Shifting Cultivation is regarded as a primordial Stage in the evolution of Agriculture and modern land Husbandry practices marking a transitional stage between nomadic Hunting and gathering and sedentary agriculture. The practice of shifting cultivation has evolved through the struggle of small human Societies to supplement their hunting and food gathering in the Forests by the then newly discovered techniques of raising food Crops by planting.

In India, shifting cultivation is widely practised in the hill Regions of the North Eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. The practice is also prevalent in isolated pockets of Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh and is known by different local names in different areas. It is called jhum in Northeast India, podu in Andhra Pradesh, bewar or daihya in Madhya Pradesh, and podu, dungar chasa, koman or bringa in Orissa. Shifting cultivation remains to be the primary Means of livelihood of the native hill Communities in these areas.

Owing to systems of community land holding, cooperative land allotment or special role and identity of Women in shifting cultivation, it cannot be easily isolated from the socio-economic and Cultural aspects of the people. Shifting cultivation continues to draw the serious attention of both Policy makers and development practitioners the World over. About 10 million hectare of tribal land stretched across 16 states is estimated to be under shifting cultivation in India. Based on recent Satellite Images it is estimated that 1.73 million hectares of land is affected by shifting cultivation in Northeast India (FSI, 2000). While an estimated 12% of tribal Population in India still practice shifting cultivation, the number of Families involved in shifting cultivation in Northeast India is estimated to be 4.5 lakh (MoEF, 1997).

About the Author
Ratan Krishna Acharyya (b. 1950) obtained his masters degree in Political Science and had been actively associated with Research on the tribal Population of Tripura since long. After superannuating from the Tribal Research Institute, Government of Tripura, he is still continuing his research. He has so far authored more than ten Books on the tribal life and culture of tripura.

Gautam Kumar Bera (b. 1958) graduated with Honours in Anthropology, passed his masters Degree in Anthropology with specialization in Social-cultural Anthropology, received his Ph.D. Degree in Anthropology from the University of Calcutta. He is the Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Instotute, London; Gold Medalist Research Fellow of ABI, USA; SANSKRITI Foundation Fellow of NEICR, Guwahati; and receipient of several awards including National Scholarship for Advanced Studies; University Gold Medal for securing First position in First Class in M.Sc.. He has so far authored and edited sixteen books, authored about eighty Scientific articles and several book reviews. He is also associated with two international and three national Level journals as Editorial Board Members published from both India and abroad.

Jayanta Chaudhuri (b. 1972) passed his Masters Degree in Rural Development and did his Ph.D. in the same discipline. He is currently a Faculty in Tripira University. He has so far authored several articles and authored/edited several books. He has also visited several Countries in connection with attendance in International Seminars, Symposia and Conferences. He is also associated with several international journals on Rural Development published from different Parts of the country.