Malkangiri: Notwithstanding the government’s projects for the all round development of tribals, there are no changes in the lifestyles of the people of primitive tribal communities who still live in forests of this district.
Collection of fruits and hunting wild animals still continue to be their main occupation, according to a report.
There are several pockets in this district which have remained untouched by the growth of civilisation.
The reserve forest on Goi hill, with an area of 2,680 hectare, on the outskirts of this town is a case in point. The circumference of the forest is more than 30 km and it is adjacent to the Malkangiri municipality.
The forest is surrounded by 4 panchayats –Chalanguda, Tandaki, Jharapalli and Sindhrimal comprising 18 villages. The people of primitive tribal communities have been living in eight of these villages – Banagiriguda, Sindhibhatta, Laxmanpur, Jamuguda, Parakamediri, Medirikhal, Shukuraguda and Chulipani – for several decades.
It is believed that the tribals of undivided Madhya Pradesh (now Chhattisgarh) had come to the hill and started living on it after cleaning the forest. They have been living on the hill as their ancestors preferred hills to plains, some inhabitants of Shukuraguda said.
Shukuraguda is a part of Gandhipalli revenue village under Chalanguda panchayat located above 600 ft from the sea level. The village is named after Shukra Madhi, a tribal who came to the hill about 50 years back and set up his house.
Shukra said the villagers depend on the water of a spring as the hamlet doesn’t have a tube well, pond or any other water body. Domestic animals also use the water of the spring, he added.
The village doesn’t have a school or an Anganwadi, therefore, the inhabitants know nothing about education.
The tribals cultivate minor forest produce like ragi, millets and paddy on a very small patch of land on the plain during rain and survive on bamboo sprouts and bamboo mushrooms during the remaining part of the year.
The villagers move to the foothill to fetch water in groups as they are often attacked by the wild animals. Recently, a bear mauled Ganga Madhi who somehow survived after prolonged treatment at Koraput district headquarters hospital and got Rs 1 lakh as compensation from the forest department for his critical injuries.
The villagers have to carry patients and pregnant women on cots to avail treatment at government hospitals. Many of them have not got their forest land pattas which they are entitled to, said Ramachandra Nayak, Bhagiram Halwal, Krushna Madhi and Shukura Galori.
The condition of other villages which are located 800 ft above the sea level can be gauged from the state of Shukraguda, Puran Madhi, Bhagat Ram Bagel and Biswanath Halwa said, demanding immediate attention of the administration to address their concerns. PNN
