CONTEMPORARY TRIBAL POLITICS IN KERALA

This article tends to focus on the primordial roots of tribal politics in India during the colonial period in order to understand tribal communitys dissent towards the coercive approaches taken up by the British administration. Besides, the prominent social issues faced by the tribal groups in post colonial period would be studied upon to acknowledge how social movements had played a crucial role in addressing it. In particular, the discussions on tribal politics post-independence will be elucidated by narrowing it down to the tribal affairs in the state of Kerala. The Adivasi Gothra Maha Sabha a social movement in Kerala led by tribal group would be analysed, to comprehend upon how effectively it had organised the tribal groups and addressed their collective needs. Further, the statistical analysis section highlights the presence of tribal communities in Kerala from parameters like thedistrict wise population, gender ratio, reserved constituencies and representation in local governing bodies. Also, the tribal groups in ST reserved constituencies would be taken into account to explain more about tribal politics and their representation in local government bodies.Lastly, the article aims to provide necessary suggestions on how to enhance the tribal peoples participation in politics.