In the pre-independence period, the tribals of India took an active part in the freedom struggle and were the ones who struggled against British and saved natural resources of the nation.

The brutal killing of 30-year-old mentally ill tribal youth Madhu Chindaki at Attappady in Palakkad district in Kerala on February 22nd has highlighted sad state of affairs in India as far as tribals in India are concerned.

In post-independent India, rarely the tribals in the nation have raised their voice against atrocities committed against their basic existence. Madhu Chindaki was caught and tied up for allegedly stealing rice at Kadukummanna hamlet in Attappady.

The assailants posted video and pictures of the heinous attack in the social media and when he was handed over to the Agali police, Madhu was visibly sinking and later died in the police jeep only.

People from various tribal hamlets blocked the ambulance carrying Madhu’s lifeless body to Thrissur Medical College Hospital for post-mortem. The tribal people called for immediate arrest of the culprits. The blockade was removed only when the local police arrested two accused in the heinous lynching of the mentally challenged person.

Is this the beginning of the tribal consciousness?

No doubt, it is a very difficult question to come to a general conclusion with this incident. One thing is indeed sure that things are changing.

Previously, Indians have witnessing gross exploitation of the tribal people and their livelihood right from the Andaman Nicobar Islands to the Maoist corridor of Eastern India. In most of the areas, the tribal population is on the decline and they are not in a position to protest collectively.

In many cases like the Naxal rebellion or the Maoist attacks, local political forces with own agenda hijack the cause of the tribal exploitation and injustice. Indeed this is the time for the tribal indigenous people to come up and voice their opinion within the framework of Indian democracy.