Bhil Tribe And Their Demand For Separate State.
A West Indian ethnic group that speaks Indo-Aryan is known as Bhils or Bheels. They converse in Bhil languages, which are a branch of the Indo-Aryan languages spoken in the Western Zone. Bhils were India’s largest tribal group as of 2013. The states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, all in the western Deccan regions and central India, as well as Tripura in far-eastern India, on the border with Bangladesh, are recognised as having indigenous Bhils.
The name “Bhil” comes from the Dravidian word “Veel,” which meaning “bow.” Because they are extremely skilled in Dhanush study, the Bhil clan is known as the “Dhanush Purush of India.” Subgroups within the tribe 1. Ujaliya/Kshatriya Bhil: The Kshatriya who fled to the jungles during the Mughal invasion is known as Ugaliya Bhil. 2. Langot Bhil: These are the original Bhils who still live in the forests and follow ancient customs. Most of these are found in Madhya Pradesh.
Rana Poonja Bhil ji, who together with Maharana Pratap conquered the Mughals, is remembered in Rajasthan. The royal insignia of Mewar and Mayo College bear the likeness of the warrior Bhil. With a total population of 1.7 crore as of 2013, the Bhil community was India’s largest tribal group.
Tribal employment :
The Bhils depend on agriculture and animal husbandry for their livelihood. The community’s other sources of income are labour and poultry. The Bhils are knowledgeable about the production of handloom goods as well. Long ago, the monarchs of Bhil allowed immigrants from the lowlands to reside in the hill regions. The Bhil battled the Moghals, Marathas, and British to maintain their independence and sovereignty. The Sardar Saravor Dam project, which when finished will flood the ground where many Bhil currently dwell, poses a threat to many Bhil. Plans for resettling have been considered, but they are still not complete.
Why do States differ?
The tribal regions of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat are the main sources of the desire for the establishment of a distinct Bhil state in India. These Bhil people believe that this community’s migrants should be
Returned to their former location with complete dignity. These folks are also in favour of giving aboriginal tribes priority access to natural resources. There is a demand to combine some of the districts of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra to form the Bhil state. These districts include Dungarpur, Banswara, Pratapgarh in southern Rajasthan, Ratlam, Jhabua, Alirajpur, Dhar, Petlawad, etc. in Madhya Pradesh, Panchmahal Godhra, Dahod, and Dang in eastern Gujarat, and Nashik and Dhule in northern Maharashtra.
Population: 11 crore
Tribal populations in India climbed from 3 crore in 1961 to 10.42 crore in 2011, representing a decadal growth rate of 23.7%, according to the 2011 census. Madhya Pradesh, which makes up 14.7% of all tribes in India, is home to the most of them, followed by Maharashtra (10%) and Odisha (9.2%). Remember that 11.3% of India’s total rural population and 8.6% of the country’s total population are made up of tribes.