Friday, March 3, 2017

A talk on Unified battle against odds. 22 December, 2013



They are Savars- a primitive tribal community mostly found in Jharkhand, Oddisha and West Bengal states of India. They are forest people living on hunting, forest food-gathering and forest animals. During Brtish period, they were notified as criminal tribe. However, after independence it was lifted & de-notified. These are all paper works. Savars still remain beyond the orbit of civilization. People are afraid of them as because they bear the dark spot of 'criminals". They are not given jobs locally. Again, they are land less thus unable to harvest food for themselves. Their food habit is different from other castes. Society see them in a low profile. Illiteracy,poverty, migration have made their livelihood hell. Their life style is aggravated by addiction to liquor &drug. Their starvation story - death of five Savars under malnourishment & starvation in Amlasole wake the nation a few years back. Time has changed a few women of Lipidari village in Ranibandh united to fight against poverty. They took a vow to eradicate poverty. They wanted a smooth living. They formed Self Help Groups took barren, fallow lands from others. With the administrative support they converged MNEREGA schemes to productive occupation. Beautiful mango orchards sprang up with their collective action. A revolution occurred in Lipidari village. They got employment. Now there is no migration from the village. Women are sending their children to schools. They have harvested tons &tons mangoes.They are growing vegetables. Their action has been credited by the Government. Their success story reached other down-villages. Dr.Babulal Mahato, Dy.Magistrate of Khatra is happy with the Savars of Lipidari.

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