Virus breaches another wall, four Bondas test positive

Context: The COVID-19 pandemic has reached the Bondas, a PVTGs community residing in the hill ranges of Malkangiri district in Odisha.

Who are the Bondas?

• The Bondas are Munda ethnic group, who live in the isolated hill regions of the Malkangiri district of southwestern Odisha near the junction of the three states of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh.
• They are a scheduled tribe of India and are also known as the Remo (meaning “people” in the Bonda language).
• The tribe is one of the oldest and most primitive in mainland India; their culture has changed little for more than a thousand years.
• Their isolation and known aggressiveness continue to preserve their culture despite the pressures of an expanding Indian population.

Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)

• There are certain tribal communities who have declining or stagnant population, low level of literacy, pre-agricultural level of technology and are economically backward.
• They generally inhabit remote localities having poor infrastructure and administrative support.
• These groups are among the most vulnerable section of our society as they are few in numbers, have not attained any significant level of social and economic development.
• 75 such groups have been identified and categorized as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).

Reference: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/virus-breaches-another-wall-four-bondas-test-positive/article32432563.ece