Reclaiming the Tribal Past: The Tharu Struggle for Constitutional Legitimacy
Dr. Kaushalya Kumari
Assistant Professor (guest)
SNSRKS College, Saharsa, Bihar
Email: kkaushalya.1993@gmail.com
8318564649
Abstract
This paper, Reclaiming the Tribal Past: The Tharu Struggle for Constitutional Legitimacy, examines the prolonged socio-political movement of the Tharu community of Bihar to secure recognition as a Scheduled Tribe (ST) under the Indian Constitution. Spanning over five decades, from the 1950s to 2003, the movement represents a significant case of identity reassertion shaped by education, comparative awareness, and organised collective mobilisation. Initially lacking political consciousness and access to formal education, the Tharus of Bihar remained unaware of the implications of their administrative classification. However, increased interaction with Tharus of Uttar Pradesh and Nepal, where the community already enjoyed Scheduled Tribe status, generated a sense of relative deprivation and political awakening. By analysing this struggle, the paper highlights how constitutional categories, state policies, and community mobilisation intersect in reshaping collective identity. The Tharu movement demonstrates that tribal identity is not merely inherited but actively negotiated within democratic frameworks of recognition and rights.
Keywords: Tharu, Scheduled Tribe, Community, Government, Identity
DOI link – https://doi.org/10.69758/GIMRJ/2602S02V14P005
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