The Economic Crisis and Possibility of Potato Cultivation in Hill Korwa Tribe

Dr. Nister Kujur

Senior Assistant Professor, School of Studies in Sociology, Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur (C.G.) – 492010

ABSTRACT:

Since, Hill Korwa tribe is one of the 75 Particularly Vulnerable tribe; therefore, from very beginning of its recognition as particularly vulnerable tribe, many schemes were formed and implemented for its social-economic development. But even after implementing the schemes no any significant changes in their economic status was observed. While forming the schemes the importance of local availability of infrastructure were ignored, Korwa land is in hill areas where potatoes cultivation is very much possible. In fact it is cultivated in abundant. Merchants from outside are making crors of rupees in this land whereas the Hill Korwa is struggling with poverty.

KEY WORDS: Echonomic Crisis, Korwa tribe, poverty

INTRODUCTION:

Hill korwa tribe is one of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups among nation's 75 and stat's 5 tribes. this tribe has been facing economic crisis right from the beginning and obliged to lead a very backward life style till now. broadly saying this tribe is surviving a very backward and spatter life style the tribe is facing lack of clean drinking water, unemployment, low standard of education, financial crisis, improper shelter, lack of transport communication, electricity, uncleanness, nutritious food and many thing even till date. due to illiteracy they are trapped in ignorant, superstition, malnourishment and alcohol. they survive the daily life with little crops cultivation, limited wages, selling dry woods, wild foods like plant roots. they meet family needs with very limited fields by cultivating traditional tribal crops like Koddo, kuttaki, makka, onion, arahar in very limited quantity many condition they go to sleep without food.

In 1978 this tribe was particularly recognized as very backward tribe since then government has been constantly implementing separate schemes for socio-economy development but still the expected outcome is not visible, apart from few numbers of family the condition remain same. Many schemes for their development are very good which can bring a great transformation in their economic status but benefit of those schemes are very less therefore it is failing to bring big changes in life it is hardly helping to just survive there is saving growth so their socio-economy status still remain same, whereas the inhabitant area of this tribe has very good fertile soil specially for potato cultivation. there in same hill korwa's fields other merchants easily hire the land in 3 to 5 thousand for six month and grow potatoes and earn laks of rupees.

Major part of hill area in Jashpur district belong to hill Korwa tribe which is captured by their merchant neighbors by lending money to them, remaining hill and small-stony grounds are owned by the hill Korwa tribe which is very productive ground for potatoes here at last week of June the potatoes are sown and in month of October - November they harvest, from there thousands of trucks carry those potato to other states via Uttar pradesh and Madhya Pradesh then from month of November to May that precious land is with their owners but again next year when potatoes season come those merchants come hire the land cultivate potatoes earn laks of rupees and go away, thus, the real owner of the land still keep facing financial crisis whereas those merchants making laks of rupees this is happening from years.

OBJECT OF STUDY:

The purpose of study as follows -

1. To know the potatoes.

2. To evaluate the possibility of potatoes cultivation in economic development of Korwa tribe.

METHODOLOGY OF STUDY:

Present research study is based on hill Korwa tribe living at Jashpur District. A survey was made with 18 villages which is mainly effected by potatoes cultivation and the facts were collected from 230 families of selected villages. Present study is based on analysis of primary and secondary facts.

Brief Introduction:

Hill Korwa tribe is particularly one of 75 backward tribe of country. Dalten (1972)¹ in his study, says hill Korwa tribe as part of Kolilerian group and their livelihood was agriculture. Rassel and Heeralal (1916)² also believe this tribe as group of Kolilerian tribe which indwelled at Chhotanagpur. In Chhattisgarh this tribe lives in Jashpur, Sarguja and Korba districts.

Livelihood:

Except few family of hill Korwa tribe at Jashpur district majority have very less agriculture field e.i. from some dismile to 2-3 acre of land, there are very rare families who have more than 10 acres of agriculture land. According to study of Kujur (2011)³ it is found that only 44.8% families posses 3 acres of agriculture field. Narayana (1990)⁴ has found in study of Korwa tribe of Bihar that maximum 63.2 % of family has less than 1 acre of agriculture field whereas only 4.8 percent family posses more than 10 acres of agriculture field. In this areas fertile field is at hillside area where the soil is black and soft but other kind of field is down shaped where water from rain flow down very fast thus the production of crops is very rare. since their agriculture is rain depending they get very less production, they very hardly get 3-5 quintal of production moreover they can only do the agriculture of particular crops which is easily available in field or the seed is available to themselves like fat crop, arahar, Koddo, Kuttki, Bede, Onion, and very few family cultivate Potatoes.

Hill Korwa family is generally known for Bewara cultivation but because shortage of field and big growth of their population they do agriculture permanently and for other income they depend on storing up forest products, labor work and selling woods etc. A very few family of them whose members are in government jobs like shiksha karmi grade-3, peon, guard, cook etc.

Possibilities of Potatoes Cultivation in the Area:

Jashpur district is geographically divided in two parts one lower ghat and second is upper-ghat. Upper ghat is geographically crooked and ground has many ups and downs and there is the hill areas where Korwa tribes live. Here the hill Korwa tribe do agriculture in down shped field and upper sides hill areas which is called Pat inlocal term, in district the Pat area is 2225 warg Kilometer in these Pat area there are pandra pat, Tendu pat, Sulesh pat, Harra pat, Devdhad, Bhanvar pat, Maharang pat, Malsema pat, Dangari pat, Chunda pat, Ram pat, Nanki pat, Jowari pat, Kera pat, Sarangi pat, Sardha pat, Laranga pat, Dangari pat, Rokada pat, Lodena pat, Baldar pat, kandarai pat, etc these are Pat fields which are used for potatoes cultivation. Here the soil is light, soft and black which is good for potatoes cultivation. Every year about 250 to 350 trucks of potatoes are sold to Sarguja, Korba, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and other states and merchants make laks of rupees in hill Korwa field. The picture below is of potatoes cultivation at Pat field of hill Korwa areas which is hired by merchants with just two to four thousands from the month of June till December, that is to say from sowing till harvesting of potatoes in many acres of lands. According to picture it can be imagined that how much the merchants would earn, how productive is the land for potatoes cultivation and the possibility of potatoes cultivation in the area can be evaluated.

The above table clears that by the agency in year 2010-11 Rs. 60,000 was invested and only 10 family were provided the potatoes seed and in year 2011-12 reducing the amount, with rate of Rs 6000 per family 150 families were provided.

In two years only 160 families were benefited whereas according to study of Kujur (2011)⁵ there are 2450 families in Hill Korwa tribe and only 6.5 percent of family are kept within the circle of scheme. Government should amplify the scheme and should bring all the hill Korwa in the circle of scheme intending their development moreover enough seed must be provided so that their financial status could be corrected in short time.

Benefits of Government scheme of seed distribution:

By seeing the possibility of potatoes cultivation in hill Korwa area Government has add to implement the seed distribution scheme and every year select the benefited families from Korwa tribe and provide potatoes seed and Korwa family do agriculture as they receive seed. A research study was made to know whether these families are benefited from potatoes seed distribution of Government or not and collected facts are mentioned in below table.

Table No. 1.2: Profits from seed distribution of Govt.

S. No.

Benefits

Frequency

Percent

Yes

114

550

17.2

82.8

Total -

664

100

Above table regarding, profit from potatoes seed distribution states that minimum 17.2 percent of family have received benefits from the scheme whereas maximum 82.8 percent family did not get benefited from potatoes seed distribution scheme.

At local level of seed distribution scheme this was found that implementation of potato seed distribution program is one of the many scheme therefore government is unable to pay as much interest as required. All hill Korwa families need potato seed but helpless to purchase but government provides seed to selected families not all the families get benefited in fact the scheme needs to be implemented in a broader measure. A big change could be expected within few years if government focuses on scheme and get it functioned in proper observation.

What quantity of seed should be received:

As it is known that government provides seed to hill Korwa family for potato cultivation, and only those families which are in selected list of government receive the seed these families receive the seed as per the consideration of government and the consideration is less than the requirement of hill Korwa family. In research study it was tried to know that how much quantity of potato seed was received and detail of collected facts are given in the table below.

Table No. 1.3: The quantity of seed received from government

S .No.

Quantity

Frequency

Percent

Less than 100 Kg.

100-150 Kg.

more than 150 Kg.

54.4

19.3

26.3

Total -

114

100

The above table regarding seed receiving from distribution scheme of government it is clear that maximum 54.4 percent family received less than 100 Kg., and 26.3 percent family received 150 Kg., and 19.3 percent family received 100 -150 Kg potato seed. In the study of above table this is found that the seed provided to those particular families some of them did not get sufficient seed therefore they cultivated other crops in research land or they left the land empty in waiting of seed.

Obligation of giving the land to merchants:

Major hill Korwa family are obliged to give their land to merchants due to many reason the hill Korwa family is helpless to purchase seed and even if they purchase seed there is requirement of chemical manure D.A.P and URIA to be sprinkle over the crops time and again they are again helpless to arrange. Receiving of seed is not on instant basis in this condition they give the land to merchants and get paid instantly which helps them to meet their daily needs. This is the reason that hill korwa families give their own land to outsider merchants in very chip payment of Rs 2000 to 5000 for 4-6 months, instead of doing potato cultivation by themselves. The merchants make lacks of rupees from this same land and the land owners are obliged to live in financial crisis.

The first reason of giving their land is financial crisis so current problem becomes their challenge by this at some extent they get relief and secondly, their financial status is not good enough that they could arrange seed for potatoes cultivation. They have to look at government for seed some time they get seed and some time they do not get they are not certain. In this condition they understand giving the land to merchant is more profitable. The scope of potatoes cultivation in the area can be easily imagined by watching the potato plants in photographs.

CONCLUSION:

Seeing the appropriate climates, availability of land and productivity of potato in hill Korwa tribal area indeed, this can be effective in removing their economic crisis. Generally the merchants never do any work unless they find benefit in it this is in their nature that they always do the things to earn benefit and here this fact is clearly seen. Originally merchants are not former but still they show interest in agriculture work so from their motive it can be easily understood that this area is best for potato cultivation in both aspect land and climate. Here the merchants do the potato cultivation so much that in those village roads 200 – 300 trucks passes and for few days the roads have a big rushes. Thus the merchants earn good amount from potato cultivation and return back to their place but the hill Korwa watch the merchants lining own pockets from their own land in front of their own eyes. The Korwa people only get Rs 2000 to 5000 at the time when the merchants hired their land and the same will happened in next agriculture season.

From the study this conclusion also comes out that if government really wants to raise the life style of hill Korwa family then he can raise their financial status by making a solid strategy in this regard. For this he should provide enough seed to them and help them to sell out the produced crops so that they could get their exact profit and if this continues for 3 to 5 years the hill Korwa will earn so much that the requirement of development scheme of government will be very less it means they will become self dependent.

ADVICE:

To make the hill Korwa family self dependent the advices are as follows -

1. First of all the organization not only provide the seed but also take control on things from sowing of seed till selling out the products at least for 2–3 years the profit money should be deposited in the bank and on special requirement only the withdrawing permission should be granted. By doing so they will get interest for agriculture work and also the real profit of potato cultivation to the Korwas.

2. First of all the agriculture land of hill Korwa should be banned for merchants and non hill korwa people, instead, the potato cultivation must be done by hill Korwa people themselves. If any hill Korwa family have more land and he is unable to do agriculture he should give the extra land to those hill Korwa family for potato cultivation who have less lands but on some condition.

3. The organizations who are implementing the scheme of hill korwa the should make provision of extra money so that the distribution of seed could be possible as per the requirement of each family. So that the hill Korwa may do the agriculture in big level and after harvesting they could get as much money that they could meet their daily needs moreover they arrange seed for next season too by themselves. Doing this for 3 – 5 years will create a sensitization in them for self economic development and within few years they will become self dependent not only this the area will be known for potato producing area.

4. If this scheme is hindered due to financial factor so, there are many scheme like “kitnashak”, “Bakaripalan”, “Kambal Vitaran”, “Madhumakhi Palan” these schemes and its amount of money be reduced and instead it should be used in potatoes cultivation in big manner. This will meet the small needs of tribe.

Based on the above advice if potato cultivation is done definitely the economic problems of hill Korwa tribe will be solved. The hill area and other land which is not used for potato cultivation will also become useful create an identity as potato producing area.

REFERANCE:

1. Dalton, E.T., Descriptive Ethnology of Bengal, 1972.

2. Russell, R.V. and Hiralal., The Tribes and Costes of the Central Provinces of India, London: Macmillan and Company, 1916, rpt.1975, Cosmo Publishing, Delhi, Vol.III, pp.511-580.

3. Kujur, Nister., Adim Janjati Korwa, Singhai Publishing, Raipur, 2011, p. 118-119.

4. Narayan, Abaninder., The Korwa Tribe their Socity and Economice , Amar Prakashan, Delhi, 1990, p.119.

5. Kujur, Nister., Adim Janjati Korwa, Singhai Publishing, Raipur, 2011, p. 32.

S. No.	Year	District wise amount of seed provision (in Lacks)
		Ambikapur		Jashpur		Total
		Unit	Amount	Unit	Amount	Unit	Amount
1.	2010-11	12	7.20	10	6.00	22	13.20
2.	2011-12	150	9.00	150	9.00	300	18.00
	Total	162	16.20	160	15.00	300	31.20