In fact they are living in sub-human conditions. The culture of poverty which they breathe has left deep scars on their personality and behaviour. They show no initiative in any work. They are totally submissive and agree to any suggestion given by any authority without applying any reason of their own. To think of values, social, moral or spiritual, for them would be unrealistic.
Musahar society suffers from deep inertia and depression.
The population of Musahars is 30 million in Bihar. The Bhoktas are fewer, with 100,000 people. They live in the forest by hunting and eat fruits, roots and leaves because they do not have food even 48 years after Independence. The Samanwaya Ashram started work to uplift these communities in 1954. 5,000 acres of land were distributed amongst 3,000 families in this area and 13 new villages were established.