THE Katkari tribe has a long connection with the land in forested areas of Maharashtra. For generations, the Katkari tribe has lived in and worked the land which they have a special connection to. But the Katkari tribe is discriminated against due to their lifestyle, eating habits and their presence on the erstwhile British Raj’s inclusion of the Katkari tribe on its “list of criminal tribes” from the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871. Due to this stigma against them, the negative effects of climate change, plus rapid urban expansion into the forest areas where they dwell, the Katkari tribe is fast losing their lands and livelihoods.
Having previously lived in the Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Pune and Nashik areas of Maharashtra, the Katkari tribe is now scattered and have lost that generations-long connection to the land they are so deeply connected to. Waatavaran is an organization that aims to equip and empower the members of the Katkari tribe and ensure that they do not struggle or become one of the “vanishing tribes” due to this loss of land and livelihoods. Headed by Bhagwan Kesbhat, Waatavaran provides skills training in alternate livelihoods to ensure that they have a source of income and can survive the threat to their existence.
How does Waatavaran help the Katkari tribe?
Waatavaran runs programs to support the Katkari tribe and other tribal communities through interventions that focus on capacity building, skills training in solar-based jobs, leadership development, GIS-mapping of land and other initiatives that allow members of the tribal communities to earn a stable income while remaining in their ancestral lands. In one of Waatavaran’s interventions, the focus was on enhancing agricultural practices, building essential infrastructure such as water supply and sanitation facilities and providing access to education and health – thereby empowering the Katkari tribe and other tribal communities.
Climate change and solar based livelihoods
The negative effects of climate change are another major factor in the Katkari tribe’s loss of their lands and livelihoods. Due to forces out of their control, the members of the community lose access to their lands and thus cannot afford to care for their families. This halts the progress made by families and entire communities leading to migration, away from their traditional and ancestral lands, and a weakening of the tribe’s rich culture and tradition. Waatavaran offers training in solar-based jobs that reduces their chances of being forced into migrating to other lands and increases their access to better income and improved futures.
Bhagwan Kesbhat’s heart for empowering tribals
Waatavaran’s founder, Bhagwan Kesbhat, has a long history of struggle that he channeled into helping others. He was born into a family of sugarcane cutting laborers and knew hardship from a young age. He was the first person in his family to go to school and get a formal education. He wanted to improve life for his family members and though he had to walk 20 km to school everyday, he was determined to change his future prospects. He graduated from school – a first in his family – but did not stop there. He worked in factories and stores to finance his further education which he completed when he earned his MA and MBA degrees.
Even while he studied, Bhagwan Kesbhat was focused on the social sector and helping the less fortunate. He volunteered with other NGOs and when he graduated, he founded Waatavaran in 2018 with the aim of securing the identities, livelihoods and dignity of tribal communities. The Katkari tribe is of special interest to Bhagwan Kesbhat and since the organization’s founding, he has empowered more than 3 lakh tribals with the NGO’s skills training and livelihood programs. With a focus on the environment, the NGO’s interventions have improved the lives of countless tribals whose future generations are now more secure.
Support Waatavaran
When you support Waatavaran, you help people of the Katkari tribe secure their lives and livelihoods and help them live with more self-respect and hope for their futures. To support Waatavaran:
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Shirley has been in the development sector for over 10 years and is passionate about making a change in the world around her, including adopting dogs and writing to make a difference.
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