Orissa - People
According to the 1991 census, it has a total population of 31,512,070 (3.73 percent of the total population of India) out of which about 16,237,000 are male and 15,275,070 are female. Odisha has a population of about three crore out of which more than 22 percent are tribals, with their concentration in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh and Koraput districts. Oriya is the mother tongue of the people of Odisha and most of them understand Hindi as well. People can sometimes speak Bengali, Telugu, Urdu and a bit of Gujarati in addition to the various tribal dialects. English can be understood by the educated mass.
Geographically Odisha stands as a coastal corridor between the northern and southern India cut off by the intractable Vindhyas. It is natural therefore that an assimilation of the races and cultures of the Aryans and the Dravidians; must have taken place here in the days of gore. At the same time successive racial and cultural tides might have surged up from the different sides, rolled in and broken over this Bound culminating in the indo-cultural synthesis.
Odisha, which is largely rural, the traditional values are still kept alive. In general the values have no doubt weakened but they are not lost. Among die innocent Advisees dwelling in the wooded hinterland and forested hill slopes, Indias earliest civilization is retained in its pristine form. Not only in their secluded hamlets, bet also in the countless thousands of villages in the country sides one can catch a glimpse of the dwindling horizon of humanity, through the innocent and benign outlook of tile villagers. A sensitive person who happens to be a prisoner of the modern society with its stress and strain will not, while in a typical village, fail to mark the relationship of its common people with God, nature and their fellow men.
The people of Odisha rejoice in festivals and fairs. Festivals are associated with religious practices, but the festive atmosphere often sweeps the rituals. Most festivals are common to all places, but particular places have their own special celebrations which are seasonal in their occurrence. Chandan Yatra, Snana Yatra and Ratha Yatra are observed with special gaiety and fervour at Puri although the last-mentioned one is celebrated at Baripada, Athagarh, Dhenkanal, Koraput and other places even outside the state. Durga Puja is observed throughout the state, more particularly at Cuttack. Kali Puja or Diwali is celebrated in different parts of Odisha. Bali Yatra of Cuttack on the full moon day in the month of Kartika reminds the glory of Odishan traders in the long past. Chaitra Parva, a festival of Chhou dance, is celebrated at Baripada. Makar, Holi, Mohurram, Id and Christmas are also celebrated throughout the state.
Rice, dal, vegetables and fish constitute the principal diet of the people. They also take chapatis, meat and sweets. Different types of pithas (cakes made of rice flour, gur, coconut, ghee and other ingredients depending on the variety ) and milk/cheese preparations are special Odishan delicacies.
Orissa is one of the major states of the Indian Union, with a population of 36.71 million in 2001. The population is predominantly Hindu (94.67 per cent). It has the third lowest population density (236 persons per sq. km in 2001) among the major states of India, ahead of only Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. However, there is significant inter-district variation [coefficient of variation (CV): 64.20 per cent in 2001] within the state in this regard, with the district of Khurda1 having a population density of 666 persons per sq. km at one end, and Kandhamal district with a population density of only 81 persons per sq. km at the other end. This has meant massive spatial concentration of the population. Coastal Orissa accounts for some 52 per cent of the population of the state with an area share of 25 percent.
The rate of growth of population in Orissa during the decade 1991–2001 was 15.94 per cent as against 21.34 per cent for all-India. This is the third lowest rate of growth of population among the major states of India, with only Kerala (9.42 per cent) and Tamil Nadu (11.19 per cent) having lower rates. This has been the result of a rather peculiar demographic regime — relatively low and steadily declining birth rate going hand in hand with relatively high and very slowly declining death rate, something that does not really fit into any of the three stages of the standard theory of demographic transition. The rate of urbanisation in Orissa at 14.91 per cent is the lowest among the major states of India and is rising very slowly. But there is significant interdistrict variation (CV: 73.29 per cent in 2001) in this respect, with the district of Khurda in central– coastal Orissa having an urbanisation rate of 42.93 per cent at one end and Boudh in south-central Orissa, having an urbanisation rate of only 4.82 per cent at the other.
The sex ratio of Orissa’s population was 971 in 1991, the third highest among major Indian states, lower than only Tamil Nadu (986) and Kerala (1058). The aggregate sex ratio of Orissa in 1991 is, in fact, lower than the 0–14 years age group sex ratio of 978. This implies that there is no upward bias towards aggregate sex ratio due to greater male out-migration as compared to that of females.
About 23 per cent of the population comprise the indigenous tribal population, mostly concentrated in the north-western and south-western districts of the state with traditional means of livelihood. They have a heavy dependence on forests for their livelihood. The north-western districts (Sundargarh, Keonjhar, and Mayurbhanj) account for 35.3 per cent of Orissa’s tribal population and the south-western districts (Koraput, Kalahandi, Phulbani, and Balangir) account for another 39.4 per cent (Table 1.1). The forces of modernisation have largely bypassed them. The processes of modernisation have largely marginalised them in economic terms, threatening their livelihood security. Alienation of tribals for various reasons is emerging as a social problem.
The population belonging to Scheduled Caste constitutes a little more than 16 per cent of the state’s population. Unlike the tribal population, they are mostly concentrated in the four (undivided) coastal districts of Balasore, Cuttack, Ganjam, and Puri, which together account for 53.8 per cent of the state’s SC population.
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