Paper Details

The nomadic and denotified tribes in India are facing different type of challenges and problems since centuries. They constitute more than 10 crore in the country and more than 2 crore in population in Maharashtra There are 198 denotified tribes and 313 Nomadic tribes in India. Since ages they are living under subhuman conditions due to the nomadic traditions without any ostensible means of livelihood. The large section of these tribes is known as ‘Vimukta Jatis’ ex-criminal tribes because, they were branded as criminal by birth under the criminal tribes act 1871, enacted by the British government. In spite of the repeal of the act in 1952, they are still treated as criminals by birth and subjected to harassment and persecution at the hands of the police and the state machinery. How they have been deprived of the status of Scheduled Tribes provided by the constitution due to certain historical circumstances and the act of omission and commission on part of the government and the society. This paper is an attempt to review the criminal branding of the NTs and DNTs in Maharashtra.

De-notified tribes, Nomadic tribes, criminal branding,