49 General Profile Physical Division Drainage Pattern Climate Natural Vegetation Soils Administrative Divisions Demographic and Socio-Cultural Profile Population-Size, Growth Rate, Density and Sex Ratio Anthropological Characteristics of Population Industry Rural Population and Urbanization Rural-Urban Differences Muslims in Malda District Population Size and Growth Rate by Religion (1951-2001) Spatial Distribution of Muslim Population by Block (2001) Muslim Literacy and Employment Rate (2001) The Study Area: Malda District Chapter II
Demographic and Socio-Cultural Profile Population-Size, Growth Rate, Density and Sex Ratio Anthropological Characteristics of Population Industry Rural Population and Urbanization Rural-Urban Differences
Muslims in Malda District Population Size and Growth Rate by Religion (1951-2001) Spatial Distribution of Muslim Population by Block (2001) Muslim Literacy and Employment Rate (2001)
The Study Area: Malda District
Chapter II
50
The ultimate enquiry of geography is space. Before assessing and evaluating the nature and characteristics of visual imprints made by man upon physical landscape, it is essential to have an overview of its physico-cultural, socio-economic and demographic attributes, which shape the geographical identities of a region. This is prerequisite for the analysis of spatial distributional pattern of the human aspects on the landscape, with the assumptions that the environment affects the nature of human habitat. The areal association and aspects of spatial distribution of entire habitat are the outcome of prevailing physical conditions, cultural and social values of the inhabitants, technology, management systems and the settling process through time. Keeping these points in view some of the physio-cultural and socio-economic attributes of the study area have been discussed in sequential manner. The Malda district of West Bengal has been selected as the study area. Malda is called the gateway of North Bengal, once the capital of Gour-Banga. The word ‘Malda’ derived from the Arabic word ‘Mal’ which means ‘wealth’, so ‘Malda’ in Arabic indicates a place where financial transactions are performed and where wealth is concentrated in the hands of large number of persons (Census of India, 1991). The district of Malda covers 3733 sq. km of areas (4.2 per cent of the total area of the state of West Bengal) and is a home of 3290468 persons (4.1 per cent of the total state population). Located between latitudes 24040'20'' North to 25032'08'' North, and longitudes 87045'50'' East to 88028'10''East (GWB, 2005). The district is bounded to its due south by the district of Murshidabad across the river Ganga, Bangladesh and Dakshin Dinajpur district to its east and northeast, Uttar Dinajpur district to its north and the states of Bihar to its west and Jharkhand across the Ganga to the south-west. However compared to the historicity of Malda as a region, such changes are comparatively recent. The present district represents a region of great antiquity which was once the cradle of state and society within Bengal GENERAL BACKGROUND Malda district has acquired a unique personality with the fusion of historical and geographical elements. Although part of a very old settled region, Malda came into being as a separately constituted district within provincial Bengal in 1813, through an act of incorporation that amalgamated two of the southern thanas (police stations) of erstwhile Dinajpur district, with three drawn from western Rajshahi district and four from eastern Purnea district. This act of reconstitution had a profound effect on the cultural landscapes of the district, giving this richness that draws its strands from the mosaic of ethno religious and linguistic traditions that have thus been incorporated into the cultural traditions of Malda. Although the new district took its name from the mediaeval settlement at Maldah which had been an important river trading port, subsequent urban growth in this region has principally taken place around the subsequent British commercial settlement of Ingrej Bazar (Ingrezabad or English Bazar) which was founded during the late 18th century on the char lands between the Ganga and Mahananda rivers.
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Locational Map of Malda District, 2001
Fig. 2.1
52
This new town has since metamorphosed into the city identified more commonly as Malda today, while the older settlement on the Mahananda north bank is now known as Old Malda. Further territorial adjustments to the borders of the district occurred during the Partition of India in 1947, when the Radcliffe award assigned several portions from its easternmost thanas to East Pakistan. Administrative reconstitution of the nine original thanas of Malda has made it a district of 15 modern-day development blocks, which have recently been regrouped into two subdivisions for administrative reasons. The history of the district is interlinked with the different periods of history of the present country (Bhatt, 1998). The composite township of Malda, presently the headquarters of Malda district stands a few kilometres northwest of the ancient city of Gaur, once capital of the ancient bhukti or political division of Bengal known as Pundravardhan which lay on the eastern extremity of the Gupta Empire. Thereafter, the Guptas were succeeded by the king of Karnasubarna in 700 A.D, who ruled for almost thirty years. From mid 8th century to 11th century AD the Pala dynasty ruled Bengal and promoted Buddhism in the region actively. After the rule of the Palas it was the turn of the Sen Dynasty; Balal Sen was the third ruler of the Sen Dynasty who ruled over Gaur and established sole control over entire Bengal within 1168 A.D. The Sen Dynasty wielded their rule over Bengal till 1204 AD. Thereafter the Muslim rule lasted for about five hundred years before Siraz-ud-daulah was defeated by Lord Clive at the battle of Plassey in 1757 whence the British rule started.
One can find the influence of the Afghan and Mughals throughout Malda in the form of beautiful mosques, among which, most of them ruins today. Recent history states that Malda was conquered by the Mughals in 1198 A.D. and was the headquarters of their ruling power over Bengal. After the Afghans came to power, the headquarters were relocated to Pandua and they left a scene of plunder in Gaur. But Pandua was deserted in 1453 and Gaur came to prominence again. In 1539, Gaur was attacked by Sher Shah, and in 1575 it was invaded by the army of Akbar. Curiously, after the occupation of the city by Akbar a severe plague hit and it was completely abandoned and the city lied in a heap of ruins. The ruins, relics and monuments of Malda speak a tale of a bygone era when rulers with different origins, religions and motives ruled the land. It is a feast for the insatiable senses of archeologists and curious tourists who are interested in ancient history of Bengal, and of India. The district was formed out of some portions of outlying areas of Purnia, Dinajpur and Rajshahi districts in 1813. At the time of Dr. B. Hamilton (1808-09), the present’s thanas of Gazol, Malda, Bamangola, and part of Habibpur were included in the district of Dinajpur and the thanas of Harischandrapur, Kharba, Ratua, Manikchak, and Kaliachak were included in the district of Purnia. In 1813, in consequence of the prevalence of serious crimes in the Kaliachak and Sahebganj thanas and also on the rivers, a Joint Magistrate and Deputy Collector was appointed at English Bazar with jurisdiction over a number of police stations centering that place and taken from the two districts. Thus the district of Malda was born. The year 1832 saw the establishment of separate treasury and the year 1859 the posting of a full fledged Magistrate and collector.
53
Up to 1876, this district formed part of Rajshahi Division and between 1876 and 1905. It formed part of Bhagalpur Division. In 1905, it was again transferred to Rajshahi Division and till 1947 Malda remained in this division. In August, 1947, this district was affected by partition, between the 12th and 15th of August. 1947, the fate of the district as to which side it should go, to Pakistan or to India was undecided, because the announcement of the partition award of Sir Radcliffe did not make this point clear. During these few days the district was under a Magistrate of East Pakistan, when the details of the Radcliffe award were published, the district came over to West Bengal on the 17th of August. 1947.
Thus despite its former glory, the district of Malda has continually witnessed a series of political and geographical vicissitudes that have brought it to its present day position as the most marginalized districts in West Bengal. The people who reside in the district at present are thus inheritors of this proud heritage as well as its modern consequences. Whatever the change in its fortunes, Malda nevertheless continues to be a key region in the modern state of West Bengal, forming the middle ground that links the more developed district in the southern part of the state to the economically marginalized districts that form northern West Bengal. For this reason, the human development situations in Malda district warrant close study, since they also hold the key to the economic development of the entire region of North Bengal.
Physical Divisions /Ecological Division The district consists mainly of low-lying alluvial plains, sloping towards the south.
The North Eastern part of the district contains a few elevated tracts. Parts of these high lands have elevations up to 40 meters from the mean sea level. These elevations are intersected by deep water channels thereby giving the appearance of small hills (Census of India, 1991). The river Mahananda flowing from north-east to south-east and divide the district into eastern and western regions. Further the river Kalindri divide the Western region into northern and southern regions. Each of the regions have own distinctive characteristics. The eastern part is comparatively high and undulating, while western part is low and fertile. Three broad sub-regions can be defined physiographically within Malda district on the basis of nature of topography and soil, i.e. Barind, Diara and Tal (Fig. 2.2a). Barind
The Barind region of mature alluvium that had given North-Bengal its old historical name of Varendri or Barendri is known today as the Barind, lies on the eastern margin of the Mahananda River. This region is made up of the ancient alluvial humps that are remnants of old riverine flood plains that remained unaffected subsequently by inundation and renewed silting. Besides the eastern and northeastern fringes of the district, the Barind tract also stretched into parts of Uttar and Dakshin Dinajpur district of Bengal and adjoining district i.e Rajshahi, Dinajpur and Bogra within Bangladesh, forming an upland rising to elevations of
54
the district measuring 39m from the mean sea level is recorded in Gazol block as in its highest portion. The cumulative area of the Barind spanning Uttar and Dakshin Dinajpur and Malda districts in North Bengal is 1621 sq. km; within district it covers four blocks i.e. Old Malda, Gazol, Bamangola and Habibpur comprise of 1348.3 sq. km (37.63 per cent) area of the district (GWB, 2004). It comprises 47.3 per cent settlements and 24.45 per cent population of the study area. The major portion of this contains two sharply-rising and isolated topographic units that fall within Malda district, which collectively comprise Old Malda and Gazol blocks in the Mahananda-Tangan interfluves area Habibpur and Bamongola blocks in the Tangan-Punarbhava interluve, provide the best examples of the typically matured Barind.
TABLE 2.1 Ecological Regions in Malda District, 2001
Regions BARIND DIARA TAL
BL
OC
KS
Old Malda Habibpur Bamongola Gazol
Manikchak English Bazar Kaliachak-I Kaliachak-II Kaliachak-III
The soils of these regions are hard salty clays of a reddish hue that has developed through the accumulation of sesquioxides as a result the ground is baked hard as iron. Organic residues in this soil are highly decomposed, leading to non-acidic soil at pH levels as low as 6.8 in the Barind tracts of Malda. Organic carbon content is also generally low only 0.54 per cent in these Malda tracts, as a result of which overall soil fertility remains at modest levels under un-irrigated conditions. Drinking water becomes scarce during hot weather. Nevertheless, since the hummocky or undulating terrain in the Barind promotes a fair amount of runoff and the hard impervious clayey Barind soils permit little percolation, most of the monsoon runoff accumulates in the large natural bils or pools in the ravines formed by the courses of the Tangan and Punarbhava rivers, covering the lowlands. The remainder of the district covers an adjacent tract of flat lowland between the 27m and 21m contours, forming the local catchments of the Mahananda and Ganga. This lowland tract which slopes gradually from the north to south is classified into two additional physiographic regions, locally known as Tal and Diara. Diara The Diara is a relatively well-drained flatland formed by the fluvial deposition of newer alluvium in the transitional zone between the Barind upland and the marshy Tal tract of the Ganges and the old channels of Bhagirathi River for centuries, covers an adjacent tract of flat lowland between the 27m and 21m contours. This region lies to the south of the river Kalindri, spanning Manikchak, English Bazar and Kaliachak-I, Kaliachak-II, Kaliachak-III blocks of the district.
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Fig. 2.2
Physical Divisions Drainage Pattern
MALDA DISTRICT
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The Diara is a relatively well-drained flatland formed by the fluvial deposition of newer alluvium in the transitional zone between the Barind upland and the marshy Tal tract. The soil is light with sandy appearance and very fertile. Mango gardens are common and mulberry is also grown in this natural division. It encompasses 1,152.3 sq. km. (32.16 per cent) area, includes 22.3 per cent settlement and 42.81 per cent population of the district (GWB, 2004). Tal
The Tal is mostly composed of bog lands formed in many marshy pockets around vestigial inland drainages. It lies to the west of the river Mahananda and to the north of the river Kalindri. The Tal region gradually slopes down towards the south-west and merges with the Diara region. The streams of this zone have switched over to new courses, leaving many dead or dying channels that only retain water flow during the monsoon. Consequently, the Tal is strewn with innumerable marshes, bils and oxbow lakes. Inter braided streams with multiple channels also occur quite commonly along the Kankhor, Kalindri, Punarbhava and other rivers that traverse this land unit-the Kalindri, particularly, displaying an amazing capacity to meander. Because of the lack of gradient and consequently runoff, most of the Tal tract remains submerged under considerable depths of water during the monsoon rains. Large sections of it then turn into mud banks during the dry season, while the many marshy pockets still remain relatively shallow. The blocks comprised in this region are Ratua-I, Ratua-II, Chanchal-I, Chanchal-II, Harischandrapur-I and Harischandrapur-II. It accounts 1,082.4 sq. km. (30.21 per cent) area, 30.4 per cent settlements and 32.74 per cent population of the study area. Since topographic gradients along the Tal region are barely minimal at an average of 0.050 the Ganga is the only fast-moving river that traverses this tract, with an average gradient of 1:14500. The other minor regional rivers of the Tal barely manage to crawl across the tract at extremely low gradients. All local rivers are prone to inundate the Tal during the monsoon, and the Mahananda with its large upstream catchments has often wreaked flood havoc in the Tal tract. Drainage Pattern
Rivers in Malda district constitute an important feature upon its landscape. The Malda district of the earth surface is washed by the waves of rivers the Ganges, the Mahananda, Fulahar, Kalindri, Tangoan, Punarbhaba, Pagla and Bhagirathi The rivers are follow general slope of the land and traverse the area from north, north-east and north-west to south-east (Fig 2.2b). All the main rivers of the district are of the Himalayan or sub-Himalayan origin and flow in southerly directions (GWB, 2004). Among all the rivers, the Ganga is the main with its total length 172 km. (including its tributaries); enter the district at Gaduri of Bhutni Char of Manikchak block and flowing over the blocks of Manikchak, Kaliachak-II and Kaliachak-III. Its main tributaries are Fulahar, Bhagirathi and Kalindri. Due to the devastating flood particularly in western side of the district, huge amount of life and property, human establishments, and agricultural land goes into the Ganga each year. The details about the important rivers of the district are given in Table 2.2.
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TABLE 2.2 The Drainage System (Main Rivers) in Malda District, 2001
River Entry Point Runs through the blocks
Length in the District*
Branches of Rivers
End Point
Ganga Gaduri of Bhutnichar (Manikchak)
Kaliachak-III Kaliachak-II Manikchak
172 km.
Fulahar Bhagirathi Kalindri
Pardeonapur (Kaliachak-III)
Mahananda Junction of Chanchal-I Ratua-II and Gazol
English Bazar Old Malda Habibpur Gazol
886 km.
Kalindri Pagla
Aiho
(Habibpur)
Punarbhaba North-Easter portion of Bamangola
Bamangola 64.4 km. Haria Eastern boarder of Bamangola
Tangon Junction of Bamangola and Gazol
Bamangola Old Malda Habibpur Gazol
64.6 km.
Chunakali Khal
Mahananda
Kalindri Mihaghat (HCP-II)
HCP-II English Bazar Manikchak Ratua-I
N.A.
Fulahar Mahananda at Bachamari (Old Malda)
Note: * Including Tributaries. Data Source: Official Records, Office of the Assistant Engineer (Irrigation), Malda, 2001.
Apart from the main rivers and their tributaries, many large and small beels (shallow depression filled with water covering large area) and tanks are found in the district. Largest beel is Ahora in the Tangon river valley covering about 03 sq. km. area. Other than Ahora some beels are located mainly in the marshy tract lies between the Mahananda river and the main road from English Bazar to Gour. Some beels are also found in the Diara tract due to depressions left by the Ganges, e.g. Gadai beel in which there are approximately 30 thousand tanks of different sizes out of which eleven thousands are irrigation tanks.
Climate The climate of the district is very hot and sultry during summer season, with plentiful rains and moisture in the air throughout the year. The proximity of the Bay of Bengal in the south and the alignment of the Himalaya in the north largely determine the climatic character, i.e., the distribution of the weather elements in the district. Irrespective of the general vagaries and mechanism of the monsoon, seasonal distribution of the elements such as temperature, rainfall and relative humidity are too uneven (Census of India, 1991). An important feature of the climatic conditions of the district is the periodic wind that blows across it. The seasonal winds are known as the monsoons wind.
Annual precipitation decreases from northern to southern parts of the district and is only 1450 mm per annum around the vicinity of English Bazar. The uneven spatial distribution of rainfall in the district occurs because of the patterns of variation in its topographic profile and the tracks followed by monsoon depressions. Rainfall is also
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unevenly distributed over the year, as a consequence of which over 90 per cent of the annual precipitation descends during the monsoon months. Runoff too falls off drastically from the north to the south. The climate of the district can be described under the four seasons recognized by the meteorological departments, government of India. The successive seasons of the district are:
Summer season Advance monsoon Retreating monsoon and Cold season
The summer season roughly covers the period between March-May, the normal date of arrival of the monsoon. Temperature starts increasing from the month of March and May is the hottest month. In the district, the thunder storm that rise between April and May are locally known as ‘Kal Baisakhi’, such storm do not affect extensively and may be considered as local atmospheric disturbances. These storms bring down the temperature for a short and give relief to the people in hot summer evening. Both during summer and the rainy months, very deep water tables occur in the Barind upland tracts. Deep aquifers descend into the district along the basin of the Mahananda reaching a depth of 150m interspersed by intervening layers of clay. While in the Barind, water-saturated granular material generally occurs in a depth-range between 90m-110m and a continuous underground aquifer is found at a depth between 950m-1000m in the tract lying west of the Mahananda and Kalindri rivers. The maximum mean monthly temperature i.e., 32oC was recorded during the month of April followed by 31oC during May. Rainfall occurred during this season varies from 13 cm and 130 cm in the months of April and May respectively. The summer season starts from March with mean monthly temperature of 27oC but without any rainfall. The natural causes that guide monsoon winds, present a complex study. By the 15th June, the district is under the influence of monsoon winds. The summer monsoon carries moisture from the Bay of Bengal and brings rainfall. Heavy rain starts all over the district from the advancing roll of dark clouds with a little thunder. The bursting of the monsoon is a joyous phenomenon for the farmers in the district as their crops depend on the mercy of rainfall which enhances the agricultural production and prosperity. The intensity of rainfall increases in successive months, and highest is recorded during September (last month of the season) 631 centimeters. Autumn season or the season of returning Monsoon start after the months of September, overhead position of the sun shifts to the Southern Hemisphere and hence the intensity of the low pressure over the north-western part of India decreases. As a result, the south-west monsoon winds start moving back towards south. This is called the retreating of the monsoon winds.
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The cold season start from the last week of November to the end of February the district is under the influence of cold season. This wind is offshore and has no moisture. As a result there is no rainfall in the winter season. The weather remains cool and sunny during January, temperature ranging between 29oC-09oC, with mean monthly temperature 19oC. Occasional cold spells occurs accompanied with the western disturbances. The Fog appears during the last week of December and first week of January. This is the most pleasant season in the district. Natural Vegetation The district has a small vegetation cover, extending from the river of Kosi to the Brahmputra. This is alternation of beels and village shrubberies with the drier jungle of Barind region. Where the ground is not occupied by the usual crops, it is covered by abundant natural vegetation, except the sandy beds of rivers (Census of India, 1991). Old river beds, ponds, marshy land etc. have a copious vegetation of vallisneria and other plants. The areas which are subjected to frequent inundation are usually covered with seedy grasses where as marshy parts with Plentiful Rosainvolucrata. Some portions of Barind area are covered by jungles, which chiefly consist of thorny scrub bush jungles mixed with Pipal, Bat, Simul and Pakur trees and Nepal Bamboos. Species of thorny bamboos are also seen in Pandua areas near villages and embarkment areas of Gour thickest or shrubberies, ordinary Neem, Jack-fruit trees, Tamarind, Bamboo, Pipul and Mango trees are seen in plenty. The soil of the western region of the district is particularly suited for the growth of mulberry and mango. Malda district has become famous for the production of mango like sundri and mulberry. Soils
Soil is one of the most precious resources and is the main stay of agriculture and forestry. It is precious gift of nature that determines agricultural productivity. Soils are economically important as different types of soils of varying nature produced different varieties and amounts of crops leading to economic disparities. The district is situated on the western part of the alluvium filed gap between the Rajmahal hills on the west and the Garo hills on the east. The entire area is covered by alluvium that however, is of two different ages displaying different physical and physiographic characteristics (Census of India, 2001).
In the East of the Mahananda river which bisects the district along a north-south line, are found older (pliestocene) alluvium forming ‘Barid’. The soil of this tract is red in colour implying old alluvium formation and is unfertile. It is composed of still clay containing iron. It becomes extremely hard in the cold weather. The soil in this tract is mostly acidic. This tract is mainly mono cropped and the main crop grown in this region is winter rice. On the northern part of this area, jute and autumn rice as a Kharif crop and wheat as a Rabi are grown on a very limited scale. Extensive cultivation of summer rice is
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restricted only in the Doba area (low lying area subject to water stagnation). The soil pH of this tract varies from 4.2 to 5.5 (Census of India, 1991). In the West of the river Mahananda, the soil is light loam called do-ash. It is recently formed alluvial and consists of an admixture of clay and sand. On the eastern side, the proportion of clay is greater, but further west towards the Ganges the proportion of sand becomes greater. The do-ash type of soil is the most fertile in the district and neutral in reaction. A dark loam called matial (metal) is found in the low lying areas, beels and valleys. The soil is fertile and produces chilly, aman or boro peddy. This tract of highly fertile soil formed the ‘Diara’ region with diversified cropping. Crops like aus paddy, jute, maize, wheat, pulses, oil seeds, barley and sugarcane are grown here. This zone is mainly mulberry and mango growing tract of the district. The pH of this tract varies from 6.8 to 7.8. In the ‘Tal’ area jute, maize, aus and aman paddy are the main crops grown in Kharif season. In rabi season wheat and boro paddy are also grown on a considerable area. The soil of this region is old alluvium with shallow black colour. The pH of the Tal tract ranges from 6.5 to 8.0. Another kind of brown soil is found to the extreme south of the district covering small area. This alluvial soil is very recently formed on the eastern coast of river the Ganga. Administrative Divisions The administrative region is important to gather statistical information and for the purpose of planning mechanization and implementation. The entire state of West Bengal is physically divided into two parts by river the Ganges i.e. North Bengal and South Bengal, the district of Malda is starts to the immediate North of the Ganga river. Malda district is in the southern most of the North Bengal and 347 km. away from state capital Kolkata towards north. Administratively, of Malda is a part of the Jalpaiguri division of the state of West Bengal. The district covers the geographical area of 3733 sq. km. and consists of two sub-divisions, i.e., Chanchal and Malda Sadar. English Bazar is the head quarter of the district as well as the Malda Sadar sub-division (GWB, 2001). Presently the district includes eleven police stations namely Harischandrapur, Chanchal (Kharba), Ratua, Gazol, Bamongola, Habibpur, Malda, English Bazar, Manikchak, Kaliachak and Baishnab Nagar.
The district comprised of fifteen community development blocks divided into two sub-divisions. The blocks are Harischandrapur-I, Harischandrapur-II, Chanchal-I, Chanchal-II, Ratua-I, Ratua-II under the Chanchal sub-division and the blocks of Manikchak, English Bazar, Old Malda, Habibpur, Bamongola, Gazol, Kaliachak-I, Kaliachak-II and Kaliachak-III fall under the Malda Sadar. The apex institution for local governance of the district is the Malda Zilla Parishad (District Council). Every development block corresponding local governance institution is the respective Panchayat Samiti, the jurisdiction of which is coterminous with that of the block authority. At grassroots level there are 147 Gram
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Panchayats and 2008 Gram Sansads are in the district, covering the 1814 mouzas and 3701 villages that fall within the jurisdiction of the Zilla Parishad. The rural area covers 3707.63 sq.km (99.32 per cent) and urban area covers 25.37 sq. km (Census of India, 1991). There are two municipalities in the district of Malda namely Old Malda and English Bazar with 17 and 25 wards respectively. Urban governance devolves upon the municipalities. Since the district is primarily rural, there are no other statutory towns. Although, three small fast urbanising clusters at Kendua, Kachu Pukur and Aiho in Habibpur block have acquired the informal status of census towns in 2001 census (Census of India, 2001).
TABLE 2.3 Administrative Divisions (Schematic Composition) of Malda District, 2001
NINE BLOCKS 2568.12 98 1303 1140 2552 RURAL AREA 3351.63 147 2008 1642 3548 English Bazar 9.00 25
Old Malda 13.63 17 URBAN 25.37 42 MALDA DT 3377.00 - Data Source: District Statistical Handbook, 2004 DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIO-CULTURAL PROFILES
Demography is related to the population studies. Habitat and culture are closely inter-related phenomena. A culture is built up with the materials of the habitat and the habitat in turn is profoundly influenced by the cultural traits of its inhabitants. Culture of a region is associated with man-environment relationship. In this section of the chapter, an attempt has been made to examine the different aspects of demography and socio-cultural profile of the study area like population size and growth rate, density, sex ratio, religion-cultural diversity, literacy, economy industry, urbanization and rural-urban differences.
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Population Growth in Malda District, 1901-2001
Fig. 2.3
-10
-5
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
1901
-191
1
1911
-192
1
1921
-193
1
1931
-194
1
1941
-195
1
1951
-196
1
1961
-197
1
1971
-198
1
1981
-199
1
1991
-200
1
Gro
wth
Rat
e (in
%)
Population Size and Growth Rate The regional demography of Malda district has undergone continuous change over the
period. The population growth rate fluctuates with a unique character in demographic history of the Malda district as compared to the growth rates witnessed in several other North Bengal districts. In 2001, the population of Malda district was 32.9 lakh, more than five times than the population over 6 lakh in 1901. The population growth rate in the pre independence has been relatively steady. In contrast with the post independence period population growth rate increase because of natural factors such as the decline in death rates relative to birth rates and also of renewed migration as the new settlers in certain Malda regions have dispersed through the district in search of economic opportunities and work. Hence the spurt in growth rates arising from trans-border political events after 1951 was consequently mild. The villages vary considerably in size as well as in population. Starting from the year 1949, a large displaced population from erstwhile East Pakistan (Bangladesh) had settled in bordering blocks namely, Bamongola, Habibpur, Old Malda and Kaliachak. The population growth rate goes its peaked (31.98 per cent) during the period of 1961-1971 followed by 1951-61 (30.33 per cent) and reached thereafter to 26.01 per cent during the period of 1971-1981. The population growth rates began to accelerate as the result of renewed immigration after 1981 up to 29.87 per cent during the period of 1981-1991 indicating that the acceleration in population growth was as much the consequence of new migration as compare to high birth rates. The population growth rate is 24.78 per cent during the period of 1991-2001. Thus the pattern and pace of population growth in Malda district is quite different from the state which shows a high order of fluctuation, indicating that immigration into the district has been periodic in nature.
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Population Density and Concentration Pattern The pressure of population on land denoted by population density and is also an
expression of the resources to support the population base and of economic opportunities. Population density and its decadal growth can also manifest the supporting capacity of land and its socio-economic growth. During 1901-2001 the aggregate population of the district has risen more than five-fold from just over 6 lakhs to well over 32 lakhs. The density of population increased sharply from 162 per sq. km in 1901 to 881 persons per sq. km in 2001, which is highest among all the North Bengal districts of West Bengal. The general patterns for the distribution of population among various blocks across the Malda is uneven and the range of variation is large as it runs from 471 to 2917 persons per sq. km. in Gazol and Kaliachak-I respectively, indicating that human settlement is denser in the western segments of the district. The western region comprises of Harischandrapur-I, Harischandrapur II, Chanchal-I, Ratua-I and II, English Bazar and Kaliachak-I, II and III blocks of the district. As compared to western blocks, human settlement is relatively sparser in Manikchak and Chanchal-II, and in the Barind blocks of Gazol, Old Malda, Bamongola and Habibpur. The wide range of variation in density is the result of physical, social-cultural and historical factors. The most densely settled blocks in the district are Kaliachak-I, Chanchal-I and English Bazar where population density lies in the range of 1000 near about 3000 persons per sq. km. The high density supported by agriculture and posse’s great potential to sustain heavy denser population. In contrast, the density of population is generally low in the Barind region, where settlement pressure is still low and the population density is in the range of 471-864 persons per sq. km. These blocks are not having enough fertile land to sustain denser population. Overall, the average density in the four Barind blocks less than half of the combined settlement density in the Tal and Diara regions of the district.
Population densities exceeding 924 persons per sq. km across the entire Tal region and surpassing 2950 persons per sq. km in Kaliachak-I towards rural saturation in this regions. However, unlike the densely settled southern parts of West Bengal, urbanization levels in Malda district remains very low, with only the twin towns of Old Malda and English Bazar constituting significant urban region. Both townships have grown relatively steadily over the century, but have only lately begun to show an outward spread. Because of the lack of other developed urban areas in the district, the concentration of the urban population in English Bazar and its vicinity is particularly intense. New settlements that have emerged along the outskirts of this urban complex have been gradually incorporated into respective municipalities and thereby intensifying rural land pressure. The future trend towards urbanization will be vital to the district because it will offer an economic alternative to the landless population. Such trends are already visible in the Kaliachak area, where there has been a remarkable shift from farm based to non-farm based occupations under the inexorable influence of river erosion and land loss.
Inside Malda district population density is not uniform. Given the agro-ecological factors that create strong contrasts between the Tal, Barind and Diara regions in the district, the migration and settlement patterns also reflected intrinsic differences in the ability of each of these regions to provide livelihood and support large human populations, while Kaliachak-I block, for instance, had a population density three times as high as that of the district population throughout the Barind was much lower than anywhere else in the Tal or Diara. The growth of population density in between 1991-2001 was very high among all the three Blocks of Kaliachak and also relatively high in all the Tal blocks where as it was low in the Barind blocks of Gazol, Bamongola and Habibpur and negative in Old Malda, suggesting substantial resettlement within the district. It seems that the overall density of population of a district is the result of two effects as urban areas are much more densely populated than rural areas, low and secondly density of population largely results from low urbanization. Sex Ratio Sex ratio is an important dimension of demography is sex ratio; it is generally speaking that sex-ratio is the number of female per thousand of male. It is also an effective indicator of the demographic structure of a region. Information provided in Figure 2.4 indicates the changing scenario of sex-ratio in the district. It is in favour of males and sex ratio in Malda was continuously declining in since beginning of the century but it improved slightly during 1990’s in the last census decade. When a comparison of sex ratio is extend at state and national level, it is found that the sex ratio of 95 in Malda in 2001 is higher than the sex ratio’s of the state and national level at 93 and 94 respectively. Fig. 2.4 exhibits that rural areas have higher which were registered in the census year of 1901 and 1911. After that it was continuously declined up to the census year of 1991, but this figure is different from the urban part where neither high sex-ratio was recorded in 1901 and 1911 nor it follow the continuous declining trend. The rural-urban gap in sex ratio continuously reducing from 1921 and in 2001 the gap almost balanced.
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TABLE 2.4 Block wise Population Size and Percentage of Population, 2001
AB MALDA TOTAL 3733.00 - 631935 3290468 1689406 1601062 5.21 100 894.49 948 Note: *- Number of Wards, Mauzas- Census Villages or Smallest Unit of Area Data Source: Census of India, 2001.
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Anthropological Characteristics of Population The ethnic complexion of the population of the district has been much influenced by
the process of immigration. The ethnic and anthropological characteristics of the population of the Malda district indicate that in the ‘Barind’ areas are mostly inhabitants by a huge Santhal population. Those villages which have considerable population of weavers, silk-rearers, silk- reelers, tend to become small townships as Kaliachak, Sujapur, Peasbari, Manikchak, Ratua, Chanchal, Harischandrapur etc. may be cited as examples. In the ‘Barind’ areas where the ownership of land is high and agriculture is the sole occupation, the tendency of these people is to remain in small hamlets. The folk culture of Gambhira is a characteristic feature of the district, being a unique way of representation of joy and sorrow of the daily life of the common people, as well as the unique medium of representation on national and international matters. Another very important folk culture is known as Domni similar to the Gambhira. The language of the majority of the people is Bengali. But a certain per centage of the population in the west and north is of Bihari origin, and most of them speak Hindi or Khotta, which is a mixture of Hindi and Bengali. This class, though largely retained their own languages, are now gradually acquiring Bengali. In the region of Araidanga, Milki, Noghoria, Atgama, Amrity and Mirjadpur there are settlement of domicile Maithili Brahmins who speaks Maithili. Among the scheduled castes population, there are so many sub-communities where Rajbanshi, Namasudre, Polia, Tiyer, Keet and Poundra are the main sub-castes. Among the tribal population there are 38 sub-communities in which Santala, Oraon, Mores, Mundas and Malpaharias are main sub-communities. About 88 per cent of the tribal population are concentrated in the ‘Barind’ areas comprised in four blocks namely, Gazol, Bamongola, Habibpur and Old Malda.
Industry The district’s economy is mainly agrarian based, whereas it is not well developed in term of industries. There is not a single unit which is registered under big or large scale industry in the district. But it has few small scale industries which play an important role in its economy. Most important out of all the industries in the district are silk and tobacco. Total number of factories according to district statistical hand book, reported in the year 2000-01 is 38, out of which 24 is of tobacco, beverages manufacturing accounts 3 factories and other 11 units register as textile, wood and products, chemical, non-metallic products etc. Only ten types of industries are present in the district and the total number of registered small scale industry is 7036 and the employment is 39425 in 2001. The small scale industries are developed in (a) goods manufacturing, (b) tobacco and beverages manufacturing, (c) wool, silk and man-made fiber textiles manufacturing, (d) jute fiber textile manufacturing, (d) paper manufacturing, (e) chemical and chemical product, (f) non-metallic mineral products, (g) metal products and parts except machinery, (h) repair of capital goods and (i) storage and warehousing services.
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Rural Population and Urbanisation The Malda district is primarily rural and most of the population resides in villages.
The speed of urbanization has been extremely slow due to rural economy based on agriculture. Total population of the district according to 1901 census was 603649 whereas in 2001 population has been recorded as 3290468. In 2001 census the rural population was recorded 3049245 as against the urban population of 240915. In urban population English Bazar and Old Malda municipality has recorded 161448 and 62944 respectively and Kachu Pukur CT (Habibpur), Kendua CT (Habibpur) and Aiho CT (Habibpur) has been recorded 5348, 5768 and 5407 respectively souls.
Malda is one of the districts of West Bengal where the share of urban population is less than 10 per cent. West Bengal has a good number of towns and urban agglomerations that have a population exceeding one lakh each. There are 58 such towns and 16 such urban agglomerations, but none of them is in Malda. As per 2001 Population Census, the per centage of urban population to total population in Malda was only 7.32 per cent, whereas the corresponding average for West Bengal and country 27.9 per cent and 27.8 per cent respectively. In respect of the proportion of urban population, the district show that it is one of the least develop district in the state of West Bengal. Besides, Malda there are other three districts that have less than 10 per cent urban population are Bankura (7.4 per cent), Koch Behar (9.1 per cent) and Birbhum (8.6 per cent). The urban population of Malda is spread in two municipalities (English Bazar and Old Malda) and three new Census Towns (Kachupukur, Kendua, and Aiho) created in 2001. Two urban centers are found in Sadar division of the district. English Bazar is the most urbanized block than the Old Malda. However, because of its large size in terms of size and population, more than 67 per cent of Malda’s urban population is in English Bazar municipality. The expansion of urbanized population in some district of West Bengal is in sharp contrast with Malda’s almost stagnant level of urbanization in the recent decades. Rural-Urban Differences
Rural-Urban differentials in every walk of life are well known worldwide. In fact better availability of public utilities related with education, employment and health in urban areas is considered to be one of the pull factors for migration from rural to urban areas. In the present section an attempt has been made to compare various aspects of population to study the rural-urban differences in term of socio-economic and cultural settings in the study area. Urbanization level in Malda district is very low, as it is only 7.9 per cent. The district’s rural population dominates over urban population in terms of its number, SC and ST population, number of population in age group of 0-6 years, and also in work participation rate. From the table 2.7 it is observed that, the urbanization is very poor (7.32 per cent) and work participation rate is 41.46 per cent in rural part while only 31.73 per cent in urban areas. But in the case of literacy rate urban areas dominates over rural areas. Rural areas have higher 0-6 population which may be due to the higher proportion of birth rate in rural areas.
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TABLE 2.5 Rural-Urban Differences in Malda District, 2001
Particulars Rural Urban Population 92.68 07.32 0-6 Years Population (in %) 15.79 10.23 Share of SC Population (in %) 93.65 06.35 Share of ST Population (in %) 98.96 01.04 Sex Ratio (Male/1000 Female) 949 947 Population Growth (in %) 24.45 29.16 Population Density (person/ sq. km.) 823 9497 Literacy Rate 47.76 79.28 Male Literacy Rate 56.58 84.43 Female Literacy Rate 38.41 73.85 Work Participation Rate (WPR) 41.46 31.73 Male Work Participation Rate 52.69 50.81 Female Work Participation Rate 29.61 11.59
Data Source: Computed from Primary Census Abstract, Series – I, 2001. Therefore, with in a district large contrasts occur between the urban and rural segments of the population, such cultural differences become highly significant. Because of the glaring rural-urban disparities that exist within the district in terms of various socio- cultural aspects. The poor condition of human development in the district reflects this rural-urban divide with adverse implications for economically depressed and marginalized community. In the context of modern development both for rural and urban areas, the essential requirements of infrastructure are communication and other also which are not adequate in some parts of the district. MUSLIMS IN MALDA DISTRICT
Religious profile of the populace is an important socio-cultural and demographic feature (Census of India, 2011). This section is an effort to summarize the proliferation of Muslims in the Malda district; this should serve as a backdrop to the present study. The figures reported and analyzed are drawn from the First Report on Religion 2005, Census of India (2001). It also presents a demographic profile of Muslim population in the district within the framework of the ongoing demographic and socio-cultural transitions. Firstly is to analyze the share of population by religion in Malda district (1951-2001) with the distribution of population by religion in Malda district at micro level in 2001. Secondly, to analyze the disparities in literacy and employment by religion in Malda district, which ever data is available in 2001 census. Population Size and Growth Rate by Religion (1951-2001)
Structural analysis of population on the basis of religion is an important aspect of demography which presents a vast scope for detailed studies and research. Table 2.11 provides detail information on the comparative size and share of population by religion and differences in population growth from 1951-2001 of Malda district. In the 1951 the population of the Malda district 937580 persons which increased more than three and half times to a total of 3290468 persons in the fifty years according to 2001 census. The rapid growth is attributed to a sharp fall in mortality; though fertility was declined.
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TABLE 2.6 Population size and Share by Religious Communities in Malda District (1951-2001)
Census Year
Total Population
Religious Groups Hindu Muslim Christian Sikh Buddhist Jain Other *
Note: *Other Religion and persuasion, values in brackets are in percentage. Data Source: Census of India 2001, West Bengal, Report on Religion Data 2005.
But the lesser rate of decline in fertility than mortality led to rapid growth of population over the periods. The growth has been fairly steady, with some decline seen towards the end of the century. The census data depicts that Malda district has overwhelming been the district of two major religious communities i.e. the Muslim and Hindu communities. The religious groups other than two main religious communities are Christian, Sikhs, Buddhist, and Jain which are found in minor proportion and show a little bit changes in the growth trend. But the share of others religious groups have remained nearly the same. They have combined share of less than one per cent to total population of the district, though some small changes occurred among Sikhs, Buddhist and Jain, where as Christian are showing increasing over the decades accounting the share of 0.09 per cent in 1951 and 0.25 per cent in 2001. Jains, have recorded very high growth during 1961-71 followed by slow increase during the 1971-81 and during 1981-91 they show negative growth rate fell sharply about 40 per cent and for Sikhs the growth rate fell during the 1980s. Buddhists and Jains show irregularities but presumably because of reporting errors and religious conversions, especially the acceptance of Buddhism by many Dalits.
In 1951, the Hindu population in the district was as high as 62.92 per cent of total population, followed by Muslims at 36.97 per cent. The Hindu population, despite in declining trends, remained above 50 per cent of total population up to 1991 (52.25 per cent). The proportion of the Hindu population declined over the decades (with the exception of 56.63 per cent in 1971), reaching 49.28 per cent in 2001. On the other hand, the Muslim population was observed to be trending higher in the district over the period (1951-2001). In 1951, Muslims accounted only 36.97 per cent of the district’s population, but their share of
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the population has tended to increase since then (with the exception of 43.13 per cent in 1971), reaching 49.72 per cent in 2001. The interruptions in this trend were mainly due to Hindu immigration to India (and largely to Malda district) from Bangladesh during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971. By 2001, Muslims’ share of the population (49.72 per cent) had overtaken that of Hindus (49.28 per cent). Further it is estimated by Siddiqui and Hussain (2009) that if population growth continues the same trend and that the Muslims share of the population is predicted to increase to 53.72 per cent by 2041, which is much higher than that of the Hindu (43.97 per cent) population (Based on arithmetic method of population projection). Population growth has been higher among all the major religions over the period but the Muslim population increasing rapidly from 346649 in 1951 to 1636171 in 2001. As a result of a higher rate of growth of Muslim population, the share of Muslims in total population increased from 47.49 per cent in 1991 to 49.72 per cent in 2001, while the share of Hindus decreased from 52.25 per cent to 49.28 per cent respectively. The high population growth rate among Muslim may due to the low acceptance in family planning programmes (Hussain, 2011). Thus, this type of typical growth differential has narrowed the gap and emerge a balance between the number of population of two main communities i.e. Hindu and Muslim in the district. Thus the population composition by the religious communities in the district almost shows equally balanced between the Hindus and Muslims population growth. Spatial Distribution of Muslim Population by Blocks (2001) The Muslims in Malda district reside across the district yet their concentration varies substantially from one region to another, besides the demographic dynamics have changed over different periods in time. As stated earlier that according to 2001 census the total population of the district is 3.29 million, in which 1.63 million (49.72 per cent) are Muslims and 1.62 million (49.28 per cent) are Hindus. The remaining populations account for less than 1 per cent, including Christians (8388 or 0.25 per cent), Sikhs (283or 0.01 per cent), Buddhists (164 or 0.001 per cent), Jains (293 or 0.01 per cent), others (23701) and religion not stated (22350). Table 4.1 presented the population of the district by different religious communities and their share in rural-urban area. In terms of rural urban break up of population, the district of Malda has shown only 7.32 per cent of their population, lived in urban areas almost the lowest of India’s districts (Census of India, 2001). Furthermore the rate of urbanization among Muslim is/are much lower as compared to their religious communities. Muslims, who constitute the largest religious community in Malda, are largely concentrated in the rural areas. It should be noted that only 1.62 per cent of the total Muslim population is residing in urban areas of Malda district, as opposed to 13.17 per cent of Hindus, 24.03 per cent of Sikhs, 41.46 per cent of Buddhists, and 45.39 per cent of Jains. Thus the Muslim population in the district is predominately rural. However, the urban population of the district is overwhelmingly Hindu and the level of urbanization among the Muslims population is still practically negligible (1.62 per cent). This is also dismisses the
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Rural-Urban Population by Religion in Malda District, 2001
Fig. 2.5
0
25
50
75
100
Total Hindu Muslim Christian Sikh Buddhist Jain
Popu
latio
n (in
%)
RuralUrban
popularly held notion that the Muslims are an urban phenomenon at national level which is not true for Malda district. Thus, there are relatively more Muslims in rural areas owing to their ties with the land and agriculture. Urban life can fulfill the desired quality of life, enhancing per capita productivity and employment opportunities as well as ensuring the basic amenities of life (Singh and Singh, 1981). Low share of Muslim population in the urban areas indicates that a large section of the community does not get the opportunity to enjoy better amenities in urban life.
The block wise distributional variation of Muslim population in Malda district is shown in the Table 2.9. Table shows that two municipalities i.e. Old Malda have 12.63 per cent of and English Bazar 11.11 per cent Muslim population. Among the three new census towns (CT) of the district, Aiho (CT) has 12.05 per cent and others two are Kuchu Pukur (CT) and Kendua (CT) have 0.32 per cent and 0.14 per cent of Muslim population respectively. The block wise distribution of Muslim population is more or less regional /sectoral in nature. The minimum share of Muslim population has been observed in Habibpur only 1.23 per cent and maximum in Kaliachak-I (88.39 per cent). There are seven blocks out of fifteen blocks in the district which can be considered as pre-dominantly by Muslim which have more than 60 per cent of Muslim population. They are Ratua-I (65.28 per cent), Kaliachak-II (67.53 per cent), Chanchal-II (69.58 per cent), Chanchal-I (70.06 per cent), Harischandrapur-II (72.61 per cent), Ratua-II (76.66 per cent) and Kaliachak-I (88.39 per cent), these seven blocks together account for 67.01 per cent of Muslim population of the district. There are four blocks have low concentration (below 30 per cent) of Muslim population, namely Old Malda (26.36 per cent), Gazol (22.28 per cent), Bamongola (8.87 per cent) and Habibpur (1.23 per cent) in a compact zone lie in the eastern side of the study area adjoining with neighboring country Bangladesh. This may due to the pre-historic migration of non-Muslim population from Bangladesh to the district of Malda.
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TABLE 2.7 Block Wise Distribution of Muslim Population in Malda District, 2001
A RURAL AREAS 3049528 1609596 825396 784200 52.78 98.38 U 1 English Bazar (M) 161456 17944 9263 8681 11.11 1.10
2 Old Malda (M) 62959 7954 4092 3862 12.63 0.49
CT i Kachu Pukur** 5343 17 12 5 0.32 0.00 ii Kendua** 5773 8 5 3 0.14 0.00 iii Aiho** 5409 652 334 318 12.05 0.04
B URBAN AREAS 240940 26575 13706 12869 11.03 1.62 AB MALDA TOTAL 3290468 1636171 839102 797069 49.72 100.00
Note: * All Religious People ** New Census Towns created in 2001. Physical Region of the District- T-Tal, D-Diara and B-Barind, U-Urban and CT-Census Town Data Source: Census of India 2001, West Bengal, Report on Religion Data 2005.
The Muslim population is largely concentrated along the western fringes of the district covering the Tal and Diara blocks and relatively limited in the Barind which is characterized by high concentration of SCs and STs. The proportion of Muslims to the total block population is highest in Kaliachak-I (88.39 per cent) which accounting about 16.80 per cent of the total district Muslim population. Conversely, in the block like Habibpur (1.23 per cent) the proportion of Muslim is virtually negligible accounting only 0.14 per cent to the total district Muslim population. The Tal region has composite with Muslim population, whereas Diara region have composite populations of mixed religious population. However and the Barind has the least share of Muslims and is also dominated by the sizeable SC and ST community’s people. In Malda district, disparities among regional development have clearly bearing on the resident community groups. Poor rates of human development in the north-eastern border areas reflect the marginalized of the resident tribal and SC communities, while in the greater part of the Tal and Diara, regional marginalization coincides with social marginalization among the Muslims.
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Literacy Rate It has been widely acknowledged that socio-economic conditions in India constrain the process of education, and social inequalities of caste, class, and gender have been identified as the major source of educational disparities among India’s population. The overall literacy rate of the Malda is 50.28 per cent and it is 47.76 per cent and 79.28 per cent for rural and urban areas of the district. A splendid disparity in literacy rates by sex and residence of six selected religious communities (Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain) in the Table 2.10. The table shows that among all the religious communities of the district Muslims have recorded the lowest literacy rate (45.30 per cent), while Jains record the highest (94.98 per cent). The rural Muslim literacy rate is 44.78 per cent whereas 73.68 per cent for urban Muslim. It may be observed that in Malda district female literacy rates are highly inconsistent across religious communities. In general, poor socio-economic conditions are one of the major constraints on literacy levels, while deprived socio-economic conditions may be the outcome of low levels of literacy as well as education. The important phenomenon is that among all social groups, gender discrimination in literacy still appears as a major issue. In Malda district Muslim male literacy rate is 51.56 per cent and Muslim female literacy rate is 38.68 per cent. Thus the gender gap in literacy level is 13 per cent point which is 4.67 per cent less than the gender gap which exists at the district level (17.55).
TABLE 2.8 Literacy Rate by Religion, Residence and Sex in Malda District, 2001
Religious Community
Total* Rural Urban Person Male Female Person Male Female Person Male Female
Hindu 55.23 65.80 44.00 51.22 62.68 39.03 79.92 85.10 74.46 Muslim 45.30 51.56 38.68 44.78 51.06 38.14 73.68 78.61 68.46 Christian 63.47 74.86 52.47 62.15 73.85 50.91 86.81 91.79 81.52 Sikhs 83.33 90.00 62.90 80.95 89.26 50.00 90.48 92.68 86.36 Buddhist 79.72 88.00 70.59 68.29 80.43 52.78 95.08 100.00 90.63 Jains 94.98 97.12 92.50 92.86 96.05 89.06 97.48 98.41 96.43 Malda* 50.28 58.80 41.25 47.76 56.58 38.41 79.28 84.43 73.85 Note: * Population also included others and Religion not Stated Peoples also. Data Source: Census of India 2001, West Bengal, Report on Religion Data 2005.
However, the gender gap among Muslims in rural area is less in comparison to that of rural general literacy rate. The same phenomenon can be observed in urban areas where the gender gap in the literacy level among Muslims is 10 per cent, accounting 78.61 per cent male and 68.46 per cent female literacy rate. Interestingly, in the rural areas of Malda, there is not much difference exist in the rates of literacy between Muslims and others. But in urban Malda, they differ significantly. The groups that really lag behind in both rural and urban areas of the district belong to the Muslim. Female literacy show critical condition as they fall in all religious in general and Muslim in particular. It has been observed that the literacy level of Muslims in general and female literacy in particular is extremely low in comparison to other communities. The gender disparity among Muslims is markedly lowered than the other communities. The level of gender disparity among all the religious groups is much lower in the urban areas as compared to rural part.
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Employment Rate The employment rate reflects the share of working and earning population to the total
population. Broadly, employment rate provides an idea of extent of participation in economic activity by a specific population. The religion wise employment rate in Malda district by sex and residence is highlighted in Table 2.11. The employment in Malda district is 40.75 per cent and it is 41.46 per cent for rural areas and 31.73 per cent for urban areas, whereas the male-female employment rate at district level is 52.55 per cent and 28.29 per cent respectively. There is also inter-religious inequality in employment. The employment rate among Hindus (41.16 per cent) is higher than the Muslim the employment rate (40.09 per cent). The data shows that the Muslim employment rate is second lowest after Jains (32.08 per cent), while Sikhs with 49.73 per cent stood at top position in Malda district. The Muslim employment rate is 28.23 per cent female WPR is much less than male (51.35 per cent). The Muslim employment rate is 40.27 per cent and 28.83 per cent for rural and urban areas respectively. The Muslim employment rate is 51.35 per cent for male and 28.23 per cent for female. The corresponding figures are 51.41 per cent and 28.56 per cent for rural areas and 47.85 per cent and 8.57 per cent for urban areas to their respective population. Thus the data shows that Muslim employment rate is significantly lower for female in general and urban female in particular. Here it may be noted that due to much lower participation by women among Muslim the aggregate employment rate is essentially low in the community.
TABLE 2.9 Employment Rate by Religion, Residence and Sex in Malda District, 2001
Religion Total Rural Urban Person Male Female Person Male Female Person Male Female
Hindus 41.16 53.66 27.92 42.53 54.03 30.35 32.09 51.18 11.96 Muslims 40.09 51.35 28.23 40.27 51.41 28.56 28.83 47.85 8.57 Christians 49.73 55.93 43.83 50.70 56.43 45.28 31.46 47.00 15.31 Sikhs 59.36 75.36 15.79 64.65 79.14 19.23 42.65 61.36 8.33 Buddhists 41.46 59.30 21.79 42.71 56.60 25.58 39.71 63.64 17.14 Jain 32.08 53.99 4.62 31.25 52.17 2.94 33.08 56.34 6.45 Malda* 40.75 52.55 28.29 41.46 52.69 29.60 31.73 50.81 11.59 Note: * Total Population also Included others and Religion not Stated Peoples also. Data Source: Census of India 2001, West Bengal, Report on Religion Data, 2005.
The religion wise broad category of workers is presented in Table 2.12. The table shows that there are 20.83 per cent are cultivation, 30.72 per cent in agricultural labourers, 15.61 per cent are household workers and 32.84 per cent are in other sector. The table further shows that the total Muslim workers in the district are 19.47 per cent are cultivators, 27.60 per cent are agricultural labourers, only 20.91 per cent are household industrial workers and remaining 32.02 per cent are other workers. This shows that primary sector is the most important sector of the economy and providing handsome share of workforce in the district. Although in comparison to other communities Muslim population is less linked to land than the overall population. These figures also demolish many of the commonly held belief that Muslims are generally engaged in agricultural work. In fact Muslims of the district are either
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dependent on agricultural sectors or engaged in menial occupations like rickshaw pulling, cycle repairing and many other low paid occupations in the informal sectors. Due to which the per cent of Muslim workers is high in the category of other works.
TABLE 2.10 Workers Category by Religion and Sex in Malda District, 2001
Religion Cultivators Agri. Labourers HHIW Other Workers P M F P M F P M F P M F
Total* 20.83 27.51 7.74 30.72 30.59 30.97 15.61 4.83 36.76 32.84 37.07 24.53 Hindus 21.81 27.53 10.18 33.19 26.52 46.76 10.75 4.75 22.97 34.25 41.20 20.09 Muslims 19.47 27.09 4.88 27.60 34.62 14.16 20.91 4.97 51.42 32.02 33.31 29.53 Christians 33.06 41.60 22.71 40.21 28.00 55.01 6.74 5.95 7.69 20.00 24.45 14.59 Sikhs 11.31 10.90 16.67 5.36 3.21 33.33 1.79 0.00 25.00 81.55 85.90 25.00 Buddhists 5.88 5.88 5.88 10.29 9.80 11.76 20.59 11.76 47.06 63.24 72.55 35.29 Jains 1.06 0.00 16.67 1.06 1.14 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 97.87 98.86 83.33 Note: P-Person, M-Male, F-Female, HHIW- Household Industrial Workers. * Total Population also included others and Religion not stated Peoples also. Data Source: Census of India 2001, West Bengal, Report on Religion Data 2005.
The exceeding discussion has amply illustrated that the growth of Muslim minority is slightly higher than that of others as a result of an increasing share of Muslim population in the district. Muslims are distributed all over the district and constitute 49.72 per cent of the total district population and settling more in areas of rural than that of the urban, as more than 98 per cent of their population lives in rural areas. Their condition in rural areas is worse and large number of Muslims lives in rural areas. Muslims are least educated as well as women literacy is also too low. From the foregoing analysis it may be concluded that the overall persisting difference is the drawback within the district that has a disproportionate impact on Muslims as well in the cumulative development of the district. To sum up, this chapter provides an elaborated description of general, physical, administrative, demographic and socio-cultural profile of Malda district. In addition to this profile of Muslims in Malda district has also been highlighted. The study area forms a unique personality with the fusion of historical and geographical elements. Malda district is physically, administratively, demographically and socio-culturally diversified. The study area has experienced almost no growth in urbanization in the recent period. The condition is further pathetic in rural areas where more than 92 per cent of the population resides. It is a common observation that the northern and eastern part of the study area is generally treated as marginalized whereas the southern one are relatively advanced. Further, it has been found that the Muslim population significantly differs from other religious groups or communities and constitute about half of the population of the study area. Muslims in the district lag behind the other communities with respect to literacy and employment rate. The main question arises from the above discussion that what are the main reasons that keep the Muslims behind other communities in socio-economic development. The answer of this question is to be explored in the next chapters of the study. The connections among various issues will be made clear as the researcher goes ahead.
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