Synopsis The present work is an attempt to relate tribal development with grassroots democracy and the impact of development programmes on their life situation. This book explores the less developed area in the field of tribal development and tries to make a positive contribution to the theory of comparative political anthropology. It reveals the obstacles to the fulfillment of development programmes, the pattern of politicization and socio-economic mobilization of the tribals. The present study examines the hypotheses : (1) Most of the beneficiaries are in poverty and ignorance. They are at the margin of survival. (2) Governmental and institutional measures to reconstruct rural economy and society have not changed the semi-feudal semi-capitalist rural power structure. (3) Successful community development consists largely of choosing those projects where the balance between conservatism and change is almost even, and then trying to lighten the forces against change or to increase the factors making for change.