Paper short abstract:

The present paper describes the contested idea of tribe and indigenous in India keeping in background the foundation of the Centre for Indigenous Culture studies in a newly established Central University of Jharkhand. The paper conceptualizes the indigenous debate as a continuum of originality to marginality. At the outset paper theorize why tribes siege to exist and operate in the contemporary India.

Paper long abstract:

The present paper describes the contested idea of tribe and indigenous in India keeping in background the foundation of the Centre for Indigenous Culture studies in a newly established Central University of Jharkhand. The Centre runs a five year integrated Masters course in Indigenous Culture studies as well as the Phd course. The paper reflects upon the course curriculum, content and intent of the teaching in the Centre since its foundation. It further raises the problems and opportunities of sharing indigenous culture studies to a classroom consisting of ''tribe and non-tribe'' students. The author who is part of the Centre for Indigenous Culture studies since its foundation autobiographically outlines the specificities of teaching Indigenous culture studies as a global discourse in a University located in tribal province of India.

The paper attempts to propose a meaningful model of understanding indigenous situation in India, against the backdrop of various ways in which the concept of tribe dominates the ethno-anthropological and administrative discourses in India. It dwells into the history of use of term tribe and scheduled tribe in India and how it relates with the mind of people who belongs to these tribal groups. The paper re-conceptualizes the indigenous debate in global universal context as a continuum of originality to marginality and how the Indian Subcontinent is an ideal example of negotiating tribal identity across this continuum. At large paper intends to theorize why tribes as represented in mainstream literature siege to exist and operate in the contemporary India.