A very few tribal groups are engaged in non-agricultural activities as mendicants, bards, pastoralists leading a semi-nomadic to nomadic life. Besides routine household work, the tribal women work in the agricultural fields, forests for long hours. The overall output if seen in terms of number of hours of work is low. Their schedule of long working hours continues even during pregnancy, natal and postnatal stages. They have a negative energy balance, high morbidity rate, and low child survival rate. They suffer from taboos and superstitions and remain deprived of the benefits from existing development and welfare programmes. Most of the natural resources including minerals are located in tribal areas. Tribals are being alienated from their land and forest due to the ongoing de forestation, hydro-electric power generation, industrial growth and mining active ties The natural resources are being exploited in a way, which leads to a process of gradual displacement and denying the basic right of livelihood to the Adivasis.
Tribal, migration, semi-nomadic, cultivation, Madhya Pradesh
