“Today, efforts are afoot to get the Adivasis to give up their Adivasi identity. They do not like seeing tribals, Dalits, backward classes, and minorities in the top positions of the country,” former Chief Minister of Jharkhand Hemant Soren alleged during his 24-minute speech in the state assembly, minutes before the Enforcement Directorate whisked him away into their custody. He did not shy away from invoking Dalit icon BR Ambedkar and subsequently attacking the BJP for considering tribals as ‘untouchables’ – in what came as a strong evocation of Adivasi identity on the floor of the house at a time when BJP has been attempting to woo the community.
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This renewed outreach to the tribal community has taken the form of high-level visits to tribal-dominated areas, erecting statues to honour local tribal icons, constructing museums and even choosing the country’s first tribal President. But has anything changed for Adivasis – a community with a history of being alienated from their land and identity – on the ground?
Meanwhile, Manipur has been embroiled in an ethnic conflict since May 2023 over the demand for tribal status for the dominant and politically stronger Hindu Meitei community – a demand backed by BJP. But the Centre and state governments have done little to bring peace amidst the raging violence that has killed over 200 people so far. How will the BJP’s quest for forging a ‘Hindu national community’ threaten the tribal identity of this region?
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With the Sangh Parivar consistently attempting to bring tribals into the broader Hindu fold by conducting ground-level activities and publicly reiterating that Adivasis are indeed Hindus, Outlook’s next issue will look at these questions around the future of tribal politics and tribal identity in the country.
