By: POOJA SAH, UDAI PRATAP SINGH
India’s diverse population includes 1,235 Denotified, Nomadic, and Semi-nomadic communities, with Uttar Pradesh alone home to 18 Nomadic and 31 Denotified groups. Despite extensive research on ABO and Rh blood group distributions among India’s tribal and non-tribal populations, studies focusing on Denotified and Nomadic communities, such as Uttar Pradesh’s Gadia Lohar, are scarce. The Gadia Lohar, a semi-nomadic blacksmith community claiming descent from the Rajput Lohars who crafted weapons for Maharana Pratap, were the subject of a study in Lucknow. Utilizing snowball sampling, six clusters were selected, and blood samples were collected from 75 unrelated individuals using the finger prick method. The analysis showed that the O blood group was the most prevalent at 35%, followed by B at 29%, A at 28%, and AB at 8%. Rh positivity was high at 96%, with only 4% Rh-negative. Gene frequencies for IA(p), IB(q), and IO(r) were calculated to be 0.2028, 0.2084, and 0.5888, respectively. A chi-square test result of 1.000 indicated no significant difference in ABO inheritance patterns. The blood group distribution in the Gadia Lohar population reflects that of India’s Western zone (O > B > A > AB) and contrasts with the Northern zone, where the B blood group predominates.
