Hill kharia of Purulia : impact of poverty on a hunting and gathering tribe.

The Hill Kharia, traditionally a hunting and gathering tribe, live in the tract adjoining the three states of W. Bengal, Orissa and Bihar. Hopelessly outnumbered and encysted by other tribal and non-tribal communities they find it difficult to eke out an existence. Their forest niche has been more or less destroyed. In agri culture, late comer as they are. they find only one entry open, as labourers and that too to a limited extent. At one time they were known as a criminal tribe. Although the Act has been withdrawn the name and behaviour still persist.

In this purposive ethnography the impact of poverty on the Hill Kharia's social institutions and culture has been examined. Marshall Sahlins des cribed the unalloyed existence of the primitive. hunting and gathering tribe as "original affluent" condition. But where they live cheek-by-jowl with other communities and have an unequal access to the basic resources the condition is drastically altered. Although the Hill Kharia cannot consi dered as suffering from culture of poverty they do suffer from relative deprivation. The author des cribes how this lead to attenuation in some social institutions and especially, in the concept of reci procity which is corner-stone of all social interac tions. The participation in criminal activities is also an extension of their deprived condition.