Maniam PS [Guru] Reward Points : 142200 Member Since : Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Who are the indigenous people of India and are they still in existence?
Posted On : 4/17/2009 2:08:17 AM
Riya Sen [Guru] Reward Points : 93800 Member Since : Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Yes Maniam, the indigenous people still exist in India and they are popularly known as Adivasi. Indian government refers to indigenous peoples as Scheduled Tribes. It is a Sanskrit word meaning original people . Contrary to the official government position, this term reflects the widely recognised fact that the people in question are the earliest known settlers on the Indian subcontinent and North-East India. The indigenous or tribal peoples of India s north-eastern region the seven states Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura do not call themselves, nor are they normally referred to in literature, as Adivasi in spite of the fact that the meaning of the term very much applies to the respective people. Representatives of these peoples prefer to use the English term indigenous peoples . In the 2001 census, 84.33 million persons were classified as members of Scheduled Tribes, corresponding to 8.2% of the total population. The census lists 461 groups recognised as tribes, while estimates of the number of tribes living in India reach up to 635. While the number of members of the largest tribes, such as the Gonds, Santals, Oraon, Bhils or Nagas go into the millions others, such as the Onge or the Great Andamanese, are on the brink of extinction. The majority of the indigenous and tribal peoples live in an almost contiguous belt stretching from Gujarat in the west to the seven states in the north-east, with the highest concentration in the central region, where more than 50% of the tribal people live. The highest ethnic diversity among the indigenous and tribal population is in the north-eastern region, where 220 distinct groups have been identified. They comprise approximately 12% of the total indigenous population of India. Most of India s indigenous peoples have been forest dwellers for centuries. Traditionally, forests met most of their fodder, food, medicinal and other needs. A long process of turning forest areas into a source of revenue and timber, and exploitation of the mineral resources, has led to deforestation, loss of livelihood and displacement of indigenous peoples. The vast majority of the labour force among scheduled tribes is engaged in the agricultural sector the figure for all India is 66.84% . This means that almost nine-tenths of tribal families rely on natural resources for their livelihood. The majority of these are engaged in permanent agriculture but shifting cultivation still forms the mainstay of the domestic economy in many upland areas, particularly in the north-east. A few small groups in Central and South India and on the Andaman Islands live almost entirely from hunting, gathering and fishing.
Posted On : 4/17/2009 4:55:52 AM
Suparna Sen Reward Points : 26200 Member Since : Saturday, March 14, 2009
The Indian Government refers to indigenous peoples as Scheduled Tribes . The other popular meaning of indigenous people are the earliest known settlers on the Indian sub-continent and North-East India. Most of India s indigenous peoples have been forest dwellers for centuries. The vast majority of the indegenous labour force consisting of scheduled tribes is engaged in the agricultural sector. Naga, Mishmi, Tangkhul Naga, Shanthal, Garo and Khasi of Meghalaya in the north-east can be regarded as indegenous people of India. Adivasi, Kisan Tribals, Andamanese, Jarawa, Onge: Little Andaman, Jangil, Nicobari: Nicobar Islands, India, Shompen: Nicobar Islands, India and Jaintia: North-East India.
Hello all... As far as my knowledge goes indigenous people are the Adivasis of India. However the Government Of India prefers to call the indigenous people as the scheduled tribes. Adivasi is a Sanskrit word which means original people. The indigenous people of India are the earliest known settlers on the Indian subcontinent and North-East India. Even today the Indian indigenous peoples suffer higher rates of poverty, malnutrition, landlessness, and even are the prey of internal displacement than the rest of society, and have lower levels of literacy and less access to health services
Posted On : 4/17/2009 6:48:32 AM
Steve Ray Reward Points : 100 Member Since : Friday, August 14, 2009
hello there....indigenous people are there and are living amongst us. India has a vast number of population of indigenous peoples, not only the Advisasis are the indigenous people of India. The khasis are one examples of such people and the whole of North East India as well.People are trying study these groups, because of their traditions and culture which are unique. People are trying to learn their traditional practices especially their Traditional Medical Practices. They are more civilised now and are starting to adapt the modern era, without frogetting their roots and practices. These Indigenous People are unique.
Posted On : 8/14/2009 8:35:59 AM
Dipen Guha Reward Points : 2600 Member Since : Friday, December 25, 2009
We hardly possess any definite information about the people or peoples who originated the concept indigenous . A scientific examination of the human skeletons and skulls found at Mohenjo-daro shows that the individuals represented by them belonged to four distinct racial types, viz- Proto-Australoid, Mediterranean, Alpinoid, and Mongoloid. The most widely accepted view is that the authors of the Sindhu Valey Civilization were Dravidians who are believed to have entered India from the West and occupied large parts of India including Baluchistan . It was about five thousand years ago, or even somewhat earlier. On the other hand, in the opinion of the majority of competent scholars, the Rigveda could not possibly be older than 2000 to 1500 B.C. So the Aryan immigration into India can hardly be placed much earlier than 2500 to 2000 B.C. From this point of view the Sindhu Valley civilization probably flourished before the Aryans migrated to India. Therefore, as far as the racial antiquity of India is concerned, the Dravidians are the aborigins or indigenous peoples of India. As for the Adivasis, they are the unfortunate caste-aways or declassed sections from the main-streams that took the upperhands over the plebian sections. There are the tribes, believed to be the descendents of slaves brought in by the invaders from time and again. Others are the descendants of the savages undergoing evolutions, from the anthropological point of view.
Indigenous People Of India
