What are the characteristics and problems of Tribal Areas?

Following are some of the characteristics and problems of tribal areas:

1. Isolated and Nomadic Settlements

They are away from the civilized areas and keep moving in search of occupation and livelihood

2. Distinct Dialects

The tribal have their own language as well as a dialect for communication very different from the neighbouring areas.

3. Animism, Totemism and Magic

Tribal religion compromises of worship of nature and natural elements known as animism or a symbolic worship known as totemism. They believe that free spirits regulate their lives for which they also engage in white (non violent) and black (violent) forms of magic.

4. Geographical Distribution

Tribals are spread all over India with maximum concentration in North East and Central India. The states with predominant tribal population are Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand.

5. Low Literacy

With a distinct dialect and nomadic in nature tribal have very low levels of literacy or complete illiteracy in some areas.

6. Low Per Capita Income and Uneconomic Land Holding

With primitive ways of earning a livelihood and traditional agricultural practices like zoom cultivation, a large number of them are below the poverty line

7. Impact of Industrialization and Commercial Agriculture

With increasing industrialization and encroachment of forests and hilly areas for commercial purposes resulting in loss of land and livelihood there is unrest and protests from tribal areas. E.g Naxalite movement.

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