Sixteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

India placed a strict lockdown in the movement and activities in the country beginning on 24th March. However, given the vastly diverse society, it threw open many administrative questions and dilemmas. The iron-fisted decision did not allow many reasonable accommodations. During this Indian tribal communities in different parts of the country suffered greatly because of the way their society is structured. It was also seen that there existed tribal rituals of social distancing and isolation from the outside world which they partake in themselves. This leads us to the question of whether in an unprecedented situation such as COVID-19, governments should hold the hands of tribal communities or, should they let them be, by allowing relative autonomy while placing minimum necessary restrictions. In the Indian constitution, the latter position is the norm however, it can be abandoned in an unprecedented situation. Thus, the question of the responsibility of the state is also contextualised in this study, while trying to answer the question of which course of action better ensures the welfare of tribal communities.