INDIA'S

CULTURAL SETTING
Religious minorities, major tribes,
tribal areas & their problems
-Sai Lohith
OUR
CONTENT

Religious
minorities

Major tribes

Tribal areas

Tribal area
problems
MINORITY
A minority is a group of people of the same
race, culture, or religion who live in a place
where most of the people around them are
of a different race, culture, or religion.

Religious Minority
A minority religion is a religion held
by a minority of the population of a
country, state, or region
MINORITY
The National Commission for Minorities Act defines a minority as “a
community notified as such by the Central government.” The term
“minority” is not defined in the Indian Constitution. However, the
Constitution recognises religious and linguistic minorities.

As per TMA Pai Foundation vs. State of Karnataka case in the Supreme
Court, a minority either linguistic or religious is determinable only by
reference to the demography of the State and not by taking into
consideration the population of the country as a whole.

When we discuss the term minorities we should not limit ourselves to

religious minorities. Linguistic minorities, transgender etc are also
considered minorities in the larger socio-political framework.
MINORITY IN INDIA

In 2005, the Union Government notified five communities —

Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis — as minorities at
the national level.

In 2014, the then government notified followers of Jainism as a

minority community, making them the sixth on the national list.

As per the Census 2011, the percentage of minorities in the

country is about 19.3% of the total population of the country.

The population of Muslims are 14.2%; Christians 2.3%; Sikhs 1.7%,

Buddhists 0.7%, Jain 0.4% and Parsis 0.006%.
MINORITY IN INDIA
 CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS:
The Constitution of India does not define the term minority.

Article 29:
It deals with the “protection of interest of minorities”, says that “any
section of the citizens residing in the territory of India or any part thereof
having a distinct language, script or culture of its own shall have the
right to conserve the same”.

Article 30:
It deals with the “right of minorities to establish and administer
educational institutions”, and says that all minorities, whether based on
religion or language, shall have the right to establish and administer
educational institutions of their choice.
 CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS:

Article 350 A:
It says there shall be a Special Officer for linguistic
minorities to be appointed by the President.
“It shall be the duty of the Special Officer to investigate
all matters relating to the safeguards provided for
linguistic minorities under this constitution and report to
the President upon those matters.”
PROBLEMS AND CONCERNS WITH MINORITIES IN INDIA

Being one of the world’s largest democracies, India glorifies the principles of
secularism and pluralism and the Indian constitution promotes the prohibition
of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth but
this type of cultural, religious, and social diversity leads to varying forms of
intersectional discrimination for the minority communities.

For example, Dalits, Muslims, and Christians, or religious minorities who are
also linguistic minorities or belong to indigenous communities (Adivasis) and
such challenges are intensified when it comes to women of the minority
community.

Recent political developments have put the issues of minority appeasement

and minority harassment back into the forefront.

The recent increase in hate crimes has also triggered debates about the need
for separate legislation to protect minorities against lynching and hate crimes.
 Some of the main problems faced by minorities
in India are as follows:
The problem of identity- Because of the differences in socio-
cultural practices, history, and backgrounds, minorities have
to grapple with the issue of identity everywhere which give
rise to the problem of adjustment with the majority
community

The problem of Security: Different identity and their small

number relative to the rest of society develops a feeling of
insecurity about their life, assets, and well-being. This sense of
insecurity may get accentuated at times when relations
between the majority and the minority communities in society
are strained or not much cordial.
 Some of the main problems faced by minorities in India are as follows:

The problem of equity: The minority community in society may remain

deprived of the benefit of opportunities for development as a result of
discrimination. Because of the difference in identity, the minority
community develops the perception of the sense of inequity. Religion is a
complex phenomenon in India. Though India is declared a ‘secular’ state,
the problem of secularism looms large here. Conversion to Islam and
Christianity has been a much controversial issue over the last couple of
decades.

Varied reasons: Ranging from poverty to perceived discrimination resulted

in the alienation of Muslims and Christians in India. The Government of
India constituted a committee on 9th March 2005 under the chairmanship
of justice Rajendra Sachar to enquire and analyze the problems faced
especially by Muslims in India.
Some of the main problems faced by minorities in India are as follows:

Economic reasons: The Indian socio-economic fabric is very

complex because it is much affected by caste, religion and the
more regional/linguistic differentials. At the same time, the Indian
economic, social and political institutions which are persisted for
centuries have a historical basis also. These factors have given a
unique character to Indian society. It has become a
conglomeration of various layers and segments divided and sub-
divided.

Backwardness: Minority communities are unable to join the

mainstream of society. Sachar Committee which was constituted
in 2005 has placed Muslims below the scheduled castes, and
scheduled tribes.
 Some of the main problems faced by minorities in India are as follows:

The problem of Representation: In terms of religious composition,

90.4% of MPs in Loksabha are Hindus. 5.2% are Muslims and
another religious community represents 4% MPS. Muslims
contribute only 2.5% of the Indian bureaucracy.

Lack of Clear definition: There was no clear definition for the

minority which creates a huge flaw. Inclusion and exclusion error
occurs in the implementation of Government schemes. Recently a
PIL was filed in the Supreme court Regarding this matter.

All of the above problems generate a trust deficit between the

Minorities, which is harmful to the Unity and integrity of the country
Government Schemes for the Minorities in India
Some schemes related to minorities include the following.
Educational Empowerment:
Scholarship Schemes– Pre-Matric Scholarship, Post-Matric
Scholarship and Merit-cum-Means based Scholarship. During the last
7 years, more than 4.52 crore beneficiaries have been provided
different scholarships through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP)
and Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) out of which more than 53% of
beneficiaries are female.
Maulana Azad National Fellowship Scheme provides financial
assistance to students from notified minority communities whose
annual income is below Rs. 6.0 lakh per annum from all sources, to
pursue higher education such as M.Phil and PhD.
Government Schemes for the Minorities in India
In addition, the Maulana Azad Education Foundation implements the scheme
viz. Begum Hazrat Mahal National Scholarship for meritorious girls belonging
to notified minority communities studying in Classes IX to XII.

Naya Savera– Free Coaching and Allied Scheme which aims to enhance the
skills and knowledge of students and candidates from notified minority to get
employment in Government Sector/ Public Sector Undertaking, jobs in the
private sector, and admission in reputed institutions in technical and
professional courses at under-graduate and post-graduate levels. During the
last seven years, about 69,500 candidates have benefitted from the coaching
scheme of this Ministry.
Government Schemes for the Minorities in India

Nai Udaan– Support for notified students of the minority community in India,
on clearing Prelims conducted by the Union Public Service Commission
(UPSC), State Public Service Commission (PSC) Staff Selection Commission
(SSC), etc.
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT:

Seekho Aur Kamao (Learn & Earn): It is a skill development initiative for
minorities and aims to upgrade the skills of minority youth in various
modern/traditional skills depending upon their qualification, present
economic trends, and market potential, which can earn them employment or
make them suitably skilled to go for self-employment. Since 2014-15 approx.
3.92 lakh persons have benefitted from this employment-oriented program.

A mission has been launched by the Ministry of Minority Affairs under

“Upgrading the Skill and Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development
(USTTAD)” scheme to give an effective platform to minority artisans and
culinary experts from across the country to showcase and market their finest
handicraft and exquisitely crafted products through “Hunar Haats” organized
by the Ministry.
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT:

Ministry has engaged institutions of national repute namely, the National

Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), National Institute of Design (NID), and
Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP) to work in various craft clusters for design
intervention, product range development, packaging, exhibitions and brand
building, etc. So far, Ministry has organised 28 “Hunar Haats” in which more
than 5.5 lakhs artisans and people associated with them have been provided
employment and employment opportunities, out of which more than 50%
beneficiaries are women.

Nai Manzil – A scheme to provide education and skill training to the youth from
minority communities.

Gharib Nawaz Employment Training Programme provides short-term job-

oriented skill development courses to youths belonging to minority
communities.
 ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT:

National Minorities Development Finance Corporation

(NMDFC) Loan Schemes provide concessional loans for self-
employment and income-generating activities for the
socio-economic development of the ‘backward sections’
amongst the notified minorities.
 PRADHAN MANTRI JAN VIKAS KARYAKRAM (PMJVK):

In addition, another scheme namely Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas

Karyakram (PMJVK) is implemented by the Ministry of Minority
Affairs, which aims to improve the socio-economic conditions and
basic amenities in the identified Minority Concentration Areas.

The major projects approved under PMJVK are in sectors of

education, health, and skill, and include Residential Schools, School
buildings, Hostels, Degree Colleges, ITIs, Polytechnics, Smart Class
Rooms, Sadbhav Mandaps, Health Centres, Skill Centres, Sports
facilities, Drinking Water facilities, sanitation facilities, etc.
 PRADHAN MANTRI JAN VIKAS KARYAKRAM (PMJVK):

In the last 7 years, under the “Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karykram”
(PMJVK) more than 43 thousand basic infrastructure projects have
been created such as residential schools, new schools, colleges,
hostels, community centres, common service centres, ITIs,
Polytechnics, Girls Hostels, Sadbhava Mandaps, Hunar Hubs,
Smart Class Rooms, etc in identified Minority concentrated areas
across the country.
 PRIME MINISTER’S NEW 15-POINT PROGRAMME:

USTAAD
To upgrade skills and training for the preservation of traditional
ancestral arts or crafts of minorities.

HamariDharohar
To preserve the rich heritage of minority communities in the context
of Indian culture

Naimanjil
A bridge course to fill the academics and skill development gaps
between madrassa student and their mainstream counterpart
 PRIME MINISTER’S NEW 15-POINT PROGRAMME:

SeekhoaurKamao
Central sector scheme for skill development of minorities aims to bring
down the unemployment rate among minorities.

Nairoshani
Leadership development of minority women with help of NGOs
Other schemes are JiyoParsi, Padho Pradesh, Nalanda scheme, Minority
cyber gram, MaulanaAjadSehat scheme, and PM 15 point program.
 WAY FORWARD

In order to protect our constitutional values of individual dignity, Equality and

liberty we must strive to discourage and remove hate-filled messages from our
society.

Political leaders must take a leadership role in disowning hateful elements

within their party and uphold their commitment to our constitution.

Comprehensive anti-hate legislation and policy must be brought to act as a

deterrent against hate crimes.

Recent positive developments like the decriminalisation of homosexuality

have shown that our society is empathetic towards minorities. A few anti-
social elements must not be allowed to jeopardise gains made in this regard.
 MAJOR TRIBES

A tribe is a social division in a traditional society

made up of families connected by social,
economic, religious, or blood ties and sharing a
common culture and dialect. A tribe has certain
qualities and characteristics that distinguish it as
a distinct cultural, social, and political entity.

India is home to over hundreds of tribes situated in

the States and Union Territories of the country that
separates them from other tribes making India a
country of diversity and culture. Schedule 5 of the
Indian Constitution has recognised the tribal
community of Scheduled Tribes (STs) in India
 MAJOR TRIBES

According to the 2011 Census, the total population of Scheduled Tribes

is 10.43 crore, accounting for 8.6% of the total population of the country.
The Scheduled Tribe population in urban areas accounts for only 2.8%
of the total.
The states with the most Scheduled Tribes are Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh,
Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, and Karnataka.
These states account for 83.2% of the country’s total Scheduled Tribe
population.
Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Jammu and Kashmir, Tripura, Mizoram,
Bihar, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu make up the
remaining 15.3% of the Scheduled Tribe population.
 MAJOR TRIBES
Important tribes in India are Gond,
Santhal, Munda, Toto, and Bhil,
which are present in large sizes.
They are also known as ‘Adivasis’.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs takes
care of the welfare and protection
of tribes in India. All the tribes come
under Schedule 5 of the
Constitution.
As of the 2011 census, India has a
total of 705 tribes. These tribes
include both large and small tribes.
 MAJOR TRIBES

Bhil Tribe
Bhil is one of the major tribes of India that
constitute 40% of the total population. Bhil
Tribe is found in Chhattisgarh, Madhya
Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra
Pradesh, and Maharashtra. ‘Bhil’ word is
derived from the Vil or Bil, which means
bow. This tribe was highly valuable as
fighters against the Mughals, Britishers and
Marathas. However, in the present scenario,
the Bhil tribe is employed as sculptors,
agricultural labourers and farmers.
 MAJOR TRIBES
Gond Tribe
The Gond tribe is one of the important
tribal groups in India, often known for its
bravery and is found in Central India in
the Chhindwara district of Madhya
Pradesh. However, it is also found in the
Bastar district of Chhattisgarh, the
Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra, and many other states of
India. Their staple food is Kodo and
Kutki, which are two types of millet.
Apart from this, they are to cultivate
tobacco for smoking and produce
liquor for the Mahua Tree.
 MAJOR TRIBES

Munda Tribe
Munda tribe has its habitat in Jharkhand, but it
is also found in other Indian states such as
Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha,
Tripura, and West Bengal. Munda tribe is one
of the oldest South Asian tribes that is known.
They also existed during the pre-British era but
got recognition only between 1857-1928 due to
a freedom fighter Birsa Munda who played an
important role in India’s freedom struggle.
Their most important festival is Magha or Ba.
They are fond of music and dance. their main
language is Killi.
 MAJOR TRIBES

Santhal Tribe
Santhal Tribe is mainly found in West Bengal, Jharkhand, West Bengal,
Assam, and Odisha and is densely populated in Bihar. This tribe loves
music and dance and speaks the Santhali language. Their form of
governance is known as Manjhi Paragana.
 MAJOR TRIBES
Toto Tribe
Toto is one of the endangered but important tribes of India. It is found in the
Totopur region of West Bengal. This tribe is found to be in isolation as it remains
disconnected from the world. It is found that it does not have a population of
more than 1500; therefore, the Toto tribe is an endogamous group. Furthermore,
their literacy rate is also very low. Anthologusts refer to this tribe as a ‘vanishing
tribe’ as they are fewer in number. They were almost on the verge of extinction
in the 1950s.
ISSUES FACED BY TRIBES IN INDIA

Land Alienation: Tribal populations mainly depend on natural

resources for their livelihood. However, during the colonial rule after the
discovery of minerals and other resources in the tribal regions, they
were forcefully displaced. After independence, these regions came
under state control, which negatively impacted the tribal way of life.
They lost their forest rights, which resulted in tribal people being
trapped in the hands of moneylenders and landlords. Indebtedness
increased, and their livelihood was lost.
ISSUES FACED BY TRIBES IN INDIA

Identity Crisis: The displacement of these tribes from the mining areas
and the development of industries in these regions has forced them to
live either on the periphery of these industrial pockets or to move to
urban centres in search of livelihood. Disconnecting from their
homeland and unawareness and unpreparedness for the urban
lifestyle have led to an identity crisis for these people. This gave birth to
various psychological issues like depression, low self-esteem, low
confidence, a feeling of un-belongingness, etc.
ISSUES FACED BY TRIBES IN INDIA

Illiteracy: According to the Population Census of India, 2011, the literacy

rate for ST is 58.96 per cent (literacy rate for the male is 68.53 per cent
and for females is 49.35 per cent), which is lower than the national
average of 74.04 per cent (for male 82.14 per cent and female 65.46
percent). Their traditions and customs, prevailing poverty, the
tendency of isolation, nomadic lifestyle, and lack of necessary
infrastructure and teachers suitable for their needs.
ISSUES FACED BY TRIBES IN INDIA

Gender Issues: Despite a better sex ratio of 990 females per 1000
males of the Scheduled tribes in India (While the national average is
943 females per 1000 males), women of the community also have to
face various challenges. Due to their sudden exposure to the urban
lifestyle and their inability to adapt to the changes that occurred as a
result of their forced displacement post-independence, women of
society became more vulnerable. Consumerism and commoditization
of women have weakened their position in society.
ISSUES FACED BY TRIBES IN INDIA

Issues with Health: Prevailing poverty, financial insecurity along with

illiteracy have resulted in various health problems among the tribal
population. They generally reside in slums and live under unhygienic
conditions, which make them prone to diseases. Their inability to
purchase and consume healthy food products and buy supplements
to fulfil the nutrient requirement, they are likely to malnutrition and
associated challenges including anaemia, high infant mortality rates,
etc.
MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is a division of the Indian government tasked
with overseeing the welfare of the country’s many tribes. Following the
separation of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, it was
founded in 1999. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs’ main area of attention is a
concentrated strategy for the planned and coordinated integrated socio-
economic development of the tribal groups in India. The main ministry in
charge of organising and coordinating a variety of initiatives and
programmes for India’s tribes is the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
When the Ministry of Tribal Affairs was not established, the tribal affairs in
India were handled by the following given Ministries.
As a Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs named as ‘Tribal Division’ from
1947 to September 1985.
Ministry of Welfare: September 1985 to May 1998.
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment: May 1998 to September 1999.
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES FOR TRIBES IN INDIA

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has initiated several schemes for the
development and empowerment of the major tribes of India. Below are
some of the important schemes launched by the Ministry of Tribal
Affairs.
Program for Capacity Building of Scheduled Tribe Representatives in
Local Self Governments
1000 Springs Initiatives
Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED)
Digital Transformation of Tribal Schools
Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups
Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana
Eklavya Model Residential Schools’ (EMRSs)
 NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR SCHEDULED TRIBES
(NCST)

The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) is a

constitutional body that was established by amending Article 338
and inserting a new Article called Article 338A in the Indian
Constitution. This amendment was made through the 89th
Constitution Amendment Act, 2003. NCST was formed to protect the
interest of the major tribes in India.
The former National Commission for Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes was replaced by two independent Commissions
as of February 19, 2004, as noted below, in accordance with the
Indian Constitutional Amendment.
National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST)
National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC)
1ST TRIBAL PRESIDENT OF INDIA

Droupadi Murmu is the first tribal president

of India. She belongs to an important tribe
in India which is the Santhal tribe. She is the
15th President of India and the 2nd female
President of India after Smt. Pratibha Patil.
She hails from Uparbeda village of
Mayurbhanj district in Odisha in a Santhali
tribal family to Biranchi Narayan Tudu. She
was married to Sri. Shyam Charan Murmu, a
banker by profession but passed away in
2014. Smt. Murmu was a schoolteacher
before she entered politics.
MAJOR TRIBES

States with Majority of Tribal Population

Mizoram (94.4%)
Lakshadweep (94.4%)
Meghalaya (86.1%)
Nagaland (86.5%)
TRIBAL AREAS

The Scheduled Tribes live in contiguous areas unlike other communities. It

is, therefore, much simpler to have an area approach for development
activities as well as regulatory provisions to protect their interests.
In order to protect the interests of Scheduled Tribes with regard to land
and other social issues, various provisions have been enshrined in the Fifth
Schedule and the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
The Fifth Schedule under Article 244(1) of Constitution defines “Scheduled
Areas” as such areas as the President may by order declare to be
Scheduled Areas after consultation with the Governor of that State.
The Sixth Schedule under Article 244 (2) of the Constitution relates to those
areas in the States of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram which are
declared as “tribal areas” and provides for District or Regional
Autonomous Councils for such areas. These councils have wide ranging
legislative, judicial and executive powers.
 OUR INDIA IS
KNOWN FOR
DIVERSITY

LET'S MAKE IT
EQUAL FOR ALL
THANK YOU