VBU initiative for social development

The Anthropology department of Vinoba Bhave University (VBU), Hazaribag has set an example for others by taking up special projects not directly related to their discipline or area of work to contribute in social development.Ahead of the World Tribal Day the Anthropology department recently undertook a unique venture of adopting a Birhor village — ‘Kandsar’ under Katkamsandi Block, situated about 18 kms south-west of Hazaribag district on NH 100. 

Prof ( Dr) Gurdeep Singh, Vice-Chancellor of the VBU has shown his keen interest in Birhors. He adopted Shankar Birhor (Ramgarh) for free higher education on the occasion of World Tribal Day.Birhor community are nomadic primitive tribe who are on the verge of extinction. Birhor is one among the 32 tribes (one of the 8 primitive tribes) living in Jharkhand. They are known for exquisite rope-making.

In several tandas, Birhors’ are facing problems of drinking water, nutrition and sanitation. Till now they have not been brought into the mainstream of the nation.Health problem is one of the major issue but skin disease and intestinal protozoan with helminthic infestations are the major problems among the Birhors. Most of these infections are due to their unhygiene living and indiscriminate defecation in the open, naked foot walking and lack of health awareness and hygiene.

In a bid to uplift, provide them quality life and to include them into the mainstream of the society the Anthropology department believes, it can only be possible through enhancing awareness levels among the Birhors, said Ganga Nath Jha, HOD of the department.“We are on the move to make them aware about health, hygiene and sanitation besides their rights and Government welfare schemes”, added Jha.

Under this noble move the Anthropological action is taken which was divided in to four controlled stages packed by appropriate methodology with clear cut hypothesised outcome, said Jha.Besides others Vice Chancellor, Dr Gurdeep Singh and Pro-Vice Chancellor, Prof. (Dr) MP Sinha also joined the campaign intended for health education. Duo also conducted door-to-door visit across the tanda.

First the Birhor families were visited and data was collected with qualitatively loaded questions using personal interview schedule, besides other quantitative tools of data collection.The interviews intended to identify and underline the basic problems faced by these tribesmen. The database thus prepared was used for other subsequent stages, because they were designed not to investigate but to deliver, that something substantial in very short time assigned for this study.

Health awareness and cleanliness campaigns were conducted in the tanda and participation of each and every Birhor was ensured. Students of Anthropology department provided free soaps to every Birhor, and educate the lot to the significance of bodily cleanliness to the overall need for hygiene level of the community, Jha said.