SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS OF GADDI TRIBE IN HIMACHAL PRADESH: A STUDY.

Tribal community in India has been most vulnerable community with respect to dominance and exploitation ridden society. Tribes are on the breadline of their socio-economic and political rights. Over the years, displacement and rapid acculturation of this population has led to dramatic changes in their socio-cultural and value systems. Even after years of freedom, the unchanged condition of Tribal communities is leading in India. Though some of them are on the verge of extinction, still there are other tribal communities in India that fiercely protect their identity and culture. Industrialization in the country has devastated the lives and culture of the tribes. The present paper gives an overview about the Gaddis who are semi-nomadic, semi-agricultural and a semi-pastoral tribe. The paper explores the domestic lives, socio- economic profile, and occupational problems of the Gaddi tribe of Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh.