The Indian government de-notified them in 1952 and tried to bring them back into the mainstream, but seven years later it passed an act similar to the British one. Today these tribal members live in substandard conditions in cities and remote villages. Many Indians view them as criminals, and indeed, for some of them, crime has become the only way to survive. But Mahasweta says she has seen about 60 tribal members in West Bengal being arrested for theft, looting or larceny, while not a single recipient of these stolen goods has ever been prosecuted. More importantly, few Indians appreciate the tribal members superior wisdom and rational nature, such as their progressive customs dealing with women in contrast to the customs of other Indians, said Mahasweta.
Divorce is easy to obtain and man and woman are free to remarry.
Khedia Sabars who are the most civilized and wise human beings I have ever seen. However, the mainstream population in India neither knows, nor wants to know, about the tribals, says Mahasweta. We have never tried to explore their world, never approached them with respect, and never wanted to learn from them. In the name of development, eviction and gross disrespect, we have ruined the tribal world all over India. Mahasweta helped found the Denotified Tribes and Communities Right Action Group, aimed at restoring human and citizenship rights to the community.