Cultural space and ethnic identity in Indian tribal literature A study of Narayan Mane and Shekhar

Abstract

The thesis Cultural Space and Ethnic Identity in Indian Tribal Literature: AStudy of Narayan, Mane, and Shekhar shall explore the complex interplay ofcultural space and ethnic identity through adopting an interdisciplinary approach tothe academic study of the most important writings by tribal authors in India. Triballiterature is a relatively new literary field, with its most significant writingsemerging only quite recently as a result of the interaction of complex factors, suchas the diverse geographical terrain of India, the tribal authors’ attainment ofsufficient formal education to provide literary expression of their experiences ofmarginalization, and the rise of new social movements meant to preserve tribalidentity and culture against the encroachment of industrial forces from outside theirnative lands.The thesis itself is divided into seven chapters, with the introductory chapteraddressing the background information necessary to conduct the study, as well as itsobjectives, research questions, methodology, and significance. In addition, thissection contains a summary of the primary texts to be analysed.The second chapter ‘‘Contextualising Tribal Literature” provides a briefintroduction to the genre of tribal literature through calling attention to its presentsocial context and ideologies in order to discuss the fundamental concepts ofCultural Studies and ethnic identity through the lens of the most relevant conceptsdrawn from the fields of Subaltern Studies, Spatial Studies, and Indigenous Studies.The third chapter “Dynamics of Marginalisation and Resistance inKocharethi and ‘Thenvarikka’” shall focus on exploring the antithetical concepts ofmarginality and resistance, particularly in the historical context of tribal people’sexploitation by the outside forces, which had entered their native lands for the sakeof economic exploitation. While unpacking the socio-cultural forces in tribal life inKerala, the chapter examines the intervention of modernity, the exploitative dominance of migrants, and the struggles and resilience of tribals in the WesternGhats.The fourth chapter “Lived Experiences and Spatial Encounters in Upara: AnOutsider” explores the lived experiences of the author, along with the various typesof spatial terrain associated with the texts and their interactions. It also criticallyexamines the ways in which tribal identity is molded by the interaction ofoverlapping identity categories, such as gender, caste, class, and tribe, as well as thepower systems that exert influence over tribal identity from the outside.The next chapter “Lived Space and Identity Assertion in The MysteriousAilment of Rupi Baskey and ‘The Adivasi Will Not Dance’” provides an explorationof the intricacies of lived space and identity assertion within the Santhal community,as well as the ways in which the tribals navigate a world situated against thebackdrop of external forces, which constantly try to erase them.The concluding chapter of the thesis analyses the various findings andinferences that surfaced over the course of the study. In an additional chapter titled“Recommendations”, the limitations and further scope of the research area aredocumented.