Governance

Tribal residents in Odisha’s Koraput have two daily dilemmas — living on margins or eroding in mainstream

Efforts to integrate tribal communities into mainstream society have led to the erosion of traditional practices and languages
Tribal residents in Odisha’s Koraput have two daily dilemmas — living on margins or eroding in mainstream
Home to tribes like Gond, Kondh, Bonda, Jatapu and Koya, these residents are witnessing changes that are unprecedented.Photographs by Surya Sen/CSE
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While the woke new world is switching wheat and rice with millets and ragi, the indigenous tribes who have cultivated these indigenous crops, are exposed to dietary interventions that are questionable to say the least.

One such community is that of tribal residents in Odisha’s Koraput district.

Tribal residents in Odisha’s Koraput have two daily dilemmas — living on margins or eroding in mainstream
Many tribal villages lack essential infrastructure such as electricity, running water, and road access, hindering their development and quality of life.

While anthropologists and sociologists have contrasting opinions on the issue of tribal development, the trick is to have an equilibrium between modernisation and cultural preservation.

Tribal residents in Odisha’s Koraput have two daily dilemmas — living on margins or eroding in mainstream
Efforts to integrate tribal communities into mainstream society have led to the erosion of traditional practices and languages. For instance, the Bonda tribe's language, Remo, is endangered due to the adoption of the Odia language.

According to Indian Council of Medical Research, anemia, diarrheal diseases, pneumonia, and vaginal infections are common health problems among the tribal population in Koraput.

Odisha
Koraput
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