Understanding mobility among the tribal population: a study in Andhra Pradesh, India

Prashant S. Kulkarni
Kailash Chandra Das, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)
Virendra V. Pardeshi, MAAS-CHRD

The present paper studies the mobility and migration pattern of tribal population in the Adilabad district of Andhra Pradesh, India. Various qualitative tools are used to elicit information from the respondents in the field. The finding shows that most of the people in this area experience seasonal migration to the neighbouring state of Maharashtra where they work in chilly cultivation. The volume of women migration is much higher than the men as women are more preferred in picking of chillies from the field. There is also mobility for education, pilgrimage, recreation and health treatment. Mobility and migration had a great impact on the lives of the tribal population. Here migration and mobility are used as survival strategies for the poor tribes who earlier used to depend on forest for their livelihood.