A dimension within Indigenous Forest Livelihoods
This theme explores the preservation of local traditions, indigenous culture, and traditional food sources like ancient millets, alongside community rights and dispute resolution.
149 voices speak to this
Each dimension splits this theme further — keep drilling to see how it breaks down.
Negative
Overall Community Sentiment
My name is Sumitra Pradhan, my village is Pikarodi, block is Tikabali, district is Kandhamal. In the old days, if there was any convenience or problem in the village, five people would sit and resolve the matter. The elder, whoever was there, whatever he said, would be decided accordingly. But nowadays, all people are going to courts. That's why we want to return to the previous situation.
— Sunita Pradhan · Tikabali, Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is... my name is the most important. My village is Dibakuda and my panchayat is Badamunda. The block is Tikabali. In the past, if we had quarrels, they would be resolved at home. But nowadays, people are running to courts. That's why we want to return to the old ways.
— Sunita Pradhan · Tikabali, Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Samarasila Pradhan, Gummamaha Raikia. I want to uphold the tradition of our village.
— Santilata Nayak · Raikia, Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Banita Pradhan, my village is Brenguda, the panchayat is Bodimunda, and the people are Tikabali. In the past, if there were quarrels, five people would sit together in the village and resolve them. Nowadays, everyone goes to court. That's why we want to return to our previous state.
— Sunita Pradhan · Tikabali, Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Namita Pradhan, and my village is Breka. The block is Tikabali, GP is Pikarodi, and the district is Kandhamal. In our village, in the olden days, if there was any dispute or problem, the villagers would resolve it by holding a meeting in the village itself. Now, in today's era, everyone runs to the court. And we wish to return to those golden days.
— Sunita Pradhan · Tikabali, Kandhamal, Odisha
I am Mrs. Aparna Pradhan from Lamungia village, Gram Panchayat Manikeshwar, Kandhamal district. I want to bring back the ancient crops/millets Kujuri, Mandia, and Kangu.
— Sudhakar Pradhan · Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Tuma Pradhan, my village is Pikorodi, my GP is Pikorodi, my block is Tikabali. In the old days, if there was any problem or quarrel in our village, five people would sit together, talk, and resolve all issues. But today, everyone goes to court. That's why we want to bring back the old days, the old way of solving problems.
— Sunita Pradhan · Tikabali, Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Debanti Pradhan from Gumamaha Raikia. I want to preserve the village's tradition.
— Santilata Nayak · Raikia, Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Surendra Podra. I am from Gurumundi village, Katinga Gram Panchayat, Dani block, Kandhamal district. I want to highlight the environmental degradation of today. Our ancestors used to live in the forest, depending on roots, greens, and various other things. But... I express my desire to bring back that kind of environment.
— SUBASH SABHASUNDAR · Gajapati, Odisha
My name is Rashmita Pradhan. Just as our ancestors remained healthy by eating fruits and roots found in the forest, prepared without chemicals, we also wish to eat the same food now. We are from tribal-dominated areas. Our forest is our lifeline. Therefore, our ancient traditions should be restored, and our forest should not be destroyed. Thank you. Raika Kandhamal.
— RITARANI PRADHAN · Raikia, Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Sukanti Pradhan. My village is Lambakupa. GP is Pikorodi. Block is Tikabali. District is Kandhamal. In our rural areas, the main food items that were cultivated, such as ragi, millet, maize, black gram, and green gram, did not require fertilizer. That's why our ancestors lived for a long time. Currently, because we are not cultivating our traditional food seeds, many kinds of diseases are occurring. So, if we can get traditional food and seeds from the government, then we can return to our previous state.
— Sunita Pradhan · Tikabali, Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Diprasa Kandha. Village Mandipanka. And Panchayat Bamunia, Block Karimundi, District Kandhamal. I have become aware of traditional farming. I want to preserve traditional seeds and do more traditional farming for my family.
— SUBASH SABHASUNDAR · Gajapati, Odisha
My name is Jasmin Ratan from Kandhamal. Our Kui tradition, Dharani Puja, and Kui dance, Karanda dance, and our Kui language. We should be given the right to preserve our tradition, and to keep our tradition, our language, our culture, which is fading, alive, we request the government. Thank you.
— RITARANI PRADHAN · Raikia, Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Licha Pradhan, living in Kundamala. Our tradition, our culture is our livelihood and our honor. That's why we want the government to be aware and grant permission for us to preserve our rituals, our cultural activities, like dance, our Poha, our Dharni Puja, and our customs. That's what we want, so thank you to the government.
— RITARANI PRADHAN · Raikia, Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Susmita Pradhan. We are the indigenous, original inhabitants. We wish to live in harmony with nature, producing our own food. We are demanding the government to conserve the things that are disappearing from the market. We are requesting the government to restore the forest products like roots and various forest items that are disappearing.
— RITARANI PRADHAN · Raikia, Kandhamal, Odisha
If our future is not good, then start now. My name is Nityananda Pradhan from Dolabadi. Earlier, old people used to worship the earth (Dharani Puja) and mountains (Parvat Puja). Why are we leaving that and doing other eras? That's why we definitely need that. Mountain worship, earth worship, crop worship, we need all of that. And the second is Jidi Kya Gram Panchayat, Dolabadi, its Rangad police station, Kandhamal, Dolabadi, that is what I definitely need.
— Dillip pujari · Phiringia, Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Mutiy Pradhan. My Gram Panchayat is Pikorodi. My Block is Tikabali. My District is Kandhamal. Our mothers used to store seeds in the olden days. They would keep seeds in pots near the fire in 'Putra Jakore'. Nothing would happen to them. Today, in today's date, farming is done with fertilizer and pesticides, which is why this year, the seeds cannot last even for a year. That's why we want to live like before.
— Sunita Pradhan · Tikabali, Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Sabjan Mitra Pradhan. My village is Dibaoala. My Panchayat is Godimunda, and my Block is Tikabali. In the olden days, we used to cultivate and live off queer, died, and mandia (millet). In today's time, we don't get those seeds. That's why we can't even cultivate. If we get seeds from the old times, we can cultivate and live.
— Sunita Pradhan · Tikabali, Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Ashish Pradhan, village Bamnipanka, Panchayat Bamnia, Block Jharimunda, District Kandhamal. I want to make society aware that by collecting traditional seeds and by doing traditional farming to a greater extent, so that the fertility of the soil can always be maintained. I will make society or the people aware.
— SUBASH SABHASUNDAR · Gajapati, Odisha
My name is Latika Digal. My village is Pangabitungia. And our Panchayat is P. Karadi. The block is Tikabali. And the district is Kandhamal. In the olden days, if we were getting married, we would make the girl marry by five people sitting and giving sacred water (manda pani). Now, everyone knows that dowry is taken, and they are doing that too. That's why we want to return to the previous state.
— Sunita Pradhan · Tikabali, Kandhamal, Odisha
My village is Madipanka Panchayat, Bamua Block, Daringbadi, Kandhamal District. I feel that the traditional farming methods our ancestors used, without using fertilizers, yielded more crops. Now, even with fertilizers, the yield... I am expressing my wish.
— SUBASH SABHASUNDAR · Gajapati, Odisha
My name is Chandrika Pradhan. My village is Panga Bidungia, block is Tikabali. In the olden days, we used to keep seeds in pots. We kept them because, in the olden days, we didn't use fertilizer. Nowadays, we are using fertilizer. That's why we can't keep our seeds for many days. We want to return to the previous state.
— Sunita Pradhan · Tikabali, Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Sabita Pradhan. My village is Ghosaguda. The block is Tikabali. In earlier times, we used to cultivate in the forests. And we used to cultivate millets, corn, black gram, and horse gram. We used to cultivate all those. Fertilizer was not even needed there. And even if we want to cultivate now, we are not getting seeds. That's why we are requesting the government that if they provide us with seeds, we will be able to cultivate and sustain ourselves.
— Sunita Pradhan · Tikabali, Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Maneni Pradhan, from Raikakonda Malu. We, the indigenous original inhabitants, produce food from the forest and want to live with nature. We are expressing this desire. We are humbly requesting the government that all these efforts be made for us.
— RITARANI PRADHAN · Raikia, Kandhamal, Odisha
Name: Asamati Pradhan. Village: Rajaghara. Gram Panchayat: Kanjamendi. Block: K. Nuagaon. District: Kandhamal. We uphold traditional dances like Changubaja, Khanjuni dance, and past games like Puchi, Kabaddi, Bahuchhuri, which today's new generation has forgotten. It is our responsibility to protect and preserve them.
— Sidheswar Nayak · Phiringia, Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Runu Malik from Rayaka Kandhamal. We wish to live with nature. We will preserve our culture and protect our rights, and a greater balance and respectful relationship with the earth will guide us, and powerful tools should be given to us. Thank you.
— RITARANI PRADHAN · Raikia, Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Malisa Pradhan from Rayakia, Kandhamal. Our ancestors used to cultivate vegetables without fertilizer, and they would eat forest roots to gain good health. Currently, we also wish to live like this.
— RITARANI PRADHAN · Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Sanjukta Digal. My village is Kamba Naju, GP is Pikarudi, Block is Tikabali. Earlier, we used to get all these things like Mandia, Deddy, Arka, Chana, Makka. And nowadays, we don't get seeds. And our body, our body is also getting very bad. Because now we are only eating processed food. That's why, if we get the old traditional seeds, we want to cultivate and keep our body healthy.
— Sunita Pradhan · Tikabali, Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Lidja Majhi. Village Mandipanka, Panchayat Bamunia, Block Daribadi, District Kandhamal. Today, I feel that forest products contain more nutritious food, which is currently a forest...
— SUBASH SABHASUNDAR · Gajapati, Odisha
My name is Ritumma Pradhan from Gujpanga Raikia. I want to preserve our tradition, the Kedu dance rituals.
— Santilata Nayak · Raikia, Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Buddhu Kamade. According to our tribal tradition, the forest should always remain as it was before.
— KRUSHNA KHILLO · Semiliguda, Koraput, Odisha
My name is Isaac Sabar, village Zero Number, Panchayat Mandi Mandi, District Kandhamal. I feel that in the current situation, people used to use traditional forest products, which are forest-derived goods, in large quantities to sustain their livelihoods, but due to the lack of forests, they have disappeared. We want to restore the forests so that we can enjoy those forest products just like our ancestors used to.
— SUBASH SABHASUNDAR · Gajapati, Odisha
Kapila Pradhan village. Dadi Gram Panchayat, Bondaguda block, Nuagaon, Kandhamal District. We want to preserve the traditional Dhangudi dance, Changu Baja, Pudapuja Kedu, Dharani Penu, and Maranga.
— Sidheswar Nayak · Phiringia, Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Pravabati, my village is Guruja Raike. I am going to continue the tradition that was there.
— Santilata Nayak · Raikia, Kandhamal, Odisha
Ratnagiri Pradhan village and Rajgora Panchayat, Konda Kanjamedi block, Konagazi Konabala. The traditional dance and music from our past are currently disappearing. Therefore, we want to revive and preserve those dances, songs, and traditional songs. We also want to revive traditional foods like Kandula, Biri, Kuiri, Kangu by cultivating them. If we preserve this tradition, the quality of our traditional food will be beneficial for us. Therefore, we will continue our efforts to preserve them.
— Sidheswar Nayak · Nuagaon, Kandhamal, Odisha
Name Nirupama Nayak, Village Panganaju, Panchayat Gumamaha, Block Raikia. May the traditions and customs of the village, as they were before, be revived.
— Santilata Nayak · Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Harihar Dalbehera. Village Kinarigaon, Gram Panchayat Bamunigaon, Block Jarimbali, District Kandhamal. I am a farmer. I wish to collect traditional seeds and do more traditional farming. And I will also make the society aware to do more traditional seed farming.
— SUBASH SABHASUNDAR · Gajapati, Odisha
My name is Tapaswini Pradhan. I wish to uphold the tradition of Gujapanga Raikia because
— Santilata Nayak · Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Khabari Digala. My village is Lambakupa. GP is Pikarodi. The block is Tikabali. The district is Kandhamal. In our rural area, the main food items were Gangu, Kuheri, Mandia, Jona, Makka, Biri, Muga. Earlier, no fertilizer was used in this cultivation. And because of that, our ancestors lived for many days. We... we...
— Sunita Pradhan · Tikabali, Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Pramod Kuldana. And the village is Pikarodi, block is Tikabali, district is Kandhamal. In our village, in ancient times, if there was just one feast, people would give water and then the Panchabhadra would sit and perform marriages. But now, at this time, feasts are happy, dowry is happy. And marriages are happening. That's why we will return to the previous state.
— Sunita Pradhan · Tikabali, Kandhamal, Odisha
