Tribals: Children of Nature and Guardians of Culture
Lalit Garg
World Tribal Day, observed on August 9, is not merely a constitutional formality but a significant occasion to honor the roots of our civilization and the source of our collective sensitivity. It is a call to safeguard the existence, rights—jal, jungle, zameen (water, forest, land)—and lives of tribal communities while acknowledging their invaluable contribution to rebuilding New India. The tribal community is not backward but an inexhaustible source of cultural vitality. From the freedom struggle to environmental protection, from social harmony to spiritual traditions, they have played a revolutionary role in every sphere.
Tribals are truly the children of nature and guardians of our culture. The statement, “He who is connected to nature is the true protector of humanity,” perfectly applies to them. The word “tribal” is not just a social identity—it is a philosophy of simplicity, collectivism, balance, and coexistence. Nearly 90% of India’s mineral wealth, medicinal plants, and biodiversity are found in tribal regions. Their lives are governed not by the superficialities of modern civilization but by the core of human empathy. Though often called “forest dwellers,” their life philosophy offers an alternative to urban pretense, reconnecting us to a natural, meaningful way of living.
In today’s India, where development is often equated with multinational investment, dazzling infrastructure, and smart cities, the values upheld by tribal communities are being displaced. Exploitation in the name of jal, jungle, zameen—including resource plundering, religious conversion, cultural erosion, and forced land acquisitions—not only worsens their economic conditions but also erodes their identity, language, culture, and traditions. Presently, tribals face debt, illiteracy, migration, poor health, and unemployment. So-called development has alienated them, rendering them invisible citizens within their own country—often without ration cards, identity documents, or political representation.
If Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of New India is to truly fulfill the mantra “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas” (Together with all, development for all, trust of all), tribal resurgence must be the foremost priority. The work of renowned Jain monk Gani Rajendra Vijayji is of great significance in this regard. His life has become a triad of struggle, service, and harmony for tribal upliftment. For years, he has led efforts in tribal areas, promoting education, healthcare, addiction prevention, employment, and cultural enrichment. His “Happy Family Campaign” has transformed into a mass movement, awakening not just families but the entire tribal community. He inspires tribals with self-confidence, dignity, and self-reliance through girls’ education centers, moral education drives, self-reliance workshops for youth, women’s health programs, tribal cottage industries, cultural enhancement initiatives, and self-help groups. He sows the seeds of non-violence, morality, and Indian values in tribal hearts, ensuring they remain connected to their roots with pride.
Today, the tribal identity faces threats not only from external economic and political exploitation but also from internal cultural disintegration. Religious conversions breed mental enslavement and anti-national sentiments. Gani Rajendra Vijayji counters this through peace, dialogue, and spiritual reawakening, integrating Jainism’s values and positive elements of all religions into tribal life to protect them from cultural violence. He believes every tribal must recognize they are carriers of a grand cultural legacy. Inspired by him, many tribal youth have pursued education, gained employment, initiated cottage industries, and reclaimed their pride and identity.
As the world advances toward artificial intelligence, blockchain, drone technology, and digital innovation, tribal communities must be integrated into this evolving mainstream. Technology can preserve their dialects and folklore through AI-based language translation, secure land rights with drones and GIS, and improve quality of life through mobile health units, telemedicine, and digital classrooms. Innovation becomes meaningful when it offers global learning opportunities to a tribal youth in the forest without uprooting them from their origins.
In today’s globalized world, embracing “local to global,” tribal communities can play a pivotal role. Their traditional knowledge, organic farming, forest medicine, handicrafts, and eco-friendly lifestyles offer sustainable alternatives. Tribal youth must embrace modern education while staying connected to their cultural values, nurturing entrepreneurial potential through forest-based industries, eco-tourism, tribal crafts, and cultural festivals. Their products can reach global markets via digital platforms. The vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-reliant India) will only be complete when tribal communities are empowered from within.
India’s independence was won not only in royal courts and open fields but also in forests and hills, where tribal warriors shook the British Empire. Leaders like Birsa Munda, whose Ulgulan (Great Rebellion) in Jharkhand asserted tribal identity, and heroes like Sidhu-Kanhu, Rani Durgavati, Komaram Bheem, Govind Guru, Tenali Ram Bawari, and Narayan Singh made ultimate sacrifices. Yet, their contributions remain underrepresented in mainstream history. World Tribal Day is a moment to celebrate these forgotten heroes and inspire the new generation with their courage.
World Tribal Day is symbolic, but its true observance requires policy, intention, and commitment. Speeches and schemes alone will not uplift tribal communities. We must listen to them, understand them, and walk alongside them. Their rights to land, water, and forests must be protected legally and ethically. Their languages, traditions, music, and dance must be preserved. Education and healthcare must be culturally sensitive, and political empowerment ensured. A new India cannot be complete without the soul of the tribal community—resonating in their rhythms, drums, mandars, flutes, folk songs, dances, and simplicity.
If we truly want to build a new India, we must stand with tribal people—not just for them, but with them. Saints like Gani Rajendra Vijayji light the way forward like a torch of hope. On this World Tribal Day, let us connect with them in empathy, preservation, and participation. That alone would be the truest Rashtradharma—our duty to the nation.
(Note: Lalit Garg is a Delhi-based writer, columnist, and journalist, known for his insightful commentary on social and cultural issues.)
