Asmita, Astitva, Vikas — The meaning of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas.
A day of reflection and restoration, Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas reminds India that its Indigenous knowledge systems are not relics of the past, but living guides for the future.
It honours tribal identity while reaffirming that their worldview remains central to the nation’s civilisational journey.
Every year on 15 November, India observes Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, honouring the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda — the revolutionary tribal leader who stood against colonial domination and injustice. His movement was not merely a political rebellion; it was a cultural awakening founded on the principles of Asmita (Identity), Astitva (Existence) and Vikas (Development). His leadership symbolised a worldview where freedom meant rights over land, sovereignty over resources and collective dignity rooted in ecological balance and community-led governance.
The Government of India declared Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas as a national observance in 2021, signalling an overdue cultural and civilisational recognition. Far from being communities waiting for mainstream inclusion, Janjatiya societies embody the continuity of India’s ancient traditions, ecological wisdom and spiritual imagination. Their contribution is not peripheral—it forms a vital layer of India’s civilisational memory.
India’s approach to tribal communities differs significantly from global Indigenous rights frameworks, especially those shaped by settler-colonial histories. In many western contexts, Indigenous communities were displaced, marginalised or erased. India’s engagement with its tribal groups evolved through coexistence, shared cultural spaces and historical continuity. This distinction shaped India’s position during the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Ambassador Ajay Malhotra, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, stated, “The right to self-determination applies only to peoples under foreign domination… in India’s case, all Indians are in charge.” Rather than adopting external terminology, India rooted its stance in its constitutional identity through the word “Janjatiya”—a term that embraces both cultural distinctiveness and national belonging.
Former Chief Justice of India, Justice Y.K. Sabharwal, echoed this thinking at the International Law Association Conference in 2006, noting that India’s framework for tribal rights offers a global model where constitutional protection replaces separation-based strategies seen elsewhere. His words underscored the need for a knowledge system grounded in India’s civilisational values rather than imported frameworks.
It is within this intellectual and cultural landscape that the conceptual triad of Asmita, Astitva and Vikas evolved. This framework was articulated during the national workshop “Janjatiya Anusandhan—Asmita, Astitva evam Vikas,” organised by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) on 27–28 November 2022 in New Delhi. The event brought together more than 75 Vice-Chancellors, over 450 researchers, professors, and community leaders. Discussions focused on themes such as natural resource degradation, distress migration, rights and participation in decision-making, preservation of traditional knowledge and the decolonisation of research. The workshop marked a shift from seeing tribal knowledge as a marginal discipline to recognising it as a central pillar of India’s intellectual heritage.
Asmita (Identity) restores dignity to Indigenous languages, art forms and oral histories. Tribal artistic traditions such as Gond, Warli and Pithora paintings, along with folk songs and storytelling practices, are not just aesthetic creations—they are repositories of spiritual knowledge, cultural memory and community-driven reasoning. Documenting and reviving these becomes essential in combating colonial misinterpretations and ensuring intergenerational knowledge.
Astitva (Existence) represents the right to live with dignity, autonomy and harmony with nature. For Janjatiya communities, forests, rivers and lands are not resources to be extracted—they are relatives, teachers and living entities. The erosion of ecological systems, mining-induced displacement and forced migration threaten not only livelihoods but the spiritual and collective foundations of tribal life. Practices such as the Khasi community’s living root bridges or the Bhil Halma gathering—where collective labour regenerates shared resources—demonstrate how existence is governed by reciprocity.
Vikas (Development) urges India to rethink development models that prioritise extraction, speed and centralised planning. For tribal communities, development must emerge from community wisdom, shared decision-making and sustainable use of local resources. True progress respects ecological limits, strengthens cultural identity and recognises tribals as equal participants—not beneficiaries—in governance.
In today’s context of ecological crisis, climate change and rapid industrialisation, Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas becomes even more relevant. It calls for a shift away from development that exploits nature toward one that learns from traditional ecological knowledge. The Press Information Bureau described the observance as a tribute to tribal freedom fighters and a commitment to preserving their cultural heritage—signalling a national effort to centre tribal voices in India’s moral and developmental discourse.
Ultimately, Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas is not about assimilation. It is a reminder that the Janjatiya worldview has always been interwoven into India’s civilisational fabric. Honouring Birsa Munda and countless tribal heroes reinforces the nation’s responsibility to ensure their identity remains protected, existence remains dignified, and development remains inclusive. In doing so, India strengthens its identity as a civilisational democracy—rooted, self-aware and decolonised in spirit.
The writer works as lead in Tribal Research and Knowledge Centre (TRKC), New Delhi