Adivasi Land Relations: The Context of Central and Eastern India

Joseph Marianus Kujur¹

¹Professor of Rural Management Programme, Xavier Institute of Social Service (XISS), Ranchi. Email: marianuskujur@xiss.ac.in

ABSTRACT:

This paper revisits the proceedings of the Independent People’s Tribunal (IPT) on Operation Green Hunt, which was organized by the Jharkhand Alternative Development Forum. The Forum discussed the issues of ‘Adivasis Land Relations in the Context of Central and Eastern India’ from the socio-economic, political, cultural, and legal perspectives. The paper broadly covers four aspects: first, the Adivasi concept of land; second, Adivasi resistance in the past; third, the Adivasi response to land-grabbing in the present; and fourth, some concluding observations. Methodologically, the Adivasi response to land relations, particularly the issue of land-grabbing was discussed through case-studies process. The paper concludes that the ‘historical injustices’ are still being committed on Adivasis, even after 77 years of Independence. The author suggests that ‘self-rule governance’ is the only remedy to mitigate the problems of alienation of tribal land, and other natural resources in general.

Keywords: Operation Green Hunt, Adivasi Land Relations, Central and Eastern India, Alternative Development, Self-Rule Governance

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