Steps Taken for Tribal Integration
- Tribal Panchsheel Agreement –
- Initial Step: In the early 1950s, Nehru signed the Panchsheel Agreement with Naga chiefs, recognizing Naga Hills’ autonomy. While this did not entirely address the subsequent Naga rebellion, it did represent an early attempt to establish a political solution for tribal territories.
- Later Step: Tribal Panchsheel
- The tribals should develop along the lines of their customs.
- Tribal rights in their land and forest should be respected and no outsider should be able to take possession of tribal lands.
- In administration, reliance should be placed on the tribal people themselves and administrators should be recruited from among them.
- Encouraging tribal languages.
- No over-administration of tribal areas. Results should be judged not by statistics or the amount of money spent, but by the human character that is involved.
- Constitutional Provisions
- Under Nehru’s leadership, the Indian Constitution contained provisions for the protection and well-being of Scheduled Tribes (STs).
- Article 46 specifically ordered the state to support the educational and economic interests of Scheduled Tribes while also assuring their social development.
- The Fifth Schedule and Sixth Schedules made unique provisions for administering and supervising Scheduled Areas and Tribes in separate states.
- It aims to create tribal advisory councils, autonomous district councils, creation of district and regional councils, legislative and judicial powers
- Its goal was to protect tribal communities’ interests by preventing the transfer of tribal territory to non-tribals and ensuring self-governance through local tribal councils.
- Special responsibilities for Governors to implement.