
Criminal Tribes Act: British Raj Created a Village of “Thieves”
Near the coast of Andhra Pradesh is a small town called Stuartpuram. It was established as a Criminal Tribes settlement by the British Raj under a law that branded millions of people in India as 'hereditary criminals.' With the help of missionary organizations like the Salvation Army, the colonial government forced diverse communities, such as the Yerukula and Korava tribes, into a brutal system of forced labor and constant surveillance.