VOL.

VIII, SPECIAL ISSUE, RKVY NOV-2018 SEMINAR NDUAT AYODHYA MULTILOGIC IN SCIENCE ISSN 2277-7601
An International Refereed, Peer Reviewed & Indexed Quarterly Journal in Science, Agriculture & Engineering
ANNUAL INCOME OF KHARWAR TRIBE OF KAIMUR BIHAR
Suman Prasad Maurya
College of Home Science, ND University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Faizabad, U.P. India
Abstract
The government mission for doubling farmers income by 2022 is much needed effort focused not the crop but the goal is growth of the
farmers and sustained family living. An understanding of the income of the families, their culture and belief can enable the scientists and the
policy makers to focus their energies that will make a dent in the quality of living of the farmers through doubling their income. The annual
income of any community or family must be studied before actually intervening in lives and lifestyle of individual families or the community.
India is a house for about 588 Scheduled tribes, most of them are associated with agriculture and animal based livelihood. In a study with the
Kharwar tribes of Bihar, 300 families were randomly selected from the Adhaura block of Kaimur (Bhabua) district of Bihar. The annual
income of the agrarian tribe was recorded during the survey through interview schedule prepared for the study. The study revealed that the
Kharwars had very poor income. The agriculture production was very poor due to traditional ways of agriculture practices. Most of them had
cattle with local breed. The tribals kept more number of animal heads but the milk production was very low and used for their family
subsistence. Minor produce collected from the forest was another source of income. The cultural and researchable issues have been reported
for doubling income of farmers of the tribal community
Key words: Tribal farmers, income and income scources
Introduction Family profile: The tribal families (69.33%) were found nuclear in
Doubling of farmers’ income is a commitment of the Government and nature while only 31.66 per cent families were joint families.
moral responsibility of the scientists and the society to provide full Irrespective of the family type, the family size varied from 3-11
support and opportunities to the farmers for their personal growth and members. Fifty-one per cent of the sample had small family size with
survival because ‘survival of farmer is survival of humanity’. Farmers three to five members. Thiry nine per cent had six to eight per cent
are dedicated to their profession irrespective of the profit, risks and members, while the rest (10%) had 9 to 11 members in the family. The
hardship. Through years and in every season the farmers rise up to mean size of the family was seven.
take up the difficult task producing food grains and other produce to The literacy among the Kharwar tribes was poor as all the mothers and
ensure food security for the country. 70 per cent of the fathers of children were illiterate. Twenty per cent
Tribals scheduled tribes, Indigenous people, ethnic minorities and of the fathers had not even completed their primary education, only
aboriginal are the descendents of the land they live. India’s rich six per cent were educated upto 8th standard while a few (4%) were
heritage of about 588 scheduled tribes (Dhar, 1992) makes it the land secondary level education.
of tribes among the Asian countries. Different tribes are spread over Family income and their sources
the country and have their unique habitat some exclusively habituated Agriculture was the major occupation and source of income among
by the tribals but most of the habitat is shared with the non tribals. the Kharwar tribe of Bihar. The Kharwars families had their own
Their welfare and development has been a concern of the Government cultivatble land varying from 0.25 hectares to 2,5 hectares except for
reflected from the first Five Year Plan. The tribal agrarian three per cent who cultivated on leased land (patta) on adhia basis
communities are known to have a distinct lifestyle and practices of (50:50). Most of their land were upland and rainfed due to which
cultivation. majority of farmers were able to reap only Kharif season crops. They
The Lohtas Nagas, Ao Nagas Seema tribes of North-east India Juangs cultivated crops like paddy, redgram, millets (Kodu, Madua, Majeri,
and Sooras have been reported to practise shift cultivation or bogoda Jenari), maize and vegetables. Most of the grains were for the purpose
or podu chaso or jhum cultivation, while Apatanis of Anurachal of family consumption. Only five per cent of the sample sold a part of
Pradesh, the Mundas, Oraons and Kharwars of Bihar earned their paddy as they had good yields.
livelihood mainly from terrance cultivation or settled cultivation The tribe also collected minor forest produce, reared animals for their
(Bhattacharya and Lakshmaiah, 1992; Desai, 1988). subsistence.
The review of literature on Kharwar tribes revealed that Khawars or Collection and sale of minor forest produce: All the families (except
Kherwar are synonymous words used for one of the agrarian tribal 3%) collected forest produce like Mahua (Madhuca longifolia Koen)
community of Bihar who claim to be the descendents of Surajbansi Piyar (Buchanania latifolia) and Tendu leaves (Diiospyros
Harishchandra i.e., Rohitas. They are known to live in plains and top melanoxylon Roxb). Fifity four per cent of the selected families earned
of the plateau of Rotas in Palamau before the Chero rule. With the through their services on other land as agricultural labours. The
beginning of Chero rule they migrated to hills. The Kharwars are worker of the villages land as well as Government land like
settled agriculturist community with elaborate village life. The family departmental farms, forest department for tree plantation, block
functions under a head, while the village head is called Mukhia and development office and Krishi Vigyan Kendra.
village priest as Baiga. The Biaga is an important is an important Cattles and animals: The Kharwars reared animals like cows, goats,
office who besides other things, inaugurates the sowing and ox and hen. Nearly half of the sample (43%) had cows to provide them
transplantation. They also work as part time labourers (Prasad, 1961). milk. The production of milk was very low. Majority of the Kharwars
Materials and Methods having cows earned less than Rs. 200/- year. Only two per cent could
One hundred Kharwar families were randomly selected from seven earn more thanRs. 1500/- year by selling milk. Twenty-eight per cent
villages of Adhaura block of Kaimur District Bihar, having at least of the sample had local breeds of goat. One of the family members,
one preschool children. The village selected were Adhaura, Pipra, usually young child above the age of five years, along with his fellow
Jharpa, Darihara, Garke, Khamkalan and Sikarwar. The descriptive friends of different age, went with animals for their grazing in the
research was conducted with the help of an interview schedule pastor land of the hills and forest areas, two times a day. The tribals
prepared by the investigator to elicit the relevant information from the were not in the habit of feeding their cattle. The families who could
tribal families. not graze their cattle for various reasons, gave off their cattle on adia
Results and Discussion (50:50 basis) to other family who agreed to take the responsibility. The
The salient findings of the study with respect to the annual income of goat reared by the Kharwars was basically for their meat. They did not
the Kharwar tribes of Kaimur (Bhabhua) Bihar were as follows: - consume or sell the goats milk and allowed the kids of the goat to
consume it all for their better growth.

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 VOL. VIII, SPECIAL ISSUE, RKVY NOV-2018 SEMINAR NDUAT AYODHYA MULTILOGIC IN SCIENCE ISSN 2277-7601
An International Refereed, Peer Reviewed & Indexed Quarterly Journal in Science, Agriculture & Engineering
The Kharwars engaged their oxen for ploughing and levelling of land, The Scientist need to intervene and let them know of the technologies
threshing of the agriculture produce, gathering firewood from the that can help them double their income. Agricultural engineers and the
forest during spring and summer season till the start of rains. The animal scientists and veterarian should study this aspect with respect
firewwod was their main source of fuel for cooking and keeping them to designing appropriate ways to manage the dung for optimally using
warm during rainy and winter season. Families who did not have oxen the available organic resource for fertilizing their land. The animal
borrowed it from their fellowmen for preparing their land. breeder may think of high yielding breeds that are suitable for hilly
Interestingly the Kharwars were not reported to prepare cow dung and plateau area and can be fed through grazing than feeding only in
cakes for fuel as done by the non-tribal groups residing in the same sheds. The economics of backyard poultry can be another avenue that
village nor did they seem to know of composting technologies from can fetch the farmers of Kharwar tribe additional income where
which they could prepare they own Farm Yard Manure and enrich especially women and young children can play an important role in
their land. Instead the farmers were found to leave the cattle in a watching and monitoring the birds.
confined area of their land for the night. This night arrangement shifts References
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dung as a source of manure was distributed throughout their field. The Perspectives for Tribals. Yojana, Vol.36, No. 3, p. 20.
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know the benefits of well prepare farm yard manure and the B.), New Delhi: Inter-India Publication, pp. 212-213.
techniques of doing so. Also, they seem to be reluctant in handling the 3. Dhar, S. (1992). The Tribal Kaledoscope. Yojana, Vol. 36, No.21,
dung for the purpose. pp. 37, 39.
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