Communication Interventions among Forest Dependent Ethnic Communities of Jharkhand

This study was sought to analyze the communication interventions among forest dependent ethnic communities (Munda, Oraon and Lohara) in Bundu block of Ranchi district in Jharkhand state. The investigation was based on personal interviews of the selected respondents through structured interview schedule and personal observations carried out in the sample villages using multi-stage random sampling technique. The findings revealed that among information sources used by the ethnic people, the relative secured first preference followed by friend, neighbour, radio, group discussion, village meeting, news paper, farm publications, farmer's fair and television. A considerable percentage of the ethnic people were belonged to medium information sources utilization group followed by low and high. Among extension agents contacted by the ethnic people, the progressive farmer of the village was preferred the most followed by gram pradhan, village leader, local teacher, VLW, NGO personnel, village forest committee member, agriculture officer, forest department personnel and KVK/University official. Nearly half of the ethnic people belonged to medium extension contact category followed by low and high. To transmit the scientific and useful information regarding forestry interventions efficiently and accurately and reduce the uncertainties and diversities in the attitude of the ethnic people improvement in the communication interventions is imperative. The Government forest department should encourage a bottom-up approach to forestry extension to ensure people's participation in forestry extension and development. Institutional capacity building, development support communication and continuous extension training programme for forest department personnel should be ensured for effective implementation of the forestry extension programme.