Routledge Adivasi Rights and Exclusion in India

This volume examines the processes and impacts of exclusion on the Adivasis (tribal or indigenous people) in India and what repercussions these have for their constitutional rights. The chapters explore a wide range of issues connected to the idea of exclusion ― land and forest resources, habitats and livelihoods, health and disease management, gender relations, language and schooling, water resources, poverty, governance, markets and technology, and development challenges ― through case studies from different parts of the country. The book argues that any laws intended to safeguard the fundamental rights of Adivasis must acknowledge the fact that their diverse and complex identities are not homogenous, and that uniform laws have failed to address their systemic marginalisation since the colonial era. This work appeals for a serious and meaningful political intervention towards tribal development. The volume will be useful to scholars and researchers of tribal and Third World studies, sociology and social anthropology, exclusion studies and development studies. Review ‘A valuable addition to the literature on different forms of dispossession of Adivasis ― where even supposedly inclusive policies lead to dispossession of languages and cultures.' Dev Nathan, Visiting Professor, Institute for Human Development, New Delhi, India; Coordinator, GPN Studies, New Delhi, India; and Visiting Research Fellow, Center on Globalization, Governance and Competitiveness, Duke University, USA ‘Indian Adivisis have been victim of imperial as well as internal colonialism in post-Independent India, with them losing their resources for livelihood and cultural moorings and experiencing exclusion even from welfare programmes. The volume with an interdisciplinary perspective highlights multiple issues that causes their exclusion.’ Ghanshyam Shah, Former National Fellow, Indian Council of Social Science Research, New Delhi, India About the Author V. Srinivasa Rao is Associate Professor at the Centre for Regional Studies, School of Social Sciences, University of Hyderabad, India. Earlier he was Assistant Professor and Research Associate in the Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy at the University of Hyderabad (2009–17) and Maulana Azad National Urdu University (2007–9) respectively. Prior to this, he undertook research while working with CARE-India on education, health, food security and livelihood activities in the tribal areas of northern Andhra Pradesh on the Sustainable Tribal Empowerment Project (STEP) assisted by the European Union (2002–7). He has published the book Primary Education in Tribal Areas in India: A Study of Community Participation in Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. He has also published his research findings in peer-reviewed journals including Economic and Political Weekly, Journal of Educational Planning and Administration, and Indian Journal of Public Administration.