IMPACT OF MODERNISATION ON THE MECH TRIBES OF DOOARS

The Mech tribe is one of Indo-Mongoloid tribes living in the Dooars, West Bengal. The study shed light on the Meches living only in the Alipurduar district and how much they have developed in the light of modernisation and its consequences on their lifestyle. The main objective of this study was to understand the positive and negative impact of modernisation on the Meches. For this, the study has followed a qualitative approach. Initially, focus group discussion was conducted in twenty-four higher secondary schools and later, fifteen secondary level students were chosen for semi-structured interview based on their performance during the focus group discussion, including their parents. Data has also been collected from teachers, folk artists, handicraft workers, traditional healers and resource persons of the community. Later, the data were analysed qualitatively using thematic analysis of Braun and Clarke. Three main themes have derived from the data: educational development, socio-cultural and economic development, followed by the household scenario. Lastly, a thematic map has been developed to show how the main themes as well as sub-themes are related to each other and together they showed how the community is losing its cultural identity to fit into the mainstream society.