Slow but Steady Cultural Changes in Indian Tribal Communities
With over 645 tribal communities in India, it is a melting pot of cultural diversity and ethical fusions. The integration of this diverse population, accounting for almost 9% of the national population based on the 2011 census, has always been a big challenge for the government. While several non-profit tribal welfare advocates & NGOs have jumped into action, the cultural changes have been slow but steady.
According to an anthropological study by Vidyarthi in 1977 89% of the tribal communities of India follow the cultural traditions of Hinduism. Although we have seen the influence of ethnic rituals & practices from the antient past in modern cultures, various Indian tribes have retained some of the dominating cultural traits on their path to modernization.
Today urbanization and industrialization have brought about revolutionary changes in some part of Indian tribal communities. The availability of technology & various consumer goods have deeply affected the pace & the trends of the cultural changes.
One of the most affected demography in the cultural evolution process among Indian tribal communities have been children & young adults. The states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Rajasthan & Chattisgarh have the largest concentration of tribal communities. Although Article 164 of the Indian Constitution provides for deliberate actions to protect, preserve & enhance the cultures of the tribal communities, the implementations of such tactices have not been perfect.
Today various enthusiastic youth organizations & non-profit organizations are tackling the problem at the grass roots more effectively. The Jay Shakuntala Tribal Welfare Foundation for example, are directing their attention to children & young adults with various educational assistance programs, play schooling & curriculum on values of traditional Indian cultures to influence the future generation with a better understanding of the traditional cultures & the contemporary ones.
JSWF has new initiatives focusing specifically on classroom based educational assistance programs and play schools dedicated to handicapped & children with special needs to prosper equally in this change. Their philosophy of building a strong educational foundation in children is the best way to create strong, ethical & moral humans in the society & bringing in the best techniques of the western world to the rural tribal children of Chattisgarh is an exciting way to meet the challenge.
India will achieve significant success when all the political & administrative parties work hand-in-hand with indigenous foundations & combine traditional tribal cultural norms & modern technologies with proven anthropological approaches and experiences at the grass roots.
