The idea of the Tribal

A Nomad Called Thief: Reflections on Adivasi Silence
G. N. Devy
Published by Orient Longman

The volume under review is a collection of short pieces previously published by the author in a number of dailies and periodicals—many of which have been revised and expanded for inclusion in the book. The main theme of these short and extremely perceptive narratives is the marginalization of adivasis in India, with a focus on various erroneous constructions of the idea of the tribal.

The book is a fascinating narrative of a surprisingly wide canvas of issues related to the adivasis. It does not aspire to serve a larger purpose except documenting the author’s concerns about a host of issues—from environment to livelihood, from development to cultural processes and from violence to knowledge systems. In the process, Devy successfully manages to provide a voice to some of these issues which the adivasis grapple with on a daily basis.

Amit Prakash
THE BOOK REVIEW, January 2008