Tribal People From TOTOPARA
The term “Toto” is derived from an ethnic name, Toto, which means “man who wears a hat.” TOTO is a collective name, meaning “people who wear hats,” or “person wearing hats.” TOTO, Totto, Totopara; these are some of the names given to the indigenous people of the region in which TOTOPARA stands.
The area of TOTOPARA in the state of Bengal is one of the most remote and sparsely populated areas of India. The people there speak different dialects of Hindi and are a mixture of the different ethnic groups of India, including Bengali, Mughal, Ladakhi, Punjabi and other ethnic groups. The TOTO peoples, commonly referred to as the Toto tribe, are largely nomadic pastoralists, who have lived in that area for many generations. Their culture is deeply rooted in the traditional lifestyle they lead and is influenced by several forms of religion, such as Hinduism and Buddhism.
The TOTO tribesmen live in the plains around the town of Totto, where their villages are called asotts. These communities, collectively known as ‘Totto villages’, have been around since many centuries. But this is not the only reason why the Toto tribesmen migrate from village to village. They also come to know about new places and ways of livelihood. Many of them have left the villages to make an income in the towns and cities of Bengal.
The Toto tribe is located in an isolated part of the wild, dense forests in the Kukatpally Tiger Reserve in East Pakistan. This is a place where there is little human contact with outside and human-elephant conflict occurs almost every year. The only form of human contact, the people have with the outsiders is through the use of bamboo shavings, which are made into jewelry and baskets. A few of them are also known to be familiar with English and Hindi, but that knowledge does not help them a lot in their livelihood. The people rely entirely on the natural resources.
There are two main industries which are operated by the Toto communities in TOTOPARA – cattle farming and fishing. Fishing is a very popular pastime, but the lack of electricity has stopped many of them from starting a small business there. The fishing is not as lucrative as farming, but it is still a viable livelihood for some. The fishing is usually done using boats, but even without the boats they do manage to catch enough fish.
Other than these, TOTOPARA is also famous for its rich flora and fauna. Most of the native plants and animals are no longer growing, due to the harshness and cold of the environment. The only plants and animals which are commonly seen in the villages are such as mango, banana, bajra, snakewood, tamarind and sweet potato.