Fishing communities in Maharashtra

Maharashtra is famous for its varied fresh water resources, including lakes, tanks and rivers. A number of fishing communities have developed in response to these favorable factors. These communities can be divided into:

• Specialists or indigenous groups who depend completely on fish and other aquatic resources for their subsistence
• Subsistence fishers or opportunists who depend partly on fish, and
• Groups who have recently started fishing.

Specialists or Indigenous fishing communities

1) Koli

Koli, the caste of Original fishermen – The Main occupation of Koli is Fishing. Primarily they are fisherman and boatman. They are adept in various methods of river fishing and are regularly employed as a worker on a ferry. Their connection with water has led to them becoming the water-carrier for Hindus. People of India. Maharashtra.

2) Dhivar

धीवर, ढीवर, धिमर, ढिमर Dhivar, the caste of fishermen and palanquin – bearers derives the name from a corruption of the Sanskrit ‘Dhivara’, a fisherman (Singh 2004). It has a large number of sub-divisions of a local or occupational nature. The ‘Singadia’ or those who cultivate ‘Singada nut’; the ‘Nadha’ or those who live on banks of streams and the ‘Dhurias’ who sell parched rice. A large number of exogamous groups are also returned, either of titular or totemistic nature: such as ‘Baghmare’ or Vaghmare, tiger-slayer; ‘Godhve, a vulture; and ‘Kolhe’ or Jackal. Marriage is prohibited between members of the same sept and between first cousins. In many localities, families do not intermarry so long as they remember any relationship to have existed between them (Singh 2004). The occupations of Dhivar are many and various. Primarily they are fisherman and boatman. They are adept in various methods of river fishing and are regularly employed as a worker on a ferry. They monopolizes growing Singade or water nuts in tanks; also grows melons, cucumbers and other vegetables on the sandy stretches along the banks of streams, but at agriculture proper they do not excel. Their connection with water has led to them becoming the water-carrier for Hindus. With the introduction of wheeled transport, these people’s occupation as carriers of palanquins or litters has dwindled.

3) Bhoi

Bhoi is a fishing community in this area. Bhoi are traditionally dependent upon the river Adan for there subsistence. Due to depleting fish resources their lives are in danger. Bhoi's the traditional fishermen community in Maharashtra state mostly found in shoreline areas of West coast of Maharashtra as well as near riverine, reservoirs, dams areas. Mostly the exact origin of this community from the ancient times of era's this people used to call as the "Palkhiche Bhoi" the tribe which wonder all over carrying the Palkhi of ancient king and there family's as the loyal once. Diminishing the rule of king's and kingdom this loyal people have returned to their traditional business fishing. This community/tribe mostly found in District of Ratnagiri, Sindhudurga, Raigad, Mumbai and in mostly all district of Maharashtra where the fishing occupation is traditional carried.

Subsistence or opportunists

Gond: गोंड

Gond is the principal tribe of the Dravidian family and perhaps the most important of the non – Aryan or forest tribes in India (Russel and Hiralal 1916). The forest provides substantial bulk for livelihood ranging from food, fuel, fodder, timber, medicine to revenue. The NTFP harvested from the forest like Mahua, gum, and Tendu leaves for Bidi rolling, medicinal plants adds valuable inputs to the economy. Agriculture is largely primitive type, generally paddy. Use of the insecticides and hybrid varieties is not common practice. There are three subdivisions of Gond viz. Raj Gond, Dadves and Mokasis (Pattnaik 2000). The derivation of the word Gond is uncertain. It is the name given to the tribe by Hindus or Muslims, as their own name for themselves is ‘Koitur’ or ‘Koi’, means human being (Russell and Hiralal 1916). Considering another view, the Gond designation given to this tribe by Telugu people, probably was being derived from ‘Konda’, meaning hill or mountain in Telugu language (Guha 1999). The Gond speaks Dravidian language of the same family as Tamil, Canarese and Telugu and therefore it is likely that they come from the south into the present dwellings. Presently Gond are spreads from Narmada in north up to Godavari in south and Chhattisgarh in east up to Khandesh in west (Rajurkar 1956).

Agri

This Community major occupation is salt making and farming.But this community also does fishing on small scale.There is very small section of this community which take fishing as full-time occupation and other section of this community does fishing to fed there family or just as a hobby.

See also

List of Scheduled Tribes in India

References

Rajurkar A.J. 1956. Chandrapurcha Itihas (History of Chandrapur). (Marathi language). Mahakali publication, Chandrapur. Pp 108.

Singh K.S. (Ed.). 2004. People of India. Maharashtra. Anthropological Survey of India. Popular Prakashan Pvt. Ltd. Mumbai. Part 1 Vol. XXX. Pp 785.

Heda N. (2007):Some Studies on Ecology and Diversity of Fresh Water Fishes in the Two Rivers of Vidarbha Region of Maharashtra (India). A Thesis submitted to Sant Gadgebaba Amravati University, Maharashtra (India).