Dumka, July 27: Official apathy has all but wiped out one of the most primitive tribes of Jharkhand — Kumarbhag Paharia — from Santhal Pargana.

Social scientists have blamed the lackadaisical attitude of concerned policy makers for the sorry state of affairs. While based on the recommendation of the National Commission for Backward Classes as many as 121 backward castes were incorporated in the central list recently, no such help was extended to the endangered tribe. Inclusion in a central list would have entitled members of the tribe to reservation benefits in government jobs and educational institutions.

The Kumarbhag Paharias once inhabited the Rajmahal hills in Santhal Pargana. According to the 1971 census, the tribe was 7,568 strong in the area. However, there was no mention of the Kumarbhags in the 1981 census, though other tribes like Sauria and Mal Paharias featured in the report.

In 1971, Santhal Pargana was a district of united Bihar which included Dumka, Jamtara, Pakur, Sahebganj, Godda and Deoghar as sub-divisions. The Kumarbhags lived in Pakur, Sahebganj, Godda and some parts of Dumka, but today not a single member of the tribe can be found.

“Today you can’t find a single Kumarbhag Paharia in the region,” lamented social activist Anup Kumar Bajpayee.

It was not always this bad. In the 1950s, the government had provided several welfare packages for the Paharias, especially the Kumarbhags. At that time, the government constructed housing units for them at Padarkola and Dumarchir in Pakur sub-division. Also, a residential primary school was established exclusively for the Paharias at Padarkola with 88 Kumarbhag students.

Similarly, another residential primary school was established for Kumarbhag students at Dangapara under Sundarpahari block of Godda sub-division in 1954.

In 1953, the then Bihar government constituted a special Paharia welfare department. The department established 30 Paharia welfare centres and assigned Paharia Seva Mandal, a Deoghar-based NGO, to look after it. Besides, it also established residential schools, medicine centres and other projects to rehabilitate Paharias in the plains.

During 1958-59, the Paharia welfare department rehabilitated 20 Kumarbhag families at Kathikund, 20 families at Gopikander, 40 at Amrapara, 20 at Littipara, 40 at Borio and 40 at Boyarijore.

A 1910 district gazette mentions that the historical Gando or Shankera state in Dumka also belonged to the Kumarbhag Paharia tribe. “Today no member of the royal family can be traced and the stone fort of the estate has been demolished,” said Shailendra, another social activist here.

The extent of official apathy was evident from the fact that Dashrath Routh, special Paharia welfare officer appointed for Dumka by the state, had no idea what happened to the Kumarbhag Paharias. Amrapara BDO Roushan Kumar was equally clueless.

Divisional commissioner A.K. Pandey was not available for comment.