Author: Bisakha Baidya
DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.70798/PP/020400025
Abstract: This article examines the dynamics of tribal politics and internal inequality among selected Scheduled Tribes in West Bengal, including the Santhals, Oraons, Mundas, and Bhumij. While tribal politics has historically centered on struggles for recognition, land rights, and socio-economic justice, the study argues that tribal communities are not socially homogeneous. Drawing on existing scholarship and regional analysis, the paper highlights how economic differentiation, educational disparities, gender hierarchies, and political elite formation shape internal stratification within tribal society. It explores how identity-based mobilization—though essential for collective assertion—often masks layered inequalities linked to class, gender, and sub-group dominance. The study also situates these processes within a changing political context marked by electoral competition, welfare politics, migration, and the emergence of a tribal middle class. By foregrounding internal differentiation, the article contends that a nuanced understanding of tribal politics is essential for promoting inclusive representation, equitable development, and substantive democratic participation in West Bengal.
Keywords: Tribal Politics, Internal Inequality, Scheduled Tribes, Identity and Stratification, Political Representation.
Page No: 173-179