The document summarizes the livelihood patterns of four ethnic communities - Khasi, Manipuri, Jaintia, and Garo people - living in Sylhet, Bangladesh. It describes how the Khasi people rely mainly on betel leaf cultivation in forested hilly areas as well as some agriculture. The Manipuri people practice agriculture and have a home-based handloom industry. The Jaintia tribe also cultivates betel leaves using trees for support. The Garo people traditionally practiced shifting cultivation and hunting but now many hold jobs in various sectors in urban areas like Dhaka. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of preserving indigenous knowledge and traditional livelihoods under UN declarations.

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Study Tour Assignment
Livelihood Pattern of Ethnic Community in Sylhet
Participants
Dr. Md. Ahsan Aziz Sarkar (9209)
Dr. Nayeb Ali (9210)
Dr. Adnan Islam (9211)
Dr. Marium Zaman
Dr. Ezazul Islam
Dr. Sushmita Islam
Dr. Farzad Fuzail Ibn Amin
92nd SFTC BCS (Health) Cadres Batch
National Academy for Planning and Development
(NAPD)

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Contents
Introduction 03
Livelihood pattern of khasi people 04
Livelihood pattern of Manipuri people 05
Livelihood pattern of Jaintia people 06
Livelihood pattern of Garo people 07
Conclusion 07
References 08

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Introduction:
Sylhet is a northeastern metropolitan city of Bangladesh and also the administrative
headquarter of Sylhet division. It has an area of 26.5 square kilometer and about 5.5 lakh people
are living here.
Ethnic community can be described as:
 the belief by members of a social group that they are culturally distinctive and different to
outsiders;
 their willingness to find symbolic markers of that difference (food habits, religion, forms
of dress, language) and to emphasize their significance; and
 their willingness to organize relationships with outsiders so that a kind of ‘group
boundary’ is preserved and reproduced
Ethnic communities living in Sylhet are Khasi, Jaintia, Garo and Manipuri. About 84,000
khasis, 25,000 Manipuri, 1lakh Garos and 32,000 Jaintias live in Bangladesh; apart from Garos
they are mostly concentrated in Sylhet region.
The term livelihood refers to means of securing the basic necessities -food, water, shelter and
clothing- of life". Livelihood is defined as a set of activities, involving securing water, food,
fodder, medicine, shelter, clothing and the capacity to acquire above necessities working either
individually or as a group by using endowments (both human and material) for meeting the
requirements of the self and his/her household on a sustainable basis with dignity. The activities
are usually carried out repeatedly

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Livelihood pattern of Khasi people:
Like mainstream people in Bangladesh plain land Khasis are mainly agriculturists. Rice
is the main agricultural product of plain land Khasis while most of the Khasis in hilly forest areas
mainly produce betel leaf and it is their principle earning source. In courses of time
betel leaf cultivation has become their prime livelihood source. Both male and female
works together in betel leaf farm. Khasi betel leafs are cultivated inside the hill forest.
Trees are the main component for producing betel leaf.
Therefore, their personal interests press them to preserve forest in their own indigenous
ways and their traditional livelihood is based on land and forest resources. Along with
betel leaf cultivation; lemon, pepper, jackfruit, betel nut etc. also produce at small scale
in many Khasi villages. In addition with farming few of them are found as blacksmith
and handicraft artists. Many of the family rear pigs as domestic animal which sometime
helps them to earn a gross additional income at very irregular basis.
Since most of the Khasi people live remote isolated hilly forest areas, they can not
receive higher education which restricts them to engage other modem occupation other
than traditional agriculture based livelihood. Shyness to expose themselves outside the
community, experience of deprivation and exploitation by the mainstream people, lack of
educational institution nearer to their communities, unconsciousness and disinterest
towards education etc. are seems to be another major reasons behind not receiving
education at large number. It is fortunate that nowadays Khasi peoples attitude is changing and
younger are receiving primary education at good number. There are missionary
organizations working with the Khasis to improve their life style and education status.
These organizations have mentionable contribution for the present development in
education of the Khasi people.
It should be noted that this development is considered to be mentionable and as
progress from the context of "Something is better than nothing". Although almost all of
the Khasi children go to primary school, most of them can not complete primary
education; the rate of receiving higher education is also very low among them. Higher
education is only limited among the people who can afford its high cost.

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Having no close contact with city areas all most all of the Khasi children who even intend
to take lower secondary education have to arrange shelter and other opportunities related
to education by their own which make education more expensive for them. While
advancement in higher education is ignorable among them, it is highly likely that
occupational diversity will not emerged among them in near future unless major and effective
initiatives have been taken soon by the government and development agencies to change the
present trend.
The Khasis are laborious nation and they prefer to lead a very simple life with deep
honesty. This simple-hearted people always try to avoid conflicts, violence and criticality.
Coming outside their community and competing with mainstream people for livelihood is
almost obsolete among them. Consequently, they like to keep them away from the mainstream
livelihoods fearing discriminations and complicacies. Though there are few school teachers and
NGOs staffs are to be found among them, it is difficult to single out a person who is involved in
other Non-Government or Government services. Few of the Khasis don't have lands under their
control for cultivating betel leaf. These people are treated as poor and they mainly work as
wage laborer in their neighbors betel leaf farm.
None of the member of the Khasi community goes onside for work as wage
laborer. They arrange their livelihood inside their own community. Community people help
each other in need. In this perspective they can be treated as self-reliant community.
Livelihood pattern of Manipuri people:
Manipuris are agriculturists. It is their traditional livelihood and has been for centuries.
As a plain land inhabitant, the system of agriculture is similar to the mainstream people of
Bangladesh which is mainly based on traditional knowledge. Like mainstream people nowadays
they are introducing a few modern technologies and equipment in agro farming. They produce
both food and seed grain on their farmlands.

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In addition to agriculture, Manipuri people are involved in various earning activities.
Their home based handloom industry is famous for its unique design and process. Although
work such as day laboring and rickshaw pulling are almost obsolete among them, many of the
poor Manipuris are involved as shared agro farmers with their solvent neighbors and relatives. A
few poor females work as paid handloom workers at their neighbor’s home who have no hand
loom of their own. Carpentry is another occupation of some Manipuris. In urban areas
Manipuris are involved in automobile industries and workshops, handloom goods business and
gold making. Very few of them are found to be leading businessmen in Sylhet city. A number of
educated Manipuris both from urban and rural areas are serving as high officials in governmental
and non-governmental agencies.
Livelihood pattern of Jaintia people:
The Jaintia tribes living in Sylhet during the past were an obscure community,
particularly so, because of their unique and traditional means of livelihood by cultivation of betel
vines for their leaves. Their traditional method involves the use of trees as support for the betel
vines and dead leaves and branches as organic manure for the betel plants.
Therefore, forests and trees are vital to the survival of the tribes because this was, and is,
the only traditional means of livelihood for them. And so, their communities lived in forested
areas where trees are abundant and hence they had very little contact with the local population
who are settled in the plain areas. The variety of betel leaf they cultivate is known locally as the
Khasia paan, among the Bengalis, which they sell at weekly haats or bazaars.
After 7-10 years, when the soil has reduced in fertility and production of leaves by the
betel vines has reduced, these tribes shift their cultivation to a fresh patch of the forest. It might
therefore be observed that while betel leaf cultivation by the Khasi and Jaintia tribes is a shifting
cultivation by virtue of it being organic, it is yet a method of cultivation that preserves trees and
forests. So, even if it is referred to as Paan-jhum, it is completely different to the normal jhum

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cultivation of other tribes and communities which is more of a ‘slash and burn type’. Hence,
‘jhum’ seems to be a misnomer where the paan-jhum of the Khasi and Jaintia betel leaf
cultivation is concerned. Another way they are obtaining livelihood is collecting honey from the
forest.
Livelihood pattern of Garo people:
The Garos rely on nature. Their profession is hunting and warrior known as Matgrik.
They practice jhum cultivation which is the most common agricultural tradition. For more than
4,000 years, the Garos have been practicing jhum cultivation. It was their main profession for
feeding themselves.
But in the last 50 years the most changing scenario of the Garo ethnic people is the
changing of professions. They are now influenced and have adapted to the modern technology
and professions. They might have jobs in schools, colleges, universities and other educational
institutions. In Bangladesh their jobs are very diverse. Almost 30,000 Garos are living in Dhaka
metropolitan city and most them are working in beauty parlours, EPZ industries, housekeeping,
security personnel, driving, NGOs private service, real-estate, garment industries, etc. There are
a good number in Bangladesh Civil Service Cedre service. Garo people may also work as day
labourers.
Conclusion:
The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, adopted by the
32nd session of the General Conference of UNESCO in September 2003, calls for safeguarding
knowledge and skills that are recognized by communities, groups, and in some cases individuals,
as forming part of their cultural heritage; are transmitted from generation to generation and
constantly recreated; are crucial for the sense of identity and continuity of communities and

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groups; are in conformity with human rights, and, mutual respect and sustainable development.
This is commonly known as traditional or indigenous knowledge.
The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, endorsed by the UN Human
Rights Council in June 2006, recognizes “that respect for indigenous knowledge, cultures and
traditional practices contributes to sustainable and equitable development and proper
management of the environment”.
With the entry of modern agricultural techniques in every sphere of ethnic life their
traditional mode of production is shifting. If we want to preserve the forests and ensure
sustainable development then policy makers must put emphasis on preserving their culture and
livelihood as per UN declarations.
References:
1. Ethnicity Theory and Experience by Nathan Glazer and Daniel Moynihan
2. Changing Khasis: A Historical Account by J. B. Bhattacharjee (1987)
3. Combating the Khasi Uprooting: Humanity Cries by M. Rahman (2004)
4. Bangladesh: Racial Discrimination Against Indigenous Peoples by S. Chakma
(1999)
5. The Journal of Ethnic Affairs