SOCIAL AND POLITICAL LIFE

UNDERSTANDING MARGINALISATION
BACK EXERCISE

1. Write in your own words two or more sentences of what you understand by the word
‘marginalisation’. List few reasons why do communities face marginalisation?

Ans. The word ‘marginalisation’ simply means exclusion from the mainstream. To be marginalised is to be
forced to occupy the sides or fringes and thus not be at the center of things.

(a) Marginalisation is faced by those who are likely to be different from majority of people.

(b) Like some communities undergo marginalisation because they speak a different language, follow
different customs or belong to a different religious group.

(c) Some may also feel marginalised because they are poor, considered to be of ‘low’ social status and
viewed as being less human than others.

(d) They experience a sense of disadvantage and powerlessness vis-a-vis more powerful and dominant
sections of society who own land, are wealthy, better educated and politically powerful.

(e) Economic, social, cultural and political factors work together to make certain groups in society feel
marginalised.

2. List some reasons why Adivasis are becoming increasingly marginalised.

INDUSTRIALISATION- After Independence too, Adivasis faced problems as the Government took
over their land area for mining, building multipurpose river valley projects/ dams, cultivation etc.

MILITARISATION- In the North-East, maximum area still remains under militarisation.

CONSTRUCTION OF NATIONAL PARKS & SANCTUARIES- India has 101 national parks and 543
wildlife sanctuaries. These are areas where tribals originally lived but were evicted from. When they
continue to stay in these forests, they are termed encroachers.

MIGRATION-Having gradually lost access to their traditional homelands, many Adivasis have migrated
to cities in search of work where they are employed for very low wages in local industries or at building
or construction sites. This often leads to their social isolation in cities and malnourishment.

3. Write one reason why you think the Constitution’s safeguards to protect minority communities
are very important?
Ans. Constitutional safeguards are needed to protect minority communities against the possibility of
being culturally dominated by the majority. They also protect them against any discrimination and
disadvantage that they may face.
The Constitution provides these safeguards because it is committed to protecting India’s cultural
diversity and promoting equality as well as justice.
4. Re-read the section on Minorities and Marginalisation. What do you understand by the term
minority?
Ans. The term minority is most commonly used to refer to communities that are numerically small in
relation to the rest of the population.
It includes issues of power, access to resources and has social and cultural dimensions.

5. Would you agree with the statement that economic marginalisation and social marginalisation are
interlinked? Why ?
Ans. Economic marginalisation and social marginalisation are closely interlinked.

(a) People experiencing economic hardships may be stereotyped, leading to social exclusion. Society
might unfairly label them, making it difficult for them to participate in social activities or gain
acceptance.

(b) Socially marginalized groups often have reduced access to critical resources such as education,
healthcare and social networks etc. This lack of access can perpetuate economic disadvantages.

(c) The combination of social and economic marginalisation can create a cycle of poverty and
deprivation. Individuals who are socially marginalized may be more likely to live in economically
disadvantaged communities, which further limits their access to education and employment
resources.
 EXTRA QUESTIONS

Q1. What do you understand by the term Adivasi ? State the areas where you majorly find the adivasi
communities.
Ans - Adivasis – the term literally means ‘original inhabitants’ – are communities who lived, and often continue
to live, in close association with forests.
- Around 8 per cent of India’s population is Adivasi and many of India’s most important mining and
industrial centres are located in Adivasi areas – Jamshedpur, Rourkela, Bokaro and Bhilai among
others.
- Adivasis are not a homogeneous population: there are over 500 different Adivasi groups in India.
- Adivasis are particularly numerous in states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa,
Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and in the north-eastern states
of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura.
- A state like Orissa is home to more than 60 different tribal groups.

Q2. Write a detailed note on the religious practices of the adivasi communities.
Ans - Adivasis practise a range of tribal religions that are different from Islam, Hinduism and Christianity.
- These often involve the worship of ancestors, village and nature spirits, the last associated with and
residing in various sites in the landscape – ‘mountain-spirits’, ‘river-spirits’, ‘animal-spirits’, etc.
- The village spirits are often worshipped at specific sacred groves within the village boundary while the
ancestral ones are usually worshipped at home.
- Additionally, Adivasis have always been influenced by different surrounding religions like Shakta,
Buddhist, Vaishnav, Bhakti and Christianity.
- Simultaneously, Adivasi religions themselves have influenced dominant religions of the empires around
them, for example, the Jagannath cult of Orissa and Shakti and Tantric traditions in Bengal and Assam.
- During the nineteenth century, substantial numbers of Adivasis converted to Christianity, which has
emerged as a very important religion in modern Adivasi history.

Q3. ‘In India, we usually ‘showcase’ Adivasi communities in particular ways’. Justify the given statement
with suitable examples.
- In India, we usually ‘showcase’ Adivasi communities in particular ways.
- Adivasis are invariably portrayed in very stereotypical ways – in colourful costumes, headgear and
through their dancing. Besides this, we seem to know very little about the realities of their lives. This
often wrongly leads to people believing that they are exotic, primitive and backward. Often Adivasis are
blamed for their lack of advancement as they are believed to be resistant to change or new ideas.

Q4. ‘The position of the Adivasi community has significantly changed over a period of time’. Justify the
given statement with valid points.
Ans - Forests covered the major part of our country till the nineteenth century and the Adivasis had a deep
knowledge of, access to, as well as control over most of these vast tracts at least till the middle of the nineteenth
century.
- This meant that they were not ruled by large states and empires. Instead, empires heavily depended on
Adivasis for the crucial access to forest resources.
- This is radically contrary to our image of Adivasis today as somewhat marginal and powerless
communities. In the precolonial world, they were traditionally ranged hunter gatherers and nomads and
lived by shifting agriculture and also cultivating in one place.
- Although these remain, for the past 200 years Adivasis have been increasingly forced – through
economic changes, forest policies and political force applied by the State and private industry – to
migrate to lives as workers in plantations, at construction sites, in industries and as domestic workers.
- For the first time in history, they do not control or have much direct access to the forest territories.
Q5. ‘Losing the land and access to forest area has majorly impacted the tribal communities’. Justify the
given statement with valid points.
Ans - Losing their lands and access to the forest means that tribals lose their main sources of livelihood and
food.
- Having gradually lost access to their traditional homelands, many Adivasis have migrated to cities in
search of work where they are employed for very low wages in local industries or at building or
construction sites.
- They, thus, get caught in a cycle of poverty and deprivation. 45 percent of tribal groups in rural areas
and 35 per cent in urban areas live below the poverty line. This leads to deprivation in other areas.
- Many tribal children are malnourished. Literacy rates among tribals are also very low.