Tharu Tribe | UPSC
HEADLINES:
How COVID-19 made forest rights battle tougher for Tharu women
WHY IN NEWS:
The Adivasi women of Lakhimpur Khiri in eastern UP show resilience
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 1:Tribe
LEARNING:
For PRELIMS it is important to understand the spread , location , occupation , society and a little background too !
For MAINS concentrate on writing a better answer on FRA ! .
ISSUE:
THE THARU COMMUNITY
LOCATION :
- The Tharu community belongs to the Terai lowlands, amidst the Sivaliks or lower Himalayas.
- They are located in southern Nepal and in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India.
TYPOGRAPHY :
- This is a region of alluvial floodplains, marshy grasslands and dense forests with plenty of wildlife.
OCCUPATION :
Most of them are forest dwellers and some practise agriculture .
- Tharu families survive on wheat, corn and other vegetables grown close to their homes.
- Some Tharu people were forced into bonded labour, while the majority lived off the forest.
LANGUAGE :
They speak various dialects of Tharu, a language of the Indo-Aryan subgroup of the Indo-Iranian group of the Indo-European family, and they are largely Indian in culture.
BACKGROUND :
- The region was ruled by queens and kings in the 19th century.
- In 1864, the Britishers controlled much of northern and central India, established the forest department.
- The department reserved some forest land and considered itself the rightful owners of these lands.
- In 1927, the British made forest laws that gave supreme power to the department and its bureaucracy.
- This creating a violent home ground for Tharu Adivasi community.
POST INDEPENDENCE :
- In 1978 : GOI drew out plans to create a protected area for tigers — the Dudhwa National Park.
- BATTLING RIGHTS : Tharu Adivasi forest villages in this area led the battle for their land and rights.
- RELOCATION : The same year, at least 43 villages were relocated and granted revenue village status(officially recognised by the state and be eligible for government services.)
TRADITIONS :
Tharu use their own traditional ritual specialists in addition to the Hindu Brahman priests; moreover, many consume alcoholic beverages and some eat beef.
RELIGION :
Tharu worship Mahadev and possess some idea of a supreme being known as Narayan who provides sunshine, rain and harvests.
SOCIETY :
Despite their patrilineal social system, women have property rights greatly exceeding those recognized in Hindu society.
IASbhai WINDUP:
The word थारू thāru is thought to be derived from sthavir meaning follower of Theravada Buddhism.
SOURCES: PIB | Tharu Tribe | UPSC
DISCOVER MORE : Important Tribes
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