1Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Extension, College of Agriculture, Padannakkad, Kerala Agricultural University
2Professor, Dept. of Agricultural Extension, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, Kerala Agricultural University
College of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Extension, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, 680 654 (Kerala)
*Corresponding Author’s Email: shamna.n@kau.in
Online Published on 05 January, 2023.
The study was conducted among the tribespeople in three major tribal communities viz., Paniyans, Aranadans and Kattunaikkans of Malappuram; a district situated in Northern Kerala. An ex-post facto research design with 180 tribal respondents (sixty tribespeople were randomly selected from each community). Data obtained from pretested questionnaire survey were used to analyse the socio-personal attributes of the respondents. The study revealed general socio-economic backwardness of the tribespeople. A binary logistic regression performed between the natural resources utilisation of the tribespeople for their livelihood requirement and their personal variables revealed that the variables such as age, number of income sources, medicinal plant collection experience, and leadership quality had a positive and significant effect on the utilisation of the natural resources among the tribespeople. Despite of all the development programmes and efforts of the Government to improve the socio- economic status of the tribespeople, it could be observed from the result that there had been no meaningful change in the overall well being of most deprived section of the country. This situation calls for an urgent reform in the existing developmental programmes through rigorous explorative researches to identify the root causes of the backwardness.
North Kerala, Personal attributes, Social attributes, Tribes
