Tharu Tribe

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court recently set aside the decision of a district-level committee that had rejected the community forest rights claims of the Tharu Tribe in Lakhimpur Kheri. The judgment is important because it supports the protection of tribal rights over forests and traditional resources.

About the Tharu Tribe

The Tharu tribe is one of the indigenous tribal communities living in the Terai plains along the Indo-Nepal border. They are considered the largest and oldest ethnic group of the Terai region.

The Tharu people are found in both India and Nepal. In India, they mainly live in the states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.

In 1967, the Government of India officially recognized the Tharu community as a Scheduled Tribe.

Language

The Tharu people have their own language known as Tharu or Tharuhati. This language belongs to the Indo-Aryan subgroup of the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European language family.

Economy and Lifestyle

The economy of the Tharu tribe is mainly based on agriculture. Along with farming, they also practice cattle rearing, hunting, fishing, and the collection of forest products.

Their daily food mainly includes rice, lentils, and vegetables.

The traditional houses of the Tharu people are known as “Badaghar.” These houses are constructed using locally available materials such as mud, wood, and thatch. Their settlements are generally located in compact villages surrounded by forests.

Social Structure

The Tharu society follows a patrilineal system, where family lineage is traced through the male members. However, women in Tharu society enjoy greater property rights compared to women in many traditional Hindu communities.

Marriage in the tribe is generally patrilocal, which means the bride moves to the husband’s home after marriage.

An important feature of Tharu society is the joint family system, where large families live together in long houses and share responsibilities.

The Tharu community also has a very strong Panchayat system, which acts as the local social council. The head of the Panchayat is known as the “Pradhan.”

Religion and Beliefs

The religious beliefs of the Tharu people are a unique combination of animism, Hinduism, and nature worship. They worship natural forces, forests, rivers, and local deities, reflecting their close relationship with nature and forest life.