Shreeram Chaudhary
THE ADIVASHI ARE PIONEER OF THE CIVILIZATION
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
Tribal are pioneer of the civilization. Because they were habitants of before written history[1] during the colonial, a number of uprisings had taken place among the tribal which centered in the question of the forest. Colonial Anthropologist and administrators blamed the corrupt practice of the petty forest officials for this. But by doing so, they evaded the real issues. Until recently the hill cultivation collection of the forest source for various domestic purpose where the main resource of the livelihood for the tribals.
The colonial administration created condition in which the large scale disposition of the tribal from their agricultural lands became a regular process. In some part of the country for example, Chotanapur- the tribute payed by the indigenous people that the rulers had been converted into rent shortly before the advent of The British Raj. This implied that the rulers who dominated over society through their power of causing or preventing physical correction started to claim tobe the ultimate owners of all the resources under the dispensation. From being coordinators and later rulers of human affairs, they turned into masters of territories[2].
While disposition of the traditional resources has been the most important the cause of the tribal unrest even there are other causes also. For instance of Kurchiyars- who used to renders commissariat service to the armies in the middle age and also engaged in inerrant trade, were pushed out their occupation with the establishment of the rail way line. [3]
The Ao Nagas have the myths of origin from six rocks. Some of educated person among them are interpreting it to means that their culture had descended straight from the Stone Age. Among the genetic ecological explanation are being given for the taboos relating to the forest and forest species[4]
The identity dilemma prevails not only the individual but at the level of the collectivities as well. The extension of the market economy to every nook and corner of the country as well as the world the trbal community find that their traditional resources are slipping out of their control.[5]
According to local people the colonization and disposition of tribal was started in same time. Before colonization they had their own pure identity like language, custom, culture etc. After colonization British people (East India Company) introduce them as slaves. They suffered about hundred years as slaves. As a result they couldn’t develop their culture properly; they forgot and slowly left their original identities.
After independence of India India
WHO ARE ADIVASHI? IN SEARCH OF THEIR ORIGIN.
The written history of the Adivashi of India and their origin has not yet been recovered; therefore, their unwritten history is veiled with mist of uncertainty in the distant past. Historians and other social scientist have maintained that they were the nomads of river basins of the temperate zones. Some coins and pottery shreds have been recovered and have been identified them associated with Adivashi. If a systematic archaeological study, more precisely an ethno-archaeological study, can be made possible much more hidden facts regarding the unknown history of Adivasi can be unveiled. Unfortunately it does not seem to be possible in near future, so I have to rely largely on few bits of information and 'hear and say' story about them, by themselves and by others. Story telling obviously can reveal some very important facts, but can not be reached up to the most possible facts without a systematic anthropological studies.
The Adivashi who are now recognised as a single stock is in fact constituted more than one groups while they were still nomads and residing in jungle. Now they are regarded as different sub-groups of the single ethnic group. Anadi, Paniyar, Kurchar and so on were the different stocks of people who constituted a group which are now called Adivashi and widely regarded as Indian nationalities.
ADIVASHI OF KERALA: A GLANCE AT CURRENT COCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS
when the forest conservation act introduced In 1960, it effected directly to tribal people. This act snached the forest right of tribals[6]. At the same time, migrated Hindu landlords dominated the tribals not only ecomonically, they co-opted their political, ideological, social and different aspects. After loosing right over the forest tribal totally depended with landlords. Therefore it was easy for landlords to exploit them. They used to give one kg. Rice/person/days and one time food. As a result, all the family turned into bounded labor. According to the peoples from the village, parents used to word in field and their children used to work as grizzlier. They also controlled the custom of tribal, even they prohibited clothes. According to key informants the man prohibited to wear the clothes under the knee and the women only allowed wearing one peace cloth. Nowadays government of India
They have their own cultural and belief system. They have their own kinds of festivals own song, dance and religion. Their cultural is related with Jungle, river and land. For example they had been celebrating the birth day of Earth. In this occasion they collect the all seeds and worship to the earth and seedling into the piece of land as opening of the farming. When the seeds germinate, then they start to farm everywhere. Even now, the landlords considered their culture and they use to provide the seeds for this festival. If we observe their original belief we assumed that they are Animist. But if we follow their current custom and celebration, we will find that they are highly co-opted by Hindu religion. They worshiped Kolaka , Melakri and Gulian . But Hindu people use to tell these are also hindu Gods and Godess
When we were talking about their own religion. The One Hindu people took over their mouth tried to convince us that they are Hindu. From this case we guess that there is still big power to culture of oppression and as well as sanscritization Because of this they are missing their language and scripture, therefore their culture and tradition depends on ethno-history. They are very sensitive to ecological things. They can found the trees and animals by smelling.
After seven months period of pregnancy, they celebrate the special feast for new birth. They welcome to child as a new member of society in the celebration. It is also related to the nature. In the context of Nepal
They have arranged marriage in general practice but if the boys like any girls they can take the girls without any permission of their parents. There is no practice of dowry system but the boys use to provide presents to girls family.
Another interesting and important practice in the tribal society. If the boy want to marry, he should stay and work in the girls house till three months. In this period, girls parents observe his personal behavior and knowledge, skill and working capacity. If he success in this exam he can marry but if girls parents don’t like him they can reject. This ritual proved that their culture directly related with the land. If the bridegroom is weak, he can not survive his wife.
They buried their death body and celebrate the Kakapula ceremony in seventh day. On the occasion all the villagers gather together and prey to god for peace of death soul and request to god for heaven and they took food together. This is their original custom and it is quite different from Hindu religion.
Women’s self help group is a movement to encourage women. In this group they make hand enterprise and it help them to get money. Before joint this group, most women can not go out from their houses but now they can and their husband support them. But, women still they are not have power to use their money, because they have to give their money to their husband. And in working time, they have to return to their houses to cook, after that they can continue their work.
There is a patriarchy system in practice. In this community, male dominant. They said that women has decision power in their house but still man dominant in decision making in a family.
The visited site I feel the hidden conflict. The main frustrations of combined results of the areas are in equalities, injustice, discrimination, and poverty and government failure. This conflict is not sole product of failure of the Indian democratic government, obviously the hundred year’s fossils of colonization of British Raj. Non violent resources and social conflict are the integral characteristic of the society which was linked to the violent rebellion.
There is strong and direct relation between the resources of the government, resources of the conflict and their linkage with the violence. Poor resources governance causes unequal access and control of the resources. When these inequalities cross the tolerance the limit the poor people frustrate. Such kinds of frustration help the mass movement like Maoist insurgency in Nepal
Exactly that happened in Nepal
In this community, the old age people are much respected. There belief is that the elderly people are alive history of the community. Even Oldest of the village main is selected as Mupan/Peruman (village leader). All the social, political and cultural practice are controlled and managed under the leadership of Muppan / Peruman. In the past this system was very effective and active. But now a day, this system is misused by political parties and leaders.
In case of Nepal Nepal
The positive aspect of this indigenous mechanism and method must be protected and integrated into formal mechanism that is lacking. Further some indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms are based towards power brokers. Therefore exploited in nature but they are allowed to continue. These must be stop. The formal conflict management mechanisms are expensive, complicated and procedurally lengthy and there for poor people are not getting fair justice. The powerful people who have legal knowledge, relation with the authority and political linkage are getting benefits from the formal system. The state is not able or willing to overcome such a weakness. We have experienced that the Maoist insurgency was started from the four district of the western hill and expanded all over the country. Because people from that areas are most exploited.
ADIVASHI LOSER AND THE GENESIS OF SALVERY SYSTEM
It is said that Adivashi migrated to the different parts of country. It is argued that after the independence of India
In-migrants, often high caste Brahmin and Chettris, were obviously clever and cunning. They lent money to those indigenous inhabitants and mortgaged their land and eventually confiscated from them. This process continued for some generations and ultimately those losers had to migrate, somewhere else to find a living by agricultural labor.
The story of being of deprived from their own land was almost the similar in other parts of the Kerala state, so they have only the viable alternative was to take refuge in some landlords’ farm. All the tribas, however, were not losers in the similar manner rather some of them were clever enough to play the game and get it won.
Basically the social and cultural system of the tribal is the same but the economic status and the originality is a little bit different. According to villagers the Paniya and Adiya tribal were bought by British from the different part of the country and as well as another colonized countries. Before being slave Adiyas were called as Rahul and at that time they were wealthy they supported to Tipu Sultan for fighting against the British and they supported. When they came to Pakam they called as Adiya and Paniyas were field workers . But the Kurchiyar are the original settlers of the Kanur District. They were brave and much knowlede and skill for hunting and fighting. That’s why the Parshi Raja ( King of Kotem Kingdom) appointed them as soldiers. When the British started to colonize the India
Landlessness and Wage labor
The poverty intrinsically revolves around the man-land relations of production, in which land ownership and land occupy a central position. Because the land is the primary productive asset, a source of economic as well as political power, pattern of land ownership shape (and are shaped by) the patterns of social relations in the process of production and consequently the poverty (Eckholm 1979 as quoted by Shrestha 1990). As a general rule, the larger the land holding, the greater the economic viability and power base. Conversely, landlessness and near landlessness are both a cause and effect of poverty in agrarian societies because other means of subsistence are severely limited .
The economic status of the tribal is very vulnerable. They have no land and lost their rights over the jungle. The government had provided the piece of land to them for housing purpose. Nowadays they are applying the wage laboring for coping. But they only use to get 100 days the opportunities in a year. When we talked about remuneration, we found that the wage is not sufficient, the main use to get Rs 100 for per day and women get only Rs 50 for per day. That is why; they should depend on wild yam as coping strategy. Because of poor economic situation, it effected in the education and health. Government has been providing them some education subsidy but because of language and curriculum difficulties, the children are not interested to study and are dropping out from the school.
Guda is one of the main customs of the tribal. This is about the celebration of the first puberty of the female, when a girl has her first menstuation she is kept in a Guda (small hut and little far from the village). She has to stay there until her parents celebrate her first puberty. Her parents have to offer feast to the village then only she can come out of the Guda and live women life along her folk. But some parents who doesn’t have enough money to celebrate the Guda for their daughter then she had to remain in the Guda for long time. We asked them why they celebrate this puberty; it is a natural that a girl will surely have her period? How do the girls react? Do they like it? They said the girls don’t like it but the society doesn’t agree to listen the girls voice that’s why this custom is still in practice in the community. Although they fell to become mature among their society
It is closely related to nature and it is gift of nature so it is difficult for them to rest or reform. We can’t assume that when they had rights over the jungle, land and water. They used to feel as a wealthy and this custom was suitable in their economic base. But now they are completely marginalized from all the means of poverties. Therefore there is big contradiction and challenges between their belief and their economic status.
Root cause of the Adibashi Problem
§ Economic
Rampant poverty, unemployment, under employment and unequal distribution of the sources (Land, jungle and water) and economic diversity.
§ Political and Governance
Intra and inner party struggle after 1950, exploitation and discrimination before and after independence of India India
§ Social
There is caste discrimination inside and out side of the community, Gender discrimination, classes discrimination, social disparity, exclusionary social structure and practice.
§ Religion
Domination of one religion (Hindu) and influence of sanscritization, monopolization of non-Hindu, religious law, failure of the religious of right of Adivashi.
§ Ideological
Conflict between different political parties, Influence by different political perspectives, Banking Education System, Bios media, so called civilized culture.
§ Geographical
Geographical diversity, Lack of opportunities of the residing in geographically remote area, regional imbalance etc.
§ International
International power centers and their influence such as WTO, World Bank, IMF etc.
REFLECTION IN CONTEXT OF NEPAL
After our discussion about poverty and plurality I got some new insights .we can not solve the Maoist insurgency by addressing as a political problem. Military intervention can not solve the problem. The state should address the root cause of Maoist insurgency. If people are allowed to enjoy their social political, economical, religious and cultural rights violence would settled without coercive means. There for the state should ensure the fundamental rights of Nepalese citizen. International community who really wanted to help Nepal
In my own individual and local context, I was feeling some fearless because I learnt some peaceful way to work in the vulnerable situation. I am feeling to work not only my own ethnicity but also coordinating and working with another ethnic people.
[2] Manohar: Social Movement In India
[3] Manohar: Social Movement In India
[4] Hungyohong, Gaga folk tale, p.39
[5] Manohar: Social Movement In India
[6] Ratno, Chochong, Devika, Ton and Shreeram, Colonization of India and disposition of Adivashi- the field visit report of Kerala.
[7] The conflict in Nepal
[8] Whose war, p.445.
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