Writing as Resistance: Reflection of the Tribal life

Abstract

Misrepresented in the pages of history, the adivasi community suffers from lack of substantial acknowledgement. The dwellers of hills and forests have suffered marginalization under each dominant group that has governed them from the center/state. As they dwelt away from the center, their life was never celebrated, also their struggle remained unregistered. Narayan, through his landmark work - Kocharethi: The Araya Woman in Malayalam literature, documents the tribal life of Malayarayar who inhabit the Western Ghats where they border the districts of central Kerala. Narayan’s canvas is a vast representation of the tribe to various socio-political changes, the dominance of the landed gentry, the colonial domination, change of religion under the influence of the Christian missionaries, the advent of technology and modernization in Independent India.