Abstract:

The Tribal population in Gujarat is mainly concentrated in the eight districts along the eastern border of the state. 96% live in The Dangs, Valsad, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Panchmahals, Sabarkantha and Banaskantha. The tribal region extends from Sabarkantha district through Panchmahals down to Surat, Valsad and The Dangs. About 92% of the scheduled tribes are from the rural areas. The Kotwalias tribe of South Gujarat is generally landless people who primarily depend on bamboo basket making for their livelihood. Their products include split bamboo mats (Palas), threshing trays (Topla) and baskets (Supra). Some Kotwalia communities still reside within forest areas while others have shifted to agricultural villages but maintain their traditional cottage industry.