This book about the condition of indebtedness among the tribals, the indigenous communities of Purulia, will be useful for research scholars and policy makers. A combination of the authors observations while working as a teacher in an educational institution and months of subsequent field work in the district conducted during 2008, it delves into the reasons why politics (defined as the process of allocation of values) has not been successful in ameliorating indebtedness amongst the tribals. It brings to the fore how inward migrants to the region occupied a privileged position in the local socio-economic and political system of the district and assumed the role of agents for the allocating of values (politics) aimed at making a dent in the indebtedness of the tribals, which resulted in establishing an exploitative pattern putting the tribals at the mercy of these inward migrants. Various government schemes including the land reforms have been found to be lopsided and to the disadvantage of the tribals.