This is the research findings of 40 days staying in a tribal village.

1. Ecosystem Study of Dalbari, Daklabari,
Dakshinsuppa and Goibari Village,
Barama,Baksa, Assam
BY Saswatik Tripathy
Faculty Guide- Mr.A.Gurunathan
Field Guide- Mr.Paresh Hegde
Coordinator- Mrs.R.Sasikala
The Dhan Academy

2. Maps
Source- Google

3. Demographic data:
Dalbari Daklabari
Dakshinsuppa Goibari
93
88
Male Female
Total Population- 181
Sex ratio - 946.24
State sex ratio- 958
Context- Tribal
Ecosystem- Irrigated
Life Expectancy- 65 years
State Life Expectancy- 68
years
31
36
Male Female
150
158
Male Female
208
203
Male Female
Total Population- 411
Sex ratio - 975.96
State sex ratio- 958
Context- Tribal
Ecosystem- River ecosystem
Life Expectancy- 65 years
State Life Expectancy- 68
years
Total Population- 308
Sex ratio - 1053.33
State sex ratio- 958
Context- Tribal
Ecosystem- Irrigated
Life Expectancy- 65 years
State Life Expectancy- 68
years
Total Population- 67
Sex ratio - 1161.29
State sex ratio- 958
Context- Tribal
Ecosystem- Rain fed
Life Expectancy- 65 years
State Life Expectancy- 68
years
*Source – Anganwadi and ASHA worker

4. Objectives and Methodology:
Sl. No Objectives Tools and methods
1 Understand the Demographic
dimension and relationship of
different biological community
interactions of the village.
Secondary data source like block
office or Anganwadi.
Observation and PRA
(Linkage diagram)
2 Understand the socioeconomic
perspective of the village and
standard of living of the village.
PRA tools and FGDs.
Interview and questionnaire.
3 Understanding of cultural and
ethnographic perspective.
Interview and FGD.
4 Understand the political and
developmental issues
Proxy indicators, PRA, Interview
and FGDs.

5. Village boundaries:
Dalbari Daklabari
Dakshinsuppa Goibari
Goibari
Dakshinsuppa
BangaliparaBadulipara
Koklabari
Mainabari Fakribari
Gilabari
Badulipara Bangalipara
Gilabari
Dalbari
BangaliparaMara Pagal Diya
River
Dalbari
Akshiya
*Source – Observation and PRA

6. Village Maps:
Dalbari Daklabari
Dakshinsuppa Goibari
History of the village names
Dalbar: Villaage of Aquatic weed
Daklabari: Village between Dalbari
and Kaklabari
Dakshinsuppa: Southern Village
Goibari: Village of areca nut.

7. Cultural Dimension
• The word Bodo derived from the word Bod
which means Tibet, its
shows that they came from Tibet
• They follow the religion named Bathoism
• Ba means five and tho means deep. They
believe that the world is made of the five
element. They actually the worshipers of their
forefather known as Obonlaure.
• The age of marriage for boys is 18 and for the
girls it is 16-17.
• Arrange and love and inter-caste marriage is
common the 4 villages.
*Source: Group Discussion

8. Festival and Food Habit • January – Magh Bihu
• February- Batho Puja
• March- Holi
• April- Rangoli Bihu
• August- Bihu Karma
• October- Durga Puja
• November- Kati Bihu
• The rice is the main staple food and fish and
pork is favorite of them.
• Bodos are mainly no vegetarian. They can eat
any four leg animal only the beef is exaptation.
They eat even fox, Porcupine, snake, rat, frogs
etc.
• They don’t use any type of pulses they make dal
with rice powder.
• They prefer the country breeds of any animal or
birds for eating.
• Only on Tuesday and Saturday they eat
vegetarian food.
*Source
Seasonal
Calendar

9. Health
• In the 4 villages there are 3
Anganwadis but the anganwadis
are very irregular the workers
never open the Anganwadis. they
take the rice and dal and distribute
it home to home.
• There is one health sub center in
Gilabari village all villagers of my
four village use to go there, one
nurse permanently stay there and
weekly twice doctor came to the
sub center.
• But the local MBBS is more famous
and effectively work in the village
than the nurse and doctor.
Education
• One Lower Primary School in my 4
villages.It is in Dalbari village.
• 972 No. Dalbari L P School. Total number
of student 31 in which 11 boys and 20
girls. Total teaching staff 2 and non-
teaching staff for midday meal 2. Books
and uniform are given to the student free.
• Olongbar High School total student 106.
Teaching staff 9 and cook 2. After that
students went to Barama College. The
school have a library with 300 books.
• Ekalvya school is a fully residential CBSE
board school. It has total 520 students
and 35 teaching staff and 45 nonteaching
staff. But most of the students are not
local.
*Source – Visit to health center and
school and Interpersonal discussion

10. Languages
• Traditional Institution
• Batho Temple Committee: This a
committee of male and female of
different villages.
• They usually practice the devotional
songs and dances and perform in
ceremony or special worships.
• For that they charge some money.
• The money is then saved and if someone
needed money in the group they give it
as a loan in a very low interest.
• Bodos have there own language.
Bodo language is one of the
scheduled languages of Indian
constitution.
• On its early stage it was written
in Assames and Bengali letters,
later a movement started to
write the script in Roman letters.
Later in 1975 the central
government make the
Devanagari letters as the official
scripture of Bodo.
• The males know little bit
Assames and very few people
know Hindi.
*Source- Group Discussion

11. Transportation
• The road condition is very bad. The regular
travelers use two wheelers for traveling and
those who don’t have two wheeler use the auto
rickshaw for transportation. But it is not a
regular service.
• The ambulance facility is available in the village.
Family Structure
Village name Joint family : Total Family
Dalbari 6:41
Daklabari 1:19
Dakshinsuppa 3:60
Goibari 17:90
Political Dimension
BPF- Bodoland Peoples Front is the only dominating
party there.
BPF make alliance with BJP and make the government.
In the place of Panchayat there is VCDC- Village council
Development Committee.
It is a 3 tire system cabinet level , block level and village
level.
The village chairman is not elected but selected by the
other members of VCDC
 Economic System:
• Mainly the economy is
substantial economy.
• The system of exchanging is
barter system even they
exchange family labour also.
• Use of cash is very low.
*Source- Matrix ranking, Problem tree,
Social map, Observation, interview .

12. Economical Condition
Dalbari- Daklabari
Dakshinsuppa Goibari
6
10
22
20
2
A B C D E
3
6
15
16
1
A B C D E
8 6
20
55
1
A B C D E
To understand the economical condition a scale was made of
5 categories of economical condition. The categories are as
follows –
A
More than 10 bigha land/ Govt. Job/
Tractor/Rs.8000-10000 per capita
income/Self Depemdant
B
5to10 Bigha land/ Bike/ 5000-7000 per
capita income/ Own agricultural Land
C
3-5 Bigha land/ Own agricultural land/
labour work/ Cycle/ 3000-5000 per capita
income
D
1-2 Bigha land/ Labour work/ Cycle/ 2000-
2500 per capita income
E Land less/ Very few working members.
1
4
1
12
1
A B C D E
Chart Title
*Source – Wealth ranking

13.  Livelihood
• Main livelihood of Bodos is farming.
• They are also good in animal and birds
rearing.
• They are good in waving in handloom
• Bodos are the first cultivator of rice
and silk in Assam.
• There are some landless Bodos also
they either take the land from others
as rent or work as daily wage labour.
• Some people have fish farming also,
but it is very few in number they just
do it for home consumption mainly
• Now a days some people get
government job like teacher and
Army.
 Vulnerability
• Due to high alcohol consumption
liver problem is quite common and
life expectancy is low.
• Malaria is the main epidemic
diseases.
 Access to financial services
• There is a CSC (common service
center) of SBI ( State Bank of
India) band AGVB( Assam
Gramin Vikash Bank).
• Some of them are connected
with Kalanjiam.
Source – FGD and Interview

14. Ecological:
Dalbari Daklabari
Dakshinsuppa Goibari
 Water: Ground water level is
very high with high iron
content
 Weather: Highest temperature
30⁰ C Lowest temperature 3⁰ C
 Livestock: Cow, Pig, Hen, Goat,
 Fisheries: Rohu, Katla, Mrigale,
Silver carp, grass carp and
common carp
 Flora and Fauna: Mango, Jack
fruit, Bamboo, Areca nut,
Litchi, Guava, Banyan etc.
 Crops: Paddy, Mustard, Potato,
Vegetables, etc.
 River basin: Marapagaldia river
*Source – Transact
Walk

15. Male and Female Daily calendar
Sleeping
29%
Agricultur work
29%
Household Work
0%
Taking care of Animals
21%
Taking Rest
4%
Watching TV
17%
Sleeping
29%
Agricultur work
29%
Household Work
21%
Taking care of
Animals
Taking Rest
0%
Watching TV
17%
Sleeping Agricultur work Household Work Taking care of Animals Taking Rest Watching TV

16. Venn Diagram
Most Influential
institution
Medium Influential
institution
Lower Influential
institution
FPS Barama Hospital Anganwadi
School VCDC Post office
Primary School - Medical sub center
Local MBBS - Medical shop

17. PRA Tools

18. PRA Tools

19. Key Findings:
• Bamboo is the backbone of Bodo society. 70 % of daily household,
agricultural and fishing tools made of bamboo.
• Their agricultural practice is the cause of the high level of ground water
In the village.
• They are aware about the sanitation and in case of emergency only they
prefer open deification. May be there is not any well managed toilet but
they made it with as per the capability.
• There is no specific job for specific gender, everyone do everything.
• A huge land holder can be poor and a landless can be rich.

20. Attitude, Skill and Knowledge
• Attitude
• I learn how to remain calm in
difficult conditions also.
• Humbleness and work
according to the situation.
• Skill
• Mobilizing people.
• I apply the BOD (human development
index indicators), LH ( different livelihood
study) ECON (Cost of cultivation of
different livelihood) PALM, SEED ( cultural
study)
• Preparation and use of surveys,
questionnaires and other related formats
for obtaining necessary information
Knowledge:
• I understand the bodo life, culture and their unique economy.
• There can be many cause of being poor .

21. Developmental Issue
• Some local level leaders do not let the VCDC work accordingly.
• In the Batho Temple committee some people increase the interest of
loan for their own greed.
• Alcoholism
Suggestions:
Commercial fish farming integrated with pig cultivation will be a good
livelihood opportunity.
They are well skilled to use bamboo if some training given for making
handicrafts from bamboo it can be a livelihood.

22. Case study
A Case Study on Ajit Das a Mushroom
farmer
• Name- Ajit Das
• Family member- Wife and Son
• Landless
• Doing the mushroom cultivation
for last 4 years
Particular Cost (Rs.)
1kg dry straw 3
1 Plastic bag 2
Spawn 100g 20
Packing charge 10
Maintenance 15
Total 50
 Cost per bag Rs.50
 Cost for 6000 bag 300000
 Production from one bag is 1kg
 Price of 1kg is Rs.140
 From 6000 bag income 840000
 Net profit in 2 months 540000
 Assuming in one year 5 cycles are there
then net profit in one year 2700000

23. Limitations and Challenges
• Language is become a huge barrier to me but now I am using mix language to
communicate.
• The households in the village is very scattered so mobilizing and rapport
establishment if little difficult.
• I have to walk daily around 5-6 km to cover the villages it takes time what can
I use in productive work.
• It became dark within 4.30pm here and the cold in night don’t let me sleep in
nights.
• Rains cooling temperature slowing down my speed.
• Frequent Power cut also making some problem.
• Very bad network connection make problem for daily update.

24. Thank You