People of India : India's communities

The People of India project, a massive exercise carried out by the Anthropological Survey of India, has generated a wealth of information on the hundreds of communities which exist in this country. These communities are presented in an alphabetical order for easy reference, and the subjects covered in each case include culture, location, language, script, biological variation, food habits, rituals, work practices, educational level and the impact of development.

This material on all the communities of India, including all groups within some communities, is being presented in a self contained fifteen-point format covering social, linguistic and biological dimensions. Demographic information and other materials have also been added. While an attempt has been made to link the material with the earlier ethnographic survey, the present exercise highlights changes in the perception or self-perception of a community, mobility, occupational diversification and the impact of technology and development processes. Again, while each community perceives itself as homogeneous, the present exercise highlights heterogeneity and segmentation within a community as well as the network of traditional linkages which are being transformed and the modern linkages developing across communities.

These reference volumes will be of great importance to anthropologists, sociologists and human geographers, especially for those who study India's communities in modern times.