TRIBAL LAW IN INDIA

Tribal communities have been obeying customary laws through their traditional panchayats since long. Vast literature is available on religion, culture, marriage and family traditions of tribal communities living in the Fifth Schedule states or in autonomous hill districts of the north-east covered by the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. It was only in 1996 that Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act was enacted by parliament and it was enjoined upon the states having scheduled areas therein to adopt it within one year. Perhaps no exercise has yet been made to analyze in details the codified law as being implemented in the Fifth Schedule states till date and difficulties encountered in its implementation in the light of recommendations of the Bhuria Committee. In this book, an effort has been made in this direction to study laws applicable to tribal communities in different parts of India.

G.S. Narwani is a retired IAS officer who has worked in various tribal areas of Rajasthan in different capacities such as Project Director, Banswara; Additional Commissioner, Tribal Area Development, Udaipur; and Collector, Sirohi.

He has written a number of books and has actively participated in workshops pertaining to the framing of laws and rules for tribal areas.