Down the Ages: The Struggle for Survival of a Marginalised Community in Puruliya, West Bengal (India)

West Bengal is home to a number of tribal communities. The Kheria Sabar is one such numerically small community inhabiting an unfavourable agro-ecological area in the district of Puruliya in the western part of the state. The poverty and marginalisation of the Sabars is perceived to be a structural problem caused by the interaction of interlinked systems – historical, socio-economic, political, environmental and spatial. The lives of the Sabars, once designated a ‘criminal tribe’, have been one of exploitation and neglect. Limited access to power and resources, and seasonality in employment opportunities and food security, are the principal sources of stress that the present-day Sabars are subject to in their daily lives. This article based on ethnographic research carried out in 2004 covering 270 households in Puruliya traces the lives of the Sabars and comments on the changes that have taken place over the years. Though not a very positive picture, it is hoped that with time, the Sabars will be able to break out of their past and look at a brighter and a more equitable future.