CASTE SYSTEM: SCHEDULED TRIBES

 

CASTE SYSTEM: SCHEDULED TRIBES

Scheduled Tribes are neither called the

"Aborigines, nor the Adivasis", nor are they treated as a category by themselves. By and large they are treated together with the scheduled caste and further envisaged as one group of the backward classes" This is the quintessence of the constitutional viewpoint about Scheduled Tribes. 

Obviously, Ghurye would like the tribes of India to be tracted as distinct social and cultural entities. To club them with the scheduled castes or other backward classes or to change them so that they become part of the wider Hindu or Indian society would do a lot of harm; as this precludes their point of view or thier need for assimilation. 

The Constitution of India, under Article society would do a lot of harm; as this precludes their point of view or thier need for assimilation. 

The Constitution of India, under Article 342,

states that the President may "by public notification specify the tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within tribes or tribal communities which shall for the purposes of this constitution be deemed to be Scheduled Tribes ..." The tribes of India prior to Independence were considered animistic by the censure authorities. 

Distinction was made between those who were Hinduism and thos who followed their own religion. However, some scholars have opined that no sharp line of demarcation can be drawn between Hinduism and animism.

There is no uniform pattern of religion among the tribal people of India. The word 'animism' was wrongly given a communal connotation while distinguishing it from Hinduism. One view is that Hinduism itself is an amalgam of the pre-Aryan beliefs and the religion of the Rig-Veda.

Variations among the tribes can be seen in terms of the areas they live in, such as the Aravali Hills, the Vindhyas, the Satpuras, the Mahadev hills, the Chhota Nagpur plateau and several other areas. 

Numerically, the most preponderate tribes are: 

Gond, Santhal, Bhail, Oraon, Kond, Munda, Bhuiya, Ho, Savara, Kol, Korku, Maler, Baiga and Meena. Some of these tribal people share Hinduism along with Hindus, and speak the language spoken by Hindus. 

They are not exclusive groups in spatial terms. Some scholars consider the tribals as autochthons, the earliest and the aboriginal inhabitants of the country, who were pushed to forests and hills by the invaders. Whatever may be the fact regarding tribal exclusivity, it is accepted that the tribes such as Baiga, Bhil, Gond, Kol, Korku, Meena, Santhal, Bhumia, Bonjour, Mahato, Korwa, Maria, Kamar, Bharia and Maler have not only adopted Hindu pantheon and rituals, but have taken up various versions of Hindu, Marathi, Bengali and other languages. Some of these tribes do not accept meals from lower and "untouchable" Hindu castes.

Thus, a large number of tribe have a Hinduism section, which is evidence of thier contact with the Hindu, at least in regard to religion, language and occupation. These Hinduism tribal people look upon themselves as Hindus. V. Elwin is of the view that, with the exception of the North-East, all the aboriginal tribes should be classed as Hindus by religion, but be separated in terms of race. Several ethnographers have distinguished tribes from castes in terms of physical trails. These include Sir Herbert Risley, G.S. Ghurye. J.H. Hutton and B.S. Guhu. Ghurye is, however, of the view that the proper description of tribal people must

refer itself to their place in or near Hindu society and not to their supposed autochthonism. Some are properly integrated into the Hindu society some are loosely integrated; while some tribes are living isolated in hills and forests. 

Ghurye prefers to call the Scheduled

Tribes as "Backward Hindus". Those who refer to a "tribe-caste continuum" hold the view that a sharp line between tribes and castes cannot be drawn. To call a group a tribe is, therefore, only a legal status granted under the law.