DONGRIA KONDH

DONGRIA KONDH

Subject : Society

Context : Recently, the first cases of corona virus infection have been reported among the DongriaKondh tribe which has sparked concern among the administration of Odisha.

Concept :

About DongriaKondh Tribe

• It is settled in the Niyamgiri hills of Rayagada district in Odisha.
• Niyamgiri is an area of densely forested hills, deep gorges and cascading streams.
• It is one of the particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) in India.
• They derive their name from dongar, meaning ‘hill’ and the name for themselves is Jharnia: protector of streams.
• The Dongria have distinctive jewellery, tattoos and hairstyles.
• Women wear many rings through their ears and three through their noses, while boys wear two nose rings.
• Dongria girls wear clips in their hair and rings and beads around their necks.
• The Dongria also cultivate orchards in the forest, producing crops such as oranges, bananas, ginger, sweet papaya and the aromatic resin jhunu.
• The Dongria believe that animals, plants, mountains and other specific sites and streams have a life-force or soul, jela, which comes from the mother goddess.

Tribes in Odisha

• Odisha has among the largest and most diverse tribal populations in the country.
• Of the 62 tribal groups residing in Odisha, 13 are recognised as PVTGs.
• According to the 2011 Census, Odisha’s share of the country’s total tribal population was 9%. Tribals constitute 22.85% of State’s population.
• The PVTGs in the states are Bonda, Birhor, ChuktiaBhunjia, Didayi, DongariaKandha, Hill Kharia, Juang, KutiaKondh, LanjiaSaora, Lodha, Mankirdia, PaudiBhuyan and Saora.
• These PVTGs have been identified on the basis of stagnant or diminishing populations, subsistence level of economy associated with pre-agricultural stages of hunting, food gathering and shifting cultivation, and relative physical isolation.