Culture of Migrant Livelihoods from Southern Odisha: An Ethnographic Study Among Two Tribes of Koraput

The paper vividly addresses the pertinent and precarious question of the livelihoods of migrant people of Western Odisha. The paper draws inferences from the ethnographic research conducted during 2020-21 to gather data from the two particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) from the Koraput district of Odisha, eastern India. It also draws its analogy with the existing literature and secondary data sources. The paper also critically analyzes and addresses PVTG women-centric issues regarding their life and livelihood, socio-cultural hindrances, and problems they face in their work environment. In the Koraput district, the majority of Poraja and Gadaba tribes are involved in wage labor and perceive it as their primary source of livelihood. The tribal laborers of the Koraput region and district are more dynamic concerning the rate of changes in their livelihood and living conditions. Because of the prevailing extreme poverty, illiteracy, and inaccessibility to the services of the government, their development is prolonged due to precarious situations. Today, people are moving for many reasons, like escaping from poverty, conflict, and devastation within their regions and expanding their education, livelihoods, and opportunities. Taking evidence from the above discussion, an ethnographic attempt is made in our paper to explore the life, living, and working conditions of two vulnerable tribes from Southern Odisha. Our paper is also trying to find out the culture of migrant livelihoods, the role of NGOs and the state in mitigating tribal livelihood, and issues of young women laborers from the social and cultural perspective of Poraja and Gadaba tribes inhabiting the Koraput district, Odisha.