From Hunters to Ecological Refugees - The Pardhi Tribe of India

About the Book:For generations, members of the Pardhi tribe in the central and western parts of India were considered as expert hunters having a great experience in the use of ancient weaponry as well as efficient hunting traps. In close relationship with the jungle, hunting, and nomadic lifestyle, these tribal folk were also considered experts in guerrilla warfare and gave the British a tough time during their rule of the subcontinent who notified them as “Criminal Tribe.”After independence, the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 was repealed by the Indian Government but the public perception about these children of the forest is yet to fully change from one of contempt and suspicion to that of acceptance. Government did allot land parcels with a view to provide them with an alternative livelihood option in some areas but—with a degenerated position in mainstream society further hit by criminalization of their traditional occupation through India’s wildlife-related legislation— they continued to suffer social stigmatization and ostracization.This book takes a closer look at these wonderful people who were once respected for their skill, and how, with the passage of time their failure to cope up with the demands of markedly different skill sets, required for agriculture in contrast to their traditional one, has forced them to suffer prejudice and the stereotype of being considered nothing more than common criminals. While the book traces their transition from independent self-sufficient communities to now living as ecological refugees in the very land that once housed, protected, and provided livelihood to them; it also attempts to provide options for their survival through appropriate utilization of their indigenous knowledge and skill sets in the interest of conservation of wildlife.. About the Author:An Indian Forest Service officer, retired as Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Director General of Social Forestry, worked as the Commissioner of Tribal Research and Training Institute, Pune also in the state of Maharashtra, India. He holds doctorate degree in social science from Ranchi University; is M.A. (Sociology) from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi; LLB from Nagpur University; AIFC (PG Dip.) in forestry from the Indian Forest College (now Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy), Dehradun; and is a gold medalist in M.Sc. (Physics) from Ranchi University, Ranchi. He has published two books and more than forty articles. He likes to delve into the multi-sectoral aspects impinging natural resources and works to build up sustainable solutions for their conservation.