📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Politics
India and Bangladesh grapple with politics of tribal identity terminology, says The Diplomat
✍️ The Diplomat – Asia-Pacific Current Affairs Magazine
🗓 25 Sep 2026, 06:11 AM
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The Diplomat’s latest feature examines how the terminology used for indigenous and tribal peoples is contested in India and Bangladesh, shaping policy and public discourse.
The Diplomat, a leading Asia‑Pacific current affairs magazine, has published a detailed analysis titled “Who Is Indigenous? The Politics of Tribal Identity Terminology in India and Bangladesh.” The piece explores how the choice of labels such as “indigenous,” “tribal,” and “Adivasi” is more than semantic, influencing legal recognition, land rights and development programmes in both countries.
In India, the article notes, the term “Adivasi” carries constitutional weight, yet its usage varies across states, affecting the implementation of affirmative‑action policies. In Bangladesh, the discussion centers on the recognition of indigenous peoples in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and the political sensitivities surrounding the word “indigenous.”
The Diplomat’s report highlights that divergent terminological preferences reflect broader political agendas, with governments and civil‑society groups leveraging language to advance or curb claims of autonomy. By mapping these debates, the article underscores the need for a nuanced, region‑wide dialogue on identity politics.
The analysis arrives at a time when both nations are revisiting land‑reform measures and minority‑rights legislation, making the terminology debate especially pertinent for policymakers, scholars and activists alike.
In India, the article notes, the term “Adivasi” carries constitutional weight, yet its usage varies across states, affecting the implementation of affirmative‑action policies. In Bangladesh, the discussion centers on the recognition of indigenous peoples in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and the political sensitivities surrounding the word “indigenous.”
The Diplomat’s report highlights that divergent terminological preferences reflect broader political agendas, with governments and civil‑society groups leveraging language to advance or curb claims of autonomy. By mapping these debates, the article underscores the need for a nuanced, region‑wide dialogue on identity politics.
The analysis arrives at a time when both nations are revisiting land‑reform measures and minority‑rights legislation, making the terminology debate especially pertinent for policymakers, scholars and activists alike.