Chhattisgarh

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Chhattisgarh

Capital - Coordinates	Raipur - 21.27° N 81.60° E
Largest city	Raipur
Population (2001) - Density	20,795,956 (17th) - 108/km²
Area - Districts	135,194 km² (10th) - 16
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Establishment - Governor - Chief Minister - Legislature (seats)	2000-11-01 - SK. M. Seth - Raman Singh - Unicameral (90)
Official language(s)	Hindi, Chhattisgarhi
Abbreviation (ISO)	IN-CT
Website: www.chhattisgarh.nic.in
Seal of Chhattisgarh

It borders Madhya Pradesh on the northwest, Maharashtra on the west, Andhra Pradesh on the south, Orissa on the east, Jharkhand on the northeast and Uttar Pradesh on the north.

The Chhattisgarhi language, part of the East-Central group of Indo-Aryan languages, is the predominant language in the region. It is often regarded by linguists to be a dialect of Hindi, which is the official language of the state. The hill districts of the state serve as a home to the Gond peoples, who speak Dravidian languages.

1 Geography
2 Politics
3 Districts
4 Recent developments
5 Economy
6 Transportation
7 Culture
8 Status of Women
9 Language
10 Notes
11 External links

[edit] Geography

Location of Chhatisgarh in India

The northern part of the state lies on the edge of the great Indo-Gangetic plain: The Rihand River, a tributary of the Ganges, drains this area. The eastern end of the Satpura Range and the western edge of the Chota Nagpur Plateau form an east-west belt of hills that divide the Mahanadi River basin from the Indo-Gangetic plain. The central part of the state lies in the fertile plain of the Mahanadi and its tributaries, with extensive rice cultivation. The southern part of the state lies on the Deccan plateau, in the watershed of the Godavari River and its tributary the Indravati River. Forests cover roughly forty-four percent of the state.

Mahanadi River, one of largest rivers in India, originates from Chhattisgarh. Other main rivers are Hasdo (a tributary of Mahanadi), Rihand, Indravati, Jonk and Arpa.

The north and south part of the state is hilly. The middle part is plain. The weather and climate is typical to that of central India.

[edit] Politics

There is a heavy presence of armed insurgent communists (known as Naxalites) in southern and northern part of the state almost running parallel Government in the hinterland – Chhattisgarh is as of 2006 the most Naxalite-affected state in the country. Ajit Jogi, the first Chief Minister of the state, is Chhattisgarh's most prominent and controversial politician. There are 4 major political parties and many independents with followers in the state:

Bharatiya Janata Party (Currently holding the majority in the Legislative Assembly of Chhattisgarh)
Indian National Congress(Indira) (Held the majority the last time around)
Bahujan Samaj Party
Gondwana Party

[edit] Districts

Districts of Chhattisgarh

Bastar, Bilaspur, Dantewada (South Bastar), Dhamtari, Durg, Janjgir-Champa, Jashpur, Kanker (North Bastar), Kawardha, Korba, Koriya (Korea), Mahasamund, Raigarh, Raipur, Rajnandgaon, and Surguja.

[edit] Recent developments

On September 3, 2005, twenty policemen were killed by a mine in the district of Bijapur. The mine had been laid there by Naxalite rebels, who have joined with the rebels in Nepal. (20 indische Polizisten durch Mine getötet, September 4, 2005, Neue Zürcher Zeitung).

On February 28, 2006, 55 civilians were killed in Dantewada District after their trucks were blown up by Naxalites, one of the deadliest such Naxalite attacks in India's history. Smaller numbers of people have continued to perish in continued attacks related to the Naxalite rebellion. (Fear triggers exodus in India's Maoist Badlands, March 8, 2006, ABC News).

On March 25, 2006, thirteen civilians were killed in Kanker District after a land mine detonated underneath their jeep. Naxalite rebel involvement has been alleged by local police. (India landmine blast 'kills 13', March 25, 2006, BBC News).

On April 28, 2006, thirteen out of a group of fifty hostages were found partly beheaded in Dantewada District. Naxalite rebels are suspected in the hostage-taking and the massacre. (India rebels 'kill 13 villagers', April 28, 2006, BBC News).

Recently a law has been passed requiring conversion from one religion to another to be notified to the authorities 30 days beforehand. Citizens who fail to do this can face up to a year in jail. According to the BBC `conversion is a major political issue in the state`

[edit] Economy

Chhattisgarh's gross state domestic product for 2004 is estimated at 12 billion USD in current prices. After partition, this mineral-rich state produces 30% of the output of the old Madhya Pradesh state.

The state's economy is further fuelled by the presence of the Bhilai Steel Plant, S.E.C.Railway Zone, BALCO Aluminium Plant (Korba), and NTPC Korba (National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd) and S.E. Coal Ltd. The city of Korba is a hub for power generation, from where the electricity is supplied to several other Indian states. Serious shortage of electric power makes Chattisgarh towns in summer less livable.chattisgarh's southern area consists of high iron ore available where NMDC is excavating to meet the iron demand in india and as well sending to countries like japan.NMDC is located in dantewara district.Recently ESSAR has started transporting iron ore through pipe lines to vizag.

The state is also launching an ambitious plan to become biofuel selfsufficent by 2015 by planting crops of jatropha.^[1]

[edit] Transportation

The rail network in Chattisgarh is centered on Bilaspur, which is zonal headquarter of South East Central Zone of Indian Railways. Other main railway junctions include Raipur, Durg, Champa. These junctions are well connected to all the major cities of India.

The roadways infrastructre is also slowly picking up in the state. The NH 6 (Bombay to Kolkata) passes through the state. The state also hosts NH 43 which starts from Raipur and goes up to Vizag (Vishakhapatnam).

The air infracture as of now in the state is minor. Raipur, the capital city, is the sole commercially operating airport of the state. However, of late, Raipur has air links to top four cities of the country i.e. Delhi, Bombay, Kolkata, and Chennai. The state, however, has airport in Bilaspur and air strips in Bhilai, Jagdalpur, Sarguja, Korba, etc.

[edit] Culture

Chhattisgarh is one of the least developed states of India. The per capita income is around 250 USD as of 2001. Only 20% of population lives in urban areas. Basic amenities like telephone service are not available in many areas. Cellphone services, however, are available in major parts of the State.

Chhattisgarh has approximately 34% [Scheduled Tribe] population, 12% Scheduled Caste ('antyajya', shudra who came outside of fold of classic hindu varnashram during Gupta period) population, and more than 50% Other Backward Classes ('shudra' in classic hindu varnashram). More than 96% of population consists of people belonging to lower Hindu castes page 4 of NCW report. The state hosts many religious sects like Satnami, Kabirpanth, Ramnami Samaj, and others which originated as reaction to caste-based Hinduism practised by outsiders coming to the state.

Chhattisgarh is a favorite of anthropologists and sociologists due to its relevant profile. For more information, see:

Books by Indologist Prof H. L. Shukla :
- "Chhattisgarh Rediscoverd" on oral history of the state, and
- "History of the People of Bastar"
Folktales of Chhattisgarh
"Tribal History of Central India" by R.K. Sharma and S.K. Tiwari, Other link
"Culture" subtitle under this link: Raipur District. It gives a good account of local culture, festivals, dress and music.
Tribals of Bastar, South Chhattisgarh
Tribals of Dantewara, South Chhattisgarh
Tribals of Jashpur, North Chhattisgarh

On Sundays, markets are arranged in some prominent villages. Chhattisgarh has identified and is developing ethnic villages and private sector is encouraged for proper maintenance and professional site management of important heritage sites/monuments.

Champaran (Chhattisgarh) is a small town that has religious signifigance as the birth place of the Saint Vallabhacharya.

[edit] Status of Women

In many ways, the women of Chhattisgarh enjoy a unique position within India. The proportion of women in the population is second highest among states in India. The percentage of females is higher than males in the rural population as compared to the urban.

The village society is little affected by classical doctrines of Hinduism and most of the customs and cultural practices are unique. As such rural women here are though poor but are more independent, hardy, better organised and socially more vociferous and command more power in general compared to their counterparts in other parts of India, so much so that they can choose and even terminate a marriage at will. Most of the old temples here are related to women power (eg Shabari, Mahamaya, Danteshwari).

However, women generally marry at a younger age than elsewhere. Women in aged between 20 to 49 years were found to have married at median age of 15.4 years; and 34% of girls aged between 15 to 19 years are already married (according to Government). Further, there is widespread social belief in witchcraft in Chhattisgarh. Women are supposed to have access to supernatural forces, and often accused of witchcraft and called 'Tonhi' by people jealous of them. They are barbarically persecuted.

Today, with increasing urbanization, industrialization and in- migration , many of the cultural concomitants of female subservience, common to mainstream India but hitherto unknown in Chhattisgarh, have started creeping in here.

The gender ratio (number females per 1000 males) has been steadily declining over the century in Chhattisgarh: 1046 in year 1901, 1032 in 1941, 996 in 1981 and 990 in 2001; but is better than the ratio for India: 972 in 1901, 945 in 1941, 934 in 1981 and 933 in 2001.

For further information, this 103 page report titled 'A situational analysis of women and girls in Chhattisgarh' can be seen which has been prepared in year 2004 by 'National Commission of Women', a statutory body belonging to government of India. ^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Language

Chhattisgarhi is the form of Hindi language or the language in its own right that is spoken and understood by majority of people in Chhattisgarh, but a total of 93 languages are spoken in the state, representing all three of India's major linguistic groups, Munda (Austro-Asiatic languages), Dravidian and Indo-European. All dialects use the Hindi script irrespective of the language group to which they belong. Chhattisgarhi is majorly an IndoEuropean dialect/language but has an abundance of Munda and Dravidian words and features.

H.L.Shukla has given following classification:

                           0)Pre-Munda
                                 |
         1)Pre-Munda (Southern)        2)Pre-Munda (Northern)
                 |                           |
         1)Gadba    2)Kharia     1)Korku 2)Mawasi 3)Nihali   4)Pre-Kherwari
                                                                 |
                                                   1)Korba         2)Bidaho
                                                       |
                                     1)Nagesia 2)Sounta or Toori 3)Majhi 4)Majhwar 5)Kherwari

                                               0)Pre-Dravid
                                                      |
           1)South-Central                       2)Central                    3)Northern
                |                                    |                              |
1)Dormi  2)Dandami-Maria  3)Bhuria  4)Abujh-Maria   1)Parji or Dhurbi       1)Kurukh or Oraon

                              0)Indo-European
                                     |
                              0)Pre-Aryan
                                     |
               1)Half-Magadhi    2)Magadhi      3)Pijani
                     |                |               |
              1)Eastern Hindi    1)Oriya  1)Halbi  2)Sadri
                     |                 |
              1)Chhattisgarhi     1)Bhatri

Since Sanskritized Khari Boli or Hindi is the language of India (and Chhattisgarh) for official use like recruitment, education and there is lack of local people (at least from all ethno-language groups) in the state/local administration; there is ongoing change in the liguistic profile of the state accelerated with more interaction with outside world and desire to get developed.

In northern Chhattisgarh, dialects from all these three language groups are in use today; in middle part of Chhattisgarh, only Indo-European dialects have survived; and in southern Chhattisgarh, Dravidian and Indo-European dialects are in use. According to H.L. Shukla- Munda dialects are progressing to the stage of becoming extinct; among Dravidian dialects, Parji is also facing extinction problem, Kurukh (Oraon) and Gondi are struggling; and IndoEropean dialects are in the process of losing their identity.

[edit] Munda Language Family

According to 1971 census of India, Korku was the major Munda dialects spoken by more than 200,000 people (It is not clear whether this count is for whole India or is specific to Chhattisgarh). Korku, Kharia and Korba are major Munda dialects in use in Chhattisgarh.

Other than these three, Muasi, Toori (in Raigarh), Nihali-Mankari, Khaerwari, Birhord, Kodaku (Sarguja), Dhelki, Mahto, Kora-Majhi, Munda, Mundari and Santhali are other Munda dialects spoken in Chhattisgarh which are either sub-dialects of above stated three dialects or are in the stage of extinction.

The only known speaker of Gadba (Munda dialect spoken in Bastar district) has died at the age of 80 (according to H.L.Shukla).

[edit] Dravidian Language Family

According to 1971 census of India, Kurukh or Oraon was mother-tongue of 300,609 people in Chhattisgarh and there were around 30,000 speakers of Parja or Dhurbi.

Gondi is the Dravidian language spoken by Gond tribals who call themselves Koitor or Koitol and therefor H.L. Shukla has called their language Koitor and has kept Dormi, Dandami-Maria, Bhuria, Abujh-Maria, Koya, Ghotul-muriya and others under this language. According to 1961 census of India, there were 3,900,000 Koitor or Gond tribals in India. Two thirds of these Gond/Koitor tribals are distributed over Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh according to 1971 census. As of now, almost more than half of these tribals use the dialects (other than Koitor) in use in their respective areas. (Near [[Bhopal] (capital of Madhyapradesh) which was once the stronghold of Koitor people, one cannnot hear Koitor dialect in the circumference of 100 Kms).

[edit] Indo-European Language Family

Among 93 dialects spoken in Chhattisgarh, 70 are classified as belonging to this family. Under Chhattisgarhi group, the dialects spoken by Agariya, Binjhwari, Baigani, Bhuliya, Lariya, Dhanwar, Panka, Dindwar and many other tribals are included. Sadri is the dialect understood by many of the different tribal groups(Sadri is the name given to the Indo-European dialect which is adopted by tribal groups when they do not use their own dialect) - Sadri is in use from Chhattisgarh and Orissa to West-Bengal. Similarly Halbi is understood by many of the different tribal groups in southern Chhattisgarh (earlier there were many different opinions about the language family of Halbi, but now it is usually accepted as an Indo-European dialect) - in 1951 census, it was found that more than 99% of Halbi speakers can speak at-least two dialects.