“Why you have come to us ? Many people has come and gone but nobody have sympathy for us.”
It was welcome note for me by them. They consider rest of the society as evil to them and for that they have valid reason also which we may not deny.
From 2 to 3 Kms from Tuljapur town, there is place named Tuljapur(Khurd) and at the outermost area of Tuljapur (khurd) this Pardhi people lives. There are 40 households living over there with population of 150 people. They are living on land of government from last 20 years and asking government to register that land on their names but no body is listening to them. Talking about history, They were marked as CRMINAL TRIBE. This sin is still attached with them. But this title was given to them by britishers to justify their invasion in Pardhi’s Forest.
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| Children of Pardhi Community at Tuljapur |
Livelihood:
The badge of criminal tribe is making their livelihood difficult. and the people who are getting employment that also is not certain. Making Kathi (wood sticks) is their traditional occupation but due to less profit only few people are practising it. Some of them have chosen the path of begging to spend their life this people do not have right to beg also. They are thrown out of temple by police.Some people also goes to the Mumbai ( Railway stations) for begging. Women and children contribute more in begger population. Their is forest area nearby their stay but this people are prohibited to go their. There are many cases they have recited in which police had arrested and beaten them for collecting goods from forest.
Educational status:
As similar to pardhi of other areas this pardhi also have poor educational status. Talking about adult in their households nobody has gain formal education. In school also children are facing discrimination from children of other community and even from teachers. These children have separate group in school and no other children has a friendship with them. Teachers and other officers abuse them on their caste. Due to all these obstacles and lack of awareness these people have given up on education.
Society, Government, and Pardhi Community:
No need to say that they are very skeptical about the government. They do have a negative attitude towards the rest of the community due to the discrimination faces by them in their daily life. Due to their illeteracy, they are not getting benefits o the government scheme. They are struggling for their land right also as they do not have land register on their names they remain unbenefitted by schemes like gharkul yojna. Whenever they go to the government office for seeking benefits from the provided schemes and policies, they are driven away for not possesing the required documents.
This people has always been struggling for getting justice in judiciary system. First of all, it is because of the lack of literacy and then becasue of poor economic condition. Any case in court run so long that they can not afford the fees of advocate and other expenses.
They are isolated by the mainstream people. Maximum pardhi people specially women do not have social capital outside their community. Some people who is working in tuljapur market do have social relationship but that also limited to their bussiness only.
Perception of local people :
Social stigma of criminal tribe about them still prevails in this area. As i have inquired about them and told people that I am going to meet them people suggested me not to go alone, do not take money, do not go at evening because anything bad can happens to me. Mainstream people still consider them criminal. Nobody wants to plays with pardhis's children. In school also this children have seperate group and faces casteist abuses from other students. They are consider as beggers and criminal and hence other people hesitate to give employment to them. Local political bodies also uses them for vote only. At the time of election they greed them by giving some amount of money and then after election do not turn up to visit them also.
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