Pano (caste)


The Pano are a scheduled caste of Odisha. They are recognized as Scheduled Caste in Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand officially.
They speak Odia.
The Buna Pano are a part of the Pano.
According to the 2001 Census, 1,078,523 people in Odisha constituting 17.7% of the total SC population, were members of this caste.
It was the most populous of the scheduled castes of Odisha.
The Pano have the maximum population in Jajpur district, followed by Kendujhar district and Dhenkanal district, but they constitute the highest proportion of the total SC population in Kandhamal district.
In Odisha, 14% of them have middle educational level, about 13% have more. 60.9% of their children in the 5-14 years group were at school. 16.8% of the Pano workers were cultivators, 54.3% agricultural labourers, 4.2% HHI workers and 24.7% other workers.
16.89% of the total population of Kandhamal district are members of a scheduled caste. Most of them are Pano.
Kendujhar district has 11.62% members of scheduled castes and among them the major caste groups are the Pano.
In 1891, those living in Sitra were called workers in metal, speaking Kui and Odia. Intermarriage to Khonds and Odias was not permitted.
Vishva Hindu Parishad has Pano as its enemy linking it to the church.
There is tension between the Khonds and the Pano.
Pano organization Phulbani Kui Janakalyan Samiti sought inclusion of Panos into a Scheduled Tribe linguistic category, Kui.
Many of them are Christians.
Hindutva activists were implicated in violence against Khond and Pano Christians.