5.5. Adivasis and Development

As you have already read in your history textbook, forests were absolutely crucial to the development of all empires and settled civilisations in India. Metal ores like iron and copper, and gold and silver, coal and diamonds, invaluable timber, most medicinal herbs and animal products (wax, lac, honey) and animals themselves (elephants, the mainstay of imperial armies), all came from the forests. In addition, the continuation of life depended heavily on forests, that help recharge many of India’s rivers and, as is becoming clearer now, crucial to the availability and quality of our air and water.

Forests in historical India played a vital role for civilizations in accessing natural resources, which included metals and raw materials necessary for technologies and infrastructure. Beyond that, forests served as a lifeline for communities, providing essential products like food, medicine, and clean water. They supported empires by supplying materials for construction, warfare, and trade, thereby illustrating how interconnected natural resources were with societal progress.

Think of a modern city that relies on a network of parks and green spaces. Just as those parks provide fresh air, recreational areas, and habitats for wildlife, historical forests supported entire communities and empires by offering resources vital for survival and growth.

Forests covered the major part of our country till the nineteenth century and the Adivasis had a deep knowledge of, access to, as well as control over most of these vast tracts at least till the middle of the nineteenth century. This meant that they were not ruled by large states and empires. Instead, often empires heavily depended on Adivasis for the crucial access to forest resources.

Before the onset of colonial rule, Adivasis were the original guardians of forest land. They utilized and managed these resources based on traditional knowledge and practices. This control over their environment meant that they lived not only sustainably but were also vital to the empires that needed those resources for their own economies. The gradual decline of Adivasis' rights over these forests marked the beginning of their marginalization.

You can think of Adivasis like the caretakers of a large community garden. For many years, they managed this space, ensuring it thrived. However, as the community grew and outsiders desired more resources, those caretakers gradually lost their rights to access and manage the garden, leading to a disconnect with their once-familiar surroundings.

From the 1830s onwards, Adivasis from Jharkhand and adjoining areas moved in very large numbers to various plantations in India and the world - Mauritius, the Caribbean and even Australia. India’s tea industry became possible with their labour in Assam.

As empires expanded, Adivamis were often forced to migrate due to changing economic conditions, which required labor for plantations and industries. This movement led to significant displacement, stripping Adivasis of their ancestral lands which was essential for their traditional ways of living. They became laborers in their own country and overseas, losing their connection to the land that had sustained them for generations.

Imagine a family that has to sell their house because a new factory is built nearby. They move to a far-off city, where they work in jobs that leave them disconnected from a community and their original home. Similar to that family, Adivasis trading their homes for work means losing touch with their culture and environment.

Losing their lands and access to the forest means that tribals lose their main sources of livelihood and food. Having gradually lost access to their traditional homelands, many Adivasis have migrated to cities in search of work where they are employed for very low wages in local industries or at building or construction sites.

The loss of land not only diminishes Adivasis' ability to support themselves through traditional means like farming and gathering but also leads to economic struggles in urban areas where they may find jobs that pay significantly less than they require to meet their basic needs. This cycle of poverty is often exacerbated by a lack of education and skills geared toward new job markets.

Consider a person who grew up in a farming community but is forced to move to a city where they can only find low-paying jobs in factories. Their income barely covers their living expenses, and they miss the community and lifestyle they once had. Adivasis experience this reality on a larger scale when they lose their land.

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