Academic literature on the topic 'Totopara'

Tribal people having common issues related to poor health indicator, high morbidity and mortality level and lack of proper health care services (Govt. of India, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, 2013). This paper aims to examine socio-economic conditions of tribal people among totopara village community and to find out factors affecting health status and their access to health care facilities. Totopara which is a small village under Madarihat police station of the district of Alipurduar which lies between 89°20’ East latitude and 26°50’ North longitude. The Totos have resided at the foothills of the Himalaya closed to Bhutan in a small village named Totopara in Alipurduar district of West Bengal since time immemorial. The Totopara is administratively under Ballalguri Gram Panchayat (JL No-33) which lies on the western bank of Torsa River. Their marginalisation is an underlying cause of poor health limiting their opportunities to present their own perspectives of their situation. It is not a surprising fact that the incidence of health-related issues is found more among the toto tribal community because of their biophysical attributes and the state of vulnerability which further makes them more vulnerable group among the tribal people. The acute problem of them is examine in the research work also. The problems of their health are listed. There is a need of long-term policy intervention to promote better living standards and better reproductive health through educational development. It is high time and states should act swiftly to assess the needs, priorities of their own tribal population and set goals, targets to achieve the same through proven public health strategies.

Abstract Abstract 5113 Background Toto is a primitive Indo-Bhutanese tribe residing in a small enclave called Totopara in the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal, India. Toto culture and language is totally unique to the tribe, and is clearly distinguished from the neighboring Rajbongshis, Koch or the Bhutanese Sharchop tribes. Totos use to do consanguineous marriage and stay in the same locality even after marriage. Totos are becoming extinct since 1950. Total population of Totos are 1377 (smallest tribe of the world) and it is declining day by day. We noticed that their life span is very short (35-40 years). With a motive to investigate the reason behind it we started our work and got the answers of our queries. Almost 50% of them are carrier of beta Thalassemia, which is a genetic disease and are caused by the mutation of beta globin gene. The objectives of our study are, Materials & Methods After awareness program, 3-4 ml of blood sample was collected from each Toto along with their written consent. On the spot inexpensive NESTROF (Naked Eye Single Tube Red Cell Osmotic Fragility) test was done. After returning to institute we use to do CBC (Complete Blood Count) followed by HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography). DNA was isolated from those samples detected as carrier or patients using the protocol standardized in our lab. Mutation was detected by ARMS (Amplification Refractory Mutation System)–PCR. Conclusion Total individual already screened in the Totopara under the age limit 10- 35 years is 688. Number of Totos and Non-Totos are 628 and 60 respectively. From NESTROFT and CBC result it was revealed that different blood parameters e.g., MCV, MCH, RBC, RDW, Hb% etc of 71% Totos do not match with the normal value and found to be significantly altered. HPLC results show that 51% Totos are carrier of HbE and 20% of them are HbE homozygous. Whereas 97% non-Totos are found to be normal. DNA analysis by ARMS-PCR confirmed the result of HPLC. The percentage of HbE carrier and HbE homozygous is very high among Totos and this is the real cause of their early death. To protect this primitive tribe we have to restrict their marriage between two carriers. For Totos thalassemia carrier detection should be mandatory before marriage. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Intergenerational mobility is a method of assessing the relationship between the socioeconomic condition of an individual and that of their progeny. Educational mobility refers that the transfer of parental educational attainment to their child. Higher mobility would result from a poor link between parent’s education levels and children's educational levels, while lower mobility would result from a strong link. A change in career or giving up an educational status could indicate a change in the acceptable quality of living in values and ideologies. In the Alipurduar district of West Bengal, In India only one little settlement known as Totopara home to isolated tribal community known as the Toto. Toto’s are mostly illiterate in previous generation, however recently change in the education has been observed. The present study aims to study the structural change in the education among Toto tribe. Further, an attempt has also been made look at the factor associated with the educational mobility. The study is based on primary survey and total of 150 household has been considered. To study the educational mobility, three generations were chosen: the first generation (grandfather or grandmother), the second generation (father or mother), and the third generation (grandson or granddaughter).

As the saying goes “culture doesn't make people, it is the people who make culture”. The are several tribes living in India and are trying to preserve their rich cultural heritage. Toto is an aboriginal Indo-Bhutanese tribe found in some parts of Alipurduar district in North Bengal. Unique to their culture is the idea of having only single wife and strongly advocate anti-dowry system unlike neighbouring tribal practices. As per the reports they are recognized as the smallest tribe on the Earth and are on the verge of complete extinction. Various cultural transformation and other developmental activities around the region is leading to declining Toto’s population, which is further aggravated by Thalassemia virus, which is one of the silent killers of the tribe. It is alarming that an average lifespan of Toto's has suddenly declined to 35 years over the years. The basic objective of the study is to identify reasons beneath transformations of traditional livelihood and sudden decline of Toto tribe. Based on different research, global understandings and valuable readings, what instrumental steps can be taken to preserve and protect them. Primary survey and secondary data sources have been used for the data collection. A household survey was executed with the help of snowball sampling in December 2018 at Totopara in Madarihaat block of Alipurduar district, West Bengal. Remedial and descriptive methods and qualitative techniques have been used for analysis of data. After the analysis, it was concluded that increasing the education and awareness level through workshops, documentaries, camps, public meetings, discussions, discourse, rallies, seminars and cultural programs would play an instrumental role to put a cap on the declining population of the locals and would lead to their sustainable growth and development. Keywords Culture-Aboriginal- Extinction- Thalassemia-Sustainable Growth

As the saying goes “culture doesn't make people, it is the people who make culture”. The are several tribes living in India and are trying to preserve their rich cultural heritage. Toto is an aboriginal Indo-Bhutanese tribe found in some parts of Alipurduar district in North Bengal. Unique to their culture is the idea of having only single wife and strongly advocate anti-dowry system unlike neighbouring tribal practices. As per the reports they are recognized as the smallest tribe on the Earth and are on the verge of complete extinction. Various cultural transformation and other developmental activities around the region is leading to declining Toto’s population, which is further aggravated by Thalassemia virus, which is one of the silent killers of the tribe. It is alarming that an average lifespan of Toto's has suddenly declined to 35 years over the years. The basic objective of the study is to identify reasons beneath transformations of traditional livelihood and sudden decline of Toto tribe. Based on different research, global understandings and valuable readings, what instrumental steps can be taken to preserve and protect them. Primary survey and secondary data sources have been used for the data collection. A household survey was executed with the help of snowball sampling in December 2018 at Totopara in Madarihaat block of Alipurduar district, West Bengal. Remedial and descriptive methods and qualitative techniques have been used for analysis of data. After the analysis, it was concluded that increasing the education and awareness level through workshops, documentaries, camps, public meetings, discussions, discourse, rallies, seminars and cultural programs would play an instrumental role to put a cap on the declining population of the locals and would lead to their sustainable growth and development. Keywords Culture-Aboriginal- Extinction- Thalassemia-Sustainable Growth

Background: Indigenous populations are more vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the macroeconomic population. Due to poor social connections, the level of education, socioeconomic advancement, and sickness risk of the tribal population of India were affected. Thus, indigenous cultures are more susceptible to COVID-19. The present research aims to explore the population structure, socio-economic condition, and COVID-19 vaccination status among the Toto population of Alipurduar, West Bengal. Methods: The study used a cross-sectional design to collect household data among the Totos (PVTG), a vanishing sub-Himalayan population. The entire Toto community, comprising 294 households with 1374 individuals, was covered in Totopara. Data were collected through a pre-tested, semi-structured schedule and analyzed using Stata 14. Results: Demographic analysis has revealed a sharp decline in the sex ratio and decadal growth rate compared to the 2011 census. From the multiple logistic regression, it has been found that unmarried people were less likely to get fully vaccinated compared to married individuals. The employed population was 1.97 times more fully vaccinated compared to unemployed individuals. Similarly, smartphone non-users were less likely to get fully vaccinated and partially vaccinated compared to those individuals who do possess smartphones (p<0.001). Conclusion: Therefore, inactive government initiatives, low fertility, a lack of community involvement, and the policy inactivity of local institutions are the main causes of negative decadal growth. It is believed that participatory implementation is essential to improving awareness of neglect as well as the acceptance rate of public health care services.