Sahariya Tribe: Adivasis in Transition

Tribals are an important part of any country, yet in most of the under developed and developing countries they are either side lined or marginalized. Their very existence, exuberant, plethoric and extensive indigenous knowledge of natural habitat is dying slowly, but surely, generally at the bottom of the social and economic ladder far from development processes. The Sahariya tribe generally belongs to Madhya Pradesh (M.P) and Rajasthan but migrated to Bundelkhand region (Lalitpur district) of Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) and other states due to displacements from their natural habitat of Kuno Palpur Wild Life Sanctuary (M.P.) and precarious employment opportunities thereafter, without any fruitful outcomes. Firstly, it was reallocation of lions from Gujarat and secondly for construction of dams. In wake, majority of them are therefore forced to leave their native place, striving hard for livelihood and sustainability, and dying due to lack of malnourishment, poverty and minimal immunity level and falling prey to diseases like pulmonary TB etc. In the State of U.P where tribals account for 0.1% only of the total population, earlier Sahariyas had a schedule caste status, while in adjoining states they are schedule tribe since ages. It is very recently in 2002 that these people were allotted a schedule tribe status by U.P. State government. The present paper thus is a sincere effort to document and review the wholesome scenario of these Adivasis in their transition form, their displacement, migration, indigenous knowledge, livelihood and sustainable development.