Livelihood Transition Processes of Exclusion and Discourse of Development A Study of Kolam Tribe in Yavatmal District Maharashtra

Abstract

The government of India has officially recognized 75 PVTGs as marginalized and excluded communities in various aspects. Maharashtra is home to three PVTGs, namely; Katkari, Madiya Gond and Kolam. Dhebar Commission created the Primitive Tribal Group (PTGs) in 1973 as separate category based on different socio-economic standard of the communities. Later, in 2006, Government of India renamed PTGs as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTGs). These groups are relatively small in numbers and experienced different form of deprivation and marginality due to their territorial isolation, lack of economic opportunities, and poor performance in education. Kolam tribe is one among the 75 PVTGs, situated in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. Yavatmal district of Maharashtra has highest population of the Kolam tribe. Despite developmental and protection polices for the Kolam tribe, they are more vulnerable and susceptible to poor health, livelihood, nutrition and education. Few previous studies have done on Kolam tribe’s culture and its relation with land, water and environment. However, studies lack the livelihood and developmental issues of the Kolam tribes. This research has emerged from the direct engagement of the researcher with the Kolam tribe, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTGs), residing in the Yavatmal district of Maharashtra. The study aimed to provide a descriptive analysis of the lived reality of the Kolam tribe, whose narratives have been overlooked in mainstream studies. The objective was to unravel the Kolam tribal realities and their perception regarding livelihood struggle, processes of exclusion and idea of development. To conduct this research, an ethnographic approach was used, focusing on a holistic and descriptive analysis. The study has emphasised on the contextual nature of the research and highlighted the historical experiences of the Kolam tribe. The fieldwork for this research spanned was 10 months, from October 2018 to July 2019. It aimed to document the narratives and experiences of the Kolam tribes residing in Dubhati and Kundi villages in the Zari Zamani block of the Yavatmal district, Maharashtra. The data was collected using interview guide, participant observation, focus group discussions (FGDs), and oral history methods. This thesis encompasses the historical experiences of the Kolam tribe, endeavours to contextualise the tribal reality and propose a way forward for the development of this Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)