Saving India’s Tribal Heritage

Protecting tribal heritage demands community-led documentation, stronger land rights, and sustained funding to preserve languages, traditions and ecological wisdom vital to India’s future

- KDP RAO

India's tribal communities hold centuries of ecological wisdom, cultural richness and linguistic diversity

India has more than 700 tribal communities across the country, broadly referred to as Adivasis, who constitute around 8 per cent of the total population.

The distinct culture, languages, folk arts, dances, music, handicrafts, oral traditions, and customs stand out as part of the rich and vibrant cultural heritage of India. Tribal heritage is a treasure house of invaluable knowledge that has evolved over the ages and been handed down through generations, especially in relation to biodiversity and the environment. The social practices of tribal societies are enriched with values of democracy, ethics, morality, and inclusive social existence, which are reflected in their culture, both tangible and intangible.

During colonial rule, tribal heritage came under threat as the natural habitats of tribes — the jungles — were invaded for rapacious commercial exploitation and for the sport of hunting. In independent India, indiscriminate development through the construction of dams, mining, industrial corridors, and rapid urbanisation has led to large-scale displacement of tribal populations, disconnecting them from their natural habitats. This has resulted in the gradual decimation of their native languages, culture, art, and oral traditions, and the disappearance of indigenous knowledge and skills evolved over ages in areas such as medicine, ecological knowledge, and social values. India has around 200 tribal/indigenous languages, but today many of them have fewer than 10,000 speakers.