Class - 6
Lesson – 6 KUNAVARAM A TRIBAL VILLAGE IN THE HILLS K. SURESH, 9441775926
K. Suresh, S.A., S.S., Z.P. (BOYS) High School,
SRIKALAHASTI
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Class - 6
Lesson - 6
KUNAVARAM A TRIBAL VILLAGE IN THE HILLS
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The Bison Hills
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We set out to learn about the lives of Konda Reddys dwelling on the hills in and around Kunavaram. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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పూరణ ప్రవర
ప్రాణహిత పెన్ గంగా గోదావరి
వెన్ గంగా
ఇంద్రావతి శబరి
నిజం సాగర్
సీలేరు
మంజీర నాగారుున సాగర్
ఘటప్రభ
కృష్ణణ నది
గండ్లకమమ సగిలేరు
పెనాే నది
మున్నేరు
నాగావతి శారదా
It is situated on the confluence of the river shabari which flows down from the North and joins the Godavari.
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From kunavaram we reached Bhagavanpuram village which is located at the foot of the hills.
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From kunavaram we reached Bhagavanpuram village which is located at the foot of the hills. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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From kunavaram we reached Bhagavanpuram village which is located at the foot of the hills. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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A foot path from this village led us to up the hills. The path was very steep, narrow and slippery; an accidental fall would have landed us in the valley. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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We climbed on this path for three to four hours and reached the habitation of the tribals. On the way we saw some women carrying bamboo baskets to the market in the plains below. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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Bison hills are spread in both Khammam and West Godavari districts along wither banks of the river Godavari. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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BISON HILLS Papikondalu KONDAPALLI
Nallamala
ERRAMALA, Velikonda , PALA Seshachalam NAGARI, KAMBAKAM K. SURESH, 9441775926
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The two tributaries of the Godavari – Shabari, Sileru flow from the hills. Let us locate these hills on the map below: K. SURESH, 9441775926
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పూరణ ప్రవర
ప్రాణహిత పెన్ గంగా గోదావరి
వెన్ గంగా
ఇంద్రావతి శబరి
నిజం సాగర్
సీలేరు
మంజీర నాగారుున సాగర్
ఘటప్రభ
కృష్ణణ నది
మున్నేరు
నాగావతి శారదా
BISON HILLS
గండ్లకమమ సగిలేరు
పెనాే నది
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The Konda Reddys are a tribe of the region with their own special life style. They are scattered in several mandals of khammam district such as Kunavaram, Chintur, Valairpady, Kukkunur, Dammapeta, Aswaraopet, etc.
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Terrain of Bison hills K. SURESH, 9441775926
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These tribes live in very small habitations – about five to ten hutments in one place. The habitations are far from each other – separated by three to five kilometers. 23
When we climb the hills we saw thick forests combined with big patches of cleared land. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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These clearances are the fields which lie scattered on the hills. As you can see the land here is not at all level, but very sloping. 25
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It is very rocky and the soil has lots of stones and rocky and the soil has lots of stones and rocks. The colour of the soil is red.
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Konda Reddys grow crops in a distinct way called ‘Pudu’.
Podu is an ancient practice in the hilly regions.
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It is also called shifting cultivation or jhum cultivation. It is practiced widely in Chattisgarh and the north eastern states like Arunachal Pradesh. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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Assom
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Arunachala Pradesh
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Nagaland
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Manipur
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Mizoram
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Tripura
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Meghalaya
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Chattisgarh
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In this method, the people clear a patch of forest and burn it.
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They grow crops on these fields for a few years and allow it to rest and grow forest again. Then they clear a new patch of land and grow crop for a few years on it. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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We talked to the people to find out about their lives. Since they spoke Telugu, it was easy for us to talk to them.
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In the Bison Hills, it stops raining around November. So the Reddys use their axes to clear patches of forest in the month of December. 42
In the Bison Hills, it stops raining around November.
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So the Reddys use their axes to clear patches of forest in the month of December.
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They allow the logs of wood to lie and dry on the field for a dew months.
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They set fire for a few months. They set fire to them in April or May just before it rains.
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By the time the rains come the ground is covered with ashes.
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విస్తాపన వ్యవ్స్తయము
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విస్తాపన వ్యవ్స్తయము
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విస్తాపన వ్యవ్స్తయము
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When the rains arrive in June they dibble seeds with the help of digging sticks. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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Or they sow seeds of many crops together by broadcast method (throwing on the ground). They do not use plough or hoe nor do they use any fertilizer. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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One reason for not using plough on the hill slopes is that it will lead to very easy run off of the top soil and make the soil infertile. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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On an average in warly times cleared the forest over 2 to 2 ½ acres of land. The average yield of jowar per acre of podu field is 250 kilograms. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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So each family harvested about 600 kilograms of jawar, besides 150 to 250 kilograms of millets. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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However, now this area has been reduced to about one to one and half acres which has led to reduced availability of food grains. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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These tribes build machans and guard the fields from wild animals and birds till the harvest is over in December. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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The principal crop of this tribe is Jowar (Jonnalu).
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The major crops raised by them are maize (mokka jonna), tubers (dumpalu), millets (samalu, korralu, sode, adusulu); pulses like red gram (kandulu), green gram (pesarlu); vegetables like Brinjal (vangalu); sesamum (nuvvulu), chillies (pachimirapa); etc. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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Maize
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tubers (dumpalu)
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millets
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korralu
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Green gram
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Vegetables
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Sesamum K. SURESH, 9441775926
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They grow mixed crops without any irrigation, depending fully on rains. This normally gives them enough food for about six months. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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After cultivating the podu land for 3 or 4 years, they leave it for 3 or 5 years and cultivate another patch of land. By then the forest grows again on the old land and they cultivate it again in the same way. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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The huts are located in a large area. Around the house they make bamboo fencing. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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They level the land and add organic matter to make the soil fertile. This is their kitchen garden. This is a major source of their food. In kitchen garden, maize, vegetables like beans, ground, chillies, etc. are grown. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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forest products K. SURESH, 9441775926
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Collection of forest produce and hunting play a vital role in the lives of these people. The forest is a great storehouse of food for them and they depend upon the forest for its produce throughout the year. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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The tribal calendar is marked by various seasons for collecting various edible fruits, tubers, nuts, green leaves, and even for hunting small animals. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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Expect for a few months during and after harvest, konda reddy woman and children are engaged in collection of edible forest produce for subsistence. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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Two important forest products collected by them are honey and bamboo shoots. They collect honey from huge trees which they climb with the help of single pole bamboo ladder. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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Tender bamboo shoots called ’kari kommulu’ from tis of the bamboo bushes are collected. The shoots are cooked after the upper covering layers are removed. This is considered a tasty delicacy. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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Another important source of food for the families is the juice of Caryota palm (Jilugu), especially in summer. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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Whenever they or their domestic animals fall ill, they treat them with medicinal plants collected from the forest. They rear goats, sheep, pigs, dogs and chicken too. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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One of the main forest products that is indispensible for the life of these tribes is Bamboo. 123
With the bamboo they make baskets, winnowing fans, mats, implements like digging sticks, bows and arrows. They also sell the bamboo in the local markets. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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They sell all these in weekly markets i.e, santha. With the money they earn by selling their produce, they purchase their daily needs, clothes and other requirements. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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Santha
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There are no rivers or wells in this area. It is very difficult to dig wells in the rocky hills. They fetch water from natural springs like the one shown in the picture for drinking water etc. or they go down to small streams. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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Bamboos are abundant in the forest. They form part and parcel of the lives of Tribals. A part from using bamboos themselves, they also make baskets, winnows, chicken coops etc and take them to the santhas for sale. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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winnows
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chicken coops
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In many areas these tribes are approached by Paper Mill’s agents to cut and supply bamboos for the mills. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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Cash income earned from selling bamboo-ware or from labour is used to buy rice, cloth, utensils etc from the local market. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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As the picture below shows, they live in small houses built of mud, bamboo and thatch. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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The house has large open space on all the sides. Front or adjacent sides of the house are used for bamboo work and keeping the animals. There is no electricity in this area. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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Each settlement has about seven or eight huts. There are nearly 10 such settlements on the hill top. Altogether 78 families are living here and the total population is 528. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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They are all scattered in small villages. These settlements are not permanent. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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The family is very important to these tribes as all members of a family work together on the fields, while hunting or even working in the forest. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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While men and women together participate in all types of work, K. SURESH, 9441775926
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Men do more work relating to cattle rearing and agriculture while women and children attend to gathering food from the forest and basket weaving. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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They worship Gods of Nature and every family has got their kula devatha i.e. family God/Goddess. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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They post a long pole in front of the house and tie some neem twings to it. They call it as Muthalamma and worship it.
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Only men of the village go to forest and offer prayers to their God in the forest. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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The
Mamidi panduga
(festival of mango) is the most important one. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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They celebrate gongura panduga in September and offer Vegetables to their deity and eat it as prasadam.
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Gongura
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Next important festival is the pachha panduga (Green festival). K. SURESH, 9441775926
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All major activites like agriculture, harvest, collection of fruits from the forest etc. begin after this festival. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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During these festivals all members of the tribe get together even if they are living in separate settlements. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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These hill tribes are very few in number but they follow a pattern of life which is very ancient.
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It is based on disturbing the environment the least on compared to other uses of the land like plough agriculture, mining, factory production or towns. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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They do not destroy the forests they use. Even the forests they clear for agriculture is allowed to regenerate after a few years. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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They possess very intimate knowledge of the forest environment and intensive use of the fruits of the forest – again without disturbing it.
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At the same time we should remember that for people to lead this kind of life they need to have large forest land and be left undisturbed to use it. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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In fact for a long time their livelihoods have been repeatedly threatened. The forest officials try to stop the podu cultivation. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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The forests are getting depleted constantly. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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Now the most srious issue for them is the Polavaram dam project. The project is planned to be build across the Godavari near Polavaram. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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Polavaram dam project K. SURESH, 9441775926
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Polavaram dam project
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The waters that will be stored in the dam will be used to irrigate the region between Godavari and Krishna Deltas and Krishna Delta villages. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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However, they will also submerge a large number of villages in Kunavaram mandal. It becomes impossible for the konda Reddys to continue to live on the hills. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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However, they will also submerge a large number of villages in Kunavaram mandal. It becomes impossible for the konda Reddys to continue to live on the hills. K. SURESH, 9441775926
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K. Suresh, S.A., S.S., Z.P. (Boys) High School, SRIKALAHASTI K. SURESH, 9441775926
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