Who Are the Korku?
The Korku are an indigenous tribal people of central India, primarily inhabiting the Satpura Range and Melghat region in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra states. Numbering approximately 700,000-800,000, they are the westernmost Munda-speaking people, geographically separated from other Munda groups in eastern India. The Korku speak Korku, a Munda language of the Austroasiatic family, though many now also speak Hindi. Their homeland includes significant forested areas, including the Melghat Tiger Reserve, creating complex relationships between conservation goals and tribal livelihoods. The Korku have experienced significant social change while maintaining distinctive cultural practices including the Ghotul (youth dormitory) system.
Satpura Homeland
Traditional Korku territory centers on the Satpura Range, a rugged, forested hill region between the Narmada and Tapti river valleys. The forests historically provided abundant resources: game for hunting, fruits and roots for gathering, timber for construction, and products for trade. Korku practiced shifting cultivation on hill slopes and wet rice cultivation where possible in valley bottoms. The mahua tree held special importanceāits flowers were fermented into liquor, its fruit eaten, and its seeds pressed for oil. This forest-based economy created intimate connections between the Korku and their environment. Colonial forestry policies restricted access to forests that had been freely used; post-independence conservation policies continued this pattern.
Melghat Tiger Reserve
The Melghat Tiger Reserve, established in 1974 as one of India's original Project Tiger reserves, encompasses core Korku territory. Conservation goals have created tensions with tribal livelihoods: restrictions on forest access, prohibitions on hunting, and periodic relocations have impacted communities dependent on forest resources. Some Korku have been resettled from core reserve areas; others remain, navigating restrictions on traditional practices. The relationship between tribal communities and protected areas remains contentious across India. Conservation programs increasingly recognize the need for tribal participation, but implementation varies. The Korku experience in Melghat exemplifies broader debates about indigenous rights and wildlife conservation.
Contemporary Korku
Modern Korku face challenges of poverty, land alienation, and limited development. Many have lost traditional landholdings to non-tribal settlers and moneylenders; landlessness forces dependence on wage labor. Seasonal migration for agricultural and construction work is common. Health and education indicators lag behind state averages; malnutrition affects many children. Forest rights legislation (2006) has provided some security of access, but implementation is incomplete. Korku political organization has grown; demands for scheduled tribe recognition of rights and against displacement from forest areas have mobilized communities. Cultural practices including dormitory systems and seasonal festivals continue, though modified by modern circumstances. The Korku navigate between traditional forest-based identity and the realities of economic marginalization.
References
- Fuchs, S. (1988). The Korku of the Vindhya Hills
- Deogaonkar, S. G. (1990). Tribal Situation in India
- Rangarajan, M. (2001). India's Wildlife History: An Introduction