Tribal Development in 21st Century: An Experience from Manipur

Many scholars and experts have experimented with and experienced the various facets of tribal development in the country. Subsequently, numerous strategies by different committees for the upliftment of the poor tribals have been chalked out. Yet problems have not been solved. Due to globalization, rapid demographic and social changes have taken place in many tribal societies. Moreover, Indian tribes represent a fascinating variety of culture and their local customs, traditions and practices play an important role in the development process. Hence, tribal development cannot be treated as a stereotyped phenomenon. It varies from one region to another due to differences in terms of geographical and socio-cultural settings. The present scenario of the tribal society is more complex as compared to the earlier situation especially in North-Eastern India. In the progress of tribal development in Manipur, problems of unrest in tribal conflicts, insurgency activities as well as problems of tribal identity have a perennial presence. These problems are becoming a major threat to the development process in the State. Therefore, the root cause of such problems and its impact on common people deserved a special attention for a holistic understanding of the problem which will facilitate a flexible policy for a better environment for improvement of tribal people, rather than mere heavy allocation of money. In this backdrop, this book examines the problems of tribal development in Manipur and explores unrest problems associated with the tribal development process in the State for a larger audience. This book will be a tool of great value addition to previous studies. It will also create a strong base for further research on tribal development process in the State for a larger audience. This book will be a tool of great value addition to previous studies. It will also create a strong base for further research on tribal development in the North-Eastern states. Subsequently, it will be useful for policy makers, social scientists and NGOs who are associated with tribal development studies.