The Indigenous Peoples and Their Rights
Indigenous people are descendants of people who inhabited a country’s present territory when people of different cultures or ethnic origin arrived and overcame them. They now live more in conformity with their social, economic, and cultural customs and traditions than the institutions of the country. In world politics, approximately 30 crore indigenous peoples, including India, occupy areas in Central and South America, Africa, India (where they are known as Tribals), and Southeast Asia. Indigenous voices call for the admission of indigenous people to the world community as equals.
The loss of land and an economic resource base is the most obvious threat to the survival of indigenous people. Political autonomy cannot be enjoyed without its attachment to the means of physical survival. In India, the term “indigenous people” is usually applied to the Scheduled Tribes, who constitute nearly 8% of the population. They depend on the cultivation of land for their subsistence, and have paid a huge cost for development since independence.
Issues related to the rights of indigenous communities have been neglected in domestic and international politics for a long time. In the 1970s, growing international contacts among indigenous leaders from around the world aroused a sense of common concern and shared experiences. The World Council of Indigenous Peoples was formed in 1975 and became the first of 11 indigenous NGOs to receive consultative status in the UN.
Environment and Natural Resources| Class 12 Political Science Notes
Class 12 Political Science Notes Chapter 6 Environment and Natural Resources deals with the growing importance of environmental and resource issues in global politics. It analyzes some of the important environmental movements against the backdrop of the rising profile of environmentalism from the 1960s onwards. The chapter also introduces students to the concept of common property resources and the rights of indigenous people. It mentions the global commons and their relevance in contemporary world politics.
In this article, we will look into the topic of Environment and Natural Resources in detail. It is an important topic in Political Science Class 12. Students can go through this article to get comprehensive notes on Class 12 Political Science Chapter 6 Environment and Natural Resources.