Environment and tribes in India : Resource conflicts and adaptations

Summary:
In the contemporary times of increased and intensified global interactions, how do indigenous people like the adivasis/tribal people deal with their ecosystems, especially when states and dominant communities desire wealth from tourism promotion even in tribal habitats? How do contemporary governance structures and administrative policies impinge on the local people's access to and control over the resources in their habitat? Experiences of indigenous people have varied: adaptations, conservation efforts, long drawn-out resistances, conflicts over ethnicity, and in some areas, even political radicalism. In situations of conflicts over resources, indigeneity itself is constantly questioned as people are displaced, over and over again, or they are forced to migrate in search of better lives. This context of global-local, inter-local and intra-local inter-linkages, conflicts and co-operation, wrapped around the dialectic of ecological and commercial concerns, frames the bringing together of the papers in this volume. While conflicts and stress are intrinsic to a perspective that views nature as a mere resource and aim to exploit it for short-term material comforts, there are also efforts at conservation and regeneration. When responsible international collaboration, committed state initiatives and peoples' informed and engaged participation join hands, humanity could rise to a new level of consciousness and justice.