Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PTGs) of Odisha - vol. 1

Abstract

Among the hundreds of tribal communities living across the length and breadth of the country, there are some groups who are relatively more isolated, archaic, vulnerable, deprived and backward. These tribal groups are the most disadvantaged among the tribals. They live in small, scattered habitats in remote, inaccessible areas. Their livelihoods are especially vulnerable because over the years, the more dominant tribal and non-tribal groups have encroached upon the resources which they originally controlled and accessed for their survival. Despite numerous government schemes to mainstream these groups the results have fallen short of expectations. Since the 5th Five Year Plan when the Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) approach was adopted in the Country; they have been initially identified on the basis of certain criteria prescribed and designated as Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) and recently re-designated as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PTGs) by Government of India for the purpose of receiving special attention for their all-round development. A PTG may be a tribal community; a sub-tribe or a part of a tribe. In the present context the group of aboriginals who constitute simple and small-scale societies, are culturally homogenous, have lifestyle exhibiting uniqueness and distinctiveness, live mostly in relatively isolated and inaccessible tracts of hills and forests and continue to pursue an archaic way of life and absorb the changes slowly are ordinarily distinguished as PTGs. The State of Odisha like its oldest TRI and its oldest research journal, Adivasi, is also credited with another distinction in respect of having the largest number of PTGs among all the States and Union Territories of the Country. To be specific, in India there are as many as 75 PTGs who are distributed in 14 undivided States and 1 (one) Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Of them 13 PTGs are found in Odisha closely followed by Andhra Pradesh with 12 PTGs. Information in this regard are given in certain articles placed in the General Section of this book. Each of such group constitutes culturally homogeneous segment of the tribal population in the State. They live in their remote mountainous habitats in a state of relative isolation - that has helped them to preserve their cultural identities manifested in their diverse languages, unique style of personal adornments, subsistence activities, magico-religious beliefs and practices, social organization and colorful folk traditions of arts, crafts, songs, dances and music. But their pace of development has been slower than the rest of their brethren belonging to other tribal communities.