West Bengal tribal battling food scarcity: study

West Bengal tribal battling food scarcity: study

News:

Food scarcity caused death of seven persons from a tribal community in West Bengal.

Important Facts:

• The study titled ‘An Inquiry into the world of the Adivasis of West Bengal’, has identified “food scarcity in varying degrees” in about 31% of tribal households in West Bengal.
• West Bengal is home to a over five million tribals, with 6% of the India’s tribal population of 100 million but tribals in Bengal far behind in terms of human development.

Issues reported in study:

• Degradation of forest and environmental degradation are one of the main reasons for “reduced availability of natural nutrients” resulting in early deaths.
• Some households facing acute hunger only in some months (August–October)
• The work participation rate is higher among the Adivasis in Bengal forcing the children of school going age to discontinue their studies in order to fend for themselves and support the families.
• However, a higher rate of work participation has not contributed to a better living standard.
• Moreover, 44% of households do not have access to toilets and nearly two-thirds of the households had no drainage system.

Important Tribes of West Bengal:

• SANTHALS – They are the third largest tribal community in India and are distributed mostly in the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Tripura, Jharkhand and Assam
  • They waged war against the Permanent Settlement of Lord Cornwallis in 1855.
• ORAON – In West Bengal they are distributed in the districts of Jalpaiguri, Midnapur and & 24 Parganas. They also called themselves Kurukh
  • A socio-religious movement was initiated by the Oraon which is known as tana Bhagat Movement (1913-1914).
• MUNDA – In West Bengal, they are also known as Manki,they are highly respected from the time of pre independence of India. Birsa munda is the most respected person who turned into a prophet and was a freedom fighter in the Indian Independence struggle.
• BHUMIJ – According to Risley (1891), the term Bhumij means „Sons of the Soil‟. They are described as a hinduized section of Munda and are concentrated in the districts of Midnapur, Purulia, Bankura, and 24 Parganas of West Bengal.