Puttur
The Koraga community happens to be the aborigines of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kasargod districts. In the recent years however, their population is depleting fast and this community has been identified as one among the Indian communities that are fast moving towards extinction.
Concerned by this trend and to address the problems faced by the Koraga community, the government has started a new initiative to send officials to Koraga colonies for the purpose of getting first-hand account of the issues. The Koragas, who were the original inhabitants of the coastal belt here, have for long been reeling under problems like malnutrition, ill health, poverty, lack of education and others. In an effort to see that the population of the Koragas increases instead of depleting and to study the reasons for their numbers going down year after year, in tune with various pleas made by organizations representing them, the government has planned visits to Koraga colonies as one of the measures.
Koragas are nomads who usually live on the edges of the forests. They weave baskets and other items by using cane and thin bamboo strips. Because of high death rates caused by the lack of education, poverty etc their population is registering a declining trend. As per government records, the population of this community is just about 4,000 even after taking into account those living in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kasargod districts. Organizations of the community had urged the government a number of times to conduct a survey to find out reasons for their decline. In tune with this request, the government has planned to send senior officials to the Koraga colonies to study the current situation and to suggest means to address their problems.
For the first time, such a programme was undertaken at Puttur in Dakshina Kannada district. Puttur tahsildar Ramesh Babu says that the problems of the colony residents are being addressed through the officials.
Koraga community, which is one of the communities to have suffered the scourge of the worst form of untouchability, has never stayed at one place. The community has a lot of superstitions and because of lack of education, it has not been progressing. By extending more facilities, the government has to bring this community to the mainstream, says Koraga leader Sundar. He points out that because of malnutrition and ill health, only a few in this community live to turn 60.
