tHIS PRESENTATION IS ABOUT THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITION OF KATAKARI TRIBAL COMMUNITY IN THANE DISTRICT.in Maharashtra .

1. Grishma Manikrao Khobragade,
Assit.Prof, Dept of English,
Birla College, Kalyan
(Affiliated to University of Mumbai)
(M.S.)

2. :
Objectives of the study
 To understand the status of Katkari community in
Thane District in order to know the basic needs of
life required for their socio-economic
development.
 To describe the importance of their socio-
economic problems.
 To study the their skills and life style

3. Methodology:
 The present study is carried out with the support
of primary and secondary sources of data .
 The secondary sources are related websites, Books
and Records.

4. Major Issues of Katkari in Thane District
 They are socially and economically backward in the
process of development
 Tribal communities such as Thakur, Mahadev Koli,
Katkari, Warli, Kokna, etc. live in Thane District.
 Small & marginal farmers or landless laborers. Men-
women and children work as bonded labour on brick
kilns
 Lack of food security, malnutrition, starvation deaths,
land alienation, low land holdings, unemployment,
depleting natural resources, drinking water
contamination and shortages, lack of proper health
care facilities, socio-political marginalization.

5. KATKARI AND THEIR SKILLS
 The name Katkari is derived from their profession
of making "Kath" or catechu from the Khair tree
 Katkari tribe has been experts in specific
professions. For instance, the occupation of
making Kath was a speciality of Katkaris.
 The Katkaris collectively became expert charcoal
makers until the Government of Maharashtra
banned the making of charcoal from wood
 Katkaris are considered expert brick makers and
the entire community is engaged in this
profession.

6. SOURCE OF INCOME
 There is no employment opportunity in the region
apart from cutting trees for forest contractors or
working as laborers in fields or on government jobs
 Forests provide an uncultivated food (vegetables, fish,
and birds) for use as well as gum, mahua flowers,
tendu patta, honey, wild fruits, etc.
 Income source is limited to maintain their status.
Money is a limited product.
 They have to take money from moneylenders at very
high interest rates. Tribals often find it difficult to
repay the moneylender’s loan.

7. ECONOMIC STATUS OF KATKARI
 One family makes about 1,500 bricks per day.
 A family makes about 30,000 bricks in a month
 At Rs.160 for thousand bricks, each family should earn
up to Rs.4,800 per month.
 Katkaris work for 6 to 7 months on brick kilns. So in a
year, each family should earn something like Rs.29,000
to 33,600 working on brick kilns.
 Katkari family gets Uchal (advance) of Rs.2,000 to
3,000 once in a year and Kharchi (wages) of Rs. 250 to
300 per week.
 Considering an advance of Rs. 3,000 and wages of
Rs.7,200; a family gets hardly paid by anywhere
between 19,000 to 23,400 in a year.

8. ORIGINALITY AND KNOWLEDGE OF KATKARIS
 They have wonderful knowledge about uncultivated foods
like fish, crabs, animals, birds, wild vegetables, fruits, nuts,
etc.
 Women drawing out crabs from their holes during summer
months by rubbing two stones to imitate the sound of
cloudbursts.
 It is a great skill to understand the hunting-gathering skills
of Katkaris
 Katkaris continue to be hunter-gatherers when they are not
working as bonded labor on brick kilns.
 Katkaris are expert fishermen, swimmers, divers, archers.
They are famous for their strength, stamina and hunting-
gathering skills.
 Katkaris are experts in stone crushing, tree cutting.
 Katkaris is much darker and slimmer.
 They have no peculiar language

9. KATKARIS IS UNORGANIZED
 They can easily exploit by the other forces.
 Government do not have a political will to help the
community
 Sexual exploitation of Katkari women is common
while men are often beaten up, and even killed.
 Katkari families always remain under the control of
the land owner or the forest department.
 Katkaris always live under fear and terror. The problem
of land ownership in tribal settlements needs to be
resolved on a priority basis.
 There are many other factors contribute to the lifelong
poverty and marginalization of Katkaris.

10. SUGGESTIONS
 Government programmes for the upliftment of tribal
communities (mainly the Integrated Tribal
Development Programme - ITDP) bypass the Katkaris.
 There is an urgent need to initiate comprehensive
development work for the Katkari community.
 It also needs to be understood that any development
work with the Katkari community would be a fairly
long term affair, given their socio-economic status and
level of marginalization
 There are a few NGO like ADS is deeply concerned
about the plight of the Katkaris. Academy of
Development Science (ADS)

11. SUGGESTIONS
 Ownership of land on which their village is located
(Gaothan).
 Ownership of agricultural land to landless Katkari families
(forest encroachments, ceiling lands, encroachments by
outsiders on ceiling lands )
 Help to take up agriculture and land-based livelihoods
(land improvement, tree planting, etc).
 Better houses. Livelihood skills.
 Useful employment.
 Drinking water sources near villages.
 Better and meaningful education for children.
 Improved access to health care.
 Treatment of Katkaris on par with other citizens of the
country; with assured human and other rights.