Marginalisation of Dalits and Adivasis in the Drought Hit Bundelkhand Region

Tribes [adivasis] like Saharia, Gond and Kol have recently been identified as Schedules Tribes and culturally and traditionally their livelihood is more dependent on the forest produces. Though these communities are also landholders but land is normally situated in the rocky area without any irrigation facilities. Low fertility of the land and massive deforestation are also adversely affecting their livelihood. Almost entire lands of these communities are dry and with the help of small agriculture and forest produces they are able to arrange food for 2-6 months in a year. Rest of the period they are dependent on the casual labour work [if they can get] or selling of the firewood in nearby market, which is about 12-20 km from their villages.

Kudo, Kutki, Rali, Sawna, Fikra, Jowar, Maize and Bajra are crops they are getting from their land.  Kudo and other similar produces are traditional crops of the region but their production is dependent on the rainfall. If there is no rainfall in the month of June the crop might be destroy similarly if there is no rainfall in the month of September the productivity will be very low.

Institutional credit is almost unavailable for them and local landlords are the only available source for credit. These local moneylenders are charging 5-20% interest per month.

These communities are migrating in mass in the nearby areas and other states for 4-8 months in a year. If they do not get any working opportunity they use to cut and sell firewood. Normally men are going to the forest for cutting and women and girls are going to nearby towns to sell it. Their food intake is depending on the availability of the quantity of food material. Normally they cannot afford to eat wheat and rice; they mix kudo and other similar material with wheat. Rice and Maize are used in almost liquid form. Some times during the winters they use Mahua to fill the stomach.