Social Exclusion and Discrimination of Koraga Tribes of Kerala

Abstract

Social Exclusion and discrimination leads to refusal to accept the participation of members of a social group or a section of society. Consequence of discrimination ends in deprivation. In India exclusion is embedded in societal interrelations and institutions that exclude, discriminate, isolate and deprive some groups on the basis of group’s identities like caste and ethnicity. Tribal people are the most marginalized population everywhere in the world. Among the Tribals in India, the Primitive Tribal Group, now named as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group are the most backward. Koragas of Kasaragod suffered a lot not only due to social exclusion and discrimination but also of the outcome ofsocial evils and deprivation from time immemorial. Koragas are the most subjugated particularly vulnerable tribal groups and on the verge of extinction. They suffer from extreme deprivations of basic needs like land, housing, water, sanitation and social and psychological needs. This paper made an attempt to understand the forces of exploitation and societal interrelations which lead to social exclusion of people with respect to Koraga society.