The tribals have limited wants and consume foods that grow locally. They don’t travel much so they do not require money in hand to spend. (Photo: Asian Age)

Koraput: The demonitisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes may have caused inconvenience to millions across the country, and also leading to bitter political acrimony between the BJP-led government and its rival parties, but most people in the undivided Koraput district of Odisha have been unaffected by this economic “surgical strike of the Narendra Modi government” — thanks to people’s traditional reliance on barter economy.

Spread over around 27,050sq. km., the undivided Koraput region includes four districts – Koraput, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri and Rayagada.

Home to over 48 of India’s 62 ethnic tribal communities, including Paraja, Didayi, Koya, Soura, Bonda, Lanjia Soura and Gadhva, these southern districts are dotted with green hills, fountains and rich forests. The people in the region eke out their living by collecting forest produces, undertaking horticulture activities on the hilltops and agriculture on plain lands.

“During winter, we come to Muniguda weekly market on Wednesday with beans, brinjal, cauliflower, cabbages, bitter gourd, spinach and many other vegetables that we grow in Niyamgiri hills. We exchange them for rice, salt, sugar, mustard oil, soaps, shoes and clothes, ornaments and other basic daily needs,” says Laxmi Jakasika, a Dongaria Kondh. The system is widely seen in leading weekly markets like Mathili, Onkadeli, Baipariguda, Raighar, Umerkote, Kakiriguma, Chakunda, Bisam Cuttack, markets. In other seasons, the tribals barter forest produces like dried tamarind, mahua flowers, sal seeds, black grams, horse grams, sal leaves and firewood. Horticulture produces like pineapple, litchi, guava, mango and papaya are also greatly exchanged in certain markets such as Chatikana and Muniguda.

“These tribals have limited wants. They consume foods that grow locally. They exchange agriculture and forest produces to buy spices, oil and clothes. Since they don’t visit the big markets and travel less, they also do not require money in hand to spend. This is why the barter system continues to prevail in this part the state,” said Gouranga Charan Rout, an expert on tribal culture. Businessmen from Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh procure the bartered items from weekly markets and sell them at higher prices in their respective states.

Since the region remained untouched by modern urbanisation process, more because of the people’s penchant for leading life in the lap of the nature, the locals meet their basic requirement by the barter system.