Narratives of Identity amongst the Koyas of Telangana, India

Abstract

In India, there are over 700 communities that are classified as Scheduled Tribes (ST) and the ST population is estimated to be about 104 million, constituting about 8.6% of the total population of India. As ST communities reside in or near resource-rich lands, they are often the victims of exploitation, marginalisation, and land alienation. Despite the provision of social, economic and political guarantees for ST communities, development indicators have consistently shown that the socio-economic condition of ST communities remain worse off when compared with that of the general population in India. In response to these endemic conditions of marginalisation, tribal communities have sought to assert their claims to economic, social, and economic rights. One such community is the Koyas, a ST community residing in Telangana. In this thesis, I explore how the Koyas deploy multiple identities to assert their claims and rights and argue that their narratives are central to such identity assertions. Through an ethnographic analysis of a Koya village where I conducted fieldwork for 14 months, I examine how Koya identity claims are deeply rooted in their everyday lives and changing cultural practices. I suggest that the ethnonyms they use are key to their understanding of their cultural, social, and economic rights, and focus on how they strategically deploy them to render their voices audible in diverse contexts. This strategic deployment of ethnonyms allows the Koyas to script Koya identity claims in diverse ways. These ethnonyms can serve as expressions of decolonial endeavours, where the Koyas refuse colonial stereotypes of primitivism and isolation and exercise their agency to state their identity on their own terms. They also allow the Koyas to engage in activism for their economic, social, and economic rights. The Koyas' assertion of identity and strategic use of ethnonyms are underpinned by rich narratives that draw on a range of historical, cultural, and religious elements. I explore how they interweave these elements to craft stories that deploy a form of ‘strategic essentialism’ in a bid to capture the essence of their culture and heritage. From the most common ethnonym, Scheduled Tribes, to other ethnonyms like Koitur, Adivasi, and Vanavasi, I document how each ethnonym contributes to the overall narrative construction of Koya identity. However, the Koyas must navigate a complex web of state and non-state actors who often impose their own ethnonyms on the community, adding layers of contestation, ambiguity, and complexity to the Koya identity. Through an ethnographic inquiry, I look at why certain ethnonyms and their narratives rise to the forefront, how they are shaped and expressed, and the ideologies that underpin them. Throughout the thesis, I maintain that that Koya identity is continually evolving, and the Koyas face ongoing struggles for economic, social, and cultural rights. I seek to bring their story to life, exploring the vibrant narratives and complex contestations that define Koya identity. Finally, the thesis hopes to shed light on the complexities of identity formation by marginalized communities and highlight the importance of understanding the dynamics of cultural heritage of India's tribal communities.