Bhubaneswar
The Odisha Government’s move to award Habitat Rights under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) to 32 villages of Paudi Bhuyan Community in Deogarh district marks a significant milestone under the Mo Jungle Jami Yojana (MJJM).
It will, in a way, provide a major momentum to the “socio-economic-cultural identity” of Paudi Bhuyans, who were deprived of their traditional rights for decades in the past.
Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena handed over the title documents to the community leaders at Lok Seva Bhawan, the State Secretariat, in Bhubaneswar.
Odisha is home to 13 PVTGs, which is the highest among all the States.
The Paudi Bhuyan, a particularly vulnerable tribal group (PTVG), is the first indigenous tribal group from Odisha to be awarded the Habitat Rights. It has become the fourth such title in India under the category following the Bharia PVTG in Madhya Pradesh and Kamar PVTG and Baiga PVTG in Chhattisgarh had legal title and rights over their habitats.
During the entire claim filing process, the technical support was extended by Bhubaneswar-based Scheduled Caste Scheduled Tribe Research and Training Institute (SCSTRTI) under the ST&SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department.
Hailing the move, Commissioner-cum-Secretary ST&SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department Roopa Roshan Sahoo said: “This is a proud moment for all of us as the first PVTG community from Odisha, Paudi Bhuyans from Deogarh have been awarded Habitat Rights under FRA.”
Terming it a “significant milestone”, Indramani Tripathy, Director SCSTRTI and Director ST at the ST&SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department, said, “It gives me immense pleasure to announce that the relentless efforts of the state programme management unit team along with the unwavering support of the facilitating NGOs have culminated in this official recognition.”
There are 75 Centrally recognized PVTGs in the country. This Centrally recognized special category from among the Scheduled Tribe was constituted during the 4th Five Year Plan on the basis of the report of Dhebar Commission (1960-61).
Originally categorized as ‘Primitive Tribal Group’ (PTG), these groups were identified by one or more of the features like: Existence of pre-agricultural practices, practice of hunting and gathering, zero or negative population growth and relatively low level of literacy. The communities were included based on the recommendations of Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) of the respective states.
VOICES FROM THE COMMUNITY
Chendali Pradhan (60), priest of the community Goddess Rambha Devi of Paudi Bhuyan community, from Pacheripani village, after receiving the title document, said: “Now, we will be collecting the minor forest produce (MFP) like “Mahul”, tamarind, “Harida”, “Bahada”, Amla and many others from the forests and could sell it to the SHGs and government agencies like Odisha Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation Limited (TDCC) under Laghu Bana Jatiya Drabya Kraya (LABHA) Scheme to avail the best minimum support price (MSP).”
Chendali is also hopeful that as the community worships nature in various forms, this Habitat Rights will also go a long way towards developing the traditional places of worships and it would also help the community to work for their upkeep in a much planned manner.
Tela Pradhan (29), who is the president of the Forest Rights Committee (FRC) of Saranaput village, is very much hopeful that the title award would definitely help the community members of the 32 villages to have a better livelihood.
Tikeswar Nayak (55) from Gurusang village expects the Habitat Rights would also pave the way to the development of the religious sites across the 32 villages of the Paudi Bhuyan community in Deogarh district.
HOW IT STARTED
On September 15, 2021 the Paudi Bhuyan community filed the Habitat Rights Claim through the Bamunda Anchalika Paudi Bhuyan Samaj under Barkote tehsil. On March 7, 2024, a meeting was convened by sub-divisional level committee (SDLC) and district-level committee (DLC) in Deogarh, wherein the Habitat Rights claim of the Paudi Bhuyan PVTG community underwent a thorough review and received approval. The process also granted approval for cultural and religious rights over the Maa Rambhaba Devi Sacred Grove.
District Collector, Deogarh, Somesh Upadhyay, said “It will ensure protection of their territorial habitat, generational knowledge, cultural identity and livelihood. While many flagship schemes are being converged for their harmonious development in the area, the Habitat Rights under FRA will certainly help in recognising their distinct cultural heritage and traditions.”
Divisional Forest Officer Deogarh, Magar Dhanaji Raoso, expressing his delight over the grant, maintained, “Tribal communities often possess unique knowledge about their local ecosystems, flora, fauna and sustainable resource management. Recognising their rights allows them for the preservation of local biodiversity and sustainable management of natural resources.”
FRA expert and team leader Vasundhara Arabinda Rout summed up: “This unique achievement is a recognition to the socio-economic-cultural identity of Paudi Bhuyans as for generations they were having no recognition either for their own territory or the deities and nature to whom they usually worship.”
PAUDI BHUYAN
According to anthropological data from SCSTRTI, Bhubaneswar, Paudi Bhuyan PVTG community members are found in Deogarh (Northern Plateau Zone), Sundargarh, Angul and Keonjhar and they speak a language under Indo-Aryan group. The community has occupation like broom stick and mat making, basketry, litchi cultivation and tussar rearing.
The Paudi Bhuyan are a major section of the Bhuyan tribe which are found in Bihar, West Bengal and Assam. The Paudis mostly inhibit geographically isolated areas like thick forest and hill slopes. They speak local Odia with a different accent. They practice slash and burn type rotation cultivation. They carry on food gathering and hunting in the forest. The patch under shifting cultivation is known as Biringa. Pulses, Millets are grown in various years. The livestock of the Paudi Bhuyan consists of cow, buffalo, goat, sheep, fowl etc.
The historic Forest Rights Act of 2006 for the first time provided scope for the recognition of the PVTGs’ forest and habitat rights. Section 2 (h) of the FRA defines habitat as, “the area comprising the customary habitat and such other habitats in reserved forests and protected forests of primitive tribal groups and pre-agricultural communities and other forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes.” The definition thus extends the recognition of habitat rights to other STs in addition to PVTGs and pre-agricultural communities. Section 3 (e) of the FRA recognises: “Rights including community tenures of habitat and habitation for primitive tribal groups and pre-agricultural communities.”
OTHER FRA MILESTONES IN ODISHA
The ST & SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department has received 6,33,631 of Individual Forest Rights claim forms out of which titles have been distributed to 4,59,974 number of claimants over 6,71,639 acres of land. Community Right titles have been distributed to 7,838 number of Forest-dependent communities. Support under different social security and livelihood security schemes have been extended to 3,56,859 number of title holders. Record corrections have been done for 3,55,014 number of titles issued to forest-dwelling families. Total 57 villages were converted to revenue villages under FRA in the State.
(The writer is a consultant to PHDMA, Government of Odisha)
