This social capital is therefore difficult to navigate for those coming from a lower caste and minority religions(Hindu population: 87% from which general category : 47.5% , SC : 29.5% , OBC : 17% and ST : 6%). 

​

IThe Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest, has a unique history shaped by colonial expansion and human resilience. In the 19th century, British authorities encouraged settlements in the region to exploit its resources, particularly through deforestation for agriculture and logging. This laid the foundation for an economy built on the systematic depletion of the mangrove ecosystem, a practice sustained for over 150 years. Many settlers were from marginalized groups, including Dalits, Adivasis, and Muslims, who braved the hostile terrain, diseases, and wildlife threats in search of livelihoods.

​

Colonial policies further fueled the destruction of biodiversity by promoting tiger hunting, with cash incentives that increased over time, resulting in the killing of over 2,400 tigers between 1881 and 1912. These policies had long-lasting impacts on the region, and even today, life in the Sundarbans is marked by challenges. Activities like fishing, crab harvesting, and honey collection remain dangerous, with frequent tiger attacks leading to terms like "tiger widows" and "blood honey."

​

Now a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the Sundarbans is home to more than 4.5 million people spread across its islands. The history of this region reflects the interplay between human survival and environmental challenges, shaped by both colonial exploitation and the enduring hardships faced by its communities.

 

The forests of the Sundarbans are protected under the Indian Forest Act, and therefore licensed fishermen require permits and familiar faces. A typical trip into the forest lasts 6–7 days and yields about ₹6,000–₹7,000. Additionally, other freshwater seafood is cultivated in the pukurs (ponds) of individual households. These resources are largely sold in local markets or used for personal consumption. The border, adjacent to the river, is home to informal fishermen who navigate the forest in search of mud crabs and seawater fish, along with side activities such as collecting honey, sticks, and branches. These fishermen usually work in groups of 10 to 15. Newer migrants, who often lack legal documents to hunt in the forest, must remain discreet to avoid having their equipment confiscated or their catch seized.

​

Settlements slightly away from the embankments and the forest often rely on poultry farming and rice cultivation, either on leased or owned fields. Many residents also work as outstationed wage laborers in brick kilns or as construction workers in cities like Kolkata, Mumbai, and Pune.

​

In the Sundarbans, lower castes, including Dalits and tribal communities like Bagdis and Bauris, dominate hazardous livelihoods such as fishing, crab-catching, and honey collection. These jobs, essential to the region’s economy, expose them to environmental threats and reinforce caste-based marginalization. Landless and resource-poor, they face greater vulnerability to climate change and displacement. Upper castes, like the Mahishyas, primarily engage in agriculture and have better access to land, education, and government aid. Despite shared struggles from ecological challenges, caste disparities persist, with lower castes remaining in precarious conditions while upper castes are better positioned to adapt and access opportunities.

​

The people in the sundarbans depend heavily on informal social capital. Because of its low economic strength and geographical structure, formal socal capitals such as the government and local  NGOs have limited reach. These institutions are more active if and when there are crises to be managed as sundarbans is a very sensitive landscape, institutional social capital deals with the cyclones, floods and the forest. Individual social capital is most significant as communities are structured around families owning property that are their homes and workplaces. There is a strong interdependence within neighbours, some authorities and also out stationed relatives. “It is noticed that a basic difference in income level and political power played a crucial role in determining the social capital among the people living there. People recount the irregularities in the distribution of relief materials. Most of the relief which came in the form of food, clothes and other necessities was cornered by the powerful and influential families. Families with no influential abilities remained deprived of their share of the relief materials. As a result, the distribution of relief materials was highly unequal.”(Biswas and Nautiyal,2020).

 

References 

 

Biswas, Sneha, and Sunil Nautiyal. 2020. Livelihood and Social Capital in Vulnerable Ecosystems: A Case Study from Indian Sundarbans. 

Roy, Pinaki. n.d. Whispers from the ground of sundarbans.

Acharya, Indranil, and Sayantan Dasgupta, eds. 2023. Writings from the Sundarbans. New Delhi: Orient Blackswan Private Ltd.