Social Aspect of Leisure Among the Tribal Population of Nagarhole National Park, Karnataka

Abstract

Tribes or adivasis are considered to be the parasites of the forests, thinking that they cannot exist without depending on the forest resource. But the trend has changed after the relocation of the tribes from forest to the periphery of the forest areas. Their way of living, language, food habits, occupation, leisure and entertainment, socio-cultural setup everything has changed drastically. The study exposes both in park and outside the park tribal settlements, to show the differences in their living conditions, socio-economic activities, leisure activities among men and women of these hadis. The study mainly focuses on the Jenu Kuruba tribe who is more in number in and around the National Park than the other tribes, like the Betta Kuruba and Yerava. Under India Eco-development Project the inpark 54 hadi tribes (1568 families), are being relocated (250 families already relocated), gradually. This has brought in major impact on the tribes who are inside the park. The inpark hadi tribes are also exposed to other places like Coorg, as wage earners in coffee estates. Thus the exposure to other places for livelihood purpose and the rehabilitation programmes has changed the traditional tribes to modernisation.

Key words:  Nagarahole National Park, Hadi, Tribes, Leisure, Jenu Kuruba, Ashram School, and Social aspect.