The Karlapat wildlife sanctuary is situated in Kalahandi district and comes under the Kalahandi forest division. It is 12 km from Bhawanipatna and has very rich variety of tropical and sub-tropical species. The sanctuary spreads over 147.65 sq km and extends up to Kashipur hills in north and lanjigarh in west, while the Ghara reserve forests form its southern part.
The entire sanctuary contains minerals like bauxite and other precious stones. The whole tract is a lush green gigantic sal forest patch. The allied species of sal are found in the forests also. The forests are home to a dominant tribal population. The district has 28.88 per cent of schedule tribe and 17.01 per cent schedule cast population and most of them are forest dwellers. In Odisha, 62 types of tribes are found with Kandha being the largest group. The Kandhas are found more or less in every forest patch in the State. They form about 18 per cent of total Schedule Tribes of the State. A large section of people of the tribal group is found in Rayagada and Kalahandi districts, which is confined to the Eastern Ghat section. The tribals prefer a settled life, but do shifting cultivation and generally raise crops like turmeric and kandal. Their literacy rate is very poor, while the kandha villages are still following certain age old traditions and rituals, including human sacrifice for getting bumper crops. The Kandha tribe is mostly found in the hilly and forest patches of Andhra, Odisha and Chhatisgarh provinces. Those who live in the hills are known as Dangoria Kandhas. Dangar means hill forests. Similarly, Kutia Kandhas are found in the valley areas. The Kutias are a bit developed tribe. Their literacy percentage is more than the Dangarias.
Deshia Kondhas generally live in plains and follow settled cultivations. They are also advanced so far as their living style is concerned. Both the Kutias and Deshias prefer settled lives. The most primitive rituals are prevalent in the Dangaria hamlets.
They still practice animal sacrifice and slaughter buffaloes and other animals for better crop yields. These people are very hospitable to their guests. The writer, during the early days of his service, was posted in Kalahandi and had the chance of mixing with several tribes. When any Government employee goes to their villages and stays there, they feel honored and present full bawl of rice, Kandul dal and a fowl. If the guest does not accept the offerings, it hurts them. The evening is very pleasant in the tribal dwellings. They lit fire in dry woods and sing songs in their own dialects. Their dances are unique. Its rhythm, poise and balance allure anybody. In lanjigarh, Kashipur, Niyamgiri and Karlapat areas, the Kandha settlements are intertwined with a rich cultural background. They speak in Kui language. The writer spent several nights in langigarh, Karlpat and Mahalpatria Kandha villages and had the advantage of mixing with the tribals and forming a bond with them. The mad quest for raw materials for the rapid industrialization in the State has ravaged many interior hilly and forested regions and at the same time, destroyed the tranquil and peaceful habitats of the tribes. Many innocent tribes have had to bear the brunt of indiscriminate mining in their areas. The Niyamgiri bauxite mining row is just the tip of an iceberg.
The Kalarapat biological complex has undergone rapid changes for the worse. The eco-complex has totally been damaged due to undesirable activities of the outsiders in and outside of the eco belt. The tribal communities specially the Dangoria Kandhas worship the Niyam danger as their deity called Donger Devi. They believe that the mother goddess provides them food and shelter, as the hills are rich in several varieties of fruits, roots, herbs, tubers, corns and water bodies.
This was the reason all the 12 gram sabhas held in the tribal clusters atop the Niyamgiri hills in Rayagada and Kalahandi districts clearly said no to the proposal for bauxite mining of the Vedanta and State Government when an environmental referendum was conducted at the behest of the Supreme Court recently. Since these tribals are attached with the hills socially, economically, culturally and religiously, it was virtually a foregone conclusion that they should be opposing mining in their habitats. The tribals do not want to be victims of the trickery of the modern civilization anymore.
The Dangarias live a disciplined life. They are monogamous. Free sex is not seen in their society although the males and females dance and sing together during festivities. The boy and girl choose their life partner with the approval of their parents. The grooms and brides are always from different villages. The hearts of these people are very clean and they are never seen tempted to grab others’ properties. The tribe is most conservative in the use of forest resources.
The villages are generally peaceful and when there is any conflict, it gets sorted out in the village meeting. The village head always announces the final decision, which is binding on everybody. The village head is a senior man of the village.
The females avoid talking with outsiders of the village. The Dangaria Kandhas do not tattoo their faces and hands like Kutia Kondhas. The Ragi or the millet gruel is the most common diet of the Dangaria Kandhas. They call it as Feja.
The sal forests bearing areas are always preferred by the tribal people to settle. The Golamunda areas in northern side of Tel river of Kalahandi contain pure teak forest but tribals do not settle here. But its southern side supports pure sal forests and hence it is a hub of the tribals. The tribals choose the sal forest area because their soil is very fertile. Same soil is not found in the teak bearing areas. Junagar, Sadar Keshinga, Narla, Madanpur, Rampur, Jaypatna and lanjigarh areas are rich in Kandha tribes. Niyamgiri and Karlapat areas are also in Kandha domains.
(The writer is a former senior forest officer and an environmentalist)