Introduction:
Even though some of the tribal problems are the creation of the tribal cultures themselves, there are several tribal problems which are due to the contact of tribal cultures with those of non-tribals. These tribal problems created by culture contact are related to environmental, demographic, economic, social,
religious, political, educational and psychological aspects.
Environmental problems:
In many tribal areas of India, contact of tribals with non-tribals has been accompanied by the introduction of new powerful weapons, new techniques of plant cultivation like ploughing, and intensified use of land for many crops. The new artefacts and practices helped after the geographical environment to some extent.
- (i) Powerful weapons like guns led to the extermination of several varieties of fauna and reduction of large herds of game animals in almost all parts of tribal areas in India.
- (ii) Reduction in the average cultivable land holding among the tribals due to grabbing by non-tribals and increasing pressure of tribal population has influenced the tribals to resort to more and more shifting cultivation and has encouraged soil erosion and deforestation in many tribal tracts in India.
- (iii) The fertility of land has become seriously depleted under intensive cultivation introduced by non-tribals into some scattered parts of tribal areas like Chota Nagpur and Bastar.
The destruction of several flora and fauna, the encouragement of soil erosion and deforestation and the depletion of soil fertility have titled the ecological balances in many tribal areas. As a consequence, some of the tribal are now facing the problems of scarcity of game, scarcity of land for cultivation, and paucity of sacred groves for worship in their respective environments.
Demographic Problems:
Contact of tribal with non-tribals is responsible for a gradual decline in the tribal populations. The Andamanese show decline in number from a few hundred in 1881 to nineteen in 1961. The Malaryans from Kerala has suffered a heavier loss from, 2,853 in 1921 to 128 in 1931. the Todas of Tamil Nadu who numbered 2,689 in 1881 now number about 800. the Asurs of Bihar have declined from 3,099 in 1911 to 639 in 1931. In Andhra Pradesh, the Korawas have decreased from 1,204 in 1921 to 1, 121 in 1931. There are many more tribals which have shown a decline in their total strength. Thus, it is evident that several tribes are preparing for an exist like the Andamanese.
The demographic problems arising out of contact of tribals with non-tribals may be summed up as follows:
- Fluctuations in the birth rate, death rate and other demographic indices of tribal populations have followed from adhered diets and newly introduced diseases. These fluctuations are causing depopulation of several tribal groups.
- Labour recruitment that separate men and women are interfering with reproduction of tribal populations. These are not uncommon conditions appearing with culture contacts situations.
- The dwindling number of the friendly Andaman islanders and the hostility of the unfriendly ones are unique problems. Out of the four tribes of the Andaman Islands, the Great Andamanese and the Onge are for long, on contact with the non-tribals, and their population is constantly towards decline.
Economic Problems
Contact of tribals with non-tribals is responsible for the creation of several economic problems such as land alienation, indebtedness, exploitation, bonded labour and poverty in almost every tribal are of this country.
- The tribal land used for shifting cultivation is held to be unclassed State Forest and the possessors can be ousted without any sort of compensation, as often has been done.
- Quarrying stone, gravel and ores for private use is forbidden to the owner of the site of shifting cultivation where they may lie and the license fee demanded for quarrying is prohibitive.
- The problem of land alienation is very much pronounced among the tribals. Before contact of the tribals with non-tribals, there was enough land for all tribals. The land was originally under rajahs. The rajahs receive their annual land rent either in the form of services or in kind. When the British rule extended into the tribal areas, the rajahs has to pay to the Government their tribute in cash. As the demands of the Government progressively increased, more and more pressure was put upon the tribal tenants, who had also to pay in cash. The small traders who settled down in tribal areas now found an opportunity of making money. They became money-lenders and as the tribal people knew little of accounts, it was possible for them to fleece the tribals in a most shameful way. The money lenders lent money to tribals who, in due course, felt victim to them and could never come out of their clutches. To repay the debt, the tribal had to part with his land. The illegal practice of money-lending has led to land alienation. The tribals have been deprived of all the best lands which they possessed previously by the process of mounting land alienation.
- Tribals, being simple people, hesitate to come forward to defend their rights. In many cases benami transactions are taking place because the tribals are more interested in the annual rent than in keeping away the non-tribals from their land. Thus, the fears of antagonising the non-tribal and misplaced sense of loyalty among tribals make it difficult to arrest illegal transfers. Consequently, in many cases the tribal land had been transferred to the non-tribal money lenders for the repayment of loans.
- The problem of bonded labour and slavery is most common in many tribal areas. The practice of bonded labour is known by different names in different regions. It is known as Sagari in Rajasthan, Halpati in Gujarat, Mahjadari, Hali Kalia, Harvathi or Naukari Nama in Madhya Pradesh, Jeetha in Karnataka, Vayla in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Gothi in Orissa and Gothi or Vetti in Andhra Pradesh. The main feature of bonded labour is that a tribal pledge his person and members of his family against the loan received from the non-tribal merchants, money lenders and sometimes landlords. Once a tribal is in the vicious circle of economic exploitation, it is an impossibility for him to get of it. The amount of his debt goes on mounting year after year making him serve the non-tribal merchant, moneylenders or landlord in perpetuity.
- The problems of indebtedness, exploitation and poverty are the creations of contact of tribals with non tribals. Most of the tribal people are indebted to the non-tribal traders, merchants and money-lenders. The important reasons for their indebtedness are: unproductive agriculture, expensive festivals, payment of bride price or dowry and lack of proper marketing facilities for the forest produce which they collect.
Social Problems
The isolation of tribes has its otherwise social problems: it hinders culture growth and causes stagnation in the community ventures. But contact of tribals with non-tribals also poses many social problems, especially in the context of adjustment of the communities influenced. The more common social problems faced by the tribals in culture contact situation are: tribal discomfort, moral corruption adoption and assimilation of caste and social disorganization of tribal groups.
- The problem of discomfort with reference to certain areas of social life is very common in almost all tribal areas of the subcontinent. The influx of non-tribals in tribal habitations made the tribals money minded. Even the bride-price, which the tribals before contact paid in kind, is now decided through cash payments. In certain tribal groups, the value of bride-price has gone as high as rupees two thousand. For a tribal family, in general, it is highly difficult to manage for the payment of bride-price from one’s own resources. This causes discomfort to the tribals.
- Contact of tribals with non-tribals has also introduced moral corruption into tribal areas. The youth houses known as bachelor halls or youth dormitories, where tribal boys and girls have been enjoying a free life, have once formed an important part of the social organisation and community life of Indian tribes. The youth dormitories at many places have started disappearing. At many places the non-tribals have attempted to share the sex with the tribals. As a consequence, some tribals like Bhotia, Bhuiya and Muria Gonds have already started doing away with the dormitories and some tribals like the Oraons have almost dispensed with the dormitories. Even in some other places where pre-marital sex life if free or where the women are allowed to keep lovers, some non-tribals has caused trouble. Further, the establishment of various commercial concerns, and the connected human settlements in tribal belts led to similar kinds of effects.
- The development of tea gardens, the establishment of steel and other plants and some hydroelectric projects have introduced new varieties of liquor, gambling and exploitation of sex. The excise laws in tribal areas are hitting the groups hard. The out still system has led to an increased in drunkenness and immortality. The Government is accused of making money by this means. Liquor has become cheap and the tribal population who used to be brew their own liquor are finding is uneconomic to do so and are taking more and more to liquor shops.
- Because of contact of tribals with the caste Hindus the tribal societies have become disorganized. Tribal groups have adopted and assimilated many caste elements. They absorbed the ideas regarding untouchability, purity, pollution and hierarchy. Tribes like the Gonds, the Santals, the Juang, the Bhuiyas and several others have already differentiated amongst themselves, various sub-social hierarchies. Lately emerging social stratification and ranking among the tribals have brought in new kinds of complications. Problems defined in the relevance of caste system have slowly started taking roots among tribals, especially in case of the more exposed ones. When democratic India stands for integration, elimination of caste consciousness, abolition of untouchability, all unhealthy trends causing social disorganisation and hatred within tribal groups are most undesirable