Adivasi

Although terms such as atavika (Sanskrit for forest dwellers), vanvasi or girijan (hill people) are also used for the tribes of India, Adivasi carries the specific meaning of being the original and autochthonous inhabitants of a given region, and was specifically coined for that purpose in the 1930s. Over a period of time, unlike the terms "aborigines" or "tribes", the word "adivasi" has also developed a connotation of past autonomy, which was disrupted during the colonial period in India and has not been restored. Opposition to usage of the term is varied, and it has been argued that the "original inhabitant" contention is based on dubious claims and that the adivasi - non-adivasi divide that is created is artificial. It should also be noted that in Northeast India, the term Adivasi applies only to the Tea tribes imported from Central India during colonial times, while all tribal groups refer collectively to themselves by using the English word "tribes". Thus, generally speaking the term Adivasi is used to refer to the tribal communities in Hindu dominant areas.