The Wanarmare (literally meaning monkey hunters) tribe from Goa

The Wanarmare (literally meaning monkey hunters) tribe is a nomadic community found in the jungles of the Western Ghats in the states of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka. Their traditional occupation is hunting and eating monkeys, for which they have developed special skills.

On March 11, 2016, the NavHind Times reported that the Wanarmare tribe could greatly help curb the problem of menacing monkeys in Goa who damage crops and harass farmers, as well as spread the Kyasanur forest disease also known as ‘monkey fever’. In January, chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar even described the animals as ‘vermin’, talking about the need to control their population. “In the past we used to drive away monkeys from human habitats by making sounds like ‘bhaiho harho.’ If the government takes up such an initiative then it will help provide the tribe members with employment and also solve the problem of monkey menace,” said a Wanarmare tribe member.

However, the Forest Conservation Act has banned the monkey hunting occupation of this tribe. As a result, the tribe’s lack of official documentation and social situation has resulted in them struggling for work, and often getting the raw end of the deal. Their nomadic existence has left them without permanent homes, so they now live in temporary huts in forest areas. This leaves them vulnerable to the mercy of forest officials. Further, they are exploited by farmers who hire them for relatively low wages. Shyam Desai, a local sympathiser,told Herald Goa, “They are skilled with the bow and arrow and their livelihood was in the art of killing monkeys but that has now become illegal. They are not able to gain employment using these skill sets so have to search for other jobs such as manual labour that does not pay them much.”

Sachin Tendulkar, a farmer and social worker associated with the Dabhal Gramvikas Parishad, stated, “The introduction of Forest Conservation Act made them give up their traditional hunting, and now they work in sugarcane farms.” Various organisations such as the Dabhal Gramvikas Parishad have been working along with the Goa government to help members of this tribe earn a decent living. Further, the government and a few social outfits are now attempting to integrate this community into the mainstream.

Image Source: Herald Goa

As the collector of South Goa district Sachin Shinde explains, “Its not an easy project. These people of ‘Wanar—mare’ (literally, monkey—hunters) tribe who have no fixed address do not even enjoy the scheduled tribe (ST) status, and therefore do not get any resultant benefits.” He adds, “They have been wandering in the forests all these years without possessing a single government document. We have started an effort to get them into the mainstream.”

Rehabilitation measures started with children of the tribe, who were enrolled in government primary schools and anganwadis (nursery schools run in tribal or rural areas) by officials with the help of the village youth. School bags and umbrellas for the children were provided by the Goa Bagayatdar Sahakari Society Maryadit Limited. Ration cards have been arranged under the National Food Security Act, and the Jan Dhan Yojna has helped them get Aadhar cards and open bank accounts.

Since one of the biggest problems facing this tribe was the lack of electricity in their huts, organisations such as the Sesa Workers Union, Mineral Foundation of Goa and Rotary Club have funded solar lamps for them. As Tendulkar observed, “When we met them, they had mobile phones, but no power to charge them and they used to pay to get the phones charged.”

Since this community has had to battle lack of access to medical or drinking water facilities and benefits of government schemes owing to their former lack of proper documentation, the speedy introduction of ration cards and personal documents for members of this tribe is an important step. However, locals have reportedly perceived this quick rate of document delivery negatively, and asked for an eviction of the Wagarmares on the grounds that they are allegedly ‘a threat’ and ‘dangerous’. Sympathisers are quick to defend the tribe, as one from Ponda said, “This is an outrage and their grounds have no merit. This move should have been welcomed and there are no criminal cases against them so the question of being dangerous does not arise.”

Lack of access to government schemes due to nomadic lives and no proper documentation is a problem faced by several tribes in India, especially ones that aren’t registered as Scheduled Tribes. For instance, the reclusive Sabar tribe in East Singhbhum, Jharkhand faces medical treatment problems regularly since they cannot claim government benefits without identity proof.

As sympathiser Ramesh Kamat added, “These people do have access to proper drinking facilities and make arrangements from natural resources. They cook their food with ancient traditional methods that are followed by forest dwellers and this raises concerns of hygiene and the cleanliness of what they consume. The government administration has taken the first step in a long list of steps that need to be taken and thus has to take a firm stand and help the tribes.”

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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/One-held-for-razing-huts-of-Wanarmare/articleshow/55020243.cms 

One held for razing huts of Wanarmare

TNN | Updated: Oct 24, 2016, 08:41 IST

(Representative image)

PONDA: Ponda police arrested Gopinath Gaonkar, 41, a resident of Gaular, Nirankal, in connection with the alleged demolition of hutments erected by the Wanarmare community at Nirankal, Ponda, a week ago.

Police said the alleged accused is a fish vendor and he used to pass by the Wanarmare habitation.

A group of locals had allegedly demolished the hutments of the Wanarmare, a primitive tribe at Nirankal, last week, when there were no male members present, except for an ailing elderly man besides women and children.

"The ailing elderly man identified Gaonkar as an accused, and based on his statement, we nabbed him," said police. Police will produce Gaonkar before a local court to seek his custody, an official said.

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