Infrastructure Development for Pahadi Korwa Community under 

Context:

A recent government announcement highlighted that 54 settlements of the Pahadi Korwa community in north Chhattisgarh will soon be connected by roads. This initiative is part of the Prime Minister’s JANMAN scheme, aimed at enhancing accessibility and infrastructure in remote areas, fostering better connectivity and development for the community.

Relevance:

GS II: Government Policies and Interventions

Dimensions of the Article:

1. Pahadi Korwa Tribe
2. Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN): Empowering Tribal Communities

Pahadi Korwa Tribe:

• Identified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in Chhattisgarh, India.
• Predominantly residing in the Korba and Jashpur districts of Chhattisgarh, with smaller populations in Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.
• Language:
  • Primary Language: The Korwa tribe speaks Korwa, also known as Ernga or Singli.
  • Dialect: They refer to their language as Bhashi, meaning ‘local language.’
  • Linguistic Family: Korwa language is part of the Munda sub-group of the Austroasiatic languages.
  • Additional Languages: Many also speak Sadri and Chhattisgarhi.
• Economic Practices:
  • Subsistence: Primarily engaged in small-scale farming, fishing, hunting, and forest foraging.
  • Agricultural Practices: They employ a traditional farming method known as jhoonga kheti, which involves clearing forest areas to cultivate crops like lentils.
• Family Structure: Typically, Pahadi Korwa families are nuclear.
• Housing Customs:
  • Settlement Patterns: They build their homes near forest areas using minimal resources.
  • Cultural Practices: Upon the death of a family member within their home, they abandon and relocate, constructing a new home elsewhere.
• Governance:
  • Local Governance: The tribe governs itself through a panchayat system, where community meetings deal with justice and law enforcement based on traditional norms.
• Religious Beliefs:
  • Worship Practices: Devotion is primarily directed towards ancestral spirits and a few key deities.
  • Main Deities: Key figures of worship include Sigri Dev, Gauria Dev, Mahadev (Lord Shiva), Parvati, and Khudia Rani, who is regarded as the supreme deity of the community.

Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN): Empowering Tribal Communities

Comprehensive Scheme:

• PM JANMAN, comprising Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes, is a holistic initiative targeting 11 critical interventions through nine ministries, with a particular focus on the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

Key Interventions:

• Aims to address 11 critical interventions, including permanent housing, road connectivity, piped water supply, mobile medical units, hostel construction, ‘Anganwadi’ facilities, and skill development centers.

Additional Ministries’ Involvement:

• Beyond the 11 critical interventions, other ministries contribute to the mission’s success.
  • Ministry of Ayush:
    • Establishes Ayush Wellness Centres based on existing norms.
    • Extends Ayush facilities to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) habitations through Mobile Medical Units.
  • Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship:
    • Facilitates skill and vocational training in PVTG habitations, multipurpose centers, and hostels, aligning with the specific skills of these communities.

-Source: The Hindu