Author(s):

Suman Prasad Maurya

Abstract: Tribals or Scheduled Tribes is the word used for descendants of original inhabitants of the place A large number of tribes are spread all over the world. In India itself there are 588 scheduled tribes with areas either predominant of tribal population, sub plan areas and in pockets. Tribals communities, traditionally were either occupied as hunters, gatherers (food, snakes etc), artisans or engaged in shift agriculture (Jhum cultivation). These tribes have been reported to have their own regulations and methods of ensuring food and nutritional security which are mainly governed by their traditional ways. Irulas of Nilgiri Hills are snake catchers, Oraons are expertise in making beer especially from Mahua, the Kharwars of Bihar were food gathers like wise every tribe has their distinct lifestyle and food security system. With time there are a number of factors that are affecting their livelihood and the food and nutritional availability. Acculturation, Government interventions and policies, social and legal regulations are some of the prominent factors. A study with Kharwar tribes of Kaimur Bihar, revealed that they were basically forest based tribes who were expertise in the knowledge of flora and fauna of their habitat and gathered a number of plant and animal based produce from the forest for their family food security and nutritional intake. With forest regulations, the Kharwars have adopted agriculture as their main occupation but they still are involved in gathering of different produce like mahua flowers and many uncommon foods rich in nutrition but not popular or known to the general public. The paper bring out these uncommon food that are based on ITK and some have scope for analysis for their nutritional properties.

Pages: 430-432  |  1686 Views  678 Downloads

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