-Mayurbhanj District administration Odisha, had initiated an effort to provide Mankidia tribe a recognised habitat rights under forest right act (FRA). However state forest department latter denied the habitat right to Mankidia, on the ground of tiger attack.
-Mankidia is a a semi-nomadic primitive tribal group. They live in the dense forests of Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district. They have been recognised as the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG).
-The district administration has initiated a process to enable Mankidias to file claim for habitat right in the Simlipal Sanctuary area.
– The claim of habitat rights will be passed by the Gram Sabhas villages inhabited the Mankidia tribes. Subsequently, the Sub-Divisional Level Committee will go through the habitat right claims and forward them to the District Level Committee.
-If district administration’s succeeds in expected line, Mankidias will become the first of 13 primitive tribes to get habitat rights under the Forest Rights Act 2006.
-Mankidias still live in poor conditions. Despite many development initiatives and projects, their socio-economic condition has not improved much.
-The Mankidia produced first matriculate in 2010 which shows their backwardness.
What is Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups?
-Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) are more vulnerable among the various tribal groups of India.
-Due to their vulnerability, more developed and assertive tribal groups take a major chunk of the tribal development funds, because of which PVTGs need more funds directed for their development.
-In above context, in 1975, the Government of India initiated to identify the most vulnerable tribal groups as a separate category called PVTGs and declared 52 such groups, while in 1993 an additional 23 groups were added to the category, making it a total of 75 PVTGs out of 705 Scheduled Tribes, spread over 17 states and one Union Territory (UT), in the country (2011 census).
– The state governments or UT governments submit proposals to the Union Ministry of Tribal Welfare for identification of PVTGs. The Central Ministry then examines the proposals in consultation with the Niti Aayog. After ensuring the criteria is fulfilled, the Central Ministry selects those groups as PVTGs.
–Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups in the state of Odisha, are (13); Birhor, Bondo, Didayi, Dongria-Khond, Juangs, Kharias, Kutia Kondh, Lanjia Sauras, Lodhas, Mankidias, Paudi Bhuyans, Soura and Chuktia Bhunjia.
