ISSUES IN INDIA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ISSUE OF KATKARIS OF MAHARASHTRA STATE  

India is the biggest democracy in the world and is unparalleled in its diversity, cultural, religious, social and economic as well as political reforms. While poverty has gradually reduced in recent decades, the vulnerability remains high, new sources of vulnerability have emerged, and the diversity of needs among the poor has increased. Increasing population, Sanitation, Corruption, poor education, religious violence, terrorism, caste related violence, gender discrimination are other major issues which hastens the growth of India.

The Katkaris are recognized as a primitive tribal group in Maharashtra and is one of the most subjugated and exploited communities. These Adivasis are the poorest landless tribal in Maharashtra whose sustenance and survival is on fishing and labour work.  In the absence of legal documents like ration card, voting card, caste certificate to prove their domicile, they are denied benefits of government schemes. Migration forces children of Katkaris remain out of the education system.

An effort has been taken by Shramviji Janata Sahayak Mandal (SJSM), a non-profit organizations that works primarily in rural development and has a presence in 406 villages in Satara and Raigad districts of Maharashtra, took up their cause and initiated a livelihood promotion programme for the upliftment of  Katkaris . They started the livelihood programme with the objective to reduce migration among Katkaris and create locally sustainable livelihood opportunities. It included developing the first "Circular Carp Hatchery" in Maharashtra with low-cost gravity hatchery with improved traditional technologies. It is a user friendly technique, does not require electricity and has a simple and cost effective design. At present 18 tribal cooperative fisheries societies have been started and 31 water-bodies have been taken for fisheries development and management, benefitting 1,825 tribal families. Considering the dearth of fish-seedlings, a comprehensive hatcheries production unit has been started with an annual capacity of 50 million fish spwan. To replicate this work in the entire Konkan region, a network of 22 like-minded organizations has been started. More than 120 self-help groups have been organized involving around 2,500 tribal women. All of these have resulted in significant gains in income and livelihoods. The project has been able to reduce Migration among Katkaris substantially by helping them to create a more secure source of livelihood. The intervention by the Shramjivi Janata Sahayyak Mandal has also made a positive impact on malnutrition, which has substantially reduced due to daily consumption of fish.

Voluntary Organization like AwF in association with existing NGOs can certainly bring the change in the life style of Katkaris people by imparting technical and managerial skill in Aquaculture practices to earn more benefit by improving existing culture.