As part of a measure in paying back to the community, the Mesram clan Raj Gond and Pardhan Adivasi government employees are conducting a socio-economic survey of all families in the clan spread over the districts of Adilabad, Kumram Bheem and Mancherial. This is a first of its kind community based effort aimed at helping needy families by identifying their needs.

The idea of the survey was generated about a couple of months back at a meeting of government employees wherein the discussions centred around the difficulties being faced by the youth in the clan. All the participants volunteered to participate in the survey, most importantly, at their own expense.

A data form was designed subsequently and about 2,000 copies of it were printed as the clan elders assessed that this could be the number of the Mesram families in the three districts. The data collected through 22 columns, which includes those relating to educational and income backgrounds, will be computerised to be readily available when required.

“At social level, the Mesram clan has 22 different categories or kithe and one employee from each of the categories has been given the responsibility to collect data of his kithe . For this purpose, the surveyor will reach out to the families of his kithe wherever they are located,” revealed Pardhan elder Mesram Manohar who is also the principal of the TribalB.Ed College at Utnoor.

“Besides, giving out an accurate figure with respect to population, the exercise will identify the number of families, members in each family, number of unemployed youth, the drop-outs etc. It will also reveal the places of origin of families which have migrated to their current location,” added Mesram Kose Rao, the clan kathoda or priest.

The Raj Gond and Pardhan ethnic tribes of these districts have an age-old system of taking census during their religious events, the ensuing Nagoba Jatara in the case of Buiguita branch of the Mesram clan. Every year, the names of the dead within the community are noted down in a ritual called tum , in addition to those of the brides entering the community through marriages.http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-telangana/Mesram-clan-adivasi-people-on-a-mission/article17085781.ece