DYNAMISM AND CHANGING ECONOMIC PATTERN AMONG THE ST PEOPLE

Tribe also known as Indigenous people, a human social group comprising numerous families, clans, or generations together with slaves and defined by traditions of common descent, language, culture and ideology. In some cases, tribes have legal recognition and some degree of political autonomy from federal government. In this research paper, it is mentioned that the indigenous people are mainly Santhals. They are from Munda ethnic group native to India, are also found in various ecological and geo-climatic conditions ranging from plains and forest to hills and inaccessible areas. They are at different stages of social, economic and educational development. Various projects are being implemented by the government for ST people but in remote village (surveyed village for this study) the uneven implementation of these project, there has been no significant change in economic status of ST people specially in the surveyed area. In some cases, ST villagers are abandoning their traditional livelihood to work as labourers to improve their economic status. The rate of economic development and the level of per-capita income increase and more workforce shift from primary sector to secondary and tertiary sector. That's why for secure income as well as to learn new skills labour switch to different activity. It is known as occupational mobility, which usually measured by changes in classification of occupational categories. As an example of such a situation, ST people of Bagalia village, Purulia district has been selected and this micro level survey, shows a picture of ST people of this surveyed village, moving from their traditional livelihood to another livelihood.