Motka Murmu: The Pathfinder

Inspiring the villagers of Ghailapathar with his successful engagement in tasar silkworm cultivation, Motka shows his people the way to selfsufficiency and independence

P RADAN’S TASAR INTERVENTION has changed the lives of many nyoung people in the tribal areas of Jharkhand and Bihar. It has instilled in them an entrepreneurial attitude and they are able to take up many other activities besides tasar with eagerness and dedication. They have not only made their own lives better but have also contributed to the socio-economic improvement of their society. One such young man is Motka Murmu of Ghailapathar village in Shikaripara block of Dumka district, Jharkhand.

Motka Murmu, a Santhal, never imagined how his life was going to change when he attended a community meeting organized by PRADAN in Dharampur village, Shikaripara block, in 2002. He was a 17-year-old boy then. The meeting was organized to select grainage entrepreneurs, who would use scientific methods to ‘rear tasar eggs’.