Geo-Analyst ( ISSN 2249-2909), Vol.1, No.2 2011 FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS OF TOTO TRIBE IN MADARIHAT BLOCK OF JALPAIGURI DISTRICT, WEST BENGAL Jayanta Das* Abstract: The o !e"t#$es o% the st&'y a(e to 'ete()#ne the so"#o-e"ono)#" stat&s o% Toto t(# e an' to s&**est s&#ta le (e)e'#es. The +(esent st&'y has een )a'e to e,a)#ne the (ate o% l#te(a"y an' -&al#ty o% e'&"at#on, o""&+ational an' e)+loy)ent +atte(n, s#.e o% lan'hol'#n*, le$el o% #n"o)e an' e,+en'#t&(e /#th othe( so"#o-e"ono)#" "ha(a"te(#st#"s o% Toto t(# e. The e,#st#n* l#te(at&(e on the so"#o-e"ono)#" an' l#$#n* "on'it#ons o% Totos +(o$#'e' se$e(al %a"to(s that a(e '#(e"tly an' #n'#(e"tly (es+ons# le %o( the so"#o-e"ono)#" a"0/a('ness, +o$e(ty an' %#nan"#al o l#*at#on #n th#s 1(#)#t#$e T(# al G(o&+ (1TG). The )a#n +(o le) #n the Toto t(# e is that they a(e '#)#n#sh#n* '&e to la"0 o% +o+&lat#on "o)+a(e' to othe( )#*(ant +o+&lat#on2 "onse-&ently, they ha$e e"o)e )#no(#ty #n the#( o/n lan'. The st&'y %o"&ses that th#s )#no( +(#)#t#$e t(# al *(o&+ nee's )&"h #ntens#$e 'e$elo+)ent +ol#"y +a"0a*e %o( the#( so"#o-e"ono)#" t(ans)#ss#on. Keywords: Primitive Tribal Group (PTG), illiterate, socio-economic backwardness, policy package Intr !"ct# n: A t(# e is a *(o&+ o% +eo+le #n a +(#)#t#$e sta*e o% 'e$elo+)ent a"0no/le'*#n* the a&tho(#ty o% a "h#e% an' ha$#n* a %eel#n* o% &n#ty 'e(#$#n* %(o) n&)e(o&s s#)#la(it#es #n a "&lt&(e. The *ene(al "ha(a"te(#st#" o% the t(# al +o+&lation o% In'#a #s the(e e,"l&s#$e *eo*(a+h#"al ha #tat. The Toto is a +(#)#t#$e t(# e /ho li$e )o(e #n #solat#on #n #na""ess# le '#%%#"&lt te((ain an' )a#nta#ns a l#%e style /h#"h (e)a#ns al)ost stat#" th(o&*h "ent&(#es. In *ene(al the#( +o+&lat#on s#.e #s s)all /#th lo/ *(o/th (ate #n "o)+a(#son to othe(. 3&t #t #s a *loo)#n* %a"t that e$en a%te( 64 yea(s o% #n'e+en'en"e2 Toto t(# e #s o$e(/hel)e' /#th se$e(al so"#o-e"ono)#" +(o le)s (Dha(*&+ta, 2009). The(e #s a le*en' that a %e/ +eo+le /e(e en*a*e' y 3(#t#she(, '&(#n* the %#*ht /#th 3h&tan #n 1564, as la o&(e(s to "a((y the a**a*e o% tota ("a(tr#'*e) an' hen"e #n '&e "o&(se this *(o&+ o% +eo+le as /ell 0no/n as Toto (Sa(0a(, 1996). Altho&*h they /e(e +(e$#o&sly 0no/n as Je+an*�J#ten� Tot$#� Tota� Toto (Dhan#(a) Toto, 2011). The Toto #s an In'o-3h&tanees tr# e elon*s to 7on*olo#' (a"#al *(o&+ /#th %lat nose, (oa', an' s-&a(e "hee0s, th#"0 l#+s, s)all eyes an' la"0 #(#s. They a(e *ene(ally '#$#'e' into 16 e,o*a)o&s "lans o% %a)#lies. A o&t 809 o% the %a)#l#es elon* to %#$e 'o)#nant "lans, na)ely Dan0o ei, Dant(o ei, 3&'& e#, 3o&'& e# an' 3an*a e# an' othe(s a(e Dh#(#n*"han0o e#, N&(#n"han0o e#, 7ant(o"he#, 7an"h#n"he#, N& e e#, :e0an!# e# N#s"han0o ei, D#* e#,3a'an*a an' Jant(o e#. The Totos /e(e the sole #nha #tants o% Toto+a(a #n 1901(Das, 1999). 3&t t(a'#t#onal lo"al#ty o% Toto+a(a has een *(ossly en"(oa"he' y the Ne+al# +o+&lations /ho ha$e *(a e' the )a,#)&) lan' o% the a(ea. The l#)#te' lan' (eso&("es an' s"anty a$en&es %o( e)+loy)ent o% the lo"al +eo+le "(eate an #) alan"e #n the#( e"ono)#" l#%e. 7o(eo$e(, th#s a(ea (e)a#ns "&t o%% %(o) the o&ts#'e /o(l' %o( nea(ly th(ee )onths '&e to %loo' o% t/o (#$e(s na)ely To(sa an' ;o/'#, "o$e(#n* th(ee s#'es o% the lo"ality. The (e)a#n#n* s#'e #s #n the h#ll to+ /h#"h %alls &n'e( 3h&tan. 7any t(# &ta(#es s&"h as D&n*t#,Dat#n*t#,D#+t#,<h&ati N#t#n*#, Ja+t#, Goyat#, Na)sit#, =#tin*t#, >'#n*s#, 7e(e)at# et". #solate the Toto+a(a. It #s o se($e' that, th#s )ino( +(#)#t#$e tr# e %a"es )any so"#o-e"ono)#" +(o le)s %(o) the e*#nn#n*. D&(#n* the 3(#t#sh (e*#)es, the 3(#tish Go$e(n)ent '#' not +ay )&"h attent#on on the Toto. A%te( In'#an #n'e+en'en"e, n&) e( o% +ol#"#es an' +(o*(a))es /e(e #n#t#ate' (:ao ? :ao, 2010). 3&t the Go$e(n)ental an' NG@s en'ea$o&(s %o( the#( ette()ent ha$e %a#le'. In a''#tion, so"#o-e"ono)#" (elate' st&'#es /e(e l#)#te' an' a$a#la le st&'#es a(e #solate', %(a*)enta(y an' )a,#)&) /o(0s on "&lt&(al as+e"t. ;en"e the +(esent st&'y #s &n'e(ta0en to 'ete()#ne the so"io-e"ono)#" stat&s o% Toto. Ar$a % St"!&: The enti(e st&'y a(ea %alls #n Toto+a(a $#lla*e &n'e( J.A. No. 66 /h#"h l#es on the /este(n an0 o% To(sa :#$e(. It "o)+(ises an a(ea o% 1991.69 a"(es. It #s an elon*ate' an' st(et"h#n* %(o) No(th to So&th, "o$e(#n* a len*th o% a o&t 4 0). 7a,#)&) 'istan"e %(o) Bast to Cest l#0e T(#+e.o#' #n sha+e. Toto+a(a )o&.a #s '#$#'e' #nto s#, ha)lets, l#0e 1an"hayet*aon, S& a*aon, 7an'ol*aon ,7#t(a*aon, 1&!a*aon an' Dh&)"h#*aon. Toto+a(a #s lo"ate' at the %oot o% the ;#)alaya !&st to the so&th o% the o('e(l#ne et/een 3h&tan an' Cest 3en*al #n the 7a'a(#hat 3lo"0, Jalpa#*&(# '#st(#"t o% Cest 3en*al, In'#a. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *:esea("h S"hola(, De+a(t)ent o% Geo*(a+hy an' A++l#e' Geo*(a+hy, >n#$e(sity o% No(th 3en*al 66 Geo-Analyst ( ISSN 2249-2909), Vol.1, No.2 2011 Databas$ an! M$t' ! ( )&: Data %o( th#s st&'y has een ase' on oth +(#)a(y an' se"on'a(y so&("es. In%o()at#on (elat#n* to the so"#o e"ono)#" "on'#t#on o% the sele"te' Toto ho&sehol' #s "olle"te' /#th the hel+ o% -&est#onna#(e )etho'. The sa)+le s#.e #s 90, "olle"te' %(o) s#, ha)lets. The :an'o) sa)+l#n* 'es#*n /#tho&t (e+la"e)ent has een a'o+te' %o( ho&sehol' s&($ey. The "olle"te' 'ata has een "o)+lie' an' analyse' &s#n* stan'a(' statist#"al an' "a(to*(a+h#" te"hn#-&es. To assess the so"#oe"ono)#" "on'it#on o% the Toto se$en #)+o(tant so"#o-'e)o*(a+h#" an' e"ono)#" $a(#a les a(e ta0en #nto a""o&nt. Amon* the) th(ee $a(#a les a(e so"#al #n'#"ato(s s&"h as l#te(a"y le$els o% the ho&sehol's, %a)#ly s#.e an' the health stat&s. S#)#la(ly to )eas&(e the e"ono)#" "on'#t#on o% the ho&seholds, the /o(0 +a(ti"#+ation (ates o% the %a)#ly )e) e(s o% the ho&sehol's, s#.e o% the o+e(at#onal lan' hol'#n* o% the ho&sehol's, the a$e(a*e ann&al #n"o)e o% the ho&sehol', the e,tent o% "ons&)+t#on e,+en'#t&(e )a'e y the ho&sehol' on al"ohols, "e(e)on#es an' %&n"t#ons a(e ta0en #nto a""o&nt. The %ollo/#n* stat#st#"s a(e &se'- ∑ ݂݉ Chere, = (ݔഥ)݊ܽ݁ܯ ܰ %G %(e-&en"y ) G )#' $al&e ௌௗ ܵ. ܧ. ݋݂ ܯ݁ܽ݊ = nGn&) e( √௡ Chere, ௌௗ S'G Stan'a(' De$#at#on ܥ. ܸ = × 100 ௫̅ n G n&) e( Chere, R$s"(t an! D#sc"ss# n: S' G Stan'a(' De$#at#on D$* )ra+'#c C#rc"*stanc$: Totos /e(e nea(ly e"o)#n* e,t#n"t #n the 1940s, &t (e"ent )eas&(e to sa%e*&a(' the#( a(eas %(o) e#n* s/a)+e' /#th o&ts#'e(s ha$e hel+e' to +(ese($e the#( &n#-&e he(#ta*e an' also hel+e' the +o+&lat#on *(o/th.