Kutia Kondha in Belghar

KUTIA KONDHA 

         Kutia Kondha is one of the primitive sections of Kondha tribe. The Kondha’s who live in hill top and valleys are known as Kutia Kondha. Whereas those who live in high land and near the streams are called Kutia and Dangaria kondhas who are residing in plain area are known as Desia kondh. In Belghar maximum Kutia Kondha are residing on the top of the hill of the Kandhamal District.

 

        Kutia kondh are mostly dependent on shifting cultivation, cultivation of minor agriculture products and collection of NTFP. The Kutia kondhs are residing mostly in Langigarh,Th.rampur,M.Rampur and Bhawanipatna block of Kalahandi in Odisha . Among them some Kutia kondhas are residing in Kandhamal Districts Belghar Gram Panchayat under Tumudibandha Block. The Kutia Kondh settlement is having two rows of houses, across a rectangular space facing each other. All the Kutia kondh houses of a village maintain single roof, although each house having partition wall, and the varandha run from one end to other. The economic life of Kutia kondh is dependent on forest. They practice shifting cultivation, cultivating varities of crop and during lean period collecting food stuffs from the forest. Minor forest products also fetch them cash income. The social organization is very strong and unified. The family is mostly nuclear and patriarchal in character. Social unity and co-opration is remarkable. Women play a bigger role in the family economy. They are mostly nature worshipper. Jani is the fulltime magico religious specialist of the village. In the pre-independence era they were practicing human sacrifice but now a day as substitute buffalo and sheep sacrifice. The practice of youth dormitory are though gradually losing its importance but still prevalent among Kutia kondh villages.  Dhap, Salap baja are the important musical instruments of Kutia Kondhs.

        The kutia kondhs are in transition in the recent decade with the intervention of Government. There is gradual development and transformation in the field of social life, education, infrastructural development etc.

        As the whole of Belghar gram panchayat is a hilly forested area, there is not enough plain land where the Kutia Kondh tribal people can farm. They have been using the hilly land since generations to grow crops for subsistence.

        

        Belghar is the only gram panchayat in Kandhamal district to have Kutia Kondh, which is an agrarian tribal community. They use low hill slopes for agriculture and depend on the forest for their livelihood. “Anything hampering their land or forest would threaten their livelihood and survival,”the special officer at Kutia Kondh Development Agency, Belghar, emphasised.

         Forest is a part of Kutia Kondhs. “We worship the plants used for making plough and other agricultural tools. The siali leaves that grow in forest are used in every ritual on which we offer rice and other food items to our gods. Amla or Indian gooseberry is a medicinal plant and it supports our livelihood because of its commercial value.

        Kandhamal district has a history of community forest conservation. As per a forestry policy and institutions working paper of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, the communities of Kandhamal joined conservation activities with the realisation that they have to assume responsibility to protect their forests to avoid threats to food supply and livelihood opportunities.

Some Photos of Kutia Kondha of Belghar GP