Promotion of Sustainable Livelihood through Skill Development of Dongria Kondh Communities During Lockdown

Abstract

A tribe is a group of people who are residing within their group in a specific geographical area. India has approximately 700 distinct tribes that are notified under the Article 342 of the Constitution of India. Each tribe differs from each other in terms of language, ethnicity, history, etc., but all tribes have a same thread of customary practices. Schedule Tribe (ST) is cited as categorical indigenous people whose status is recognized by national legislation with some formal degree and due to the most vulnerable category, the government has made several plans for the upliftment of inaccessible people of the society. There are 75 vulnerable tribal communities in India. Dongria Kondh or Dangaria Kandha is one of the vulnerable tribes in India. Dongria Kondh is the sub-section of the Kondh tribal community and is a PVTG section of the tribe. Dangaria is only found in Odisha and is residing around the Niyamgiri Hill to which they worship as their God. During the pandemic, they came up with their signature tag handwoven embroideries Kapdagonda work with new ideas in the form of a "cultural" mask under the guidance of Dongria Kondh Development Agency (DKDA) of Rayagada district of Odisha. It was a step ahead skill development work of Dongria Kondh women that went beyond the normal fabric working to revive their income during the lockout. The objective of the paper is to cover the status of the Dangaria Kandha or Dongria Kondh tribe and how the skill development programme of women SHGs during the lockdown helped to revive their income. It is necessary to frame a skill development pick of Dongria Kondh tribal. The paper is a qualitative in nature and also follow the available literatures as well as a grassroot study to make this paper as a valid content study.