Adivasis in Assam Issues and Concent

Abstract

Adivasis of Assam, whose forefathers had migrated to Assam Tea Gardens in search of their food and livelihood as the labourers, today, they are popularly known as Tea Tribes. These tea tribes are not enlisted in the list of Scheduled tribes by the Assam government, though; their brethrens are scheduled tribes in Chotanagpur of central India. Surprisingly, the Scheduled tribes of Assam also do net recognize them as the tribe; and their agony and apathy often results into conflict and bloodshed. This paper deals with the background of Adivasis in Assam in the first part, and the second part deals with the Socio-economic situation of Adivasis of Assam. In the third part, a discussion on the concept of tribe as understanding the tribe has been done, and finally some issues and concern for Adivasis have been discussed.