Livelihood Status of Tribal People Practicing Jhum Cultivation in Tripura State of North-east India

Jhum or shifting cultivation is the dominant land-use practice of North-Eastern region of India. It is an ecological and economically viable system of agriculture as long as population densities are low and Jhum cycles are long. The population explosion and increased demand for cultivable land have resulted in reduction of Jhum cultivation cycle. This is seriously affecting livelihoods and environmental security in the region. Keeping this in view, the present study was conducted to find the livelihood status of tribal people practising Jhum in Tripura. The study was conducted in the Gomati district of Tripura state in North- East India in 2012–13 by collecting data from 140 tribal farmers using structured interview schedule. The study has revealed that the livelihood status of the majority farmers (39.3%) was low, followed by medium (36.4%) and high (24.3%). The area under Jhum and the number of family members involved in Jhum have been found to contribute highest to the variations in livelihood status of tribal people in this region.