Understanding Marginalisation Stereotypes are characteristics imposed upon groups of people because of their

⚫ Marginalisation race, nationality and sexual orientation, among others.

Marginalisation is the process whereby something or someone is pushed to the (i) Adivasis are invariably portrayed in very stereotypical ways-in colourful
edge of a group and accorded lesser importance. This is predominantly a social costumes, headgear and through their dancing.
phenomenon by which a minority or sub-group is excluded, and their needs or (ii) Adivasis are blamed for their lack of advancement as they are believed to be
desires ignored. resistant to change or new ideas.
⚫ What does it mean to be Socially Marginalised: (iii) People believe that the Adivasis are exotic and belong to primitive and
(i) To be marginalized is to be forced to occupy the sides or fringes and thus not be backward background.
at the centre of things. ⚫ Adivasis and Development:
(ii) Sometimes marginalized groups are viewed with hostility and fear. (i) Forests play a crucial role in the development of all empires and settled
(iii) There is a sense of difference & exclusion which leads to communities not civilization in India. As they provide with Metal ores- iron & copper, gold & silver
having access to resources & opportunities & in their inability too assert their rights. invaluable timber medicinal herbs animal products, like wax, lac & honey animals
(iv) To make certain groups in society feel marginalized, there are economic, social, (ii) Adivasis had deep knowledge of forest. Often empires heavily depended on
cultural and political factors. Thus, marginalization is seldom experienced in one Adivasis for the crucial access to forest resources.
sphere. (iii) In today’s world, Adivasis are considered marginal and powerless communities.
⚫ Who are Adivasis: (iv) In the pre-colonial world, they were traditionally ranged hunter-gatherers and
(i) The term ‘Adivasis’ refers to the ‘original inhabitants’. They are communities who nomads and they lived by shifting agriculture and cultivating at one place.
lived and often continue to live in close association with forests. (v) For the past two hundred years, Adivasis have been forced through economic
(ii) Around 8% of India’s population is Adivasi. There are over 500 different Adivasi changes, forest policies and political force applied by State to migrate as workers in
groups in India, They are not a homogeneous population. plantations, industries and as domestic workers.
(iii) Many of India’s most important mining and industrial areas are situated in (vi) Forest lands have been cleared for timber and to get land for agriculture and
Adivasi areas. industry.
(iv) Adivasis are particularly numerous in states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, (vii) Huge tracts of lands have gone under the waters of hundreds of dams that have
Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, and in the north-eastern states of been built in independent India.
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, (viii) Losing their lands and access to the forests means that tribals lose their main
Nagaland and Tripura. Orrisa is home to more than 60 different tribal groups. source of livelihood and Adivasis have migrated to cities in search of work.
(v) Adivasis practice a range of tribal religions that are different from Islam, (ix) They get caught in the cycle of poverty and deprivation. Almost 45% of tribal
Hinduism and Christianity. Their religions themselves have influenced dominant groups in rural areas and 35% in urban areas live below the poverty line.
religions of the empire around them. (x) As a result, Many tribal children are malnourished and aloso literacy rate is also
(vi) They have most distinctive societies because there is often very little hierarchy very low among tribals.
among them. This makes them radically different from communities organised (xi) When Adivasis are displaced from their lands, they lose much more than a
around principles of caste system. source of income. They lose their traditions & customs.
(vii) Adivasis worship ancestors, own village and nature spirits. They have been ⚫ Minorities and Marginalisation:
influenced by different religions, like Shakta, Buddhist, Vaishnav, Bhakti and (i) The term minority is most commonly used to refer to communities that are
Christianity. numerically small in relation to the rest of the population.
(viii) Adivasis have their own languages,which was as old as Sanskrit. Santhali has (ii) It encompasses issues of power, access to resources and has social & cultural
the largest number of speakers and has a significant body of publication. dimensions.
⚫ Adivasis and Stereotyping:
(iii) Safeguards are needed to protect minority communities against the possibility
of being culturally dominated by the majority. They also protect them against any
discrimination & disadvantage that they may face.
(iv) The Constitution provides these safeguards because it is committed to
protecting India’s cultural diversity and promoting equality as well as justice.
Muslims and Marginalisation:
(i) Muslims are 13.4% of India’s population and are considered to be a marginalized
community in India.
(ii) They have over the years been deprived of the benefits of socio-economic
development, of basic amenities, literacy and public employment.
(iii) Recognizing that Muslims in India were lagging behind in terms of various
development in indicators, the government set up a high-level committee in 2005.
(iv) The report of the community suggests that Muslim community is comparable to
that of other marginalized communities like Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes.
(v) According to the Report of average years of schooling, for Muslim children
between ages of 7-16 is much lower than that of other socio-religious
communities.
(vi) Muslim customs and practices such as wearing burqa and fez make them
different from others. Because of this, they tend to be identified differently and
some people think they are not like the ‘rest of us’. This often becomes an excuse
to treat them unfarily.
(vii) This social marginalization of Muslims in some instances has led to their
migration from places where they have lived, often leading to the ghettorisation of
the community.