Demographic Profile of the High-and Lower-Altitude Monpas in Arunachal Pradesh, India

The present study – which is primarily descriptive in nature – gives a brief demographic profile of the Monpas at lower (<2,500 metres above sea level) and high (≥2,500 metres above sea level) altitude in Arunachal Pradesh with respect to popula tion size, composition, and sex distribution. Data were collected from 340 lower altitude households and 171 high altitude households using household schedules. Overall, the present study suggests that there is not much variation between Monpas of lower and high altitudes in respect of demographic parameters. The findings may be attributed to the relationship of population structure of the Monpas with education, income, or even to geographical distribution of the Monpa’s population in Arunachal Pradesh. However, due to small sample size in the present study - especially of high altitude - it is important to note that there is a scope for future study with respect to demography of the Monpas at low and high altitude.


Introduction
Demography is the study of population, its structure, composition, and distribution, considering important parameters such as sex, age, density, birth and death rate, growth, and division of population. Population distribution is a dynamic process (Clark, 1973) and analysis of population distribution and density is fundamental for understanding human geography (Chandana & Sidhu, 1980); and well as through using of anthropological theory and methods to provide better understanding of demographic phenomena in current and past populations (Bernardi & Hutter, 2007). Earlier studies have shown that anthropological study of demographic aspects of a population are likely to bring light on some useful estimates of general population trend which is very useful supplement to the formal demographic research and socio-economic planning (Macfarlane, 1976;Nag, 1981).
In India, many studies have been conducted on the ethnic-demographic variations among the endogamous populations living in different ecological conditions i.e., at rural, urban, as well as tribal populations (Langstieh, 2001). According to Census of India (2011), Arunachal Pradesh has a total population of 1,383,727 persons, comprising of 713,912 males and 669,815 females with a sex ratio of 938 females per 1000 males.
The density of population is 17 persons per sq km. Tawang district has a total population of 49,977 persons, it is the eighth least populous district in the country. The density of population is 23 people per sq km. The sex ratio of the district is 714 females per 1000 males and the average literacy rate is recorded at 59%. With a total population of 83,947 persons, West Kameng on the other hand, stood eight largest districts in the state by population. The district has a sex ratio of 819 females per 1000 males. The density of population is 11 people per sq km and the average literacy rate is 67.07%. The present study -which is primarily descriptive in nature -gives a brief demographic profile of the Monpas at lower and high altitudes of Arunachal Pradesh with respect to population size, composition, and sex distribution.

Objective
To describe the demographic structure of the lower and high altitude Monpas of West Kameng and Tawang districts of Arunachal Pradesh respectively.

Study Area and Population
The present study was conducted among the Monpas, one of the major tribal groups in Northeast India, who are mainly distributed at Tawang and West Kameng districts of Arunachal Pradesh (Figure 1). Tawang district occupies an area of 2,172 sq. km. (Diyawanti, 2010) and is located between latitude 27º45'N and longitude 90º15'E in the northwest extremity of Arunachal Pradesh. The elevation of the district ranges between 6000 ft (1828.8 meters) to 22,000 ft (6705.6 meters) above the mean sea level, and the inhabitants are generally found at lower altitudes, where they enjoy a cool temperate climate.

Fig. 1: Location of the Study Areas: (A) Tawang Circle (B) Dirang Circle (C) Kalaktang Circle
West Kameng district on the other hand, occupies a total area of 7,422 sq. km.
and lies approximately between 91˚30' to 92˚40' E longitudes and 26˚54' to 28˚01' N latitudes. The altitude of the district ranges from 213 metres above sea level at Bhalukpong to 7090 metres above sea level at Kangte (Krishi Vigyan Kendra, 2016). The population figures of the study area are given in Table 1.

Materials and Methods
Data were collected at different intervals from different Monpa villages of Kalaktang, Dirang, and Tawang circles during the period between September, 2012 and August, 2015. Tawang circle was selected purposely as high-altitude area (2947 m above sea level). Data were also collected from lower altitudes, namely, Kalaktang (1113 m above sea level) and Dirang (1580 m above sea level) circles. 10 % of the total villages from each circle were selected using random numbers of the listed villages (Snedecor and Cochran, 1967 Data on income and education were drawn form selected interviewees. The differences between proportions were tested using the chi-square (χ 2 ) test.

Income Groups
Data on household income (INR [Indian Rupee]) were collected directly from the heads of the households and were cross-checked taking into consideration some aspects of socio-economic conditions such as housing condition, types of occupation, land holding, and monthly expenditure. The per capita monthly income of the households above 75 th percentile (>Rs. 4167) was categorised as High-Income Group (HIG), between 50 th to 75 th percentile (Rs. 3333-Rs. 4167) as Middle-Income Group (MIG), and below 50 th percentile (< Rs. 3333) as Low-Income Group (LIG).

Educational Level
Data on educational qualification of individuals were arbitrarily classified as Illiterate which includes those individuals who were unable to read and write and those who had no formal education. Individuals who attended school up to standard V were grouped into Primary level of education. Those individuals with educational level from standard VI to X were categorised as Secondary; whereas, those with educational qualification of standard XI and above were grouped under Above Secondary category. Table 2 shows the percentage distribution of the study population by age and sex. It was found that 33.08%, 58.90%, and 8.02% of the Monpas at lower altitude (Kalaktang and Dirang circles) belonged to the age group 0-14, 15-49, and 50+ years, respectively. At high altitude (Tawang circle), these proportions were found to be 22.09%, 68.11%, and 9.80%, respectively. According to Sunbarg's classification of population, the Monpa population at high altitude may be categorized as regressive type, whereas the Monpa population at lower altitude appears to be stationary. In other words, the Monpa population at high altitude tends to be decreasing, but that at lower altitude was neither decreasing nor increasing during the last 10 years or so.

Population Pyramid
The population pyramids for high and lower altitudes are shown in Figures 2 and   3, respectively. These population pyramids were based on age groups of 5 years interval. Considering the age group 0-4 years as the base, it is seen that both lower and high altitude Monpas are characterized by population pyramids with shrinking bases. This indicates that fertility rate during the last 10 years or so was decreasing at both lower and high altitudes, and it is more in the case of Monpas at high altitude. As a result, the Monpa population at high altitude tends to be regressive. The pyramids also depict that the fertility rate among the of Monpas lower and high altitudes has decreased considerably during the last decade or so.   (51.43%) females, with a sex ratio of 94.44 males per 100 females, which is not significantly lower than the ideal sex ratio of 1:1 (χ 2 = 1.49, df = 1, p > 0.05). On the other hand, the overall sex ratio at high altitude is 95.45 males per 100 females. This sex ratio at high altitude is also not significantly different from the ideal sex ratio of 1:1 (χ 2 = 0.33, df = 1, p > 0.05). On the basis of these findings, we may suggest that the overall sex ratio in the Monpa population is tilted towards females at both lower and high altitude which indicates greater mortality or out-migration in males than in females.
In the age group 0-14 years, the sex ratios are 84.66 and 98.51 males per 100 females at lower and high altitudes, respectively. In comparison with the ideal sex ratio of df = 1, p < 0.05); whereas the sex ratio at high altitude is by and large similar to the ideal sex ratio(χ 2 = 0.42, df = 1, p > 0.05). Therefore, it is clear that there is low proportion of males in this age group as compared to females at lower altitude, thereby indicating a higher mortality rate in males before reproductive age.
In the age group 15-49 years, the sex ratio at lower altitude is 95 males per 100 females. Although it looks as low, the chi-square test indicates that it does not significantly deviate from the ideal sex ratio of 1:1 (χ 2 = 0.73, df = 1, p > 0.05). Similarly, the sex ratio at high altitude (92.49 males per 100 females) is lower than that at lower altitude, but it is not significantly different from the ideal sex ratio (χ 2 = 0.62, df = 1, p > 0.05). Although, the present sample size may be small, it suggests that male mortality in the age group 15-49 years is much higher at high altitude than that at lower altitude.
The sex ratios in the age group ≥ 50 years were found to be 143 and 111 males per 100 females at lower and high altitudes, respectively. The number of males per 100 females in this age group is higher especially at lower altitude. The chi-square test also suggests that the deviation from the ideal sex ratio is highly significant at lower altitude (χ 2 = 4.60, df = 1, p < 0.03), although it is not significant at high altitude (χ 2 = 0.15, df = 1, p > 0.05), perhaps due to small sample size. So it is evident that the female longevity in Monpa population of the present study is much shorter than that of male after 50 years of age. These sex differences might be mainly because of female out-migration or mortality during adulthood that may be associated with different socio-economic factors.

Summary and Conclusion
The present study indicates that, according to Sunbarg's classification of population, the Monpa population at high altitude may be categorized as regressive type, whereas, the Monpa population at lower altitude appears to be stationary type. The overall sex ratio among Monpas seems to be titled towards females at lower altitude and little higher at high altitude, but did not deviate significantly from the ideal sex ratio of 1:1. Overall, the present studies suggest that there is not much variation between Monpas of lower and high altitudes in respect of demographic parameters. The findings may be attributed to the relationship of population structure of the Monpas with education, income, or even to geographical distribution of the Monpa's population in Arunachal Pradesh.
However, due to small sample size in the present study -especially of high altitude -it is important to note that there is a scope for future study with respect to demography of the Monpas at low and high altitude.