Past experiences of policies of isolation and assimilation of Ghurye and their results forced the social thinkers and administrators to follow a balanced-midway (i.e. neither too rigid nor too flexible). This led to the adoption of an integrated approach towards the development and welfare of tribals. This integrated approach was a modified form of Verrier Elwin’s “A philosophy of NEFA (1957)”
Tribal Panchsheel was given by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru [1889–1964], the first Prime Minister of India in the year 1958.
Following are five principles for the policy to be pursued vis-a-vis the tribals:
- People should develop along the lines of their own genius, and the imposition of alien values should be avoided. Try to encourage in every way their own traditional arts and culture.
- The tribal rights in land and forest should be respected.
- Train and build up a team of their own people to do the work of administration and development. Try to avoid introducing too many outsiders into tribal territory.
- We should not over administer tribal areas or overwhelmed with a multiplicity of schemes. Administrate in accordance with their own social and cultural institutions.
- We should judge the result, not by statistics or the amount of money spent, but by the human character that is evolved.