 they were seen by the British government as an intelligence threat as they wandered unchecked across the country carrying messages and information. Since they could not be forcibly settled the notification act was used. […] These groups were formally ‘de-notified’ in 1952 by the Indian government, but event today they continue to carry the stigma of being ‘born criminals’.” – “Justice for the DNTs” (Bhasha Trust, accessed 13 October 2022)
https://bhasharesearch.org/justice-dnts.html
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=12284

The Lambani: A pan-Indian tribal community of many names and “known for its colourful dress” – Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Orissa & West Bengal

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LAMBANIS: ORIGIN AND SOCIO CULTURAL PROFILEBy Dr. K. Ramalingareddy ORIGIN OF LAMBANIS India is a land of castes and tribes. According to an estimate there arc about 427 tribal groups in the Country (Roy Burman, 1971:2). The Anthropological Survey (1967) has estimated the number at 314 considering a number of tribes to be the constituents … Read more

Audio & video | Alternatives offered by India’s grassroot movements: Regenerating ecosystems with insights from modernity

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“The world is a living tapestry … As the weave of life is torn apart in one place, the threads unravel in another,” says author and physics professor Vandana Singh, acknowledging humanity’s interconnectedness with the planet — and the uncertain future we face if we don’t protect it. Reading an excerpt from her latest work … Read more

Serving endangered languages, denotified and nomadic Communities: Ganesh Devy on the need for a “sustainable economic and social base in the homeland”

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A Nomad Called Thief by Ganesh Devy | Homepage >> A collection of essays on Adivasis. Tribal groups (adivasis) in India have often been excluded, marginalized and oppressed by ‘mainstream’ society. In many ways this exclusion, marginalization and oppression is fostered by the way in which ‘mainstream’ society looks at the adivasis – as exotic, dangerous, … Read more

ePaper | “Criminality by birth” is an abhorrent colonial doctrine”: Harness the potential of Denotified Tribes, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes for national development

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What is the “Criminal Tribes Act” all about?And what can be done to help the countless victims of stigmatization and deprivation? To learn more, download the full TAG report:“RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP 2006” (Backup PDF, 1 MB, 361 pages) including the entire text of the final recommendations providing a road-map for the long … Read more

Land allocation and alienation: The Kaani tribal community inhabiting the forests of Kanyakumari – Tamil Nadu

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Excerpts from a report by environmental educator Davidson Sargunam (Nagercoil) titled Land Alienation of the tribe: Rich forest lands, poor tribal people. The Kaani tribal community inhabits the forests of Kanyakumari in 48 Settlements in the Western Ghats in Agasthiar Biosphere Reserve. Once a nomadic tribe, they have settled in the deep forests and jungles. They … Read more