Five Decades of Scheduled Tribe Status: A Historical Evaluation of the Lambada Movement in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana (1976–2026)

Author

Professor (Dr.) Lalith Kumar Dharavath


Abstract

 This study evaluates the fifty-year historical trajectory (1976–2026) of the Lambada movement in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, analysing how their constitutional inclusion as a Scheduled Tribe catalysed rapid socio-political mobility while simultaneously igniting deep institutional resource conflicts and identity battles with the region's indigenous Adivasi populations.

It explores the multi-layered socio-political transformation, mobilization, and systemic challenges experienced by the Lambada community over the last fifty years. Following the landmark 1976 inclusion of the Lambadas into the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category under Article 342 of the Indian Constitution, the community experienced unprecedented upward mobility, transitioning from nomadic traders to a politically and educationally assertive demographic. However, this inclusion simultaneously triggered long-standing frictions with the state's indigenous Adivasi populations, who allege that the Lambadas have disproportionately monopolized reservation quotas and state-allocated resources. This study traces the historical trajectory of the Lambada movement across unified Andhra Pradesh and its post-2014 evolution in independent Telangana, critically analyzing the socio-economic milestones achieved alongside the rising tide of identity conflicts, judicial contentions, and legal disputes surrounding the community's ST status. By deploying a combination of archival research, policy review, and qualitative fieldwork, this paper highlights how the Lambada identity navigating capitalism and regional politics has faced a dual reality: significant structural empowerment counterbalanced by localized dispossession, debt vulnerability, and ongoing constitutional litigation. Ultimately, this evaluation reflects on the broader implications for reservation equity, ethnic tensions, and the future of tribal policy in southern India.



Keywords

Lambada movement, Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, Telangana tribal history, Andhra Pradesh tribal policy, Reservation equity, Article 342, Presidential Order 1976, Affirmative action in India, Adivasi vs. Lambada conflict, Sub-categorization.



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References


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