Paradox between Policy and Practice: Implications of Land/Property Rights of South Asian Indigenous People on Current Development Agendas of Countries

Abstract

Starting from the historical massacres of native tribes by the colonizers/settlers in different parts of the world, to the current appropriation of their land and the exploitation of their natural resources, indigenous people have suffered assault, discrimination and marginalization to a grievous extent. The Asian indigenous population that makes up seventy percent of a world community of approximately two hundred and fifty million of indigenous groups also intensely share in this suffering. The present study centred around the still unresolved grievances of the indigenous communities in South Asia, mainly with regard to land/property. In order to probe into this issue, the study employed the qualitative method of library research in synthesizing available secondary data pertaining to the social, anthropological and demographic indigenous information from South Asia. By employing this method, the study aimed to provide an overview of the situations in the countries examined, particularly in relation to the land issue. Although research is available on indigenous cultures and associated problems, indigenous information from Sri Lanka in comparison with the rest of South Asian indigenous contexts is an area that has not been adequately explored, which is the gap that this study attempted to address. The outcome of the study further ascertains that notwithstanding the previous and the latest conventions, treaties and constitutional reforms ratified by consecutive governments of the relevant countries, the land-related problems of indigenous groups keep aggravating almost on a daily basis. In the modern society where inclusivity and mutual respect are given importance, the present research can be deemed significant in recognizing the most recent indigenous information with a view to sensitizing the world to one of the continuing problems of a historically significant human enclave in a context of socio-economic development and sustainable investment.