Tribals in India Need Firmer Hand-holding During and Following Covid-19 Pandemic

The number of people in the grip of the novel coronavirus pandemic is rising every day in India and most parts of the world. Against this backdrop, the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic appear far more serious for the tribal people as a whole than the rest of the population due to their close-knit communities living in rural areas, limited resources of livelihood, and poverty. Difficulties in access to Covid-19 testing and healthcare facilities, disruption of supply chains, closure of artisans’ workplaces and units of textile workers during lockdown, struggle for food and livelihood due to reverse migration, lack of opportunities and monetary earnings due to travel restrictions both for domestic and international visitors and unsold stocks of their products are some of the key challenges people belonging to this social group are facing more acutely in these times. With strict enforcement or on-and-off lockdown across the country, many tribal people have lost access to the collection of minor forest produce, a major source of additional income for their households. The dignified sustenance of tribal people in the changed scenario could happen only if the ministry of tribal affairs along with the ministries of finance, textiles, skill development and entrepreneurship, information technology, tourism, and commerce make concerted efforts to chalk out programmes and policies with the help of NGOs, self-help groups, IITs and IIMs, and other stakeholders.