Lodha people

As per 2001 census, Lodhas numbered 84,966 and formed 1.9 per cent of the scheduled tribe population of West Bengal. They had a literacy rate of 34.8 per cent.[1] As per the 2011 census, Lodhas now have a population of ~1.09 lakh in West Bengal and almost 10,000 in Odisha.

They are found in Suliapada and Morada blocks of Baripada sub-division of Mayurbhanj district of Orissa.[2]

Lodha means piece of flesh named after their ancestor. Lodhas have been in the focus of anthropologists and social activists.[3] During the early period of their rule, the British government in India oppressed the tribal people of Jungle Mahals, who were traditionally dependent upon the forests for a living. They had revolted but were ruthlessly suppressed. Having been deprived of their livelihood and without any alternatives, they took to criminal ways of life and were subsequently branded a criminal tribe. They should properly be labelled as uprooted rebels. Lodha titles are Nayek, Mallick, Digar, Sardar, Bhokta, Kotal, Dandapat, Bhunya etc. These titles were also used by the Sabars.[4] One of the most important research on the Lodhas was done by a Calcutta University faculty, Professor Probodh Kumar Bhowmick[5][6] Much later, researchers from the Department of Anthropology at Vidyasagar University have done empirical studies on the development scenario of the Lodha tribe in Mendinpur district[7][8] who were by that time declared as a 'Primitive Tribal Group' (PTG) by the Government of India.

• Chuni Kotal