Scheduled Tribes, Reserved Constituencies and Political Reservation in India

Abstract

Scheduled Tribes (STs, indigenous people) are one of the most marginalised communities in the political sphere. Political marginalisation of STs due to historical injustices has compelled the Indian state to explore alternative means to ensure adequate representation for them by adopting a political reservation system. Political reservation has, therefore, become their primary means of political empowerment, wherein it has ensured the redistribution of political resources in favour of the marginalised communities. Against this backdrop, the article explores the location of tribal communities in the colonial political system and the reasons for their disproportionate representation, the nature and dynamics of ST reserved constituency and the effects of political reservation on these communities. Further, the article concludes by suggesting that the political reservation system has brought both hope and despair among the STs.

Social Cohesion Among Various Caste Groups in India

“…Despite various policy measures, they lag behind not only the population of the OBC and general categories but also that of the SC category (for details, see Virginius, 2001). Social and political exclusion, land alienation, limited access to resources, poverty (Ambagudia, 2019; Sarkar et al, 2006; Sarap, 2017), and state-sponsored development-induced eviction from natural habitats (Choudhary, 2022), are some of the basic factors contributing to the deprivation of STs. But, on the other hand, if we see the holistic dimension of social cohesion (see SCI in Table 2), it suggests that the level of social cohesion among STs is much stronger in comparison to OBC and SC populations.…”

Reciprocity in field work: collaborating with the Adivasi Koya of Kamaram, Telangana, India

“…The Constitution of India provides specific social, economic, and political guarantees to the Scheduled Tribes (Sitapati, 2016). For example, reserved places in universities, protection of tribal land through the Forest Rights Act 2006, and political representation (Ambagudia, 2019; Sitapati, 2016). However, Adivasis continue to be the most underprivileged and marginalized people in India, even when compared to the Dalit caste (Guha, 2007).…”

Adivasis, Integration and the State in India: Experiences of Incompatibilities

“…As a result of the provision of political reservation, there are 47 members of parliament (MPs) and 554 members of legislative assemblies (MLAs) in India, increased from 41 MPs and 534 MLAs since 2009 due to the implementation of the delimitation of the parliament and assembly constituencies order, 2008. Ambagudia (2019c) argues that though the implementation of the delimitation of the parliament and assembly constituencies order, 2008 brought positive impacts on the overall representation of adivasis in the parliament and the state assemblies, the close regional analysis of the political presence of adivasis suggests that it has brought hope and despair for adivasis. This is due to the fact that the delimitation of the parliament and assembly constituencies order, 2008 converted some of the previously adivasi reserved constituencies into nonadivasi constituencies both at the state and national level politics.…”

“…The position of the adivasi communities in politics was not only marginal in the political sphere during the colonial period (Mcmillan, 2005) but also continue to be so in the post-colonial period (Ambagudia, 2019a(Ambagudia, , 2019c. Though the adivasi communities provided an important support base to the national movement led by the Congress party, their representation is marginal not only in the formal political institutions but also at the party level.…”