The Socio-Economic Effects of Market Penetration in Tribal Life: The Case of Demise of Tribal Alcohol

IntroductionIndia is home to the world’s largest tribal population. Being about 8% of the total population of India, they easily surpass any competition globally. But within the country, they remain marginal, owing mainly to the history of their interactions as also to the utilitarian prioritization followed during policy formulations far away from their areas of influence. The two forces that have impacted highly on the life of the tribal people are firstly, the intrusion of non-tribal market into the tribal ecosphere and secondly, evolution of the modern state- which in essence refers to the British state as well as the post-independent Indian state, as prior to this the areas where tribals resided where mostly left out of the administrative control. The changes they have brought about have been irreversible and mostly unsettling for the tribes. The state has continuously tried to “integrate” the tribals into the rest of the so called civilised non-tribal population through different strategies. Many of these aimed at initiating them to the larger world where traditionally owned resources such as forest, mines, land and rivers were coveted for more than what the tribals had made out of them. What was sacred thus soon became just another resource to be “exploited”.

The direct impact of non-tribal market penetration into tribal lands can be observed in three areas,

1. Extinction of weekly tribal markets and its increasing replacement by permanent or semi-permanent structures which performs the same functions if not in a better way.

2. Increasing presence of consumer products in tribal villages and the demand for the same

3. Demise of indigenous products and its demand

Demise of tribal liquor: One such important product which is becoming extinct is the tribal liquor. Tribal liquor was an important part of the tribal lives. As an offering to god, a means for recreation in the social meetings, cure for dysentery and cholera and preservatives1 the liquor was as much a part of the tribal rituals as in social revelry and mundane life. The drink was produced and consumed in the households or during public gatherings and other ritual ceremonies. This ran counter to the then national ethic in the post independent India where alcohol was immoral and Gandhi was the holy man who had asked it to be abolished. When in the wake of toxic alcohol deaths and massive tragedies, state decided to regulate the production and sale of alcohol without permit it resulted in replacing tribal liquor by the other alternatives sold by the state or private parties. This paved way for increased penetration of non-tribal systems into tribal systems.

1 Thap and Hoe Alank of karbi tribe

This study aims to understand the causes and effects of such state & market penetrations in the socio economic life of tribes, with a special focus on the effects of regulations and promotion of foreign alcohol for long existent tribal alternatives.

Objectives To understand the changes that have been brought (positive and negative) about in the

tribal life owing to state interventions. To understand how far global market integration has influenced and increased

penetration of non-tribal markets into tribal areas. Causes and effects of regulation of alcohol in the socio-economic life of tribes and a

study to find out how far withdrawn has tribal liquor

Methodology

The study will be conducted in two areas, one where tribal markets are disappearing and the other where local weekly markets have already disappeared. These areas should also converge to the requirement were tribal alcohol is abolished/near extinct and tribal alcohol is still prevailing. The study will be conducted through Ethnographic method in these tribal areas.

In the areas were tribal alcohol has already been abolished and tribal markets has become extinct, the focus of study will be to understand the changes due to the penetration of non-tribal markets and with it non-tribal liquor. Focus group discussions with the men and women in the respective communities will be conducted in both areas. Semi structure interviews will be conducted in selected families to understand the issues in health, family life, income and expenditure due to consumption & change in consumption behaviour of non-tribal state approved liquor. The issue of alcoholism addiction and its impact in the socio economic lives of people will be assessed. The study will also focus on the role played by market, especially in the decline of cultural practises, rise of practices such as domestic violence, abuse of women and children along with studying economic issues related to increase in consumption with less income. A sample survey will be undertaken in the villages to assess the income spend by each household on alcohol. The addiction to alcoholism a rising trend among many tribes will be also studied. The secondary data will be collected from the health department. The data of cases registered for illegal liquor production will be collected from the police stations; also its effects on health and harmony of society will be studied accordingly. The number of cases registered and their nature would also be looked into to study any trends. A comparative study will be conducted in areas were the local market is still existing and areas were local market system does not exist.

In the areas where tribal market still exist and the tribal alcohol is allowed to produce and consume in the households, main objective will be to understand the efforts for penetration done by the state & market forces and study indicators like alcoholic rate, annual sale of Indian made foreign liquor & Indian liquor in the district through data collected from secondary data. Semi-structured interview will be conducted with the sellers in the local

market2 .The weekly markets in Githam, Dantewada blocks of the Dantewada Districts will be visited and the samples for interview will be collected from there. The income generated per day, price and production activity will be discussed. The regulations the sellers or producers face from the external sources in the name of religion, political ideologies and other agencies will be included in the discussions. Focus group discussions will be also conducted with women and men in the community.

Tentative study areas: Thirunelli, Tribal villages in Wayanad District Kerala & Tribal village in Dantewada in ChathisgarhThe areas chosen are peculiar due to their backwardness & emergence of resistance movements in the areas as also their unique tribal culture. The Thirunelli Village in Wayanad District in Kerala has a high tribal population. The traditional alcohol, arrack preparation and sale is abolished by the government during 1990s in the state. A very high proportion of the tribal population are said to be chronic alcoholics. This includes tribal women and children. The higher alcoholic trends are seen particularly among the Paniya community which is considered as a lower category of workers even among other tribes in the area. There are liquor shops run by Government of Kerala and other private bars in the nearby towns. These places have been a pivotal point for land exploitation, abuse of tribal women and exploitation of tribal labour through “work for alcohol” policy in plantations. The study will be conducted by preparing case studies of different kinds of exploitations that have been happening due to the alcohol consumption such as of land, rise in unwed mothers, labour exploitation and the role of alcohol as a pull factor for migration.

OutcomeThe research expects to find the issues of state intervention & market penetration in tribal areas, especially due to regulation in production of homemade local alcohol. Rather than completely abolishing the tribal alcohol, research will try to find the alternatives to prevail the local alcohol by creating regulation in commercial productions and also developing strategies to develop the tribal alcohol with scientific technologies to regulate its ill effects.

2 Selling of the liquor is allowed in the local market