Dhanbad : The primitive Birhor
tribe doesn`t want to suffer the fate of the Bo tribe in the
Andamans which has become extinct after the death of its
only surviving member recently and thinks large families are
the solution.
``Yes, we like large families,`` Koka Birhor, whose
family is one of the 42 families at Chalkari, 55 KM from here,
said when told about the death of a woman belonging to the Bo
tribe who was the only member of the community alive.
The government also does not want to take any chance.
The Dhanbad Health Department has opened a sub-primary health
centre at Chalkari to look after the tribal and make sure
that a block chief medical officer regularly visits them.
``All facilities of government health plans are being
provided,`` the additional chief medical officer, O P Arya,
said.
Hardly any family in the Birhor community thinks of
family planning which is considered a taboo.
``We don`t feel the necessity of family planning. When
God gives us children, He will also ensure food for them,``
said Bada Sukar Birhor, the president of the Gram Siskha
Samiti and head of the community.
Shankar Mandal, a teacher of Chalkari Primary School,
where the children of Birhors also study, said the more they
proliferate the more it becomes helpful for the community.
But unlike many communities, which do not welcome the
birth of a girl child, the Birhors love to have more girls in
their midst.
``Who says a girl child is a burden?`` asked Koka
Birhor, who has five daughters and three sons. ``Actually
a girl child is a boon for the Birhors. Girls are more useful
than boys,`` Koka said with a smile.
The president of the Gram Siskha Samiti said the
government was providing all help for the welfare of his
community.
The additional chief medical officer, O P Arya, said the
growth of Birhors was far less in comparison to other tribes.
``They are a primitive tribe. We are trying hard to keep
the 200 members of 42 Birhor families healthy and happy,`` he
said.
PTI
