Indigenous People And Entrepreneurship In Kandhamal

The district of Kandhamal in the Indian State of Odisha is the land of Tribals. The indigenous tribes, who are living in the district for ages, are the aboriginal people of the place which was once known as Kui Country. The Tribals practice shifting cultivation to grow various cash crops like turmeric, ginger, pulses, etc. They are simple, very hard working and courageous people. Of these, the Kandha tribe constitute the majority and solely depend on the forest to earn their livelihood which is at subsistence level. Hence, they live in abject poverty. With the increase in their population coupled with gradual decrease in the forest cover and Government initiatives, their age old source of livelihoods has come under severe threat. Under these circumstances, the researchers have tried to find out how the Common Property Resources (CPRS), which were earlier enjoyed by the indigenous people since ages, can be put to optimum use for sustainable livelihoods of the tribes. The researchers have tried to find out ways of making the Tribals, entrepreneurial through cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants so that their economic conditions improve for, they love their land and forest.