The district administration in Jalpaiguri has started taking steps for the socio-economic development of the ancient Rava community by trying to integrate them with tourism initiatives.
The Rava or Rabha community, whose population has dwindled in recent decades, is an indigenous Tibeto-Burman community primarily found in the Dooars region of Bengal. A few also live in Assam and Meghalaya.
The Bengal government has started sanctioning funds to set up homestays to be run by the Rava community members.
“The state government has taken measures for the socio-economic development of the Rava population. Funds have been sanctioned so that they can set up homestay accommodations and showcase their culture to the tourists,” Praveen Lama, an official of the backward classes welfare department of the district, said.
Soupa Lama, the tourism development officer of Jalpaiguri district, said that the process of disbursing funds for homestays had started recently.
"The state tourism department has started allocating ₹1 lakh to each Rava family for the construction of homestay facilities for tourists under the West Bengal Homestay Policy in Mughalkata and Mela Busty areas. This is aimed to provide the Rava families with an alternative source of earning other than farming.”
In Jalpaiguri, the community members mostly live in Khuklung Busty and Gosaihat of Dhupguri block and in Mela Busty and Mughalkata tea estate of Banarhat block .
There are around 3,000 people of the community residing in these areas.
“Most of them depend on farming as a main source of their livelihood," Rabi Rava, the general secretary of Rava Development Council, said.
Traditionally, the rice-eating Rava community are farmers, though some are skilled weavers as well.
Asked for his response on tourism initiatives for the Rava community, Rava said: "It is a welcome initiative taken by the state government to help the community through tourism. We are also looking at submitting a proposal to the state tourism department for setting up a museum at Gosaihat that will project the culture and history of the community to attract the tourists."
He also said that the homestay initiative would allow the community members to stay where they have been living for generations but earn a livelihood by highlighting their culture, food and way of life to the tourists.
Over the past decade, homestay tourism has flourished in rural north Bengal, with many small landholders earning a good living from it.