PAROJA A Hill Tribe of South Odisha

Abstract

The Paroja are a major Scheduled Tribe of Odisha. They are also found in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Assam. The tribe inhabits the hills and valleys of southern Odisha having larger concentration in Koraput district followed by Nowrangpur, Malkangiri, Kalahandi and Rayagada districts. In south Odisha they are well known as Paraja, Parja or Poroja- a localized version of the Odia term â Prajaâ literally meaning the common people, i.e. subjects as distinct from the former ruling chiefs called the Raja or the Zamindar in pre-independence times. A legendary tradition of the tribe says that formerly the Rajas and the Prajas lived like brothers. Later while the former took to luxury and comforts like horse riding, the latter accepted the hardship of carrying burdens. Another meaning of the term â Parajaâ in Odia language is the tenant (peasant) or â Royatâ . They say that their original name is bastaria as they have migrated from Bastar area of Madhya Pradesh. â Parjiâ is their mother tongue. It is a form of Gondi belonging to Dravidian family of languages. But now most of them living in undivided Koraput district speak the regional language called â Desiaâ Their socio-cultural features have some similarities with the neighbouring tribes i.e., the Gond, the Kandha and the Gadaba. They are in general, strong, stout and hardworking people. They are simple, friendly and hospitable, but like to remain aloof from the people of other communities as they feel shy of them. Socially, they are divided into two broad divisions i.e., Bada Paroja and Sana Paroja. The former section is more hinduised and abstains from taking beef whereas the latter are still primitive and take beef. The Bada Paroja has sub-sections like Sodia Paroja, Jhodia or Jhodia Paroja, Bada Jhodia Paroja, Penga Paroja and the VI latter is composed of endogamous groups like Konda Paroja or Bareng Jhodia Paroja, Selia Paroja or Chhelia Paroja who were goat breeders during the past. Paroja are hill cultivators who practise settled cultivation as well as shifting cultivation which is the mainstay of their subsistence economy. In the modern times in spite of the influence of planned changes and modernisation, they have retained their core elements of culture.