Description
Indian democracy has been rooted on the twin pillars of distributive justice and inclusive growth. Recognizing this, the State has been empowered to take affirmative action in favour of historically disadvantaged social groups such as the Scheduled Tribes (STs) through reservation. So far, 705 Scheduled Tribes have been notified under Article 342 of the Constitution, spread over different States and Union Territories.
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states are the home to 35 tribal communities. They comprise seven per cent of states? population. These tribal groups are the largest tribal concentration in South India. The scheduled area of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana is covered by Tribal Sub-Plan. These indigenous tribal communities are mostly concentrated in hilly tracts.
Development policies of the successive governments were characterised by several controversial initiatives and resulted in the eviction of tribal population from forests. This has diluted the spirit of Fifth Schedule. There are no special courts and exclusive laws to safeguard their basic rights and protect them from atrocities. A comprehensive policy is still long overdue. If protective laws are not strengthened effectively, there will not be any improvement in the lives of adivasis (tribals).
The present work is important in the sense that it takes a look at tribal development in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states. Extensive filedwork has been conducted in these two regions and advices of social scientists, tribal welfare administrators and academicians have been considered in the narrative. It is expected that the present work will be of great help in conducting research on similar problems in India in general and Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in particular.
