Orissa, the present geo-political expression of the land of Oriyas whose forefathers are builders of Utkal, Kalinga or Trikalinga empires within the golden periods of Indian history became a separate Province on its bifurcation from the then Bihar-Orissa Province of British India with effect from 1st April, 1936. Later on it was enlarged on merger of princely States and other territories in 1948 and 1949 after India's independence having a population of 2 crores and 20 lakhs roughly as per 1971 census out of which the tribal population constitutes 23.7 per cent. As many as 62 Scheduled Tribes live in this State in 70,647 Sq. Kms of forest and mountainous tracts representing 45 per cent of the State's area. Tribals of different denominations have formed an integral part of Orissan native culture and history from the time immemorial.
Politically, socially, economically and culturally, the tribals and non-tribals of Orissa are interdependent under the cult of Jagannath and indivisible from each other for centuries.
The constitution of India has provided some concessions to Tribals and Harijans for their upliftment in the interest of political, social and economic justice. Orissa as an integral part of India has made a number of enactments in furtherance of the above-mentioned policy and principles enshrined in the directives under the Indian Constitution. Tribals are inseparable from the political, social and cultural life of Oriyas though they have remained at a distance in hills and forests. They are economically backward and have been made traditionally backward to receive the benefits and to enjoy the fruits of modern civilisation under the centuries old compelling but adverse circumstances and unhospitable environments. As such, laws and enactments to remove this deep-rooted backwardness from tribal societies have been made and put into effect right from the date Orissa became a separate State.
In this context, development and welfare of weaker sections of the society have assumed greater importance and magnitude which have attracted the attention of one and all particularly that of tribals. To speak about things at National level, it may be mentioned that Five Year Plans and Commu-nity Development and National Extension Service programmes were launched with effect from 1.4.1951 and 2.10.1952 respectively with a view to ameliorating the socio-economic conditions of the tribal and the other weaker sections of the society.
It was all accidental or a coincidence that on my entry into the State Civil Service in the year 1962 immediately after completion of departmental training, I was posted as a B.D.O. of a tribal block in Mayurbhanj district which is situated at the northern part of Orissa and predominately inhabited by tribals. There in that district, I served for about 71 years as Block Development Officer in two blocks from June 1963 to October 1970. In 1963, at the beginning of my career as a B.D.O., I was deputed to Ranchi for training at the Tribal Orientation and Study Centre. The District of Mayurbhanj is predominately inhabited by tribals like Santals, Gonds, Kollhos etc. The Blocks where I worked as B.D.O., were T.D. Stage 1 Blocks. Thereafter on my transfer from C.D. Department to the Revenue Department, I was posted to Boudh-Kondhmals District which is another tribal district of Orissa. There I continued upto June 1975 and eventually came across the Tribals i.e., Kondhs. From July 1975 to the date, I have been working in the Ganjam district which has a sizeable tribal population particularly living in Parlakhemundi, Berhampur and Bhanjanagar Sub-divisions. Thus, from 1963 to 1983, say, for last two decades I have been placed to work in areas inhabitated by tribals of different denominations facilitating me to come in closer contact with them and their social, economical, cultural and political life. I have been enamoured by their simplicity, innocence and their way of life.
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