By JB Dash, Baripada
In an age driven by digital conveniences, Wi-Fi, multiplexes and fast food, the Mankidia community is quietly fading away. Their population in Odisha has dropped to around 2,000. “The Mankidias represent an early human society shaped by the search for food, shelter and livelihood that pushed people deep into forests and river belts,” said Swayamprava Pati, a New York–based researcher visiting her hometown Balasore.
The Mankidias belong to the Birhor tribe, believed to have migrated from the Chhotanagpur region. They traditionally roamed the dense forests of Mayurbhanj, Balasore and Deogarh, said Dr. Prakash Dash, Principal of Baigan Badia College.
Years ago, several villages around Similipal faced severe monkey menace—destroyed crops, damaged orchards and food insecurity. The Birhors were often engaged by villagers to capture these monkeys. “They are skilled monkey catchers and earlier even consumed monkey meat,” Dr. Dash noted.
A nomadic and primitive group, the Mankidias live in dome-shaped leaf huts called *kumbhaa* or *kuma*. A cluster usually houses 10–15 members near forested areas. They depend heavily on non-timber forest produce like siali fibre, leaves and sabai grass to make ropes and leaf plates.
Despite being one of the 13 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), the Mankidias were denied habitat rights inside the Similipal region a few years ago. The Similipal Tiger Reserve authorities cited man–animal conflict and attempted to evict them from core areas. This triggered protests from local voluntary groups who argued that the tribe’s presence is part of the natural ecosystem. “While they talk about evicting Mankidias, tourism hubs are being opened inside the reserve,” said Biswanath Mohanta, a volunteer from Jashipur.
According to the ST & SC Development Department, there were only 2,222 Mankidias left in 2011—1,144 males and 1,078 females. The Hill Khadia and Mankidia Development Agency (HKMDA), formed in 1986-87 to protect the community, has shown limited results. A project employee alleged that funds meant for the tribe’s welfare were mismanaged by officials.
However, research officer Sanghamitra Mohanty refuted this. She said efforts to bring Mankidias into the mainstream are showing results, as several of their children are now accessing education. “This shift is also distancing them from their traditional occupations of monkey catching and rope making,” she said.
But for many, the fear remains that the Mankidias may soon exist only in photographs. “Unless the government and voluntary groups take stronger protective measures, this tribe will continue to vanish,” said Swayamprava Pati.
