India has been concerned with Community Development of Adivasi Communities since independence. The approaches for such development have varied over the last 75 years. these can be bracketed into Basic Needs fulfilment ( largely used between 1947 to 1970s), Capability building approaches ( 1980-1990s) and empowerment approaches ( 1990 till date). However, various government reports have indicated that despite all these efforts, benchmarks in even basic human development indictors. This paper tries to explore the reasons for the slowness of human development in the Adivasi communities, despite the efforts.
Empowerment models are mandated to be used for human development for the Adivasi community through the PESA act ,1996. The act mandated many development interventions to be based on micro level planning and involvement of communities at ward and village level. The paper explores the reason for slowness through the historical journeys of these communities, the changes to their identity and understanding of agency and power in these communities. Adivasi communities were forest dependent, independent and homogenous communities in historical times. They were largely isolated from the other world influences. They were largely guided by their elders in making most of their decisions. They had no concept of ‘self’, or individual agency. Most decisions were collective. The advent of modernism and institutions of the state have exposed them to a new reality. They interfered with their culture, language, food, dresses and their entire life-styles. Migration introduced these communities to urban reality. Government agents, a direct result of the modernity, influenced them for modern education, health and livelihood practices. They were introduced to the concepts of power, self and agency. People have started thinking about ‘themselves’ as individuals and not as communities. The paper explores this shift and its impact on human development through a case of Soara community in Odisha.
