Bhangya Bhukya
Fulbright-Nehru Visiting Professor at the University of Pennsylvania and Professor of history at the University of Hyderabad
The pertinent question I will ask in this talk is this –can there be development without political rights? This question revolves around Adivasis or indigenous people of India, who historically led a relatively autonomous life. This leads us to ask why the British colonial protectionism and the post-colonial integrationism and assimilationism did not bring any tangible changes in Adivasi life. Why has Adivasi development been seen as an issue of governance or an issue of national integration rather than a political question? By asking these questions, the talk aims to unfold the political agendas of the colonial rulers and the national elites concerning the Adivasi question.