Chuna Naik, 28, a man from the Lodha community in Chikitimatia village of Odisha, was busy spending quality time with his five-year-old son Bhola. Chuna has high hopes for his son’s education and a bright career. His dream about his son’s future stands in stark contrast to his own upbringing — steeped as it was in the stigma of belonging to a socially marginalised tribe.
Chuna distinctly remembers how he and his Lodha peers were often segregated in classrooms, with little scope for interaction with children from other communities.
However, the situation has changed for the better in recent years, with Lodha children now fully engaged in all school activities, which, in turn, has ensured better integration into the wider social framework.

Earlier classified as a criminal tribe, they’re now recognised as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG).
“We’re hopeful that our children will not face the kind of discrimination we did. Lodhas are no longer treated as untouchables. Earlier, we used to play football j ust amongst ourselves, but now, our children feature in village and block-level teams,” said Chuna, who supports his family through a grocery shop and part-time masonry work.
In 2016, Mayurbhanj district administration partnered with Sikshasandhan, a voluntary organisation focused on multilingual education among tribal communities, to work with the Lodha community, alongside the Lodha Development Authority. Sikshasandhan launched ‘Naba Diganta’ (which literally translates into ‘new horizon’), a project to promote social transformation and integrate the Lodha community into the mainstream through education, livelihood, and cultural initiatives.

Lodhas are one of the most primitive tribal communities in the forested, rugged terrain of the Bengal-Odisha border in Mayurbhanj. Given the social ostracism, its members struggled to make a mark in academics. To overcome deepseated prejudices and historical animosity, Sikshasandhan employed an unconven tional yet powerful tool: Football.
“Our approach was to build trust within the community by encouraging participation in football. This was aimed to promote physical fitness and instil self-confidence,” said Sikshasandhan member-secretary Anil Pradhan. Not only have Lodha children received football coaching, but they’ve also been given sports gear.
The idea was to promote education and health awareness through sports. “Playing football helped boost their confidence in working as a team and provided a platform to interact with other communities, which was crucial in breaking down long-standing barriers and fostering mutual understanding,” Pradhan said.
Football played the role of a mediator and helped ensure Lodha children mingled with those from other communities. It also helped them better express themselves and taught them life-skills. Matches between villages attracted large crowds and proved to be effective social assimilators.
“Football has changed our lives. It’s given us hope and a future. We’re no longer defined by our past, but by our potential,” said Badal Naik, 18, from Sansasol village in Suliapada block, who has passed class 10. Approximately 4,000 Lodha families live in 12 villages in Morada and Suliapada blocks of Mayurbhanj, with literacy rates of 48% (females) and 52% (males), as per a 2017 survey.

High dropout rates were driven by faraway schools, social discrimination, and lack of parental awareness. Attendance of teachers at these schools was erratic and students were irregular.
“Initially, it was difficult to convince parents to get their children to attend school and maintain hygie ne standards. Midday meal was a major attraction. We started engaging children in various activities and formed a football team and a coaching centre. Inclusion of football in daily activities saw children become more regular and transformation followed through,” said Swagatika Bhuyan, project coordinator, Naba Diganta.
Most Lodhas are landless and rely on traditional livelihoods such as hunting, honey collection, paddy cultivation, rope making, and selling tusser cocoons and firewood. Lack of proper livelihood options has perpetuated poverty and social seclusion, with many migrating to other states for work. Sikshasandhan provided financial assistance to start small-time businesses — grocery shops, fish stalls, bicycle repairing shops — aside from training women in handicrafts.
“Many youngsters are joining college and a few have even become local school teachers. Girls are also attending college, leading to a sharp decline in child marriages. Although perceptions of Lodhas among other communities have improved, a lot needs to be done for their mainstreaming such as extricating them from the clutches of liquor addiction,” said Pradhan.