Global Journal of Biology, Agriculture & Health Sciences

Abstract

OCCUPATIONAL STRUCTURE OF SCHEDULED CASTES POPULATION IN THE BRAHMAPUTRA VALLEY, ASSAM: A GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS

Dr. Momita Goswami

Scheduled castes population constitute a sizable portion of the total population of Assam accounting for 6.16 percent according to 2001 census. They generally live in a abject poverty in the rural areas and are mostly landless people. In the urban areas also most of them live in the unhygienic slum areas. Thus they are considered to be socioeconomically weaker section of the society. Occupation is a very significant social attribute of population. It exerts vital influence on social, economic demographic and cultural characteristics. Most of the scheduled castes people by and large non agricultural professional people, especially engaged in fishing , gold smithy, carpentry, cloth washing, pottery making, sweeping, leather tanning etc. Lack of rigid social segregation in the Brahmaputra valley, Assam present a settlement pattern of the scheduled castes, which is different from that in other parts of India. An attempt has been made in this paper to highlight the Occupational structure and their spatial distribution of the scheduled castes population in the socio- economic context.