Understanding Indigenous Peoples Administrative Mechanisms in Tripura, Northeast India: A Constitutional and Comparative Analysis
Abstract
The Indian federal constitution plays a crucial role in bringing the northeast region under the framework of social, cultural and political autonomy to protect the indigenous people. The present study will be an attempt to analyse the functioning, operation and effectiveness of the Autonomous district council which is framed under the fifth (5th) and the sixth (6th) Scheduled of the Indian Constitution and will provide a study of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous district council (TTAADC). The Sixth schedule framework is vital in the protection of the indigenous people by providing them with self-autonomy power to govern the executive, legislative and judicial power. The paper will attempt to argue comparative analysis of the ADCs in northeast India that is Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura. The study investigates how these autonomous governance mechanisms have influenced their political self-determination, customary laws and addressed their challenges. The analysis finds that while ADCs have successfully preserved cultural identity and provided a political platform for marginalised indigenous people their effectiveness is often hindered by financial dependence on state governments, jurisdictional conflicts and the delay of implementing the 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill. The study concludes that true indigenous autonomy requires strengthening financial autonomy and enhancing the administrative capacity of the ADCs to fully realise the constitutional mandate.
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