Economies of the tribes and their transformation

Economies of the tribes have been studied in our country as a part of material culture and have been considered either in isolation or described as archaic and peripheral to the larger system. Specific problems of land alienation, indebtedness, impact of industrialisation among others have attracted wide notice. The processes of transformation have been delineated as unilinear; from tribe into jati-like peasant and from peasant into labour. In spite of the fact that a vast amount of data is being churned out about various aspects of tribal economy by a whole range of research institutes engaged partially or wholly in tribal studies, the over all picture that emerges lacks focus and the information remains diffused. The dynamism, diversities and direction of change in this area have not been adequately projected.
The Anthropological Survey of India (ASI) had planned a series of surveys and seminars in 1976 to generate an all-India profile of tribal society. The second seminar in the series was on the economies of the tribes, which was designed to yield through surveys of regional situations an all-India perspective. The members of the ASI conducted a quick survey and interacted with scholars from many disciplines and persons from various vocations including tribal insiders at the seminar held in February 1977. About 100 papers were presented out of which 39 have been selected for publication.
The present volume seeks to present probably for the first time an all-India conspectus of the economies of the tribes through specific case studies from different parts of the country of various modes of production. The diversities of regional situations and the multiple processes of transition are dealt with in similar case studies. The focus is on change and transformation of the modes of production including the relations of production. These papers also raise the larger issues of the relationship of the tribes' economy with society. The picture that emerges is a complex one calling for further research and vigorous action programme to make tribals' adjustment to the emerging situations less painful.