CHAPTER-II the VILLAGE and the PEOPLE 2.1 Introduction
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CHAPTER-II THE VILLAGE AND THE PEOPLE 2.1 Introduction: The first chapter represents a brief lesson on Medical Anthropology and its importance to study the health behavior of the tribal world, The aims and objectives of the present study were stated in detail to understand the scope of the present research. An overall view of the state, district and sub-division are· also given for better understanding about the people and location of study. It has been stated that the study was based on a single tribal village inhabited by the only Primitive Tribal Group (now known as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group) of North Bengal viz. Toto. To reveal the whole scenario according to the research enquiry, it is necessary to know about the basic information of the particular village and the people. This chapter will enlighten the background of the village Totopara and the life of the village people. The brief analytical description of the village and the people will provide better understanding of the upcoming chapters. 2.2 Locale of the Study: As the present study was conducted among the Totos ofTotopara village ofMadarihat Block, Alipurduar Sub-Division, District Jalpaigur~ West Bengal, so to apprehend the location and surrounding environment of the studied area, a discussion has been made on the basic feature of the State, District and the Sub-division. 2.2.1 The State: West Bengal West Bengal is on the eastern bottleneck oflndia, stretching from Himalayas in the North to the Bay of Bengal in the South. The state lies between 27°13'15" and 21 °25'24" north latitudes and 85°48' 20" and 89°53' 04" east longitudes. To its north east lay the states of Assam and Sikkim and the country Bhutan and to its south west the states of Orissa. To the west it borders the states of Jharkhand and Bihar and to the North West Nepal. The state has a total area of 88,752 square kilometers. The Drujeeling Himalayan hill region in the northern extreme of the state belongs to the eastern Himalaya. The region contains Sandakfu (3,636 metres! 11,929 feet) - the highest peak of the state. The narrow Terai region separates this region from the plains, which in turn transitions into the Ganges delta towards the south. The 46 Rarh region intervenes between the Ganges delta in the east and the western plateau and high lands. A small coastal is in the extreme south, while the Sundarban mangrove forests form a remarkable geographical landmark at the Ganges delta. An agriculture dependent state, West Bengal occupies only 2. 7% of the India's land area; though it supports over 7.8% of the Indian population and is the most densely populated state in India (population density is 904 person I square kilometer). There are 19 districts, 341 blocks and 40, 782 villages. According 2001 census, the population ofthe state is 80,221,171 consisting of 41,487,694 males and 38, 737,477 females. There are 11, 132, 84 children belonging to (0-6) age groups. Total rural and urban populations are 57, 734, 690 and 22,486, 481 respectively. The decadal growth rate of the state is 17.77% (against 21.54% for the country) and the population of the state is growing at a slower rate than the national rate. Table: 2.A Demographic, Socio-economic profile of West Bengal State as compared to India figures: Sl. Items West Bengal India No. I. Total Population(Census 2001) 80.18 1028.61 (In millions) . 2. Sex Ratio(Census2001) 934 933 3. Scheduled Caste Population 18.45 166.64 (in millions) 4. Scheduled Tribe Population (in millions1 4.41 84.33 5. Population Below Poverty Line(%). 27.02 26.10 6. Crude Birth Rate (SRS 2007) 17.9 23.1 7. Crude Death Rate (SRS 2007) 6.3 7.4 8. Infant Mortality Rate (SRS 2007) 37 55 9. Total Fertility Rate (SRS2007) 1.9 2.7 10. Maternal Mortality Ratio (SRS 2004- 141 254 2006) Source: RHS Bulletm, March 2008, M/0 Health & F.W., GOI 47 Table: 2.B. Health Infrastructure of West Bengal SLNo Particulars Iu position I. Medical co liege 09 2. District hospitals 15 3. Ayurvedic hospitals _ 04 4. Ayurvedic dispensaries 295 5. Unaui hospitals 01 6. Unaui dispensaries 03 7. Homeopathic hospitals 12 8. Homeopathic dispensaries 1220 9. Sub-Centres 10,356 10. Primary Health Centres 924 11. Community Health Centres 349 12. Multipurpose Health Worker(male)/ANM 6051 at Sub-centre and PHC 13. Health Worker (male) MPW (M) at sub-centres. 4215 14. Health Assistant (female)ILHV at PHCs 300 15. Health Assistant_(male)/at PHC 225 16. Doctors at PHCs. 810 17. Obstetricians and Gyoecologists at CHCs 38 18. Physicians at CHCs. 107 19. Pediatricians at CHCs 25 20. Total specialists at CHCs 186 21. Radiographers 127 22. Pharmacist 830 23. Laboratory technicians 441 24. Nurse/ Midwives 5215 Source: RHS Bulletm, March 2008, M/0 Health & F.W., GOI 48 2.2.2 The District: Ethnically diverse and culturally rich, the largest district of North Bengal Jalpaiguri was formed on 1" January 1869. The district is geographically located between 26°16' and 27°00' North latitude and 88°4' and 89°53' East longitudes. The total area of the district is 6,245 sq. km. The district has an average length of 144 km from East to West and an average breadth of40 km from North to. South. It is situated in the northern part of the West Bengal bordering Bhutan and Bangladesh in the North and South respectively. The major rivers of the district are Teesta, Torsha, Jaldhaka, Dyna, Sankosh. Maximum temperature in the summer is 30.9 degree centigrade and minimum temperature varies from 8 to I 0 degree centigrade, average rainfall3160 mm (:varying between 2500-3500 mm). The average relative humidity is about 82%. The population density was 450. The district Jalpaiguri was poorly served considering the number of PHCs per 100 inhabited villages (only 7.08 numbers of PHCs per 100 inhabited villages in the District ofJalpaiguri) The major harvested crops in the district are rice, jute and sugar cane. Jute pressing, saw milling and match manufacturing are the major industries. Jalpaiguri is also agricultural distribution centre of West Bengal.. The district is also well-known for Tea, Timber, and Tourism. 1790 sq km. area of this district is covered by forest. Gorumara, Chapramar~ Chalsa and Jaldapara are the main tourist attraction places. Table: 2.C Important Demographic Features of the District Jalpaiguri SINo. Demographic Feature Number and Percentage I. Population 3,403,204 2. Density of Population 547(per sq.km) 3. Male 1,753,278 4. Female 1,649,926 5. Total Rural Population 2,799,357 6. Total Urban Population 603,847 7. Scheduled Caste 36.71% 8. Scheduled Tribe 18.87% 9. Sex Ratio 953 10. Literacy Rate 54.03% Source: Census oflndta 2001 49 The district has total thirteen (13) numbers of hospitals, seven (07) welfare centres. The diStrict is well comiected by rail, road. The important and major roads are NH 31, NH 34. By road it is well connected with rest of the country. Air travel is available up to Bagdogra (Siliguri) and from there the district town is well connected by road. All the sub divisions are connected by the above said roads. The North Eastern Frontier railway is an important train route, which is passing through the district. The district is the gateway to the North Eastern states and Bhutan. Table: 2.D A List of Medical Institutions (District- Jalpaiguri) Sl Category Numbers No. 1. District Hospital. 01 2. Sub- Divisional Hospitals 02 J. Rural Hospitals. OS 4. Block Primary Health Centres 09 s. Primary Health Centres. 38 6. Sub- Centres S37 7. Blood Banks 01 Source: Fteld Survey, 2012 There is another hospital, Birpara State General Hospital which is neither a Sub-divisional hospital nor a rural hospital. 2.2.3 The Sub- division: The total area of Alipurduar Sub-division is 3,010 sq km. Alipurduar is a Sub-divisional municipal town of Jalpaiguri District. It is situated in the north bank of Kaljani river on the foothills of Himalayas. Alipurduar is located at 26°29'N 89°34'E. It has an average elevation of 93 metres (305 feet). There are two rivers flowing across the town namely Kaljani and Nonai. so As of2001 India Census Alipurduar had a population of73,047. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. 10% of the population is under 6 years of age. The density of the population is 352. Alipurduar has an average literacy rate of78%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 54% of the males and 46% offemales literate. Topography of this Sub-division and its environment is characterized by uneven elevation of this region varies from 62m to 350m. The altitude falls from 350m to above mean sea level at the foot of the Himalayas to 150m above mean sea level over a distance of 25km and then falls to above 60m above mean sea level over a distance 11 Okm further south. The climate of this area is characterized by a sub tropical and humid, the maximum, minimum temperature 370C and 60C respectively. The average annual rainfall is 110-130 mm. The storm rainfall is of hydro-meteorological significance inundation and flood of the area. For a pretty longtime, a number oftribal communities have been fuund to migrate to this area and became the autochthones of this area. The Sub-division has high percentage of migrated populations of different cultural groups (Rajbanshis, Rabhas, Totos, Mech, Santhals, Oraons) which have created a unique cultural harmony.