PATH TO DEVELOPMENT FOR THE PRIMITIVE TRIBES OF ORISSA

The Talanada Juang hamlet in the Keonjhar district of Orissa has no roads and no drinking water source. The tribal hamlet previously undiscovered has only recently been included in the Orissa Government’s record. Now the Juangs learn about their possibilities of subsidies from the Government and mobilize funds for a bridge, a new road,...

30.06.2010

“Our village, which earlier didn’t exist in government records, has been recognized now. The process of development has started. It is slow but our spirits are high”.

Juang women overlooks the well that has recently been given by the Forest Department Photo: Priyanka Mukherjee Mittal

The statement comes from Pavitra Juang, a volunteer with Meera Welfare Society (MWS), DanChurch Aid’s partner in the area.

Pavitra is 29 years old and belongs to the tribal group The Juangs, which are one of the oldest primitive tribal groups in India, who live deep inside Orissa’s forests.

It is after MWS’s intervention and memorandum to the Orissa government, that the area had a visit from government officials, the first since independence.

Volunteering with MWS

“I am one of the few educated persons from the village and therefore want to work for and develop this village and my community. It is my duty and responsibility. I represent my people who are voiceless and cannot speak their minds. They don’t know of the schemes and policies of the government. I want to stand up and work for them.” says Pavitra.

A few of young children surround him as he speaks about the two residential schools near the village. Only a few Juang boys go to school, but a large number of girls don’t go to school and work at home.

A number of kids (goats) roam the area. They are owned by the women Self Help Group in the area, supported by MWS. An adult goat fetches 1500 INR in the market and is a good source of income.

Education is the key to Development

Damo Juang are the village chief and sorts out the conflicts Photo: Priyanka Mukherjee Mittal

According to Pavitra, the most important change after DCA- MWS’s intervention in the area has been the changing attitudes of the upper caste who fear to practice discrimination openly now. But still there are problems.

“We face a lot of discrimination from other tribal groups who have gained from the Government welfare policies. The other scheduled tribal (ST) groups like the Gonds and Bathuri taunt us all the time. We don’t get jobs in government services; they are all taken up by the other ST’s”.

But Pavitra strongly believe that education is the remedy.

“Education will make sure we get equal opportunity and discrimination will end. Education is the key to development.” says Pavitra.

Know about subsidies

Our Partner
Meera Welfare Society (MWS) is a grassroots organization working with the Juang in Orissa.

“So much has changed after MWS came to this area. We got a lot of information on the existing schemes and policies of the government. There are so many subsidies for us tribals but how are we to avail them, if we don’t know that they exist?

“We learnt about widow pension, old age pension and other schemes. With MWS’s support we developed and submitted an affidavit to the government for the construction of a bridge and a road. We have been able to mobilize government funds - 400.000 INR (7000 Euro) for the bridge, 500.000 INR for the road and also received housing assistance to the tune of 1500.000 INR. We have recently also been given three safe wells by the Forest Department for procuring safe drinking water.” says Pavitra.

Where we work
The Juangs are concentrated in three blocks in the Keonjhar district in Orissa. They believe they have emerged from the river Baitarini that flows there. In their language the word "Juang" means man.