The tribal development policies of government and underdevelopment of tribes: A critique

Pages: 1481-1484
Nisha Joseph (PG Department of History, Henry Baker College, Melukavumattom, Kottayam, Kerala)

The Central and State Government had formulated number of development programmes for the uplift of tribal and other backward communities. As regards State’s responsibility, the government periodically monitors the working of its Development Programmes to ascertain their progress. Also, the Government considers that it is the time to reassess the situation as to how far these programmes reached the objectives or whether the development plans really benefited the people. It is very clear that from the early period particularly from the time of the beginning of the British rule, these people were under the control of the administrators who introduced a number of development programmes for them. But still there are number of tribes who are leading a nomadic life, living in the interior of the forests, away from all development concepts. Hence, it needs a critical analysis to find out why the development programmes did not reach them? In addition, it is also necessary to know how far the government’s policies succeeded in bringing them out from their primitive life to take up to modern living.