Tribes of Maharashtra
Rajagopal Devara ,
Secretary ,
Tribal Development Department ,
Maharashtra State , INDIA
India : Schedules Tribe (Indigenous) Population Distribution
INDIA-Scheduled Tribe Population
Distribution (%)
Rest 11.6 %
Meghalaya 2.5 %
Assam 3.7 %
Karnataka 4.1 %
West Bengal 5.1 %
Andhra Pradesh 5.7 %
Chhattisgarh 7.5 %
Jharkhand 8.3%
Gujarat 8.6 %
Rajasthan 8.9%
Odisha 9.2%
Maharashtra 10.1%
Madhya Pradesh 14.7%
0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 16.0
Tribal Demographics of Maharashtra
Maharashtra accounts for 10.06 % of the Scheduled
Tribe population of India
Maharashtra State, Second largest Tribal Population in
the country
47 Tribes including 3 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal
Groups (PVTG)
ST Population Districts
(%)
5 and below 16
5.1 to 10 7
10.1 to 20 5
ST Population Districts 20.1 and above 7
(%)
5 and below 16
5.1 to 10 7
10.1 to 20 5
20.1 and above 7
Key Features of Tribal Area
Dhodia tribe at work
In Maharashtra State, tribals mainly reside in the forest ranges of
Sahyadri, Satpura and Gondwana.
Deep ravines and thick jungles have added to the hardships of the
tribal life. But hardships have made tribes of Maharashtra
tough, enduring and independent in nature.
Naturally they are exposed to the fury of nature, heavy showers in Kokana tribe woman working
the rainy season, cold winds in winter and scorching heat in
summer.
Continuous contact with the nature is the redeeming
feature of the otherwise hard life of a tribal.
Major Tribes in Maharashtra
Name of Tribe Population in Population %
MN
Bhil Tribal Family
Bhil 2.58 25.04
Gond/Rajgond 1.61 15.65
Koli Mahadev 1.45 14.12
Warli 0.79 7.70
Kokana 0.68 6.65
Thakur 0.56 5.49
Andh 0.47 4.59
Other Tribes 2.14 20.75 Warli Tribal
Woman
Total 10.33 100.00
Source: Census of India 2011
Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG)
In India there are – 75 PvTGs In Maharashtra – 3 PVTGs
Characterization of Tribal groups as Pre-agricultural level of technology
PTGs is based on Low Level of Literacy
Stagnant or diminishing population
Katkari - Thane & Madia Gond - Kolams - Yavatmal
Raigad Districts Gadchiroli District District
Literacy & Health Status of Tribals in Maharashtra
Literacy rate of STs in comparison with general pubic
100 Literacy Rate
88.4
90 82.3
80 74.3 75.9
70 65.7
Percentage
60 57
Malnutrition in STs, comparison with
50 general
40
30
20 45
38.7
40
10 34.5
35 32.3
0
30
General ST Male Female Total 21.9
25 21.3
20 16.9
15
10
5
0
Stunting ( Ht for age Wasting (Wt for ht -2 Underweight (Wt for age
below 2SD) SD) -2 SD)
For State For ST
Source :(RSOC 2015)
Tribal Economy in India : Livelihood from Agriculture
Traditionally the Indian economy is forest and agriculture based
Traditional agriculture was initiated since Indian civilization, when
tribal communities learned knowledge of agriculture from Rushi or
sage lived in forest areas by constructing their shelters known as
Ashram.
The economy of most tribes is based on agriculture produce, collection of
minor forest produce from forest and hunting of birds/ wild animals
In Maharashtra, nearly 85 percent of the tribal population is engaged
in Agriculture
Out of this 40 Percent are farmers and 45 Percent are agricultural
labourers
Tribal Agriculture : Challenges
Small and uneconomical landholdings because of
which their crop yield is less
Lands are invariably located in climatic risk-prone
regions making agricultural production systems even
more vulnerable and unstable
Most of these communities inhabit fringe forest
settlements and degraded lands which have low
productivity and high vulnerability to erosion.
Climate Challenges : Climatically challenged tribal
hamlets are witnessing increasingly erratic rainfall,
heat waves and other climatic risks
Forest Rights Act (FRA)
Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, enacted the Scheduled
Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest
Rights) Act, 2006, also known as the Forest Rights Act (FRA) :
The way to recognize the rights of tribal people, especially forest
dwellers, over ancestral land and secure their right to earn a livelihood
from forests
This Act is crucial to the rights of millions of tribals
To address the issues of Conservation and management of the Natural
Resources and conservation governance of India.
We perceive this Act as
a potential tool To address the livelihood security of the people, leading to poverty alleviation
and pro poor growth
To empower and strengthen the local self governance
Forest Rights Act (FRA)
Individual Forest Rights
Community Forest Rights
Forest Rights Act (FRA) : Implementation
Process Initatipon by Record verification Final Claim
Village Level committee by Sub Divisional approval by
Level Committee in Ditrict level
District committee
Forest Rights Act (FRA) : Implementation Challenges
Multi Department Synchronization
Harmonization
Life & Culture of Tribes in Maharashtra
Nature Worship by Kolam tribe
Tribal woman in Bhil Woman in Kitchen
traditional costumes
and Jewellery
Life & Culture of Tribes in Maharashtra
Koli Mahadev Couple engaged in agriculture
Kolami Traditional Dance
Marriage Ceremony of Kolam
Tribal Arts - Maharashtra
Wood Carving
Warli Painting Bamboo work
• Wood is the single largest material available
• Warli painting is a tribal art mostly and used by the tribals in their daily life.
done by Adivasi (TRIBAL )from North • The wooden articles of daily use include Their traditional knowledge about
Sahyadri Range, Maharashtra in agricultural implements, huts, idols of gods bamboo-work includes, cutting a
India masks & ther utility articles made of wood bamboo without damaging the roots of
bamboo cluster , making baskets and
• The painting is done on an austere doors from green bamboo without
mud base using one color, white, with using a single nail or hinges, purely
occasional dots in red and yellow. from bamboo material.
Chandradev Combs are carved
(Moongod) out by the men for
their women.
Future Challenges
2023
Parameter 1992 2014
(Projection)
Population
7.3 10.5 12.3
(MN)
Budget outlay
32.27 727.27 1068.64
in USD (MN)
Expectations
Key Constraint Funds Capacity
Outcomes
Focus S S+D S+D+A
S- Survival, D- Development, A- aspirational
Key Challenges of Tribal Area
Developmental
Survival Conflicts Aspirational
Deficits
Preserving Cultural
Limited livelihood Identity Human Resource Heritage
opportunities • Education, Health,
• Tribal Dances and Art
• Pseudo tribalism forms
•Dwindling forest resources Employment • Documentation of
•Displacement
traditional values and
structures
Over exploitation
Infrastructure
• Timber plantation Participation in all
• Communication, walks of life
• Bamboo for paper mills Electricity, Water
Governance • Government, Business,
Professional
Chronic health issues • Naxalism
• Irrigation projects Institutions Inadequate alternate
• Malnutrition vocational skills
• Genetic disorders – • National Parks and • Financial, Social
Wild life sanctuaries • Attitude
Sickle cell anaemia, • Opportunities
Thalassemia
Tribals of Maharashtra
Thank you….
