An Introduction - Tharu Tribe

The Tharu is well known scheduled tribe of Uttar Pradesh. It was declared as scheduled tribe in U.P. in the year 1967, along with four other tribes. After independence, for the first time in June, 1967 the President of India notified five tribes of U.P. viz Raji, Bhotia, Jaunsari, Tharu and Bhoksa as scheduled tribes four, out of these five tribes, namely Raji, Bhotia, Jaunsari and Bhoksa (Buxa) have now become a part of Uttarakhand, though some villages of the Bhoksas are still in district Bijnor of Uttar Pradesh. Hence, there were only two scheduled tribes left in Uttar Pradesh namely Tharu and Bhoksa after the division of the state in the year 2000, Recently on January 2003, the government of Indian included ten new tribes in the list of scheduled tribes of Uttar Pradesh by the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes of Uttar Pradesh by the scheduled caste and scheduled tribes order (Amendment, Act, 2002, these are Gond, Kharwar, Sahariya Parahiya, Baiga, Pankha, Agaria, Patari, Chero and Bhuiya these were earlier listed as scheduled castes of Uttar Pradesh.

There is a disparity found in the census report of various departments of the state Government. According to the census of India – 2001 by Directorate of census Operation, Uttar Pradesh (2005) the total population of scheduled Tribes in Uttar Pradesh is 107, 963 (Appendix-7) which are residing in to districts of the state (this does not include the population of ten new scheduled tribes) the data does not seem to be very reliable which according to the Annual Plan document 2006 of planning commission, Uttar Pradesh the total population of Scheduled tribes in present UP including the ten new tribes along with the earlier two, is 492, 450 and according to the directorate of tribal Development, Uttar Pradesh is 1194737.

The table below is showing the population of scheduled tribes in Uttar Pradesh.

Table-1 : Population of Scheduled Tribes in Uttar Pradeshv

SL. No.	Scheduled Tribes	Population	Population
1	Tharu	79947	105536
2	Buxa	2427	2427
3	Gond	185744	667635
4	Kharwar	80199	186687
5	Sahariya	23747	75741
6	Parahiya	598	1364
7	Pankha	19576	28157
8	Banga	17940	32085
9	Agaria	12419	18480
10	Patari	750	2353
11	Chero	31727	60161
12	Bhuiya	11787	14111
13	Other Scattered	25589	0
	Total	492450	1194737

Source: *Annual Plan Document – 2006, Vol-1, Planning Commission, Government of Uttar Pradesh (Appendix-8) **Directorate of Tribal Development Uttar Pradesh (Appendix-6)

Tharus mostly live in the Tarai belt of Uttar Pradesh. The Region covers five districts of Uttar Pradesh namely Lakhimpur Kheri, Balrampur, Bahraich, Shravasti and Maharajganj close to the border of Nepal some of the Tharu villages are in District Udham Singh Nagar (which was earlier a part the district Nanital of the then Uttar Pradesh and now is a part of newly formed state of Uttaranchal). The Tharu tribe also resides in the neighboring country Nepal. According to the 1991 census, the population of Tharus is undivided Uttar Pradesh was 1,18,558 Now as district Udham Singh Nagar is not a part of the state. The total population of Tharus in Uttar Pradesh according to 2001 census is 105536 (Directorate of tribal Development, Uttar Pradesh) and planning commission, Uttar Pradesh, the total population of the Tharu tribe is 79,947. According to the 2001 census, the district wise population of Tharus in Uttar Pradesh is shown in table No-2.

Table-2 : District wise population of Tharus in Uttar Pradesh (2001)

SL. No.	District	Population
1	Lakhimpur Kheri	37949
2	Balrampur	19347
3	Bahraich	8558
4	Shravasti	4756
5	Maharajganj	2564
6	Scattered Tharus in then districts	32362
	Total Population	105536

Source : Directorate of Tribal Development, Uttar Pradesh (Appendix-6)

Block wise population data of Tharu tribe for the year 2001is not available in government departments namely, SC/ST Research Institute, Lucknow, Directorate of tribal Development of Department of Social welfare, Lucknow, Hence the block wise population of the Tharu tribe according to 1991 census.

Table -3 : Block –wise Population of Tharus in the Districts of Uttar Pradesh (1991)

SL. No.	District	Development Block	Population	Total Population
1	Lakhimpur Kheri	Palia	21653	26335
		Nighasan	4682
2	Balrampur	Pachperwa	10782	14194
		Gaisari	3412
3	Bahraich	Mihinpurwa	6044	9378
		Sirsiya#	3334
4	Gorakhpur	Nautanwa**	2378	2528
		Pharinda	57
		Lakshmipur	93

Source: Directorate of tribal Development, Uttar Pradesh [*The blocks of this district mentioned above having Tharu population are now part of the newly formed district of Maharajganj. #this block is now part of the newly formed district Shravasti]