Tribes and Forest Rights in India: A Sociological Exploration of Koyas in Telangana

Book excerpt: Environmental struggles among Tribal groups have redefined the relationship between technology-nature and represented the human rights consciousness with the interface of cultural landscape and physical world. The process of displacing the Tribal communities is increased in the name of national development. It was characterized by intensive exploitation of mineral resources and the consequent establishment of industrial plants in the tribal regions. This exposed to a new set of forces and brought Tribal communities gradually to the threshold of change both in economic and socio-cultural domains. There has been a debate about the contact of mainstream society with Tribal communities in India. The present study is based on Koya tribal community in Telangana state. It has documented and discussed their rights and struggle in accessing forest belt. The essence of Koyas’ living design is analyzed in the socio-political context of forest acts and modern development in India.