Birth 1871: History, The State and The Arts of Denotified Tribes of India 15 October, 5:15 PM - 7:00 PM FG01, Faber Building A Q&A with director Dakxinkumar Bajrange follows the film screening. About the film In 1871 the colonial government in India officially defined 192 ethnic groups as Criminal Tribes - communities later reclassified as Denotified Tribes (DNTs) in 1952, following Indias independence. However, with the subsequent passage of the Habitual Offenders Act, these tribes were again subject to the states scrutiny. Human rights violations against DNTs (numbering around 60 million) are one of the most challenging issues in India today, yet their lives are poorly documented. This film, the first of its kind, combines historical research with documentary-style filming to produce a subject driven textual history and film output, exploring two tribes experience of Indias changing state structures. The film explores processes of criminalization and how DNTs combat social stigma through the theatrical arts which are used as a vehicle for community development. The film unearths experiences of enforced state rehabilitation, settlement, and community assertion in two transitional periods of 1946-1953 and 1978-2000s. Under constant state scrutiny, DNTs of India feels that they are considered as ‘Second Class Citizens’ of India and this most deprived section of Indian society is still lacking constitutional guarantees from India’s state and federal governments. The film explores these issues in historical perspective and raises questions about the citizenship status of India’s Nomad and Denotified Tribes.
Posted on: Wed, 08 Oct 2014 07:21:37 +0000
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