India’s De-Notified Tribal Women: A Systematic Literature Review On The Socio-Cultural Barriers To Their Empowerment

Abstract

 British authorities categorized these populations as chronic offenders, leading to the imposition of compulsory settlement and regular police supervision of whole tribes (Safdar, 2020). The criminal designation was not determined by individual conduct but attributed collectively to groups, perpetuating systemic prejudice (Piliavsky, 2015). As a result of this action, DNTs were compelled to move to settlements where they experienced difficult living circumstances, loss of their means of making a living, and continuous surveillance by the authorities (Sarthak, 2017). The legal branding of DNTs resulted in their increased isolation from mainstream society, disrupting their usual vocations and impacting their socioeconomic exchanges.  

After gaining independence in 1952, the Indian government introduced the Habitual Offenders Act of 1952, which replaced the CTA. Communities that were earlier labeled as ‘criminals’ (many of which were Nomadic Tribes or the NTs) were officially delisted and designated as the Denotified Tribes or the Vimukta Jatis to undo the harms of the CTA (Bhukya & Surepally, 2021; NHRC, 2024; Pawar, 2022; Piliavsky, 2015). Despite the change in legislation, the negative public attitudes and social stigma against these populations have persisted (Moore et al., 2016). Consequently, the DNTs are still seen as possible wrongdoers and encounter law enforcement mistreatment, societal isolation, and bias while attempting to receive fundamental services (Sarthak, 2017). Currently, in India, the DNTs continue to be one of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups (Sarthak, 2017) and encounter exclusion at various levels.