- In the Godavari valley of Andhra Pradesh, the Koya tribe faces a cultural crisis as raids by the Special Enforcement Bureau, a newly-created police wing, threaten their cherished tradition of Mahua liquor consumption.
- Scores of Koya women are increasingly abandoning their ancestral practice of collecting and brewing Mahua flowers, fearing the repercussions of enforcement actions.
- The Andhra Pradesh Prohibition Act of 1995, did not exempt the brewing and storage of Mahua liquor by the Koya tribe.
- The Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (or PESA), 1996, empowers the gram sabha to protect the traditions, beliefs, and culture of the tribes.
- Koya is one of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups.
- The tribe now grapples with preserving its cultural identity amid increasing pressures from authorities
- The Koya tribe is already in conflict over displacement by the Polavaram Irrigation Project from ancestral forests, the raids put further strain on our cultural lifestyle and practices.
Role of Mahua in Koya Culture
- The Koyas begin their agricultural year with a three-day Bhumi Panduga, a monsoon festival complete with hunting and Mahua liquor. For the Koyas, consuming Mahua liquor offers relief during hunting expeditions.
- The festival culminates in a community feast, signifying the beginning of the kharif season.
- During Dasara, they observe Pachha Panduga, a festival centred around vegetables.
- In Sankranthi, they celebrate Chikkudukai Panduga, in which all the newly harvested crops and Mahua liquor are offered to ancestors and deities before the people partake of it.
Dig Deeper: Read about the tribal rights under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
