Pardhi Tribe in Tuljapur (India)

“Why you have come to us? Many people have come and gone, but nobody has sympathy for us.”

It was the welcome note for me by them. They consider rest of the society as evil to them, and for that, they have valid reason also which we may not deny.

From 2 to 3 Kms from Tuljapur town, there is the place named Tuljapur(Khurd), and at the outermost area of Tuljapur (Khurd) these Pardhi people live. 40 households are living over there with the population of 150 people. They are living on the land of government from last 20 years and asking the government to register that land on their names, but nobody is listening to them. Talking about history, They were marked as CRIMINAL TRIBE. This sin is still attached to them. But this title was given to them by Britishers to justify their invasion in Pardhi’s Forest.

Livelihood:

The badge of the criminal tribe is making their livelihood difficult. And the people who are getting employment that also is not certain. Making Kathi (wood sticks) is their traditional occupation but due to less profit, only a few people are practising it. Some of them have chosen the path of begging to spend their life this person does not have right to beg also. They are thrown out of the temple by police.Some people also go to the Mumbai ( Railway stations) for begging. Women and children contribute more in beggar population. There is forest area nearby their stay, but these people are prohibited to go there. There are many cases they have recited in which police had arrested and beaten them for collecting goods from the forest.

Educational status:

As similar to pardhi of other areas this pardhi also have poor educational status. Talking about an adult in their households nobody has the gain formal education. In school also children are facing discrimination from children of other community and even from teachers. These children have the separate group in the school, and no other children have a friendship with them. Teachers and other officers abuse them on their caste. Due to all these obstacles and lack of awareness these people have given up on education.

Society, Government, and Pardhi Community:

No need to say that they are very sceptical about the government. They do have a negative attitude towards the rest of the community due to the discrimination faces by them in their daily life. Due to their illiteracy, they are not getting benefits o the government scheme. They are struggling for their land right also as they do not have land register on their names they remain unbenefitted by schemes like gharkul yojna. Whenever they go to the government office for seeking benefits from the provided schemes and policies, they are driven away for not possessing the required documents.

This person has always been struggling with getting justice in the judiciary system. First of all, it is because of the lack of literacy and then because of the poor economic condition. Any case in a court run so long that they can not afford the fees of advocate and other expenses.

They are isolated by the mainstream people. Maximum pardhi people especially women do not have social capital outside their community. Some individuals who are working in tuljapur market do have the social relationship but that also limited to their business only.

Perception of residents:

The social stigma of the criminal tribe about them still prevails in this area. As I have inquired about them and told people that I am going to meet them, people suggested me not to go alone, do not take money, do not go at evening because anything bad can happen to me. Mainstream people still consider them criminal. Nobody wants to play with pardhis's children. In school also this child have the separate group and faces casteist abuses from other students. They are considered as beggars and criminal, and hence other people hesitate to give employment to them. Local political bodies also use them for the vote only. At the time of an election, they greed them by giving some amount of money and then after the election does not turn up to visit them also.