Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
The grassroots government’s top priority is to offer basic amenities to its citizens for their life and livelihood, resulting in the empowerment of vulnerable and marginalized populations who are still denied socioeconomic benefits. Involvement of local people in the planning, execution and monitoring of many rural development programmes is also essential. The presence of staffing shortages in some Gram Panchayats (GPs) has created a problematic scenario for the correct implementation and effective monitoring mechanism to be carried out in the GPs since the workload has much exceeded expectations. As a result, welfare activities in rural areas are hampered by a lack of social capital and the capabilities of designated staff. An in-depth examination of this essential topic reveals the rationale for introspection to refocus on Decentralization, Governance and Public Service Systems in tribal areas of Odisha.
Author Archives: Iswar Chandra Naik
The Dombo: A Sociological Investigation of Dalits in Odisha
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
The Dalit people in Odisha have been socio-economically deprived and antagonized with a social discrimination. In Odisha, the number of Dalits is 93, and out of it, in numerically Pana, Dewar and Dombo are the most populous and remain in first, second and third respectively. The Dombo people residing in South Odisha, especially in the unified Koraput and Kalahandi district. They have been known as drum beaters, weavers, performers and gramarakhi. Traditionally, the Dombo people live in the village as caretakers (gramarakhi or choukidar). In each village, there were a choukidar or gramarakhi, and their task was to report the instances of downfall, labour, self-destruction, murder and other lawful issues occurring in the village at the closest police headquarters and convey the news about birth, death of upper caste to their family members, discarded corpses of cows and attend the dignitaries and visiting officials. They used to declare any news concerning people in general by the beat of drums and help the Gauntia or village headmen on the issue of income assortment and everyday organization of the village issues. The gramarakhi or choukidar was a notable person at the village level in the primitive organization. The reason for this article is to study and preserve, promote and protect the economy, political and social existence of the Dombo people in South Odisha.
The Dalit people in Odisha have been socio-economically deprived and antagonized with a social discrimination. In Odisha, the number of Dalits is 93, and out of it, in numerically Pana, Dewar and Dombo are the most populous and remain in first, second and third respectively. The Dombo people residing in South Odisha, especially in the unified Koraput and Kalahandi district. They have been known as drum beaters, weavers, performers and gramarakhi. Traditionally, the Dombo people live in the village as caretakers (gramarakhi or choukidar). In each village, there were a choukidar or gramarakhi, and their task was to report the instances of downfall, labour, self-destruction, murder and other lawful issues occurring in the village at the closest police headquarters and convey the news about birth, death of upper caste to their family members, discarded corpses of cows and attend the dignitaries and visiting officials. They used to declare any news concerning people in general by the beat of drums and help the Gauntia or village headmen on the issue of income assortment and everyday organization of the village issues. The gramarakhi or choukidar was a notable person at the village level in the primitive organization. The reason for this article is to study and preserve, promote and protect the economy, political and social existence of the Dombo people in South Odisha.