There is a widespread perception of tribals and tribal culture as backward, ignorant, and reactionary. However, V Sripathi, a 23-year-old woman, has defied this stereotype by becoming the first tribal woman to serve as a Civil Judge in her tribe. She serves as an example for other tribal and backward people. We frequently come across persons whom we tend to disregard. The list covers street sellers, laborers, beggars, rag pickers, and others. Even after a brief interaction with such folks, no one recalls their faces. However, Sripathi has demonstrated that a goal and the fortitude to attain it are all that is required to reach new heights.

A Quick Background Check ~ 

Sripathi hails from the little hamlet Puliyur near Jawadhu Hills in Tamil Nadu's Tiruvannamalai. She is one of the few females who had the opportunity to attend school. Sripathi has had a sharp intellect since childhood and excelled as a student. Sripathi completed her schooling at Yelagiri Hills before pursuing a BA and Bachelor of Law. However, as is customary among tribals, Sripathi had to be married off at a young age. Fortunately, her spouse supported her and pushed her to pursue her education. Chief Minister MK Stalin praised Sripathi's accomplishments on Tuesday. Notably, she administered her selection examinations right after giving birth to her child. Her image with her infant child in front of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission's headquarters is becoming popular on social media. Sripathi chose to risk her life by traveling to Chennai to take the test. She passed the exam and became the first indigenous woman Civil Judge in her village.

Culture and Gender Dynamics in India's Tribes ~

Existing conventions, belief systems, traditions, and practices all help shape a society's culture. Society's culture differs by place and various factors. Gender roles and relationships are shaped by the existing culture of a society. Gender is a Western notion that relates to the distribution of work between men and women. This suggests that gender is a social construct, whereas sex is a biological word. Gender refers to the anticipated roles of men and women in terms of production, reproduction, and power dynamics in diverse societal contexts. Culture develops and transforms into its current form. Thus, variables that determine culture have a significant impact on gender.
India is the world's second-largest home for tribal people. There is a popular belief that indigenous women have substantially greater independence in the workplace, decision-making, and empowerment than women from other castes in society. Gender roles and relationships differ among the country's indigenous cultures. Furthermore, mainstreaming, relocation, and globalization have had a tremendous impact on their traditional culture and gender interactions. With the introduction and exposure to a contemporary economy, the notion of women's empowerment is fast evolving throughout tribes. The exposure to a market-oriented economy and industrialized society had a tremendous impact on indigenous women's responsibilities at home and in society. Now, let's reach up to this point wherein stories in which such a perspective is likely to idealize tribal culture that denies patriarchy, providing a source of inspiration for women's movements in the mainstream. This also calls for introspection in the context of the ongoing debate in women's studies regarding the extent to which feminist theory and practice owe their origin to the experiences of Western and middle-class women across the globe. 

An Exceptional Accomplishment ~

CM Stalin praised her on X, saying, "I am delighted to see a young woman from a tribal community in a mountain village, with few amenities, achieve this status." I am pleased to learn this, and I congratulate her mother and husband on their persistent support. For those in Tamil Nadu who are afraid to mention the phrase social justice, the achievement of people like Sripathi is the nation's response. The DMK administration's "Dravidian Model" had implemented a policy that prioritized Tamil-medium students in government employment, allowing people like Sripathi to be appointed as judges. She married at an early age. Despite having given birth just a few days before, she traveled almost 200 kilometers to Chennai to pass her test in November 2023. Mahalakshmi, her mentor, said on Facebook that her family and friends helped her reach Chennai a day after her child's birth, like "a parachute fitted to Sripathi's wings."

Udhayanidhi Stalin, the state sports minister and leader of the DMK's youth wing, alleged that the exam was set only two days after her child's birth. "her determination to risk her life and travel a long distance to attend the examination is commendable," he went on to say. Thus, her remarkable narrative demonstrates everlasting determination and devotion. Though the outcome of life is unknown, attaining reputation and renown is what we as humans strive for. However, only a few dare to defy stereotypes and establish precedents. They appear from nowhere and glow like stars. Let the dreams of Sripathi come true, who is an example to others that education is the only indestructible asset! This has raised the question of whether these early occupants' communities should be used as role models for women's movements across the world. Finally, it has highlighted an essential question of whether feminist movements are limited to established or advanced communities.