KONDA REDDI TRIBE

The indigenous knowledge of the Konda Reddi tribe, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group inhabiting the Papikonda hill range in the Godavari region, has proven resourceful.

About Konda Reddi Tribe

1. The Konda Reddis, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group, reside along the banks of the Godavari River and in the hilly forest regions of Andhra Pradesh's Godavari and Khammam districts.
2. Their native language is Telugu, spoken in its purest and most elegant form, with a distinct accent.

Subdivisions:

1. The Konda Reddy tribe is divided into exogamous septs for managing matrimonial relationships.

1. Exogamous septs are divisions of a group that regulate marriage. The term "exogamy" refers to the custom of marrying outside of one's own group.

2. As in other Telugu-speaking communities, surnames come before personal names.
3. While most septs are exogamous, certain septs are considered brother septs, and marriage alliances within these brother septs (agnate relations) are prohibited.

Family and Marriage:

1. The family structure is patriarchal and patrilocal, with monogamy being the norm, although polygamous families exist.
2. Socially accepted methods of acquiring mates include marriage by negotiations, love and elopement, service, capture, and exchange.

Religion:

• The Konda Reddis primarily practice Folk Hinduism, influenced by local traditions and the worship of local deities at the community level.

Political Organization:

1. They have their own form of social control known as the 'Kula Panchayat.'
2. Each village has a customary leader called the 'Pedda Kapu.'
3. The position of the headman is hereditary, and the headman serves as the Pujari (priest) of the village deities.

Livelihood:

1. They primarily engage in shifting cultivation and rely heavily on forest flora and fauna for their livelihood.
2. To supplement their meager income, they gather and sell non-timber forest products such as tamarind, adda leaves, myrobolan, broom sticks, and more.
3. Their main crop is jowar, which serves as their staple food.

Q1) What is a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG)?

1. PVTGs are a more vulnerable group among tribal groups in India.
2. These groups have primitive traits, geographical isolation, low literacy, zero to negative population growth rate and backwardness.
3. Moreover, they are largely dependent on hunting for food and a pre-agriculture level of technology.
4. Currently, there are 2.8 million PVTGs belonging to 75 tribes across 22,544 villages in 220 districts across 18 states and Union Territories in India.
5. According to the 2011 Census, Odisha has the largest population of PVTGs at 866,000. It is followed by Madhya Pradesh at 609,000 and Andhra Pradesh (including Telangana) at 539,000.
6. The Forest Rights Act (FRA) of 2006 introduced the concept of Habitat Rights, which aims to secure the habitat and livelihood of PVTGs.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs administers a scheme called "Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG)" that covers 75 identified PVTGs in 18 states and a union territory.

The indigenous knowledge of the Konda Reddi tribe, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group inhabiting the Papikonda hill range in the Godavari region, has proven resourceful.

About Konda Reddi Tribe

1. The Konda Reddis, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group, reside along the banks of the Godavari River and in the hilly forest regions of Andhra Pradesh's Godavari and Khammam districts.
2. Their native language is Telugu, spoken in its purest and most elegant form, with a distinct accent.

Subdivisions:

1. The Konda Reddy tribe is divided into exogamous septs for managing matrimonial relationships.

1. Exogamous septs are divisions of a group that regulate marriage. The term "exogamy" refers to the custom of marrying outside of one's own group.

2. As in other Telugu-speaking communities, surnames come before personal names.
3. While most septs are exogamous, certain septs are considered brother septs, and marriage alliances within these brother septs (agnate relations) are prohibited.

Family and Marriage:

1. The family structure is patriarchal and patrilocal, with monogamy being the norm, although polygamous families exist.
2. Socially accepted methods of acquiring mates include marriage by negotiations, love and elopement, service, capture, and exchange.

 

Religion:

• The Konda Reddis primarily practice Folk Hinduism, influenced by local traditions and the worship of local deities at the community level.

Political Organization:

1. They have their own form of social control known as the 'Kula Panchayat.'
2. Each village has a customary leader called the 'Pedda Kapu.'
3. The position of the headman is hereditary, and the headman serves as the Pujari (priest) of the village deities.

Livelihood:

1. They primarily engage in shifting cultivation and rely heavily on forest flora and fauna for their livelihood.
2. To supplement their meager income, they gather and sell non-timber forest products such as tamarind, adda leaves, myrobolan, broom sticks, and more.
3. Their main crop is jowar, which serves as their staple food.

Q1) What is a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG)?

1. PVTGs are a more vulnerable group among tribal groups in India.
2. These groups have primitive traits, geographical isolation, low literacy, zero to negative population growth rate and backwardness.
3. Moreover, they are largely dependent on hunting for food and a pre-agriculture level of technology.
4. Currently, there are 2.8 million PVTGs belonging to 75 tribes across 22,544 villages in 220 districts across 18 states and Union Territories in India.
5. According to the 2011 Census, Odisha has the largest population of PVTGs at 866,000. It is followed by Madhya Pradesh at 609,000 and Andhra Pradesh (including Telangana) at 539,000.
6. The Forest Rights Act (FRA) of 2006 introduced the concept of Habitat Rights, which aims to secure the habitat and livelihood of PVTGs.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs administers a scheme called "Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG)" that covers 75 identified PVTGs in 18 states and a union territory.