Durua, Bhumia, Gadaba and Kondh women receive respect from men for their inherent strength to lead the family and community forward

Women in tribal communities of Koraput district were safe for the well acknowledged traditional guidelines of life being adhered to by one and all including the young and old in the community, Paresh Rath, a researcher on tribal way of life working in depth on Duruas of Koraput district said on Monday. Women receive great amount of respect from men for their inherent strength to lead the family and community forward whether it was Durua or Bhumia, Gadaba or Kondh. Festivals promoting collective gatherings was an instrument for generating a conducive environment for the growth of girls , he added.

Well built structured systems to guide and control any deviation of youth from the unwritten laws of the tribal communities have added more strength to the sense of security for women, Girija Choudhury, one of the well known researcher on Kondh community from Laxmipur said.

Highlighting the contribution of Dhangda Basa and Dhangidi Basa in safeguarding the interest of a healthy community, he said that these traditional institutions of education for the adolescents have taught the youth on the ways and means to lead a respectable life raising each one of them above the differentiation on the basis of gender. Traditional dance and music performed in groups during festivals and numerous other occasions also were responsible in bringing the boys and girls together elevating them above the limitations of gender differences, Prafulla Kumar Padhi, a teacher from Jeypore working closely with tribal dance groups of the region added.