King with no throne — who is Raman Rajamannan, Kerala’s only tribal king invited to Republic Day ceremony

Having ascended to the metaphorical throne 12 years agone after the decease of the erstwhile king Aryan Rajamannan, Raman is the caput of 3,000-odd families of Mannans – a tribal clam that, as The Indian Express reported backmost successful 2017, hint their past to the clip erstwhile respective tribes were forced to fly from present-day Tamil Nadu following a hotly-contested warfare betwixt Chola and Pandya kings.

Today, the Mannans unrecorded successful 46 settlements — astir of them successful Idukki district, though a fewer of them are besides successful Ernakulam and Thrissur districts.

Mostly engaged arsenic workplace labourers and regular wagers, the Mannans person agelong attracted media attraction for their distinctive customs and traditions – among them a unsocial strategy of self-governance nether their king. In the clan, the king’s proposal inactive holds important sway implicit the kudis (settlements).

According to the 39-year-old Rajamannan, who is simply a farmer, though his relation successful the clan’s affairs is constricted and helium had nary authoritative “role oregon rights” arsenic king, his radical recognise him arsenic such.

“Our radical enactment arsenic farmers and regular wage workers — with galore of them depending connected the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act Scheme. A conception of others is engaged successful the accepted occupation of procuring wood produce,’’ helium said.

For the tribal “king”, the invitation for Republic Day celebrations is “an honour”

“In the aboriginal 80s, Pandian, a (Mannan) assemblage member, had attended the Republic Day celebrations successful Delhi.  I’m the archetypal king from the assemblage invited for the function. We were told by (Kerala’s) SC/ST Department that each authorities volition beryllium sending a tribal mates for the celebrations. I was informed past November past twelvemonth to implicit each formalities,” Rajamannan, who is already successful Delhi with Binumole, said.