Beyond the Fifth Schedule: Tribal Welfare and the Unkept Promises of Land Reforms

The Constitution of India¹, with its grand vision of equity and social justice, contains special provisions to safeguard the interests of tribal communities, particularly through the Fifth Schedule.² Designed to protect the rights of indigenous populations in scheduled areas³, these safeguards aim to promote the welfare of tribal people and preserve their unique cultural identity. Despite being home to a large tribal population, Madhya Pradesh has failed in delivering these protections, particularly in the realm of land reforms. Legislative measures intended to secure tribal welfare have not materialised, leaving these communities deprived of the very promises enshrined in the Constitution.

The Fifth Schedule confers significant powers on the Governor of a State to ensure that tribal interests are prioritised.⁴ These powers include the authority to prohibit land transfers and regulate land ownership within scheduled areas. The intent is to protect tribal lands from exploitation by non-tribal entities, preserve their culture, and secure their livelihoods. Despite this, in Madhya Pradesh, these powers have remained largely dormant. The marginalisation of tribal population continues, reflecting a systemic failure to implement the protective measures outlined by the Constitution.

The governance framework under the Fifth Schedule is intended to ensure that tribal interests are safeguarded. The Governor is required to submit annual reports⁵ to the President on the administration of scheduled areas, and the Tribes Advisory Council (TAC) composed of tribal representatives, is meant to advise on matters of tribal welfare.⁶ However, in Madhya Pradesh, there is little evidence to suggest that these mechanisms have been effectively employed. The TAC’s role has been reduced to a formality, failing to address the real issues affecting tribal welfare.

A critical aspect of the Fifth Schedule is the Governor’s power to regulate land transfers within tribal areas. The Governor can issue regulations prohibiting land transfer by or among members of Scheduled Tribes and can regulate the allotment of land. These provisions are designed to prevent the alienation of tribal land, but in Madhya Pradesh, they have not been invoked effectively, leading to widespread exploitation. Illegal land transfers and encroachments have become rampant, with non-tribal individuals and corporations acquiring tribal land through fraudulent means, often with the complicity of local officials. Such transfers directly contravene the Fifth Schedule’s purpose, which is to prevent such exploitation. The lack of enforcement of land reform laws and the failure to restore tribal lands to their rightful owners reflect a gross dereliction of duty by the State Government and local authorities.

The ineffectiveness of the TAC is one of the primary reasons for the failure of tribal welfare governance in Madhya Pradesh. Although the TAC is constitutionally mandated to advise the Governor on tribal welfare, its influence has been negligible. Chaired by the Chief Minister, the TAC should provide oversight and ensure that tribal interests are prioritised; yet, it has failed to fulfil this role. In practice, it has become a ceremonial body, stripped of its capacity to influence policy or provide meaningful guidance on issues affecting tribal communities.

The judiciary has established a strong theoretical foundation for tribal rights protection through landmark cases like Samatha v. State of A.P.⁷ and Chebrolu Leela Prasad Rao v. State of A.P.⁸, affirming the Governor’s expansive powers under the Fifth Schedule, particularly regarding land allotment and preventing transfers of tribal land to non-tribals. These rulings emphasise the Governor’s duty to protect tribal communities from exploitation and ensure good governance. However, the practical implementation of these protections remains inadequate due to weak enforcement, bureaucratic delays, local political interference, and administrative neglect. Despite judicial reaffirmations of the Governor’s role, State Officials frequently fail to uphold these protections, undermining their effectiveness.

During the tenure of Governor Shri Rameshwar Thakur⁹ an unprecedented event occurred concerning tribal land reform. Acting on an application submitted by Shri Anil Garg, an activist for tribal rights from Betul (MP) the Governor sought advice from the TAC regarding land issues in the tribal districts of MP. This was the first time a Governor had actively engaged with the TAC on such matters. Unfortunately, despite this promising initiative, the TAC provided little meaningful advice, and the Chief Minister’s office merely submitted a perfunctory report. As a result, the opportunity to implement substantial land reforms and protect tribal rights was squandered.

The failure to enforce land reform laws has had devastating consequences for the tribal communities of Madhya Pradesh. Land alienation remains a pressing issue, with many tribal families losing their ancestral lands to non-tribal entities. This loss not only strips them of their economic base but also severs their cultural and spiritual ties to the land, leading to further marginalisation. In addition to land alienation, tribal communities face numerous socio-economic challenges, including high levels of poverty, illiteracy, and inadequate access to basic services such as healthcare and education. The Government’s failure to address these issues perpetuates the cycle of exploitation, leaving tribal populations even more vulnerable.

To remedy the current failures, several key reforms must be implemented:

(a) First, the Governor of Madhya Pradesh must actively exercise their powers under the Fifth Schedule, particularly in issuing regulations to prohibit or restrict land transfers in tribal areas. The Governor should act as a true custodian of tribal rights, protecting them from exploitation and restoring land to dispossessed communities.

(b) Second, the TAC must be reconstituted and empowered to play a meaningful role in shaping policy. The Governor should consult the TAC regularly, and its recommendations should be taken seriously by the State Government. The TAC should serve as a proactive body, influencing decisions that affect tribal welfare.

(c) Third, the State Government, in collaboration with the judiciary, must investigate illegal land transfers and restore land to tribal communities. Strict enforcement of land reforms is essential to ensure that tribal land rights are protected.

(d) Fourth, tribal communities must be made aware of their legal rights under the Fifth Schedule. Awareness campaigns, spearheaded by the Government and civil society organisations, should educate tribals about their constitutional protections, empowering them to assert their rights.

(e) Finally, the courts must continue to uphold the provisions of the Fifth Schedule and hold the executive accountable for failures in governance. Legal rulings must be enforced to ensure that tribal land and welfare are protected.

The failure to implement land reforms in Madhya Pradesh represents not only a failure of governance but also a profound social injustice. The constitutional provisions designed to protect tribal communities have remained largely unutilised, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and marginalisation. If the constitutional promises of equity and social justice are to be fulfilled, the State must urgently address these failures. Only through the active enforcement of the Fifth Schedule, along with meaningful reforms, can the rights of tribal communities be safeguarded, and the benefits of land reforms be realised which were long denied them.