Adivasi communities have very distinct and rich cultures surviving the onslaught of what is known as the mainstream of life. They can certainly be proud of their rich cultural heritage.

The indigenous people are facing a dilemma that characterizes their existence in most places across the world. On the one hand, they have a strong urge to keep alive the way of life handed down to them by their forefathers; on the other hand, they cannot sidetrack the priorities of modern existence. They have to compete with all other citizens of the country in their quest for a better living which might in practice force them to shed part of their ethnic identity. The truth is that their number is small and they are socially disadvantaged in certain cases.

Poverty and illiteracy are two of the major problems that the Adivasi communities are grappling with. A large number of them are landless or on the verge of losing whatever land they have while living in abject poverty. Regrettably, they have been facing encroachment on their habitats on a regular basis as development projects are taken up from time to time by the government without sympathetic consideration of the rights of the indigenous people. It seems the Adivasi psyche has never been understood by the rulers ever since the British days.

The first thing that society must do is not only recognise but also insist on the fact that the indigenous people are equal citizens of the country. Their backwardness will only mean that some groups of people will lag behind others, resulting in lopsided development in remote rural areas. The vested groups trying to exploit the vulnerability of Adivasis must be reined in to enhance their social and economic security.

Only celebration of a particular day will not help us attain the goal of creating equal opportunities for all the people, irrespective of cast, creed and ethnic identity. An action plan is imperative.