Issues on Livelihood of Adivasi Households in Rural Odisha, India

Abstract

Inspite of the various pro-poor labour and tribal development policies executed by the State and Union Government in recent decades, the plight of Adivasis, their vulnerable socio-economic conditions and livelihoods are still in a very alarming position. Such vulnerabilities are manifested through their poor access to health-services, education, employment opportunities and also to various public welfare programmes. This paper aims to examine the conditions of Adivasis through highlighting and estimating some of the major socio-economic characteristics and challenges on livelihoods of the Adivasis households of Odisha in general and those of Koraput-Bolangir-Kalahandi(KBK) districts in particular. The data used for the study are drawn froom both primary and secondary sources. The secondary data on rural Adivasi households include various survey rounds of the National Sample Survey Office, Censuses of India, and other official sources of published data. To analyse the case study, the qualitative data and field survey experience from the four districts of KBK regions, namely Koraput, Bolangir, Kalahandi, and Nuapada have been sued. In total seven villages from these four districts have been choosen purposively and the selected diverse groups of huseholds against the other social groups in the studied region of Odisha. It is found in this paper that no matter whatever the socio-economic characteristics are measured for the livelihoods of Adivasis households either operated landholdings, the proportion of different categories of main and marginal workers, literacy rate, seasonal migration, or poverty level, the sufferers and deprived community are Adicaisi as compared to the non-adivasis/dalit. In addition, the hindrances for the development of this Adivasis households have been disrupted due to loopholes in functioning part of developmental projects; restricted state policies making the dependancy on wage labour and indebtedness to money lenders; mass poverty, hunger, and Maoist problems.