Special Commentary

It is difficult to have one definitive definition of indigenous peoples. Some time they have been referred as “Adivasi’ (originalsettlers)or‘Dalitsor‘Semitribal’ people. Interestingly, there has beendispute over exact meaning of the term ‘peoples’ also. Some scholars are not in favour of using the term ‘people’ in regard to indigenous peoples. Because it implies right of secession (Right to self- determination) and independent statehood. In fact, they are more comfortable with the words like tribe and populations. The covenant of the League of Nations referred to non-self-governing or colonized peoples as “indigenous people”. In 1951, the international labour organization’s conventionNo.107hasdefinedindigenous people as “those which having a historical continuity with per-invasion and pre- colonial societies consider themselves distinct from other sectors of societies now prevailing in those territories” (N.Jayapalan, 2000).......