Tribe And Nation State—A Comparative Study Of Tribal Communities In India And Other Countries Nation State A nation state is a sovereign state in which the majority of its residents or subjects share characteristics that characterize a country, such as a shared language or ancestry hence a nation state is one where the vast majority of people are aware of and share the same culture and ethnicity. Types Of Nation States Uni Ethnic - Nation based on one ethnic group e.g. European Union. Multiethnic - Nation with multiple ethnic identities e.g. India. Tribes A tribe is a collection of families that speak the same language, practice similar taboos and rituals, and live in a region that is relatively isolated from the outside world. Minorities And Tribes In Nation State ● ● ● While the majority of contemporary nations are made up of a variety of ethnic groups, just one or a small number of these ethnic groups are often dominant. These nations actually conduct their affairs like nation states. Some of the worst historical instances of violence towards minorities—that is, minorities who were not seen as belonging to the country—are attributable to nation states. Minorities have experienced hostility inside the nation state that has varied from forced cultural assimilation on the part of the state to deportation, persecution, violence, and annihilation. Although assimilation policies are often state-enforced, violence against minorities is not necessarily started by the state. It may originate from mob violence like lynchings or ethnic cleansings. Multiculturalism In many states, multiculturalism is an official policy that promotes the concept of coexistence between various ethnic, cultural, and linguistic groups. There are laws safeguarding minorities' rights in many nations. But not all cultural groups are equal in terms of population size or political clout and under such circumstances, ethnic movements with separatist or secessionist tendencies will arise if certain tribes see themselves as a distinct ethnic group and call for a separate identity and political autonomy. (Examples: Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland) Such movements are intended to be countered and cultural assimilation is encouraged by the nation-state concept. India A Nation State? ● ● The nation-state is made up of one dominating nation, and countries are built on shared languages, religions, ethnicities, histories, and mythologies. A contemporary nation-state is constrained by a specific geographic territory that is ruled by a sovereign entity. A state-nation, however, is considered to be made up of numerous "imagined communities" or nations where various identities may coexist. Nor A Nation State Neither A State Nation The vast diversity of India on the basis of caste, religion, ethnicity, linguistics, and culture challenges conventional knowledge about nation-states. However, to dismiss the concept of a nation-state and claim that it is only a collection of nations within a state is equally incorrect. India A Civilization State ● ● ● A civilisational state symbolizes a separate civilisation that is different from other civilisations, not merely one particular ethnic, linguistic, or religious group. Beyond merely being a part of the post-colonial state, there is undoubtedly a sense that these communities are part of an organization to which they are inextricably bound. The idea of Indian identity comes from the continuity and tradition of earlier civilizations, not from the 19th century when India started to envision itself as a nation-state in response to the challenge posed by colonialism. Most of India's geographically contiguous regions are currently unified under one political authority, and this political unity is justified by a shared history of civilisations. This political unification under a single State is what is known as a "civilizational state." Hence the Indian state of today is an example of a civilisational boundary that has been brought together under a single political unity to form a civilisational state. Tribes In Modern Nation States North America Native Americans were denied citizenship privileges in the United States and Canada for many years. Many were segregated within restricted regions known as reservations. Only in the 1920s did conditions start to improve as a result of greater tribal organization. Since then, the affirmative action policy has been widely applied in Canada and the USA. For instance, the 1954 Declaration of Indian Rights in the United States recognises indigenous' right to maintain their culture. Similar to this, the 1982 Canadian Constitution Act recognised natives' treaty and indigenous rights. USA Here, the local groups were subjected to racism, persecution, and mass killings. The right to vote wasn't allowed until 1930. Numerous tribes, like the Red Indian and Zumi Indian, were kept in sanctuaries. Red Indian Australia There are many parallels between the circumstances facing Australian aboriginals and those in North America. The white settlers drove many people off their land. Some indigenous people worked in farms under extremely difficult circumstances. Changes began in the 1970s when a respect for and interest in studying aboriginal populations arose. Australia has made multiculturalism its official policy since 1974, giving native cultures equal respect and recognising their historic ties to the land they regard as holy. Australia Here Arungata and Arunta native tribes have faced discrimination and persecution. Arunta Tribe Africa The most impacted group are the hunting-gathering tribes like Bushmen of the Kalahari, the Batwa of Uganda, and the Ogiek of Kenya. Due to privatization of mining operations and the establishment of wildlife sanctuaries, they have lost their forestlands. The wounds of colonialism may still be seen in many African places. ● African nations were arbitrarily split by colonizers, who forced tribes of many races to coexist inside the same political borders. Thus, the ongoing civil war with the state and internal conflict have an impact on tribes like the Nuer and Dinka today. Bushmen of Kalahari South America Tribals have seen permanent changes as a result of the swift economic restructuring of South American nation states. Many amazonian tribes, like the Awa of Brazil and the Aymara of Chile, are being driven out of their homes as a result of large-scale construction projects and the growing deforestation of the amazon basin. The maya in central America, the huaorani in Ecuador, and the mapuche in southern Chile have all been impacted by decades of civil wars, drug cartels, and international conflicts. Awa of Brazil Aymara of Chile South Asia and SouthEast Asia The tribes of the north-eastern states of India have been involved in secessionist activities against the Indian state for decades. Due to development initiatives and the creation of wildlife and forest reserves, several tribes in central India have been forced to relocate. Tribes of Sri Lanka, like the Vedda, are in danger of losing their cultural identity as a result of the government's assimilation programme. Vedda Tribe The tribal fight against the state in south-east Asian nations like Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam is mostly related to the destruction of land and forests as a result of wars and development initiatives. Ethnic Nationalism And Civil Nationalism According to the sense of "belonging," Ignatieff contrasts two different nationalistic ideologies. According to Ignatieff, civic nationalism is a more "realistic" kind of nationalism than ethnic nationalism. Civic Nationalism Ethnic Nationalism Here shared citizenship defines a nation. Language, religion, customs, and traditions all play a role in ethnic nationalism. All members of a civic nation, regardless of The nation generates the state, not the other way ethnicity or race, color, religion, gender, or around. Pre-existing ethnic features, not shared language, all adhere to its political ideology. political rights, are what bind people together. A civic country is, in theory, a group of individuals with equal rights who are linked by a sense of patriotism for a common set of political principles and ideals. Ethnic nationalism, often referred to as ethno-nationalism, is a kind of nationalism in which the "nation" is defined in terms of ethnicity. A civic nation is "democratic" in the sense that it The main argument put out by ethnic nationalists grants all citizens the right to self-government (all is that "nations are characterized by a shared heritage, which often comprises a common citizens). language, a common faith, and a common ethnic lineage." Furthermore, it contains cultural concepts that group members and their predecessors both shared. The French and American revolutions are used as examples of civic nationalism since they led to the establishment of the French and American republics and promoted civic nationalism as a global endeavor.
