Published Paper Details:

The Kebang institution of the Adi tribe in Arunachal Pradesh represents one of the most enduring forms of indigenous governance in Northeast India. Rooted in oral tradition, clan-based deliberation, and ecological ethics, the Kebang functions as a customary assembly regulating social order, dispute resolution, land management, and ritual practice. This study examines the historical evolution, structural organization, and contemporary functioning of the Kebang within the broader framework of legal pluralism and indigenous jurisprudence. Employing a qualitative research design grounded in historical-institutional analysis and recent regional scholarship, the paper situates the Kebang within theoretical debates on restorative justice, oral jurisprudence, and decentralized governance. The findings demonstrate that the Kebang operates not as a residual cultural relic but as a dynamic and adaptive normative order coexisting alongside statutory legal institutions. Its restorative orientation, consensus-based decision-making, and integration of law with ritual and ecological responsibility challenge dominant state-centric models of governance. At the same time, processes of modernization, constitutional discourse, and socio-political transformation introduce new questions regarding gender inclusion, jurisdictional coordination, and institutional reform. The study argues that recognizing indigenous institutions such as the Kebang is essential for understanding India's plural legal landscape and for developing culturally responsive governance frameworks in frontier regions.