THE BAREFOOT MISSIONARY OF BHILANCHAL - MAMA BALESHWAR DAYAL

Bhilanchal has hundreds of social workers, supporters and well wishers ingenuine or faked ones. In the name of Bhil Seva (social service) they are enhancing financially, socially and other ways their own life and society. But non like Mama Baleshwar Dayal, a frail man but was ever young and energetic to trade all the paths, fields, rivulets and mountains of the Bhilanchal. There may not be any such village, jungle and the mountain not traded by the feet of Mama, that too barefoot. For years together like the Bhils his brethren, the even deprived ones since over 20 centuries. Mama became one like the Bhils, lived in a hut like the Bhils, eat like the Bhils but didn't drink(daru) with Bhils(Adivasi) and like Bhils. His spirit to walk from village to village, jungle to jungle, mountain to mountain, river to river was dauntless. A great man indeed who walking by foot and communicating by word of mouth influenced, guided, patronised millions. Today even the best of social workers, NGOs, even state governments could not achieve and have not achieve. Even if they claim, the Bhils will not align any one of them equal to their great master, the Mama of all residents of Bhilanchal.

In the late seventies some of his disciples, companions and sympathisers had offered him a second hand Jeep which he received love and gratitude, but soon parted it since it was a hindrance to reach out to his Bhil brethren living in the remote villages and mountainside in Bhilanchal. Later when he grew very old, could not walk long distances. Mama travelled with Sachin Bairagee............) on Motorcycle. In 1942 mama was struck by some sickness the doctors in Ratlam advised him not to walk bare foot. But he did not care, then one of the doctors insisted that if you would like to serve the Bhils longer, by all means put on shoes which will keep you healthy. It was then he started putting shoes for the first time ever since 1932, he landed in Bhilanchal. But walking he continued on and on. The Bhils treated him a true tapaswi, genuine sevak, and honest leader of bhils. Malti Ben of Banswar his one of the closest disciples says that in the country side would walk on the top of the hill's and with his country made loud speaker should aloud and invite people to him. And then Malti Beb says would instruck the people.

Motilal Devda told that the reason Mama walked in the villages including bazaars of the Bhilachal that he could contact many more peoples then he travelled in some vehicles. People like to see and talk to him. Even mama's donors in the market places were more impressed of his barefoot spirit than his status of owning and riding a four wheeler. If he travelled a long distance then bus of train ws hi vehicle and rarely Jeep.

The life, philosophy, style of service of Mama to his Adivasi Bhil brethren is challenging one to the ones who take faked interest in social service among the Bhils of Bhilanchal. Hence they either make false praise of Mama or want to conveniently want to forget him. So that the new model of Bhil seva may continually help them to commercialise social services and evade the challenge paused by Mama. Such was the spirit of love , perseverence and dedication of Mama from the people.

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THE BHIL NEW YEAR : AKHA TEEZ

The Bhils in the Adivasi calender have their indigenous feasts and festivals celebrated throughout the year. One such indigenous festival is Akha Teez which is called Bhil New Year in their terminology. The Bhils being agrarian and land owners, begin their New Year by appeasing the tribal ancestors, initiating agricultural activities in a symbolic manner and enjoying as usual by dancing and drinking home brewed Daru (country liquor) out of Mohwa tree flowers.

The exact activities for welcoming and celebrating the Bhil New Year in the district of Jhabua (MP) take place like this:

On the Akha Teej day that is Akshya Tritiya a feast of the Hindus for purchasing of the properties, ornaments, etc the Bhils assemble under some huge trees both men and women folks. The women as usual sing folk songs and perform folk-dances in honour of their folk-festival while menfolk sit under the trees, offer savaiya(sweet noodles) to their ancestors, cooked at home or under the trees. They also weave ropes out of hun(flex), read omens and signs in nature about coming of monsoon and the crops, try and train young bulls for ploughing, the rope to which they tie bull if it enlarges then they believe that the future crops shall yield well, if not contrary, prepare the fields for ploughing, and remove the husk, etc of the last crops from the fields which they pick up in the dankness of the night and burn it, spread cow dung manure, etc.

Under shadow of the trees they made fire over which they burn part of the savaiya( sweet dish ) as burn offerings to their own individual clan ancestors, offer them country liquor by drooping it on the ground or else they shall harm the crops or delay coming of the monsoons, etc. While these activities go on among the men folks, women folks of the village community sing and dance, men of the village share the liquor brought from the houses, make bride and bride grooms out of Khakhara leaves, marry them in usual Bhil Phera styles, and leave them there, boil corn and depart home for continuing field works.

The Bhil children have few more rituals and children games connected to the Bhil New Year which falls on the Hindi festival of Kha Teez (Akshya Tratiya). Sad to to the cultural rites are under damage due to various forces and hence they cultural, social expression of the tribal India are at a great loss.

World Views of Bhils

WORLD VIEWS AND RELIGIOUS PRACTICES OF THE BHILS

The Bhils ever since prehistoric times have their own world views, values, history, geographical habitat and more specially religious practices of their own. These world views and religious practices of bhils are still prevalent in rudimentary state in their social and cultural practices even today. Even though over the many past centuries they have heavily borrowed from their Hindu brethren, but at the root of the cultural practices, the Bhils are still Bhils, persisting in their traditional culture throughout India.

Naladi Anthony a student of St. Joseph's Seminary at Allahabad (U.P.) from Andhra Pradesh state of India has aptly brought out the Bhil world views in his B. Th. thesis written for the current school year 2009. Naladi Anthony focuses his studies on world views and religious practices of the Bhils mainly on three main headings:

1. Profile of the Bhils of Central India.
2. Bhil religion and theology of the land.
3. The tribal concept of salvation, morality, etc.

Naladi Anthony has made good beginning along these lines of the Bhil study. For this study he has heavily depended on the writing and theoretical approach of Mahipal Bhuriya who is a Bhil cultural anthropologist. He needs to pursue in this study and one can foresee that Naladi shall make a good contribution in clarifying the illusion that the Bhils are originally Hindus and they have no religion and culture of their own.

PROMOTION OF TRIBAL FOLKLORE

Summer is the most convenient time for the for the promotion of tribal marriages in the country side of India. The tribal marriage is an event for a great celebration of a clan in the tribal and village community, celebrated with tribal prestige in all possible forms in social, cultural, economic, religious and ritual contexts.

As such there are many forms of tribal marriages in India such as arranged marriage, by capture a girl, by elopement, reaching the girl to the boy's house, also by labour and so on. Traditionally the most common form of marriage was by arrangement through parents or the members of a family and clan responsible for the partner concerned.

During the days of celebration of marriage highest number of events and incidences and celebrations of folklore items take place. It is good to promote a Bhil marriage for happier and healthier of family and society life in tribal India.

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Mr. Kantilal Bhuriya : Minister for Tribal Affairs

Once again Jhabua rejoiced over her one of the sons of Dr. Manmohan Singh's Government at Delhi. Mr. Kantital Bhuriya was sworn in as a a Cabinet Minister in the Government of India for the tribal affairs. Mr. K.Bhuriya belongs to the district of Jhabua (M.P.) from the Bhil tribal group which is the largest indigenous group of India.

Mr.Bhuriya's name was proposed or supported by former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Mr. Digvijay Singh whose close cooperater in the political matters Mr. K. Bhuriya.

It is believed the Mr K. Bhuriya who has already experience in the State and Central Government's administration will fair well in the new portfolio offered to him.

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MAHIPAL BHURIYA

DEFENDS HUMAN RIGHTS OF ADIVASI IN INDIA

India tribals are the autochthons, Adi-Nivasi, real Adivais and indigenous peoples of India. In fact they are the original Indias of India. Others who came later and after capturing enslaved them for the various touchable and untouchable jobs. Those who came later imposed their language, culture, religion and folklore.

Some elements of the tribal Adivasi cultures they appropriated and made their own. Today largely the original Indian have become subservient to the few minorities who are endangering the physical, social, cultural and linguistic survival of these original indigenous populations of the country.





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MAMA BALESHWAR DAYAL

BAREFOOT MISSIONARY OF BHILANCHAL

Bhilanchal has hundreds and thousands of social workers, supporters and well wishers real and faked ones. In the name of Bhil Seva (social service) they are enhancing financially, socially and other ways their own life, family and society. But non like Mama Baleshwar Dayal, a frail Brahman but was ever young and energetic to walk on all the paths, fields, rivulets and mountains of the Bhilanchal. There may not be any such village, jungle and the mountains which did not touch the feet of Mama Baleshwar Dayal. And that too barefoot. For years together like his Bhil brethren , friends of his life long loyal disciples, the ever deprived ones, since over 20 centuries. Mama became one like the Bhils, lived in a hut like the Bhils, ate like the Bhils but didnt drink(daru) with Bhils and like Bhils. His spirit to walk from village to village, jungle to jungle, mountain to mountain, river to river was dauntless. A great man indeed who walking by foot and communicating by word of mouth influenced, guided, patronised millions of Bhils of Bhilanchal. Today even the best of social workers, NGOs, even state governments could not achieve what he achieved successfully solely.

In the late seventies some of his disciples, companions and sympathizers from Petlawad a tehsil town close to Bamania, had offered him a second hand Jeep which he received love and gratitude, but soon parted away since it was a hindrance to reach out to his Bhil brethren living in the remote villages and mountainside in Bhilanchal away from the roads. Later when he grew very old, could not walk long distances, he travelled with Sachin Bairagee and others on Motorcycle etc. In 1942 he was struck by some sickness the doctors in Ratlam advised him not to walk barefoot. But he did not care. Then one of the doctors insisted that if you would like to serve your dear Bhils longer, then by all means put on shoes which will keep you healthy and longevity . It was true. Then only very half hearted ly he started putting shoes for the first time ever since 1932, he landed in Bhilanchal. But walking he continued untill he could. The Bhils treated him as a true tapaswi(sage), genuine sevak, and honest leader. Malti Ben of Banswara(Rajasthan) his one of the closest disciples says that in the country side would walk on the top of the hills and with his hand made rustic loud speaker would call aloud and invite people to him. And then Malti Ben says he would speak to them in Bhili.

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Motilal Devda says that the actual reason why Mama walked in the villages including bazaars of the Bhilachal, he could contact many more peoples then he traveled in some comfortable vehicles. People like to see and talk to him. Even his donors in the market places were more impressed of his barefoot spirit than his status of owning and riding a four wheeler. If he traveled a long distance then bus or train were his convenient vehicles and rarely Jeep.

The life, philosophy, style of service of Mama to his Adivasi Bhil brethren is challenging one to the ones who take faked interest in social service among the Bhils of Bhilanchal. Hence they either make false praise of Mama or want to conveniently want to forget him. So that the new model of Bhil seva may continually help them to commercialise social services and evade the challenge paused by Mama. Such was the spirit of love , perseverance and dedication of Mama for the deprived--The Bhils.

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A REPUTED HINDI MAGAZINE HIGHLIGHTS MAMA BALESHWAR DAYAL

A reputed national Hindi monthly called ADIVASI SATTA ( meaning Adivasi Rule) published from Durg ( Chhatisgargh) India, edited by K.R. Shah has published a three page article on life, times and teachings of Mama Baleshwar Dayal. The issue of Adivasi Satta( April 09) carried the article on Mama Baleshwar Dayal entitled ' Bhilanchal Ke Pitamah : Mama Baleshgwar Dayal' ( Mama Baleshwar Dayal : Father of Bhilanchal), written in very impressive style, with authority and lucid manner by no other than Mahipal Bhuriya an authority on Mama. As such Adivasi Satta often publishes articles by nationally renowned authors, scholars and journalists related to tribal human rights India in Hindi belt.

Mahaipla Bhuriya in this article describes Mama's life, his fleeing from U.P., how he arrived in Jhabua region of the Bhils, began his ministry or activities in Thandla( Dist. Jhabua), started his career as a school teacher for the Bania community children, opened Dungar Vidyapitha, organised agitations for the Bhil rights, went to prison, and then proliferated his many activities important activities relating to tribal human rights, spreading over the 60 years a long span of time. The article has made a good impact on the readers of AS nation wide and the people of Bhilanchal once again refreshed their fading memories of Mama Baleshwar Dayal.

Mahipal Bhuriya has published many creative and other writings on Mama from Jhabua, Durg and Delhi. It seems that in the course of time Mama Baleshwar Dayal shall once again dominate the Bhil Politics in the coming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections election in Bhilanchal and Mama's ideas relating to human rights of the Bhils possibly in the form of a full Bhil state with the framework of Indian Constitution shall flare nation wide.

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HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES IN INDIGENOUS DEVELOPMENT

India is one of the ideal and exemplary country which has formed well deserving developmental policies and programmes for its ancient Indian races namely the autochthons of the country. The credit for the formation of these humanitarian policies go to the maker of the Constitution of India, Dr.Babasaheb B. R. Ambedkar whom India respectfully remembers on the 14th of April each year. In the course of time in the political, social, economic, educational and other fields many more exemplary provisions were made for the development of SC, ST & OBC communities of India who are more than 80% in the country. Among these 80% population of the country who are mostly suppressed, oppressed, exploited and marginalised. The students of indigenous communities have ample talents of all type. Much is being done by the Indian Government, but not in the same ratio of the numerical strength of indigenous peoples, historical deprivation and development. But sadly enough these developmental programmes and policies are not honestly implemented on the grass root level, fearing that if the talented students of these 80% SC, ST & OBC communities take due advantage of these constitutionally guaranteed benefits in the forms of reservations and they may trail.

These 20% higher class people in the country shall be no where. Hence to retain the top seats and places in the country they do not implemented honestly, is seen painful scenes visible distinctly on the grass root level. They have distinct witnesses of what has happened to their resources and the developmental process that took place in the last 6 decades of Indian history.

And now once again yet another powerful tool to strike well indigenous communities that is requirement of higher or highest percentage or excellence is being used against the SC, ST & OBC students entry into the educational institutions of high qualifications. What shall be the imminent results......? The indigenous India shall be slave once again and this time forever. British imperialism Mahatma Gandhi and his followers could irradiate, but Deshi imperialism who shall ab root from the hearts, minds, society, geographical habitats, educational fields, etc.

Will second Gandhi be born again.....? If at all he is born in the form of indigenous peoples Messiah or as a strong human rights worker, for these suffering masses of India, he shall soon face accusations, condemnation and disappear from the actual functioning scene of the the society. In this case who shall free these indigenous folks from deprivation, historical bondage and social slavery.....?

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VANE BEHADVUN

Initiation of Bhil Marriage Ceremony

The ancient culture of the tribal / Adivasi / indigenous India should be saved from being lost as useless through the process of the protection of their culural rights. These elaborate and cultural rites and rituals give the social unity, love and a sense of social belonging. These days it is very much seen in the hundreds of Bhil marriages in the district of Jhabua, MP. No matter, where these poor, deprved and hungry people have goone for procuring food, they return back, spending lots of money , just to be one with their tribal groups. It is seen that educated and the non educated Bhil come together to perform togethere these rites and rituals which the mainstream society has ignored including the NGOs working for over decades of years who silently impose and integrate their own social and cultural values.

The Bhil marriage has an elaborate rites and rituals already beginning prior to the initiation ceremony of marriage. On the initiation ceremony called Vane Behadvun, the Bhil village community officially install the bride or the bridegroom for the marriage ceremony which last for ode number of days. In this social even all the sections of the community and clan has specific role to play which is traditionally assigned by the Bhil society to perform. What a beautiful even. The sequence of the events on the Vane Behadvun are like this:

1. The village community assembles at the house of bride or the bridegroom in the darkness of the night.

2. Women folk start singing folk songs of the Bhils describing coming of the friends and relatives, introduction of the other partner, invitation to the village headman(Tadvi) to install the bride or the bridegroom on the seat of marriage called Bharati, etc.

3. Playing of the musical drums by musicians (Vajotari) and their honouring by Arati done by the women folk of the bride or the bridegroom.

4.Collection of the Bharati items such as mango leaves, pipal tree leaves, winnowing fans,(supada), turmeric, oil, rice, husking pestle, other items.

5. Bride or the bridegroom is ceremonially taken of bathing the purification ceremony, bride weeps and then brought to the seat for initiation ceremony. Hence forth they maintain silence. If leave the seat they hold a sword or an arrow in a hand as the sign of heroism and defence.

6. Now the village or clan girls start singing of the folk songs.

7. Bride - bridegroom is brought to Bharati for the initiation ceremony.

8. The candidate is annotated with oil on the hands and legs.

9. Covered with dhoti(while clothe of) brother-in-law and 4 boys and 4 girls smear rice with the winnowing fans.

10. Daru (country liquor) is offered to Bharati.

11. Signs of turmeric are put on the front wall as the signs of deities' presence by the Tadvi(village headman) or elder of the clan(gotra).

12. Girls continue singing folk songs in Bhili. Through the folk songs, the girls scoff the relatives of the candidate for marriage, prepare the girl or bride to face the suffering in the other or the alien house, and meanwhile the turmeric is applied to the partner.

13. Girls carry bride or the bride groom on their shoulders and dance in the inner room.

14. Brother in law carry the bride or the bridegroom on the shoulder and made one round of the house.

15. In the Khali(dancing spot) boys and girls dance as long as they feel nice as the night grows.

16. Then bride or the bride groom is brought in the house and all depart to sleep.

All the rites and rituals are conducted by the village community members and the traditionally job assigned to them. The master of the house or the father of the bride or the bridegroom only hosts but not directly involved in the carrying of the functions. Beautiful ceremonies. But the intervention of the outsiders, including the Indian missionaries they have corrupted tribal cultures They denied the value of leadership of the tribal community and Centralised for making themselves more powerful and impoverishing the tribals. thus spoiling their culture and weakening of the tribal leaders and tribal cultures.

Retaining of these rites and rituals will help remain united tribal communities of India, which will serve as a social bargaining for their overall human rights which are badly damaged by all who are serving them or finding inraods among them for their own benefits.

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UMALO

Girls and Women's Human Rights...?

The Bhil girls and women are by nature artistic.The have excessive love or infatuation for singing, dancing, giggling, eloping, romanticising everything in the Bhil social and cultural setting. The art, in a Hindu society is performed and enjoyed by few and selected, in the tribal societies performed and enjoyed by all. What a privilege.This creates a positive, lovely and romantic atmosphere in the Bhil country rarely seen in the world. It is also attractive and lovely to the tourists from India and abroad.That is why the festivals like Bhagoria, marriages, fairs, market places, gal, gad, etc are so unique, socially and culturally enhanced round the year even at the time of hunger and droughts. The Bhil girls and women take everything with smile.

As such there is an in built psychic mechanism in the body, mind and emotions of Bhil girls and women folks to respond everything in a romantic and positive way. In a way they take leisure, work, studies, singing, dancing, market places, road side works, harvesting, speaking, sharing, narrating, filling of water on the village wells or at the hand pump sites and everything as an unavoidable expression of Bhil romance, intensely happy moments, idealized for its purity and beauty in their tribal habitats, exciting, sentimental, nostalgic quality, etc. One way it is uniquely Bhil cultural characteristic of the Bhil girls and women. Thus the tribal atmosphere turns out to be excessively beautiful and romantic, pervading even all the negative areas of life to respond them in positive and calm manner.

On the other side, one can say this is hindrance in the areas where the protection of girls and women's rights are primly to be respected and self-discipline is needed. In such moments and situations girls especially are exploited. That is why their self-esteem is low. Government has come out with strong legal provisions to protect them. Yet on the social levels much more remains to be done by the society itself and not by outsiders or NGO's who have not so far respected tribal cultures and promoted them, except for the economic gains. Because persons and people of sophisticated cultures are making lots of due and undue interferences with the Bhil culture and at the end Bhils and the Bhil culture suffers and is going down. Everything is turning towards the advantages of the non tribals since 60 years.

At the work sites, studies, at the time of festivals, when excessive love and romance is socially and culturally displayed, naturally or spontaneously exhibited, etc. This way the desired goals are not achieved in these fields. The non tribal seven like missionaries have misunderstood and negatively coloured and projected the tribal cultures since they are socially and culturaly prejudiced. Others have taken a times undue advantages of the spontaneous and innocent responses of the tribal girls and women and at the end tarnished their image. At the costs of Umalo Bhil society and culture has suffered its image in the hands of the non tribals. Even those who have taken advantage of them look down.

In the Bhil culture anything excessive of this type is taken as Umalo, a socially and culturally generated, inherited and promoted Bhil value having negative and positive implications. When the girls are filled of Umalo no one can control them. What is Umalo...? One needs to understand correctly and guide them properly and creatively which is absent, without negatively attributing the Bhil girls and women as the Indian missionaries have done in the past and present, even imposing their value system and cultural characteristics. This is one of the important factor why culture could not grow and take a proper shape. A great harm done to the non tribal cultures like the Bhils by the non tribals. Whereas the Bhil girls and women are more innocent, honest and naive than non tribals. Negatively looking at the Bhil culture , the outsiders even though they may be Indian missionaries, have spoiled outlook of the Bhils towards their own culture. Foreign Missionaries had healthy outlook towards the Bhil culture.

What is Umalo then...? Umalo is socially, culturally, geographically, animated, generated pure and simple thought, and inherited cultural behaviour among the girls and women of the Bhil society . It needs to be properly understood and not culturally coloured by their their own cultural prejudices which the non tribals have done and are doing now.

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BHAGWAN

The God Supreme of the Bhils

There are lots of falls claim made the social or cultural anthropologists that the Bhils and other tribes in India have either no religion or if at all they have it is not their own. Both the claims are falls. One can see the Bhils and other tribes have a very complex collections of rites and rituals of their own, myths, etc performed all through the year unnoticed a times. Even though bhils are being systematically being converted, largely to Hinduism and then to Christianity and other religions in a very modest number.

The God supreme of the Bhils is BHAGWAN. The characteristic features of Bhagwan are well researched by Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Koppers SVD of Vienna University, Austria and His attributes are published in monographs and books. There is no better research on Bhagwan of the Bhils than Prof. W. Koppers.
Bhagwan of the Bhils is the creator of the universe. He creates and leaves the world in the hands of minor gods and goddesses for taking care of it. Bhagwan is not interested in sacrifices (bhogs), rites and rituals. It is the relm of Minor or lower gods and goddesses require bhogs (sacrifices), rites and rituals to appease or placate them. Among the male and female deities there are over a hundred of them who need to be studies systematically to preserve and promote and protect cultural rights of the Bhils. Now a day’s lots of damages to the religious rites of the Bhils are being done.

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TRIBAL VOTERS HUMAN RIGHTS UNCARED

Ever since 60 years, the tribal India is participating in the democratic way of mistiming the Government. They have submitted their way of ruling or administrating in favour of the Government thinking that something more and better days they shall see in the form of education and economic development specially. Much to their dismay, they have been consistently or regularly being let down in their hopes and expectations from the Government. So much so that the situation has been growing from bad to worse, and now it is moving towards total deprivation and desolation. Where it shall end, they do not know but certainly no hope for the future is filling in their hearts and minds day by day.

In this case one can clearly notice in the Lok Sabha contituency of Ratlam-Jhabua(MP), where two tribal veteran leaders Kantilal Bhuriya(Congress) and Dileepsingh Bhuriya(BJP) are contesting the General election of April-May 2009. The voters who are mostly Bhils in this constituency besides some educated ones who are non tribals, from the towns etc, are not much enthusiastic to vote. In spite of having all the assurances from the Centre and state Governments, billions of rupees have been poured in this region for the tribal development, the sustainable development is seen not even 20% except on the papers. The Bhuriya leaders on the contrary have enhanced themselves and not fulfilled the hopes and expectations of the indigenous populations. Besides this was a major tribal zone in the country, with poverty stricken tribal population with international focus for development, where the sympathy of the Centre was always there, but all through the years both the Bhuriyas continuously and unfailingly exploited the tribal voters, leaving the whole region now backward, deserted and desolate where the 70 % of the tribal population has become semi nomads and more are in the same process being drone to it.. In such a deceitful situation tribal voters are not much eager to pay attention to the politicians appeals to woe them.

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Oh! Tell Me My Mind

This poem is a sung piece of poem, composed by Mahipal Bhuriya a famous tribal poet of India. In this poem he envisages a tribal society of India which is literate, classless, based on the noble tribal values of the country, where all shall enjoy the fruits of the economy, where there no disparity in the society, no one fights and make use of the corrupt courts,lawyers or legal system. The poet is concerned about basic human rights of women or girls.

Oh! Tell me my mind
Up to which class should I study..?

Such a class I should study
That gives me endless knowledge

Then no one may utter abuses
And no one may ever fight

No one shall break social unity
Hence no one should come to settle disputes

No one should go to courts
And seek corrupt lawyers

No one should raid
No one should rob my goats

No one should lift cattle
And carry away my bulls

No one to rob at mid night
May break in my house


No one should abduct
My companion Radi from Bhagoria festivals

No one should over eat
And, non should starve in my land...

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MAMAYAN

Human Right Teachings of Mama Baleshwar Dayal

Mama Baleshwar Dayal was one of the greatest persons of the 20th century who led the ancient warring and violent race, called the Bhils in the Freedom Movement of India. He introduced an ideal notion or model of Adivasi Seva in Bhilanchal by his genuine life of a humble and simple Adivasi Sevak for the last 6 decades of the last century. He arose to the Adivasi human right scene for the protection of much neglected or marginalized indigenous peoples of the country for the last over 20 centuries for which Mahatma Gandhi, Thakkar Bapa, Ram Manohar Lohia and many other socialist leaders of the 20th and 21st century hold him in high esteem. Under the leadership of Mama the Bhils too contributed their due share in various ways in the Freedom Movement of India. Mama Baleshwar Dayal was earlier an active Congress Party worker since his college days. But later when he was rusticated from college, escaped to Jhabua region to take shelter in Jhabua State, he saw the perilous conditions of the Bhils in the state.

Mama was deeply moved experiencing himself the social pathologies of the Bhils in the 12 Princely states of Bhilanchal including Jhabua while leading morchas for their rights going even to jail, fought for the Bhil human rights for which Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru disagreed with Mama. Mama was against the breaches of Bhil rights in the 12 Prince States of Bhilanchal region. Pandit Nehru did not favour the Bhils but the Deshi Maharajas, due to which Mama strongly disagreed with Pandit Nehru and immediately left the Congress party and joined the team of then socialist leaders headed by Ram Manohar Lohia and others. Mama led the Bhils for the first General election and won many seats for the socialist party in Bhilanchal.

Mama the socialist leader hails from U.P. Mahipal Bhuriya the human rights worker of the tribal or Adivasi India and the India tribal human rights activist has written an important book in Bhili the language of the Bhils, entitled 'MAMAYAN'. The book 'Mamayan' based on the 50 important teachings of the great socialist leader and the Bhil Guru Mama. The font memories of Mama the Bhil Guru shall never be wiped from the memories of the Bhils to whom they worship today as a deified hero. In several places of Bhilanchal Mama's life size statues are erected, temples are built, Bhajans are recited, and the Bhils offer him aarti, pooja, observe fast and organise festivals in Bhilanchal increasingly today.

The book comprises of the 50 main teachings of Mama Baleshwar Dayal. It is based on the from oral sources in Bhili and the oral tradition or authentic oral narrations of the disciples of Mama from among the Bhils and non-Bhils. Among all the books written on Mama this is most authentic book since it is based on the life experiences of Bhils Mama's own simple and naive disciples in Bhilanchal. Mamayan is an interesting volume waiting for a publisher to support its printing. These relevant teachings shall redeem, improve, empower and enhance the Bhils in all possible ways in Bhilanchal, protect the Bhil over all tribal rights and alert them from the fraud ones, misleading NGOs. Besides, all these it shall also protect over all human rights of the Bhils and other tribes in India and serve as a model for the ideal tribal service (Adivasi seva) and not as a fraud that many NGOs are indulging in Bhilanchal. Hence the book MAMAYAN should be printed and published so that the admirers and followers of Mama should familiarise and re-vitalise the valuable teachings of their unforgettable Bhil Guru and the great socialist leader of India.

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PROTECTION OF TRIBAL CULTURAL RIGHTS AND FOLKLORE

The ancient tribal India had unique a culture, folklore or life style of its own which is still persisting since over the last many centuries. But but due to lack of genuine awareness about the goodness of their ancient and modern day tribal or indigenous cultures, degenerative forces have been rapidly vanishing these age old indigenous cultures and folklore of the even major tribes like Bhils, Gonds, Santhals and others in the Indian subcontinent who are not able to retain, innovate and promote it even in the modern times. Practically all the developmental agencies, administration, including Indian missionary organizations have been contributing one way or the other to the loss of tribal’s cultures. Most of the tribal communities even though closely adhering to their languages, cultures and folklore, the non tribals impose their own languages and cultures unjustly disregarding the tribals' own culture, languages and folklore. This contributes negatively to the loss or tribal cultures or to the degeneration of the indigenous cultures. The non tribals have very intelligently drilled the of ideas in the mind of tribals that their age old cultures are not good, for renouncing or making the tribals deliberately omit several good elements of their own folklore as utterly 'useless' and so called 'uncivilised' (jungali). In such an contradictory cultural situation of renouncing and retaining, the whole of tribal India, especially the illiterate section of the indigenous communities are very strongly striving to project themselves as ideal, good (not junglai), in front of so called 'civilised world' (sabhya samaj / sokyars) at least by uttering a few words of Hindi or regional languages, dressing in their costumes, putting action shoes, holding even a mobile telephone st, etc, in the markets and other public places. A sad situation indeed, with no mental courage or strength of their own, to strive to preserve their cultures, they are making unsuccessful efforts to wash away the stigma (kalank / dag) of being 'uncivilised'......adivasi and so on, because the others socially, culturally and linguistically rejected them in a consistent and silent way.

Hence to be one with people of the land of Bhilanchal, Mama Baleshwar Dayal moulded himself to be an Adivasi Bhil in this social and cultural context a real one. In attaining his desired goals to be like Bhils simple, poor, humble, honest, loving and caring their culture and society, protecting their Bhili language and Bhil folklore, Mama Baleshwar became BHILL GANDHI in true sense of the term. The protection of the cultural and folkloric rights of the Bhils Mama much genuinely projected cultural and folkloric elements of the Bhils in his own personal culture and Brahmanical personality. Thus not only became cultural catalyst for the Bhils positively but direct promoter and protector of the same with vision and proper understanding for the tribes in India. A great Brahmin of our time.


Mama Baleshwar Dayal, was a man of far reaching vision for the tribal development in India, perfect humanist, correctly understanding the tribal as human persons more than the social and cultural anthropologists, was his. Mama had deep love for the culture and folklore of the tribal communities especially of the Bhils. He accepted them and their tribal way of life as good and sublime, with much zeal and solidarity with them as these folks are. No degeneration of good tribal cultural and folkloric elements in any way was let go in vain. Hence no cultural and social bias of imposing deshi imperialism, that is why no question of remaining away from them like the ways of administrators and a times missionary organisations are. Mama respected Adivasi philosophy, was supportive to them, animating the Bhils to remain rooted to their Adi culture, preserve, promote and innovate to suite it better in the national mainstream of India today.

Hence mama and Adivaisi Bhils were successful in many of their developmental, cultural and folkoric ventures. Mama was not a superficial man as many NGOs fluttering around with verbal professed social service (Bhil Seva), he was a man of solid and serious character which he developed being inspired by them over the years. In the course of time the Bhils built him and Mama built them. He was a bold personality in whom the Bhils could lay their trust and confront with Ahinsa the British Government, Princely States and Indian Government as well. He was one with them and they were one with him. Hurpal Ganawa from Mal Hat (west of Meghnagar) says to respect the Bhil culture and Bhil way of life style he walks with them on the footpaths of the Bhils village to village speaking their languages, eating with them and sleeping in their own houses, not to exploit them but to support them. He celebrated all the Bhil festivals with them in their own villages.

Mama safeguarded the Bhils, their cultures, folklore, humanism and their human rights connected to it. To Nathuram Mirdha the Central Minister, he assertively spoke in the favour tribal self governance rights, that not that the Panchayati Raj rules should come from Top to below , but they should go from below up. He was very right and it is due to this failure of the Central Government to perceive the crux of the problem the Panchayati Raj's has failed in the tribal areas because their panchayats were pure, and holy, uncorrupted.

To the Bhils Mama spoke Bhili, maintained and respected their culture and folklore. Adivasi panchayats and the big meetings (aam sabhas) he would host in the Bhil style, no much expenses with roti and kando ( maize chapatis and onions), in some open ground with a self made loud speaker, under trees, on the river banks and so on.

It is in this cultural or social context one can assert that Mama was a unique personality in protecting and fostering the tribal rights in India. We need today Mamas in tribal India and not the managers or social work organisations for the tribal development and also protectors of the social and cultural human rights.

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DUNGAR VIDYAPEETH: RESTORATION OF TRIBAL EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS

A process of tribal degeneration, regression and deprivation was on rampage in 12 Indian Princely States of Bhilanchal since a few centuries till the arrival of Mama Baleshwar Dayal the national socialist leader in early thirties of the last century. Forced labour for the maintenance of Maharajas' life style, raising of local taxes from the poor Bhils, depriving tribals of their own pre-historically inherited land and forests, not introducing social welfare schemes for indigenous populations, attributing abominable image to Bhils where as the tribals were 'anndata' (giver of food / benefactors / sustainers) of the Deshi Maharajas as Mama rightly addressed them and in return Maharajas were 'landlording' over the tribals much inhumanly and unjustly which is still described in the oral tradition of the Bhils. Due to the Indian Freedom Movement, influence of Mahatma Gandhi and other socialist leaders in the country, the mood towards tribals or indigenous peoples human rights was positively changing in their favors. Mahatma Gandhi had good contact with the Bhils of Gujarat in India, who gave Father of the Nation valuable support. So Mahatma Gandhi supported the cause of educating the Bhils initiated by Mama Baleshwar Dayal. Thakkar Bapa too supported the initiative of Mama and took keen interest for their educational rights in the state of Gujarat.

With the kind support of some generous Seths (merchants) in Thandla (Dist. Jhabua, MP), Mama Baleshwar Dayal admitted together with the students of Jain community in a Jain community schools. Very soon Mama realised that piece meal strategy in tribal educational field shall not suffice for the Bhils. They soon need a school of their own with an independent campus. Hence he moved to Bamania a small railway station between Ratlam and Dahod on Delhi-Mumbai railway line, acquired land and opened an ashram school that made a history for the restoration educational, cultural and social rights of the Bhils. This particular historical institution was named 'Dungar Vidyapeeth' ( Mountain University) with a far sighted vision that one day, this shall be develop in a big residential Bhil College Campus, for a tribe of the royal past. Mama Baleshwar Dayal had a vision to restore the ancient Bhils states in a new and modern way, in the form of a New Bhil State which he was dreaming to carve in the form of BHILANCHAL (Bhil Country). And from this newly carved Bhil State( Bhilanchal) within the framework of Indian Constitution would aptly called BHILANCHAL.

Considering all these he started Dungar VidyaPeeth. Within a short span of time Dungar Vidyapeeth got huge support of many rich seths (merchants) of Bhilachal. He gathered 200 boys and 150 girls for women's liberation. Quite a few Banias (traders), Brahmins etc. rendered their valuable services to Dungar Vidyapeeth in upbringing Bhils to Sokyar (high caste) level a great missionary venture indeed Mama and his team initiated in early thirties of the last century. In the course of time members of the Bhil community were trained well in formal education and were elevated to the posts of teachers, etc, to impart value education and elevate centuries old culturally, socially suppressed and deprived Bhils.

The zeal of Mama's team was admirable. Venture proved to be very fruitful and overall impact of the Dungar Vidyapeeth were multifarious ones. It generated new wave of thinking in the whole of Bhilanchal of which the modern day politicians and administrators have no knowledge. Dileep singh Bhuriya is well aware of it brought about significant social and cultural transformation among the Bhils. The desired changes within the federal states in Bhilanchal could not bring through even with the millions of Rupees and the huge projects of NGOs. The Bhils were able to conduct themselves well in society and their own public responsibilities independently and intelligible manner. Non tribals sensed Mama's great Bhil Movement as a social and political threat which later on Mama had to pay by losing his traditional and loyal Bhil friends among whom a political rift was conveniently created which was based on new and corrupt value system. Thus with the change of time and due to no sustainable system the Mama Bhil Movement stands today in weakened state even though no collapsed. It stands in the good hope for revival by the socialist’s leaders or the people with the similar social ideology.

Today we need socialist and selfless leaders like Baleshwar Dayal (Mama) among the Bhils who walk on the footprints of Mama. Otherwise, with the present methodology of tribal development in Bhilanchal, it shall fill the pockets of social workers the Bhil region. And among the perennially deprived Bhil community poverty will ever rule, unless junior and the Bhil Mamas put on his spirit and bring in the spirit of revival in Bhilanchal. The thought appears to be a utopia but it is possible if new Mamas re-walk on the foot prints of Mama Baleshwar Dayal once again.

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MAMA Baleshwar Dayal-THE MESSIAH OF BHILANCHAL

A Man Who Worked Tirelessly to Restore Overall Human Rights of Bhils the Deprived Indigenous Peoples of Remote Past

Historically the Bhils are the largest and the most important tribe of Indian subcontinent. The tribe inhabited Central, Northern and Western parts of India since prehistoric times. Many of them are found even in the South and Eastern parts of India. Prior to the coming of other peoples to Nishad Desh, or Bhilanchal, etc. they lived happily in their own states and had achieved a certain level of social and cultural development whose over all growth was disturbed by the incoming peoples and invaders hence they are suffering regression and exploitation till today.

Those who are narrated as Dasyus, Rakshsas and Asuras are the Bhil or Nishad heroes of the ancient Bhilanchal or Nishad Desh. It is this Bhil race that has vehemently suffered the breach of total human rights, socially, culturally, politically, geographically, even religiously in other words successively deprived in each century and rendered them in modern India today as semi nomads, vanvasi, powerless, impoverished and in various clandestine ways being deprived of chances of development, possibly a process, slowly and silently geared to wipe them out from the face of the earth.

The Bhils have rich social, cultural, political, and religious folklore perpetuated to this day by their oral tradition, word of mouth. The Bhil myths, legends, folktales, proverbs, riddles, rituals, rites, cultural symbolisms, depict their traditional wisdom, indigenous culture knowledge, native values, folk religion, a whole system of maintaining and governing their society, Adivasi states, inner life and social institutions of the Bhil the tribe. Dr. Wilhelm Koppers SVD, Dr. Brijraj Chauhan, Dr. T.B. Naik. Dr. Nemichand Jain, Dr. S.L. Doshi, Dr. J.K. Doshi, Dr. Stephen Fuchs SVD, Leo Jungblut SVD, and many other serious scholars have described the royal past of the bhil. In the records of the princely states especially in the Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan by Col. James Tod, and others, records of Kathasaritsagar, oral traditions such as oral epichs of the tribe, that once upon a time these particular states belonged to the Bhils, the Nishads, Bhilas of the past centuries.

Gradually as Muslim invasions intensified, irresistible, the Rajput ruling families or clans took shelter in the land or states of the Bhils of Nishad Desh suppressing and repressing them continuously. Ever since even the remaining states of the Bhils gone with the political, social and cultural invaders the records of whom found in many references of in Hindu political history. The themes are ignored for further researches in social sciences since it the past states would be credited to the Bhils but it is urgently needed for the protection of the Bhil human rights. And today the Bhils still inhabit in the thickly populated regions of their own ancient regions, in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra are systematically being deprived, bit by bit even today what is still left over with them. The process of modern way of assimilation without developing their personal and social resources, sanskritisation, massive conversion to Hinduism, deprivation is socially rendering them sheer Dalits or including them only in fourth section of Varna-Jati system of the Indian society.

It is to this land and this social and cultural background, in the district of Jhabua a place called Bhabhara, Dist. Jhabua, in Madhya Pradesh, Mama Baleshwar Dayal a famous Gandhian, freedom fighter and socialist leader arrived in Bhilanchal from Etava district of U.P. Mama knew the pre history, history and royal past of the Bhils well. Seeing the Bhil Langoti in Bhabhara in Jhabua district then in the year in early thirties, was much grieved. He thought, is this the only material symbol or historical remnant of the royal Bhils of the past, to speak their glorious history....and the modern tribal development in India......? From that day on Mama vowed to redeem the Bhils in all possible ways thus gaining socially, culturally and even politically the status of Bhil Messiah. Since he worked for the total Bhil development and as a socialist leader the Indian history other political parties could have made use of his strategies for the tribal development in India have conveniently forgotten him.

Mama Baleshwar Dayal was born in a place called Nivadikalan Dist. Itava, (UP) on March 10, 1905 in a high class Brahmin family. While he was studying in the college, participated in the Indian freedom movement for which the British Government's rules that, was rusticated from the college. Mama left UP and arrived in Jhabua State, to a remote place called Bhabhara the place of Chandrasekhar Azad. In early thirties of the last century Mama Baleshwar Dayal started Bhil Ashram in Bamania with a noble vision to educate the Bhils through Dungar Vidyapeeth (Mountain University) from where he started his Bhil Movement for the overall development of the tribe. He was a member of Congress party, worked with Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and other prominent political leaders of Congress in British India. Mama, was the first to begin formal education for the Bhils be it Indian political movement for Freedom, Indian politics, opposing 12 Princely states in Bhilanchal for the abolition of taxes, trained a violent tribe in Ahinsa (non violence), Panchayati Raj, edited Bhili news paper in Bamania called Gobar, taught them how to dress well, use of local herbs, bare foot social and political worker, lived in Bhil style in a tapari (Bhil hut), ate makka no roto( maize roti), trained social and poitical leaders, starved like the Bhils, lived in the company and village of the Bhils, animated to abandon Daru (country liquor), freed from forced labour (beggar) of Maharajs, showed them the art of living, increased their swabhiman (self-respect), gave them concept of Bhilanchal ( Bhil country), advocated for the round the year employment, worked for women's liberation, promoted water shade or water conservation programmes, revived Bhil Panchayats, fought for tribal Arakshan (reservation), fought for Bhil land rights, advocated to grant them fair prices for agricultural products, conducted huge public meetings in indigenous style or with no much expenses, consistent man, did not divert Bhil funds or cheat them in money matters , printed books and pamphlets in Bhili, symbol of Bhil society and unity, composed bhajans and stories in Bhili, and many other contributions Mama Baleshwar Dayal made for the Bhil in Bhilanchal for which the Bhils addressed him with love and honour Mama meaning mother's own brother.

Mama Baleshwar Dayal was rich at heart but not with money, a loyal man to his vision and people, Lived till his death in abject poverty and simplicity. For all his plans and implementation of his vision the Brahmins, Seths and Jain community supported him with sufficient money and service. Seva (selfless service) to the Bhils and their development was their main mission. In coming contact with the Bhils, they grew in all fields but their Guru remained same poor, austere, simple, humble Hungry and alone. The Bhils made tremendous progress in that transitional period but Mama decreased in health and wealth. They increased day by day. Many times he went to jail for fighting for the Bhil human rights. Days or nights he remained Hungry, sick and even thirsty. Walked bare foot for thousands of miles in Bhilanachal guiding his Bhil children who worship and honour him as deified hero......Lived and loved them for over 7 decades in a Bhil hut which he himself maintained.

The hut in the Bhil ashram of Bamania, still bears the testimony of that Fakir and Bhil saint whom India and the media does not remember but the illiterate and badly exploited Bhils still do even today. Never raised huge funds from India or abroad and diverted like the NGOs today in Jhabua. Under his shadow the Bhils grew to maximum heights. But under the shadow of the some 150 NGOs working in Jhabua region the Bhils are growing poorer day by day socially, culturally economically and even politically. Mama often alerted the Bhils saying that you are being enslaved under Deshi Imperialism from whose chains of slavery you shall find difficult to be freed if not impossible. In near future before the Bhils are fully exploited and annihilated, will a new Mama in the form of a Messiah, take incarnation to free the Bhils from Deshi imperialism....?

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APPEAL FOR EDUCATION

In the country side of indigenous peoples, often schools are standing without teachers and students. A times for days together no classes. Of course definitely the schools may be on records, including teachers, but in actual situation it has no existence . In this case government has opened a school for the tribal or indigenous children education to respect their educational rights. Mother makes an appeal to her girl child to go to school. It is a rare chance and a priviledge. The poem narrates a simple appeal to her small daughter.

In our village
There is a school
Daughter, go to study.
In our home
When you are educated
There shall be tremendous joy
Darling,
Go to school

If fees demanded
Shall pay willingly
Darling,
Study with other children
It shall be
Beneficial to study
Darling,
Go to school.

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CLEARING THE FOREST

This poem is originally composed in an indigenous language of India called Bhili by Mahipal Bhuriya a tribal poet or Adivasi or indigenous himself and a tribal human rights activist in India. It is based on the environmental issues relating to deforestation that is taking place rapidly in the land of indigenous or Adivasi peoples in India by the non tribals. After the clearing of the indigenous peoples forests the blames are normally put on the tribals. The poem is sung by the Bhils of Jhabua (MP). The poem's folk tune is also an indigenous one.

Mr. Minister,
Clearing the forest
You turned my mountain naked
Why didn't you come to this mountain...?
If you came yourself to my mountain
Would see the hopelss sight
My mountain weeps standing
Monkies of the mountain have gone afar
And no rains ever come now on it
No monsoon clouds fly that side anymore
No vegetable creepers of Kakoda
And bhabhadi grows on the slopes any more
And hania too
No more beautiful Musli herb
Alas no children come to the mountain
Mr. Minister,
My mountain is bold totally
Soon you come
And see my mountain
Seeing the mountain
My heart burns within me
Will ever this mountain
Be green any more.....?

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HUMAN RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS WOMEN

Their Plight in Search for Human Rights and Women's Identity .....?

All over in urban or rural India, the 80% of the indigenous populations of the country, whom we call SC, ST & OBC, let it be work sites of constructions, roads, pavements, fields of landlords, domestic households, offices, etc are very badly treated and leading inhuman lives even today. Even though Indian social sciences and technology have enormously advanced, we have developed competency to reach moon and beyond, but Indian indigenous peoples' human rights and treatments towards them are in filthy gutters. This is not due to the lack of awareness in Indian society and social thinking for making good policies , but traditionally well planed social strategy to let them remain low, impoverished in all resources so that they can diminish decades after decades in quality of life and then gradually vanish. They are oppressed and suppressed from the time of the period of Vedas, Ramayana and Mahabharata, calling them with various derogatory names such as Asuras, etc. Now, just 60 years of reservations for SC, ST and OBC mostly on papers in a very well planned strategic manner for further deprivation by not implementing properly these provisions, not going to salvage their historical social ills. It needs much better policies and longer span of time. No doubt, some provisions are there but not enough and implemented.

In such as a precarious situation the major political parties have no genuinely committed social agendas to make salvage operations on priority. Now the new policies are further being envisaged to keep them out in the fields of education and research are still worse. Possibly planned to keep the indigenous students and their growing talents low, underdeveloped and these societies traditionally deprived and under normal control. For the restoration of the traditional human rights, cultural rights, or indigenous rights the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has an ideal vision which too is being resented by the upper castes in the country. If at all the frightened and suppressed folks of SC, ST and OBC charismatically rise to the national scene with their only Messiah and future hope in Indian politics Mayawati.

In this chaotic social situation and redundant social policies, the situation of indigenous women at home and at the work sites is growing intolerable beyond imagination. The indigenous women in the country due to lack of respect for their human rights are physically, socially, culturally, emotionally, deteriorating. Only a small % is seen in the public places maintaining standards because of their large population in the country. Physiologically they are becoming victims of many un-diagnosable diseases. If at all diagnosed in time, no remedies since the civil hospital have any drugs for them to cure. At home Indian patriarchal society too keeps them under various socially, culturally sanctioned controls. On the work sites, their life appears to be hell, submitting even to the work masters for satisfying their various undeclared needs thus even getting fatally ill. Against such an advanced society of India, can we see that the indigenous population and in this case women are suffering due to the lack of awareness or these are sheer planned strategy to let them remain a work force with unjust amenities, social order and thus in the course of time die before completing their life expectancy .....?

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HUMAN RIGHTS FOR INDIGENOUS WAY OF HEALING IN ADIVASI INDIA

The Adivasis India till the British Government and later Indian Government interfered had their own traditional way of healing, effective all through the past centuries, by the traditional use of herbs, shamans, other para medical healings and healers. The tribal system of healing or the indigenous practices of traditional healings are popular even today, times more effective when modern medicinal system fails. Among the Bhils of Jhabua there is popular saying that the traditional Bhil healers 'Martaan nen jivad de' meaning even the dead are brought back to life. But in the last two or three decades, an enormous harm is done to the traditional, tribal, indigenous or Adivasi way of healing, in the sense the forests are cleared by the non tribals and the Government, traditional practices are prevented, as the faked doctors take control of the tribal or the Bhil health in the country side. Instead of empowering, enriching and further elevating the tribal healers by training they destroyed the tribals in several ways and one is this by impoverishing them, in their own health and healing context. Today in the town like Jhabua and other places in the same district, faked doctors regularly healing the Bhils and outdated medicines are being sold freely with no control. Every now and then media persons bring these to light and Government does symbolic gesture to control the vice with no serious interest and proper effect.

The Bhil Badwas (priests and medicine men) assert when the tribal patients are brought to them for indigenous healing and they say, ' if the patients suffer from genuine sickness or affected by some spiritual powers, they can help , but if made sick by doctors, taking faked medicines, then we are helpless to do any indigenous healing.' Due to the interferences in the tribal or indigenous systems or traditional knowledge, the traditional and beautiful skills are vanishing in indigenous India and expensive as well faked system is overtaking and being imposed by the non tribals since over three decades on the tribals which they hardy can afford except at the cost of their land, cattles, other wealth and savings.

Considering the positive aspects and traditions of Bhil healing, Mama Baleshwar Dayal appealed to Government of India in last century, for studying systematically the indigenous health system of the Bhils and to get it approved for their chealy available local healing. The Government of India did respond positively then, and made a study of some 241 herbs used by the Bhils for the medical healing where as there were over one thousand or more. The work was not satisfactorily complete and the files were closed.

Mama Baleshwar Dayal the renounced socialist leader of the country had vision to produce these indigenous herbal medicines in cheaper way, for the tribal India, so that the huge tribal funds spent by the poor Bhils would be saved for more creative purposes. His vision never saw the light up to today and no NGOs also paid any attention in Bhilanchal region, except for the expensive tribal projects, through which they can help themselves. A great damage is continuously being done by the non tribals to the tribal funds, health and the indigenous system. Besides there is no respect for the tribal cultures in India by the non tribals on the contrary the faked and expensive systems of allopathic is being imposed for impoverishing and looting the tribal money by the non tribal doctors. Is justice being done to the tribal/indigenous/Adivasi traditional human rights today.....?

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HIV/AIDS AMONG THE BHILS OF JHABUA

The widely and fast spreading disease like HIV or AIDS was unheard among the Bhils of Jhabua, MP, India until they started to migrate some 30 years ago to Gujarat and other places due to two major failures: rains and Government. First failure is unpredictable and natural but the second one is calculated in depriving the tribals of their human rights to food, employment, and above all to their social survival, much due to their own corruptions in administration. In the case of second failure much is assured for the relief to the tribals and in fact the funds and help does arrive in abundance, but in reality it hardly reaches, where as 70% or above these days find their own employment thus proving that they are independent, self sufficient and self employed.

According to one of the leading HIV/AIDS social worker Jimmey Nirmal(30) running a center for patients of this particular disease at Jeevan Jyoti Hospital Meghnagar, says, that there are already 150 identified and registered cases with the state Government of Madhya Pradesh, receiving the treatment. Earlier some 60 to 70 patients died of HIV/AIDS without being registered Jimmey Nirmal confirms. According to him the causes of this illness is migration and in the places of work where the Bhil males mainly make sexual contacts with other opposite and non tribal partners in the cities of Gujarat like Baroda, Ahmadabad, Surat , etc. He says 48 cases of the AIDS are of advance stage and the remaining ones are of HIV. These patients are mainly between the age of 30 to 40 years.

Tribals are ignorant of the disease including the Government schemes for the treatment. It has come to them from outside due to sheer poverty, ignorance and temporary joy. There may be more than 50 cases of this disease still to be identified in this region. One of the Ayurvedic doctors in the Jhabua district is of the opinion that there is one HIV patient per 1000 Bhils in Thandla area. But according to Jimmey who is well informed in this context, says that there must be 1 HIV patient per 700 Bhil persons in the district.

In this region Government policies are slacking for the care of the HIV/AIDS patients due to which patients are suffering much. Their finances get over, no income at home, unable to work, community members maintain sufficient social distance, suffer slow but steady death, family gets impoverished in all perspectives, sell all the resources at home, affected persons of the family mainly parents die and children are rendered orphans in the course of time.

Jimmey Nirmal says that there is a lot to be done in this field and he intends to dedicate himself for the care of HIV/AIDS patients as a full timer in the near future.

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TUBERCULOSIS KILLING THE TRIBALS OF INDIA

The Bhils of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra are being fatally affected by a deadly disease called Tuberculosis, commonly called T.B. in Bhili the language of the Bhils. The state Governments of the Bhilanchal region, are calm and cool about it, as the fatal disease is spreading widely, day by day in more and more families and the whole of countryside of Bhilanchal. The main reasons for the spread of this deadly disease is malnutrition among the Bhil children, heavy physical works with lesser wages, spurious liquor, for the adult Bhils in the various states and work sites they migrate in large percentage from their tribal habitats in Bhilanchal or in their own home places. Some social workers who have close connections with the Bhils of Jhabua, that some 25% to 30% of the Bhagoria Bhils are affected by T.B. A senior doctor working in the Bhil region of Bajana (Ratlam District of MP) has observed that some 80% of the Bhils are affected by this disease or some other, for which nothing is being done on large or small scale by the responsible agencies.

UNICEF has offered its valuable help, but as usual it does not reach out to the poor Adivasis or tribals and no one is there to fight for their basic and most basic human rights for survival, since it appears that the vested interests want them to vanish from the face of the earth. Since no employment is available at home, the Bhils of Bhilanchal migrate in large numbers, to the places of work in far away places, from where bring back home diseases they contacted, developed or inherited like Tuberculosis, HIV, AIDS, Cancer, malnutrition, sexually transferable diseases such as S.T.I, etc and the Governments at home ignore their cure. The NGOs at home are certainly enjoy their developmental funds received in the forms of tribal projects with no intentions of their tribal development, but for lavishly maintaining their own life styles which has become a fashion or standard of life based on the tribal funds in Bhilanchal.

Now the among social workers, NGOs, tribal developmental workers, including the missionaries run organizations, Adivasi Seva or tribal service has spread like the diseases mentioned above. They are prospering very well on the tribal funds for the decades. And the tribals have remained stagnated and deprived at home, with no hope for the tribal development. In such a lethargic and hope-less situation, is there any cure for both....?

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LANGOTI

A Loin Cloth Wrapped on Bhil Waist

Langoti is one of the cheapest and poorest ways of dressing in a disgraceful manner on the bodies of the Bhils and other parts of tribal India. Today no Bhil would like to dress with Langoti a rag of piece of possibly white cloth on Bhil bodies. Formerly some 30 years back Langoti was popularly seen in the Bhilanchal, but today it has vanished from the sight in Bhilanchal except in rare cases. Langoti was a sign of Bhil culture, deprivation, oppression, exploitation, freedom, etc. Whatever may be the social and cultural value of Langoti, but today no one would dare to dress in Langoti.

Mahipal Bhuriya has a beautiful poem expressing the Bhil economy and developmental acheivements of Indian Government. Its title itself is LANGOTI translated from original Bhili to Hindi, English and German.

In the 4th, 5th decades and early 6th decades of the last century, Mama Baleshwar Dayal started a big and socially popular movement in Bhilanchal to appeal the Bhils to abandon Langoti. Those who wore Langoti in Bhilanchal, the rulers, Ranjputs, and other members of high caste peoples disliked and disrespected the Bhils. Hence the Bhils were called unequivocally 'Langotias' terms of references like this are prohibited by law, by Government. A good thing the Government has done in rare cases.

Mama Baleshwar Dayal prompted by love and concern for the Bhils, more than the Government started a drive to abandon Langoti. He went in the weekly Bhil markets in Bamania, Thandla, Jhabua, Banswara, Petlawad and other places making the Bhils to abandon Langoti and put on long or short dhoti as a sign of respect. Similar appeals he made in the Bhil areas in Gujarat, Maharashtra and other parts of Rajasthan, the thickly populated regions of Bhilanchal. The author’s relatives too were the part of this drive either to abandon Langoti or to help others in abandoning it.

Mama had first seen the Bhils wearing Langoti in the village of Chandrashekhar Azad called Bhabhra (Dist. Jhabua). He was pained to see the Langoti of the Bhils as the sign of disrespect and of economic development. A news paper published from Petlawad(Dist. Jhabua) called Langoti Swar is still preaching the messages of Mama.

Today Langoti has disappeared, but the symbol of Langoti has not vanished, still visible among the Bhils, and if Mama Baleshwar Dayal revisits Bhalanchal today, he shall be much more disappointed to see much worse situation prevailing and developing in Bhilanchal.

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MAMA TRAINED BHIL LEADERS FOR INDIAN DEMOCRACY

Mama Baleshwar Dayal knew well the history of the Bhil tribe that they were the ancient rulers of the Central, Western and North India. He also knew well from the ancient Indian that they had a rich royal heritage of ruling their own tribal, Nishad or Bhil land and society, maintaining their own law and order since prehistoric times better, than the maintenance of the law and order situation in free India especially in tribal Bhil land. This was very evident to Mama in the tribal life especially in their noble values of the Bhils of which he was convinced that they were absent in the mainstream society as well. It was clear to him that prior to the starting of the Indian Princely states by Rajputs, in the Bhil land, the total geographical habitat was under their control and possession since ancient times. Later all the territories of the Bhils were very unjustly and with much cruelty were annexed by Rajputs and others.

Mama Baleshwar Dayal was loving, caring and kind hearted towards the Bhils, hence he strongly felt that once this tribe was aggressively subjugated by the Rajputs, Muslims, Marathas and British peoples and now no more the history should repeat at least in Free and Democratic India. Everything is snatched away from them land, jungle and jameen. From all these and at least part of it should be restored to them in justice, fraternity and equality he felt. They had the capacity to rule, lead and think justly for their own people. Punjo Bhil was the Senapati of Maharana Pratap besides many Bhil heroes in the ancient and modern Bhil history in Bhilanchal.

In the year 1952 he made the Bhils in the whole of Bhilanchal contest elections for the Lok Sabha( Parliament) and Vidhan Sabhas(State Assemblies), etc. During Mama's life time 6 Bhil leaders won the seats of Lok Sabha elections and 16 others won for the state assembly elections. The credit goes to Mama. Today, inspite of having so much man, money and other facilities no social workers or NGOs are fighting for the justice, human cultural and political rights of the Bhils.

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PROMOTION OF EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS AMONG THE BHIL

In the year 1937, thinking to introduce the formal education among the Bhils of 12 Princely States Jhabua and its surroundings, Mama Baleshwar Dayal started a school of the Bhils called Dungar Vidyapeeth literally means Hill University. The Dungar Vidyapeeth was started in Bamania in the Princely State of Jhabua where the Bhils were oppressed and suppressed by the Rathore dynasty of Rajput kings. The noble venture was supported fully by the rich seths (merchants), advocates, journalists, high caste persons, etc.

Mamaji had initially 200 boys and 150 girls in the Dungar Vidyapeeth which was to grow up to in the final shape in the form of a residential Bhil University in the course of time if time favoured Mama and the Bhils. Saturanbai was the first Bhil girl who became an instructor in Dungar Vidyapeet after her own education in the tribal institution called Dungar Vidyapeeth.Later Mahatma Gandhi too appreciated the noble thought of Mama Baleshwar Dayal and fully supported his vision to educate the Bhils well. Thakkar Bapa too was doing the same missionary work as Mama but among the Bhils of Gujarat with great zeal.

Besides the formal education in the Dungar Vidyapeeth, Mama taught the Bhils the appropriate lesions of life as in the fast changing and growing India how to live life side by side with the people of higher castes and classes. Result of this was that the Bhils became their own leaders, guides, teachers and Gurus. Mama ideal wife became all round helper to the Bhils. What Mama Baleshwar Dayal achieved with the generous support of his fellow Hindu friends from Bamania, Petlawad, Thandla, Meghnagar, Jhabua, Banswara, Ratlam, Dahod and other places, the Government of Madhya Pradesh and Rajastha could not achieve till this day. We need supporters, visionaries, teachers and Gurus like Mama for uplifting the Adivasis of India and not the administrators and NOGs with huge budgets.

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BHIL NAKTO

A Folkloric and Cultural Way of Obtaining Salvation for Bhil Souls

Yearning for meeting God and winning of salvation for the departed souls is an inevitable indigenous belief among the Bhils to be done after the death of the elders especially. But as the sanskritisation and modernization takes place rapidly the tribal cultural and religious beliefs and religous practices are getting diluted mostly Hinduism. In this connection one should point out, that the Bhil cultural, religious and human rights are being disturbed and damaged. Nakto, a Bhil way of winning salvation for the departed souls is being beautifully maintained by the traditional and modern Bhils. The cultural damages done to the tribals of Central and Western India are being resented silently and slowly . Such opposition is being expressed in private and a times in the public meetings towards Hindus and Christians alike. A damage, to the tribal India is being felt strongly and systematically in the present century. This sort of missionary work has largely contributed negatively in the tribal communities of India. Indian missionaries in the tribal India have overlooked this fact more than the foreign missionaries especially who came from Kerala, Manglore and Goa.

In the Nakto, the deities are appeased in a three day long religious ritual, in the large gathering of the clan(gotra / jat) members, shaving off the hairs on the heads by male members of the clan, feeding to the members of the village and clan community, singing of the family history by the Ravalias(clan bards), final farewell to the departed soul or souls before the day break, mounring by the women folk, religous and ritual offerings by the married girls of the family, token of gifts for the brothers of the family by the married girls of the same etc...

These are some of the main features of the ritual called Nakto

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