প্রতিধ্বতি the Echo ISSN 2278-5264 প্রতিধ্বতি the Echo An Online Journal of Humanities & Social Science Published by: Dept. of Bengali Karimganj College, Karimganj, Assam, India. Website: www.thecho.in Problems and Prospects of Women Entreprenureship in Sonowal Kachari Society Baby Sonowal Hazarira Asst. Professor, Dept. of Economics, Rabindrasadan Girls’ College, Karimganj, Assam Abstract Assam, the land of blue hills and green forestry, is one of the tribal living states of India. The total number of tribal population is highest in Assam as compared to other North-Eastern states. Fourteen (14) schedule tribes inhabit in Assam. SonowalKacharis inhabit over upper Assam covering seven districts viz-Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Sivasagar, Jorhat and Golaghat. Some of SonowalKachari people inhabit in Arunachal Pradesh also. Among these districts of Assam Dibrugarh district is the largest inhabitat of SonowalKacharis. According to 1991 population census the total SonowalKachari population was 2,51,727. It has increased to 3,12,656 in 2001 in the state of Assam. The development of a society requires full participation by all section of the population including women. Involvement of women in entrepreneurial activities would ensure effective utilization of labour, generation of income and hence improvement in quality of life. It is realized by all the nations that social and economic changes can be ensured mobilizing women to take up entrepreneurial activities. The present study seeks to examine the economic activities and also problems faced by them in their various entrepreneurial activities in the society. Thus the present paper carries a great importance to study about the position of entrepreneurial activities among women in sonowalkachari society. The present study is based on data collected from primary and secondary sources. The primary data are collected from field survey through direct personal interview with the help of well- designed questionnaire. The SonowalKachari women are in recent time very much interested in entrepreneurial work. But it has been observed that like other community women the rate of growth of women entrepreneurship is not enough among them. This is due to some basic problems arising in relation to entrepreneurial development in such societies. By considering all these sides the present paper is prepared with the objectives like, level of education, Causes of selecting this profession, age- group, training, finance etc. Based on all the objectives the present paper is presenting the main problems faced by the women entrepreneur like lack of education, lack of finance, lack of training etc. After identifying different problems the paper includes some suggestions to solve those. TRIBAL POPULATION OF ASSAM population is highest in Assam as Assam, the land of blue hills and green compared to other North-Eastern states. forestry, is one of the tribal living states There are fourteen (14) schedule tribes of India. The total number of tribal inhabit in Assam. These fourteen tribes 143 Page Volume-I, Issue-IV, April 2013 প্রতিধ্বতি the Echo ISSN 2278-5264 are Barmans in Cachar, Bodo-Kachari, Sonowal women are independent. SonowalKachari, Miri (Mising), Deori, They do all domestic works like Hojai, Lalung, Mech, Rabha, Dimasa, weaving, animal husbandry and also Hajong, Khamti, Singpho and Garo. The work at the crop-field. They are expert tribes of the state have heterogeneous in fishing by Jakai (fishing instrument). social system, culture, myths and There was not the system of child legends. In our study we get the marriage, satidah etc.in the past time Sonowal Kachari tribes, which have an also but have allowed the system of interesting past and differential socio- widow remarriage. They have equal cultural behavior freedom as the men and they can even move openly to take education anywhere THE SONOWAL KACHARIS and enter other social sectors too. SonowalKacharis inhabit over upper Assam covering seven districts SOCIO-CULTURAL IDENTITY viz-Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Dhemaji, The Sonowal Kacharis of Assam Lakhimpur, Sivasagar, Jorhat and have a rich cultural heritage. They have Golaghat. Some of SonowalKachari marked their identity as a tribe having people inhabit in Arunachal Pradesh their own regional dialect and culture, also. Among these districts of Assam society, customs and traditions and as a Dibrugarh district is the largest inhabitat colourful tribe. They have influenced of SonowalKacharis. SonowalKacharis the civilization of Assam and have belongs to the greater kachari tribes. For added to the rich heritage of India. The originity or the history of the Kacharis various cultural and religious activities in Assam can be dated (traced) back to of the Sonowal Kacharis are associated several hundreds of years. The Kacharis with the Baithow Puja, the Haidanggeet, in Assam rooted to Tibeto-Mongoloid Hogra-Nritya, Bahuwa-Nrityaetc. They race. They were earlier called “Kiraat” celebrate Bihu also. The which was originally the name of a SonowalKachariwomen engage tribe. A class of the “Kiraat” tribe in the themselves in Aainaam, Gusaninaam, “Mahabharata” which flourished in the Biyanaam, Lakhiminaam, Hubusoni, banks of the river “Brahmaputra” and Kunwarigeet, Gathiyankhunda, the “Barak”. Phulkonwargeet, Manikonwargeetas part of a social or cultural gathering. SONOWAL KACHARI POPULATION The Sonowal Kacharis have progressed According to 1991 population in various other spheres. They were census the total Sonowal Kachari skilled in handloom weaving and crafts, population was 2,51,727. It has mason work and sculpture. increased to 3,12,656 in 2001 in the state of Assam.After 1991, since ECONOMIC CONDITION community wise population data were The economic condition of the not collected, hence it is not easy to SonowalKacharis is still backward like present recent population strength of other tribal communities. The economy Sonowal Kacharis. But those population of the SonowalKacharis is noted as S.T. inhabit under the predominantly an agrarian one. Their jurisdiction of Sonowal Kachari livelihood depends on agriculture and Autonomus Countil. other allied activities. They devote a 144 STATUS OF WOMEN Page Volume-I, Issue-IV, April 2013 প্রতিধ্বতি the Echo ISSN 2278-5264 larger portion of cultivable land for the position of entrepreneurial activities growing rice. Besides growing rice, they among women in Sonowal kachari have also undertaken cultivation of society. various types of other crops like vegetables, potatoes, mustard seeds etc. METHODOLOGY: But still in this century the modern This study is based on data technology is not properly a habitual collected from primary and secondary practice for them. The frequent floods in sources. The primary data are collected the monsoon season largely affect the from field survey through direct growing crops in the field and lack of personal interview with the help of well- marketing facility for agricultural designed questionnaire. Six villages of products produced also badly effect most Sibsagar district are selected randomly of villages. Unemployment is another and the survey has done for 50 growing burning problem among Sonowalkachari women entrepreneurs. SonowalKachari community. The villages are namely, AhomPathar,Nemukur,JamiraRajabari EDUCATIONAL STATUS ,Bhatgaj,Paraliguri, The educational attainment or DihingmukhTeteliguri,underDemow literacy rate is also not satisfactory. revenue circle,Sibsagar.The secondary Most of them lower-standard educated data are collected from books, and very few of them have the education magazines, websites etc. more or less 10+2 standard. This is said to be because of backward socio- OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: economic condition of the The SonowalKachari women are SonowalKachari community. According in recent time very much interested in to 1991 census report only 27.14 per entrepreneurial workslike,Handloom cent of SonowalKacharis are literate. weaving, Piggery farm, Poultryfarm, Dairy farm, DTPComputer Education, IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY: Handicraft etc. But it has been observed The development of a society that like other community women, the requires full participation by all section rate of growth of women of the population including women. entrepreneurship is not satisfactory Involvement of women in among them. This is due to some basic entrepreneurial activities would ensure problems arising in relation to effective utilization of labour, entrepreneurial development in such generation of income and hence societies. By considering all these sides improvement in quality of life. It is the present topic is prepared with the realized by all the nations that social following objectives: and economic changes can be ensured i) To examine the educational mobilizing women to take up level of women entrepreneurial activities. This study entrepreneurs. seek to examine the economic activities ii) To know about the causes and also problems faced by them behind women in their various entrepreneurial entrepreneurship. activities in the society. Thus, the study iii) To verify their age- 145 carries a great importance to study about groups. Page Volume-I, Issue-IV, April 2013 প্রতিধ্বতি the Echo ISSN 2278-5264 iv) To know about the The most important element to achieve availability of training for success in any short of business is the women entrepreneur. level of education. Through our field v) To examine their income study we tried to enquire how much our level. sample entrepreneurs have got formal education and the following results