Sanjukta Das Gupta

Violence and the Marginalized

Introduction

Violence and the marginalized. Analyze violence & marginalization of Adivasi communities in India. Focuses on West Bengal's Lodha community, exploring historical stigmatization, poverty, and their fight against prejudice.

Abstract

Adivasi or tribal communities in contemporary India are no strangers to violence. The incidence of violence within the tribal world requiresa multifaceted analysis. While much of the contemporary violence arises out of contestations over resources, it may also arise from other factors like social prejudice. This paper proposes a typology of violence encountered in the world of Adivasis through the history of the Lodha community in the Indian state of West Bengal. Categorized as Criminal Tribe in 1916 during British colonial rule, Lodhas were vilified and victimized both by the colonial government and by the rural society at large. After Independence, the Criminal Tribes Act was repealed in 1952, and Lodhas were denominated as the Denotified Tribes or vimukta jāti. This did not, however, ameliorate their social marginalization or their material status and Lodhas continued to live a life of abject poverty even under progressive governments. Finally, the paper looks at the steps taken by the Lodha community to combat such stigmatization in recent years.

Review

This paper tackles a highly pertinent and often-overlooked issue: the multi-layered violence experienced by Adivasi communities in India, using the Lodha community in West Bengal as a focused case study. The proposed typology of violence, informed by both historical analysis and contemporary realities, is a significant strength. By tracing the Lodha community's journey from being categorized as a 'Criminal Tribe' under colonial rule to their current status as a 'Denotified Tribe,' the paper adeptly highlights how state policies, historical legacies, resource contestations, and deeply entrenched social prejudice converge to perpetuate marginalization and violence. This historical depth, combined with an ethnographic lens, promises a nuanced understanding of a complex problem. While the abstract clearly outlines the historical context and the role of resource contestations, it could benefit from briefly elaborating on the "other factors like social prejudice." A hint at *how* social prejudice manifests as violence in ways distinct from historical categorization, or *what forms* these non-resource-based violences take, would further strengthen the proposed typology even at the abstract level. Additionally, the paper's inclusion of "steps taken by the Lodha community to combat such stigmatization" is a crucial and empowering aspect; providing a brief indication of the *nature* of these steps (e.g., political mobilization, cultural assertion, legal advocacy) would offer a more complete picture of the paper's scope and its engagement with agency. Overall, this paper makes a vital contribution to our understanding of violence, marginalization, and the enduring legacies of colonialism in contemporary India. Its focus on the Lodha community offers a rich empirical foundation for exploring the intricate dynamics between state, society, and marginalized groups. The promise of a robust analytical framework coupled with an examination of community resilience renders this a compelling and timely piece of scholarship. It is highly recommended for publication and will undoubtedly spark important discussions within the fields of social anthropology, postcolonial studies, and indigenous rights.

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