Today our nation has more reasons to formulate a comprehensive and holistic tribal policy than before to address the issues of attitude to tribal question, impact of liberalisation and globalisation on tribal culture, economy and values and crisis of governance in traditional social systems and customary laws. I wonder how many of our one billion people know that, so far, we have not yet conceptualised, concretized and thought that a tribal policy to define the state structures' responses to issues of tribal was necessary and sadly, therefore, we do not have a policy at all. 67.76 million people residing in all the states except four are officially declared as tribals by the govt of India. Out of them 1.32 million are classified as primitive tribe groups, the most backward among the tribals. They also constitute majority in four states of the country. The percentage of tribals in these four States is higher than 85%. Forest dependence and dwelling, hilly and inaccessible terrain, pre agricultural production systems mark the general livelihood patterns of the tribals in the country. Large numbers of tribal groups are still outside the formal systems of 'modernization'. general economic development indicators for tribals and others if we study, present very depressing phenomena for all of us. About 51.14% of total tribals are classified as belonging to below poverty line compared to 35.91% of general population, only 29.60% tribals are literate to the nations 52.21%. In the case of female literacy, it is hardly 19%, compared to 39.29% of non-tribal female literacy. The number and percentage of habitations not provided with safe drinking water and 5 fair weather road in tribal areas is much higher than the general areas of the country. While the gross enrolment ratio for S.T. at class-VIII is 27 for general it is 46. Similarly, the dropout rates for S.T. is 80.1% at Class-VIII and for general it is 58.9%. Representation of S.Ts. in administrative and decision-making is another indicator to the little impact of development plans of the nation. For all services it is 5.48% and for Group-A it is only 2.92%, they are still to reach their proportional population ratio. The economic condition of the tribals is evident from the fact that above 87% of the tribal main workers are dependent on Agriculture. Shifting cultivation is still practiced by more than 30 lakh population in the hilly areas of the country both as a cultural necessity and food protection. Land alienation and deprivation of habitational rights is one of the most emotive issues of tribals today. Only 2 lakh cases were disposed of in favour of 1.56 lakh tribal families covering an area of 5.37 lakh acres out of 4.65 lakh cases registered in eleven major states of tribal concentration. The per capita public investment in tribal areas is highly negligible compared to other areas. However, while analyzing this aspect we should not forget the flow of private investment in non-tribal areas. What is the present policy of Government of India towards this largest ethnic group still steeped in abyss of history? What are its plans to address the issues of deprivation, relative backwardness, illiteracy and to improve their access to basic livelihood choices, habitations and enabling environment? We mostly remember the tribals either for statistics or their opposition for encroachment of livelihood habitations, declaration of forest, large dams constructions, exploitation of vast mineral resources without assessing the consequences of intended actions on their value systems, differential impact on livelihood patterns, access to food and environment. Have we ever taken any decisions by giving them informed choice and participative decision making. It has reached such a passé that we take decisions for them and even people who oppose, on behalf of tribals, are also from us. Even they do not have choice to oppose them also. One of the most crucial issues concerning livelihood opportunities, a source of values and freedom to the tribals but which has been transformed into an instrument of oppressive organ of the State, a deprivation monster and a source of conflict is 'forest'. The perception and purpose of forest between the state and tribals present contrasting, contradictory and conflicting phenomenon to be understood in terms of value images and livelihood dependence of forest outsiders and insiders, tribals. It is an understatement to express the need for revaluing the forests in harmony with tribal conditions. We have to redefine whole relationship between the forest and tribal communities vis-à-vis non forest areas of the country to fix the levels of deprivation of tribals and the need for compensation from non forest areas to forest communities. The traditional policy options of isolation, integration or saladisation of tribals is no longer feasible because of two reasons: The emergence of global economy with its predatory nature and states inability to limit flow of and access to global information system to every corner of the Country. While tribals as a class may not have the power or influence to alter the new economy but a policy framework needs to be defined to change the terms of globalization to their advantage by providing them legal/societal protection to their habitational resources/indigenous knowledge for global marketing and consumption. Providing ownership rights to their habitations and indigenous know-how would prevent not only their exploitation by the classes of domination but also provides them with an opportunity to exercise choice to set terms of integration with global economy. Traditional systems of governance in tribal societies are undergoing crisis without substituting any acceptable and workable framework of values or norms. Probably this is one of the strongest reasons of unr