Light After 80 Years Birhor Tribe is given Hope of Electrification

The hamlet of Fulwariya of the Koderma district of Jharkhand received electricity after nearly 80 years and this changed the lives of the approximately 550 people living there most of whom are the Birhor tribe. The laying of a 63 KVA transformer under the Ujjwala Yojana signified the end of decades of darkness and marked a new dawn of prospects in education and healthcare and livelihood.

The process of electrification was not smooth. Fulwariya is within the inner part of a reserved forest, where there are limitations to the development work so as to safeguard the plants and animals. The authorities were forced to obtain several clearances, provide harsh conditions and make sure that no wildlife was displaced. There were rules like the prohibition of high-beam lights and loudspeakers which were to create a balance in development and conservation.

Who Are the Birhor?

One of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) of Jharkhand is the Birhor. They are literally called people of the jungle. The Birhor are traditionally semi-nomadic with their dwellings consisting of tandas, which are temporary huts constructed out of leaves and branches. At the social level, they are clan-oriented, and the leaders of the community solve conflicts and maintain peace.

They speak Birhor, a dialect of the Munda subgroup of the Austroasiatic family and are frequently bilingual, speaking either Hindi, Santali or local dialects. The tribe is notorious as being rope-makers by using vine fibre, monkey hunters and harvesters of forest produce. Though there are groups, referred as Uthlus, which are nomadic, there are others, referred to as Janghis, which have adopted settled agriculture.

Cultural and Physical Identity.

The birhors are generally short with curly hair and wide noses. They can be traced back the Sun, and by ethnological means, they are related to Kharwars and by culturally they are related to Santals, Mundas and Hos. Their traditions indicate strong connection with forests, deep knowledge of medicinal plants and a mixture of animism and Hinduism.

A Step Toward Inclusion

The electrification has led to opportunities of studying at night, access to health services, and small business. Children that used to study with the help of kerosene lamps can now dream of more brightful future. To a community that has been long isolated, this move is not only a development but dignity and empowerment.

Since electricity has arrived at Fulwariya, it is not only bringing light but also hope of integration, prospects and a greater voice of the Birhor people in the development process of India.