Categorization of “Nomads” and Responsive Behaviors :

A Case Study of the Jogi in Rajasthan

Abstract

In India, since the 2000s, there has been growing discussion over the reservation quota for people who were recognized as “Criminal Tribes” or “Gypsy Castes” during the era of British India. This paper examines the impact of the categorization of “de-notified, nomadic and seminomadic tribes”（DNTs）on the nomadic people and their responsive behaviors by examining the examples of the Jogi in western Rajasthan. We found that the categorization of “DNTs” is overlaid on the contradictory categorizations of “castes,” which was invented during the colonial period still serves as the official measure for affirmative action.Further, this categorization is materialized through a new political actor, a local nongovernmental organizations（NGOs）. Conversely, while seemingly obedient to the strategic policy of the NGOs inducing them to have subjectivity as DNTs or Kalbelias, the Jogi do not show the passionate commitment as much, as they deeply identify with the other categories such as DNTs or Kalbelias. Moreover, in most cases, the Jogi are the very participants in NGOs’ non-politically motivated. Thus we suggest that their ambiguous attitudes are responsive behaviors to the various top-down categorizations projected onto them without a proper and single focus on them from the States as well as the local NGOs.