Tribes, Communities and Social Structure
2. Particularly vulnerable tribal groups
A particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG) is a tribe with a pre-agricultural level of technology, a stagnant or declining population, very low literacy and a subsistence economy. The category began as Primitive Tribal Groups, identified from 1975-76 on the strength of the Dhebar Commission's work, and was renamed PVTG in 2006. Chhattisgarh has seven PVTGs. Five are recognised by the Union government: Abujhmadia, Baiga, Birhor, Kamar and Pahari Korwa. Pando and Bhujia have been given the status by the state government. Reports place them in 17 of the state's 33 districts, a count tied to the district map of its date.
| PVTG | Recognised by | Where / what to remember |
|---|---|---|
| Abujhmadia | Union | Abujhmad hills of Narayanpur; penda cultivation |
| Baiga | Union | Kabirdham and the Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi area; 19 villages with habitat rights |
| Birhor | Union | Forest-dwelling, northern forest districts |
| Kamar | Union | Gariaband, Dhamtari, Mahasamund, Kanker; Magarlod villages with habitat rights |
| Pahari Korwa | Union | Surguja, Balrampur, Jashpur hills |
| Pando, Bhujia | State government | The two added by the state |
4. The constitutional system and tribal development policy
The constitutional skeleton: Article 342 lets the President specify which tribes are Scheduled Tribes in a state; the Fifth Schedule (Article 244(1)) governs Scheduled Areas; Article 275(1) gives grants-in-aid for tribal welfare; and Article 338A, added by the 89th Amendment in 2003, set up the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes. For the state's Scheduled Areas, the Governor and the Tribes Advisory Council are the Fifth Schedule institutions (see the previous chapter for the Order of 2003).
| Instrument | Year | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Dhebar Commission | 1960-61 | Reviewed tribal administration; its work led to the later PTG category |
| Tribal Sub-Plan strategy | 1974-75 | Earmarked plan funds for tribal areas through integrated tribal development projects |
| Bhuria Committee | constituted 1994 | Recommended extending the panchayat law to Scheduled Areas; led to PESA |
| PESA | 1996 | Gram sabha at the centre of Scheduled Area self-governance |
| Forest Rights Act | 2006 | Individual, community and habitat rights for forest dwellers |
| PM-JANMAN | 2023 | Mission for PVTG habitations: housing, roads, health, nutrition |
5. Tribal problems: isolation, migration and acculturation
Three words in the syllabus name three linked problems. Isolation is the hill and forest distance from schools, clinics and markets, which is deepest among the PVTGs. Migration follows when forest produce, shifting cultivation and wage work fail to support a household; people move to mines, construction and brick kilns, often through contractors. Acculturation is the change in language, dress, festivals and institutions as the outside culture enters, seen in the decline of the ghotul and in the pressure on tribal languages.
- Land and forest alienation: restrictions in the Land Revenue Code and the Forest Rights Act exist because informal sales and unrecorded claims were common.
- Displacement and mining: a Scheduled Area is also a mineral area, so PESA consent and Forest Rights Act titles meet industrial demand head on.
- Health and nutrition: distance and poverty show up in child and maternal health, which is why mission-mode schemes target PVTG habitations.
- Conflict: the Bastar region has seen left-wing extremism; on 5 July 2011 the Supreme Court in Nandini Sundar v State of Chhattisgarh held the state's appointment and arming of Special Police Officers unconstitutional, under Articles 14 and 21, and directed the recall of firearms.
6. Guru Ghasidas and the Satnam tradition; SC communities
Guru Ghasidas was born on 18 December 1756 at Girodpuri in the Balodabazar area, and founded the Satnam panth (Satnampanth). Its core is faith in one formless Satnam, "the true name", and a rejection of caste hierarchy and untouchability. The teachings include equality of all human beings, opposition to idol worship and animal sacrifice, abstinence from intoxicants, and the values of truth, non-violence and labour. The panth drew mainly the Satnami community of the plains, largely from Scheduled Caste groups, and gave them a dignity-based social identity.
- Symbol: the white pillar called jaitkham, a victory pillar planted where the Satnami gather.
- Place: Girodpuri is the pilgrimage centre; people of all castes dine together at its mela on his birth anniversary, 18 December.
- Method: the panth opposed hierarchy by creating a community with its own symbol, greeting and shared meal, not by armed struggle.
On Scheduled Castes in the state, Census 2011 gives 12.82 per cent, with 3,274,269 persons. Between 2001 and 2011 the Scheduled Caste population grew from 2,418,722 to 3,274,269 while the state population grew from 20,833,803 to 25,545,198. The SC population therefore grew faster than the total, and its share rose.
Key takeaways
- Census 2011 for Chhattisgarh: ST 30.62 per cent (7,822,902 persons), 42 notified tribes in the Census 2011 list (43 after the 2023 amendment); SC 12.82 per cent (3,274,269), up from about 11.6 per cent in 2001.
- Read tribal geography as belts: Gond and Halba in the south (Bastar), Oraon and Korwa in the north (Jashpur, Surguja), Kamar in the central forest belt.
- Seven PVTGs: five recognised by the Union (Abujhmadia, Baiga, Birhor, Kamar, Pahari Korwa) and two by the state (Pando, Bhujia).
- Social structure: exogamous totemic clans, lamsena service marriage, and youth dormitories: ghotul for the Muria, dhumkuria for the Oraon; penda, bewar and godna belong to Abujhmadia and Baiga life.
- Policy moved from administration (Dhebar 1961) to funds (Tribal Sub-Plan 1974-75) to rights and self-rule (PESA 1996, Forest Rights Act 2006).
- Guru Ghasidas (born 18 December 1756, Girodpuri) founded the Satnam panth: one formless Satnam, no caste, no idol worship, no intoxicants; its symbol is the jaitkham.
Practice questions (16)
Attempt each one before opening the answer. Every explanation names the tempting wrong option as well as the right one, because that is where marks are lost.
According to Census 2011, the number of Scheduled Tribes notified for Chhattisgarh in the Census 2011 list (before the 2023 amendment of the list) was:
Show answer
Answer: C — 42
The Census 2011 list shows 42 notified Scheduled Tribes for Chhattisgarh (a 2023 amendment later added Binjhia). The number 46 is the count usually cited for Madhya Pradesh, which is the tempting wrong answer for the parent state.As per Census 2011, the Scheduled Tribe population of Chhattisgarh as a share of the state population is closest to:
Show answer
Answer: A — 30.6 per cent
The Scheduled Tribe share is 30.62 per cent. The figure 12.8 per cent is the Scheduled Caste share of the same Census, and 21.1 per cent is the Madhya Pradesh tribal share.Which Article of the Constitution empowers the President to specify the Scheduled Tribes of a state?
Show answer
Answer: D — Article 342
Article 342 is the Scheduled Tribes list. Article 341 is the corresponding article for Scheduled Castes, the tempting swap, and Article 244(1) governs Scheduled Areas.Which of the following is NOT among the five particularly vulnerable tribal groups of Chhattisgarh recognised by the Union government, but was given the status by the state government?
Show answer
Answer: B — Pando
Pando and Bhujia are the two groups given PVTG status by the state. Kamar, Birhor and Pahari Korwa are among the five recognised by the Union, along with Abujhmadia and Baiga.Match the tribal institution or practice with the group associated with it.
P. Ghotul
Q. Dhumkuria
R. Penda
S. Godna tattooing
1. Baiga women 2. Abujhmadia 3. Muria of Bastar 4. OraonShow answer
Answer: B — P-3, Q-4, R-2, S-1
The ghotul belongs to the Muria of Bastar, the dhumkuria to the Oraon, penda cultivation to the Abujhmadia and godna to Baiga women. The commonest error swaps the two dormitory names between the Muria and the Oraon.In Census 2001 the Scheduled Caste population of Chhattisgarh was 2,418,722 out of a total of 20,833,803; in Census 2011 it was 3,274,269 out of 25,545,198. Which of the following inferences is correct?
P. The Scheduled Caste population grew faster than the total population.
Q. The Scheduled Caste share of the population rose between the two Censuses.
R. The Scheduled Caste population fell in absolute terms.
S. The Scheduled Caste share of the population fell.Show answer
Answer: D — P and Q only
The SC population grew by about 35 per cent against about 23 per cent for the state, so the share rose from about 11.6 to 12.8 per cent. A rise in the count can wrongly be read as a rise in the share, but here both rise together.Consider the following statements about PVTGs.
P. The category of Primitive Tribal Groups was renamed PVTG in 2006.
Q. Kamar is among the PVTGs of Chhattisgarh recognised by the Union government.
R. Habitat rights have been recognised for Baiga villages in the Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi area.
S. Pando and Bhujia are the two PVTGs of the state recognised by the Union government in the original list of five.
Which are correct?Show answer
Answer: A — P, Q and R only
P, Q and R are correct. S reverses the position: Pando and Bhujia were given the status by the state government, while the Union list of five consists of Abujhmadia, Baiga, Birhor, Kamar and Pahari Korwa.The Baiga villages that received habitat rights under the Forest Rights Act are reported to lie in which area?
Show answer
Answer: C — Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi
The reported Baiga grant covered 19 villages in the Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi area. Narayanpur is the Abujhmadia region and Gariaband is Kamar country, which are the tempting PVTG-linked alternatives.Guru Ghasidas, founder of the Satnam panth, was born in which year?
Show answer
Answer: C — 1756
Guru Ghasidas was born on 18 December 1756 at Girodpuri. The year 1672 is the Satnami rising at Narnaul against the Mughal ruler, a different movement that shares the name, and 1910 is the Bhumkal of Bastar.Which of the following is NOT a teaching of the Satnam panth founded by Guru Ghasidas?
Show answer
Answer: A — Worship of idols in temples as the central practice
The panth opposed idol worship and animal sacrifice. Faith in a formless Satnam, equality and abstinence are all core teachings, so they cannot be the exception.Consider the following statements about the ghotul.
P. It is the youth dormitory tradition of the Muria of Bastar.
Q. Its boy and girl members are called chelik and motiyari.
R. It is led by a senior boy called sirdar and a senior girl called belosa.
S. It is an institution open only to married couples.
Which are correct?Show answer
Answer: D — P, Q and R only
The ghotul is for unmarried youth, so S fails. The first three statements describe its tradition, membership and leadership.Which of the following is NOT a district or area associated with the Kamar tribe in the standard references?
Show answer
Answer: B — Surguja
The Kamar live in the central forest belt of Gariaband, Dhamtari, Mahasamund and Kanker. Surguja in the north is the region of the Oraon and the Pahari Korwa.The Abujhmadia, a PVTG practising the shifting cultivation called penda, are principally associated with the hills of which district?
Show answer
Answer: B — Narayanpur
The Abujhmadia are associated with the Abujhmad hills in Narayanpur. Balrampur and Jashpur are Korwa and Oraon country and Dhamtari is Kamar country.In Nandini Sundar v State of Chhattisgarh (5 July 2011), what did the Supreme Court hold about Special Police Officers used in the fight against left-wing extremism?
Show answer
Answer: D — Appointing and arming them for counter-insurgency was unconstitutional, under Articles 14 and 21
The Court held the use of SPOs in counter-insurgency unconstitutional under Articles 14 and 21 and directed the recall of firearms. It did not uphold, absorb or defer the matter.Consider the following statements about the constitutional system for tribes.
P. The Fifth Schedule, not the Sixth, applies to the Scheduled Areas of Chhattisgarh.
Q. Article 275(1) provides grants-in-aid from the Union for tribal welfare.
R. The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes was created under Article 338A by the 89th Amendment.
S. The Bhuria Committee was constituted in 1994 and PESA followed in 1996.
Which of these are correct?Show answer
Answer: A — P, Q, R and S
All four statements are correct, so only the option that includes every statement is right. A candidate who doubts S or R may drop it and choose a three-statement option that leaves out a true statement.Arrange the following in chronological order, earliest first:
P. Dhebar Commission;
Q. Tribal Sub-Plan strategy;
R. PESA;
S. Forest Rights Act.Show answer
Answer: C — P, Q, R, S
The Dhebar Commission worked in 1960-61, the Tribal Sub-Plan strategy began in 1974-75, PESA came in 1996 and the Forest Rights Act in 2006. Swapping the last two is the usual slip because both rest on the gram sabha.
3. Clan, family, marriage and youth dormitories
Tribal society in the state is organised on clan lines. A clan (gotra) is traced through the male line and is usually named after a totem, an animal or plant that members will not harm. The clan is exogamous: one marries outside it, and the same clan-name binds people across villages who may never have met. The family is typically a nuclear household within a patrilineal kin group, and the village council, led by a headman or elder, settles disputes by custom before any court is reached.
Marriage customs vary. Among the Gond and related groups, lamsena is a service marriage in which the young man works in the bride's household for a period before marriage. Marriage is often arranged through clan elders, with a bride-price or exchange in many communities, and elopement or capture is recognised in custom. These forms show that marriage is a contract between kin groups, not only between two persons.
The youth dormitory is the institution that fascinates examiners. Among the Muria of Bastar it is the ghotul; among the Oraon it is the dhumkuria. Unmarried boys and girls of the village, called chelik and motiyari in the ghotul tradition, gather there, led by a senior boy (sirdar) and a senior girl (belosa). It teaches work, song, dance and community duty, and the choice of partner still follows the clan rules of exogamy. Accounts say the institution has declined with schooling and outside influence.
Livelihood practices are examinable too. The Abujhmadia practise penda, a shifting cultivation on hill slopes. The Baiga have long been linked with bewar, a form of shifting cultivation, and Baiga women are known for godna, tattoo art. The Kamar and Birhor have forest-based livelihoods.