In Andhra Pradesh, two new tribes added to the Scheduled Tribes list

The Porjas and the Savaras, live in the hilly regions and far from the mainland; as particularly vulnerable groups, the inclusion will ensure access to welfare

The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024, passed by the Parliament earlier this week includes two tribal groups of Andhra Pradesh, and their sub-groups, in the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs). The two tribal groups are Porja (sub-groups: Bondo Porja, Khond Porja and Parangi Porja) and Savaras (sub-groups: Kapu Savaras, Maliya Savaras, Konda Savaras and Khutto Savaras).

HT image.

Andhra Pradesh tribal welfare assistant secretary (caste verification) Mary Ratnamani said the state government had asked the Centre to include three tribes, the Bondo Porja, Khond Porja and Konda Savara in the list.

“We had written letters to the Union tribal welfare ministry quite a few times in the past and the latest proposal was sent in January this year and the ministry finally approved them along with other sub-groups,” Ratnamani said.

She said these tribes would now be treated on par with other tribes in the scheduled list and would be entitled to benefits like reservation in education and employment as well as access to welfare schemes from the Integrated Tribal Development Authority (ITDA).

According to Pradeep Karuturi, an independent researcher on tribal groups in Andhra Pradesh, some primitive tribes have not been able to attract the attention of the government for enumeration because they stay far away from the mainland in the hilly terrains closer to the Odisha border. “Porjas and Savaras are some such tribal groups,” he said.

Porja, a hill tribe, live in what is referred to as the agency area (another term for forest areas) of Visakhapatnam and Parvathipuram Manyam districts of Andhra Pradesh and are spread over the adjoining hilly areas of Odisha state.

“They raise crops in the Podu (shifting cultivation) plots on hill slopes. They speak a form of Odia language known as Parji dialect. This tribe has several endogamous sub-groups, differing in their language, food habits and customs depending on the locality,” a study by Dr P Durga Rao, an associate professor in sociology in Punjab, stated.

Porjas and their sub-groups — Bondo Porja, Khond Porja and Parangi Porja — are among 12 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups in Andhra Pradesh, along with Savaras and their sub-groups, inhabiting the hilly areas of Paderu, Munchangiput, Pedabayalu, Hukumpet, Dumbriguda, Araku Valley, Anantagiri, G Madugula, Chintapalli and G K Veedhi blocks. The total population of Porjas would be around 18,700 covering 4,300 families, according to Rao’s research.

Ratnamani, however, said that the state tribal welfare department records state that there are 1,847 Bondo Porjas and 18,382 Khond Porjas in these areas. “As far as Savaras are concerned, they are in larger numbers — around 150,480 Savaras spread over the hilly terrains of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts bordering Odisha,” she said.

Rao’s research paper states that Porjas live off the forest and the land and some can speak Telugu as well. The term Porja is derived from Oriya words “Po” and “raja” which means the “son of a king,” but they have been traditional cultivators. “They migrated from Orissa about 300 years ago to Visakha agency areas in search of cultivable land,” it states. The former rulers of Jeypore employed Porjas as doli or palanquin bearers. They were often employed for menial labour which included transportation.

This tribe has several endogamous subgroups Bondo Porja, Khond Porja and Parangi Porja, differing in their language, food habits and customs depending on the locality. Most of the Porjas living in the Visakha agency area belong to the Parangi Porja group, Rao said in his research paper.

“Cross-cousin marriage, especially with the father's sister’s daughter is preferred. Maternal uncle-niece marriage is prohibited. Polygamy is permitted. A formal bride price system exists among them. Either party can divorce with the approval of the headman or tribal council. Widow, widower and divorcee remarriages are very common. Pre and post extra-marital relations are acceptable among Porjas. At present child marriages are discontinued,” the study stated.

Porjas follow the patriarchal system, in which the rule of descent is patrilineal. Males inherit parental property, while succession to a hereditary office is by the eldest son, who gets an extra share in the property.

Though women have a lower status than men, they are consulted on all family matters. They contribute to the family income directly, as well as indirectly by assisting in agricultural operations. Domestic work is the domain of women; still, most of the Porja women are not exposed to the outside world.

Tattooing is part of the socio-religious culture of the Porjas.

According to Pradeep, Savaras also referred to as Sora in Odisha, are found in the border forest areas of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts, which share more or less similar lifestyles of Porjas but with slightly different cultures and deep-rooted religious beliefs. They speak the Munda dialect.

He said there was a need to identify these sub-tribal divisions with the help of anthropologists and a detailed ethnography should be prepared on each tribe separately. “Otherwise, these sub-groups lose their cultural identity. Already assimilation started slowly and they are forgetting the name of their clans. If it continues, we will be losing the cultural and biological identity of these endangered human populations,” he said.