Koraput: “Even as the state government decided to bestow tribal status on Duruas in 2018 December and ruling party leaders seconded the cause ahead of 2019 general elections, it was just electoral politics and a tag confirming our status continues to elude us,” community leaders said.
They have not been granted tribal status even if the mistake of wrong listing was corrected by the central government in 2003. One of the 62 tribes in Odisha, Durua community is found in neighbouring Chhattisgarh where they have already been recognised as a tribe.
Members of the Durua community have alleged that, they are being deprived of various government schemes meant for tribals. If a girl from Durua family of Chhattisgarh marries a Durua boy in Odisha, she would lose her tribal status or the vice versa, they lamented.
According to sources, Duruas are comparatively a smaller tribal group differentiated from others by their physical appearance. The group is further divided into different clans. They are mostly found in Jeypore, Boipariguda, Kundura and Kotpad blocks of Koraput district.
Traditionally, Duruas were engaged by native rulers as quasi-military servicemen, for being physically strong and stout. Subsequently, the community switched to minor cultivation, collection of forest produce and other forms of livelihood, with changing times.
Koraput has a large number of tribal communities living a primitive life in the lap of nature preserving their own customs, traditions and culture. Constitution of India has provided concessions to the scheduled tribes for their political, social and economic uplift.
The state government also has made a number of enactments in furtherance of the policies and principles enshrined in the directives. Unfortunately, there are several communities deprived of their actual status due to the lapses in law and apathy of political leaders.
For the fault in proper identification of some of the communities and in providing them the status of Scheduled Tribe (ST), their development has been badly affected. Such communities are still far away from the mainstream of modern society as well as the basic amenities.