The Bhils, Gonds, Santhal, Nahals, and many such ancient tribes of India are the most Adi and the indigenous peoples of this country. They known with many generic names as autochthons, sons of the soil, Deshaj, Adi Nivasi, Adi Vasi, Adivasi but not vanvasi. They lived here from the time immemorial, even before coming of the Aryans, to this subcontinents, at least to their adi nivases of home lands, or to their deshes. In the context of the Bhils, Gonds and Santhals, their present home land, was not the one in which they are living present times. In many cases and areas of the Adivasis, they were forcefully treated by armed and aggressive peoples who invaded their lands. The Adivasis never invaded or did atikraman (encroachments) of alien territories in history but shared and sheltered others in their land and with their own resources to the incoming peoples, a hospitality matchless with any ethnic groups in India today. But these, in the course of Indian history deprived them of their total resources, forcing them to take shelters in the remotest parts of hilly gorges calling them with derogatory terms such as vanvasis and others as well, prohibited by Atrocity Act of India. Thanks to the Indian Government today for this legal protection. The Bhils, Gonds, Santhals, Mundas, Bhilas and many others are the original peoples of the past. Some of whom have lived in the valley of Ganges even from where they were unseated. The history says that the home of the Nishads or Bhils was Northern, Centre and Western parts of India which was their original and fertile land. In the prehistoric times, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Upnishdas, Puranas, ancient Indian history of the princely states, Mogul history, Rajput history, Maratha History, British history and in the rest of the records, we find glorious records of the Bhils, Gonds, Santhals and other tribes. Even some of the languages like Bhili, Santhali, Khadia, Munda, Nahali etc are older to Sanskrit the linguists say. In the case of the Bhils, Gonds and Santhals their original land is divided by the later coming peoples in various states. In the case of the Bhils Rajasthan (old Rajputana), Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh, similarly in the case of the Royal Gond tribe whose princely days' antiques or remnants still present, such as a Minister of state Government of Madhya Pradesh Kunwar Shah and few others, still one can see and their royal and undeniable past can be traced. Gondwana too is divided in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Jharkhand. Similarly Santhal land too.
When their ancient geographical space is so badly shrunk socially, culturally, linguistically and politically today, in context of their dear Adivasi/tribal cultures, languages, religions, art, music, songs, myths, legends, folktales, games, indigenous knowledge, world views and values which is vastly influenced over the period of more than 20 centuries, and they are totally subjected today for everything and in everything, then how their overall human rights can be respectfully upheld........? On the contrary they have to learn Sanskrit at the cost of their own tribal languages. When all take English education, excelling in higher studies, in English, only tribals are forced to learn in Hindi and regional languages by state education boards. What a discrimination...? Already in the first stage itself. It is a prime time to revive the ancient tribal histories, cultures, languages, religions, art, symbols, and unite them under tribal geographical regions the Bhils in Bhilanchal, Gonds in Gondwana, Santhals in Santhal Desh, etc, for the preservation, protection and integration of the ancient denied overall human or Adivasi tribal rights. Or else even their names shall be conveniently wiped out from the antique pages of ancient Indian tribal and other histories as the attempts are being done all over India in connection with the tribal/Adivasi names and surnames who shall be rendered soon as Dalits/Shudras or Chandals. Would any tribal or the indigenous peoples like their presence be wiped out from the face of ancient and present day history...? If we do not protect ourselves according to the rights given by the Constitution of India, the Bhils and other tribals shall be vanished for ever from the face of ancient Nishad Desh and present Bhilanchal and similarly other tribes in the same way.
In order to protect our tribal/Adivasi humanity in the Bhilanchal and other tribal respective regions, for the overall Bhil or tribal/Adivasi rights of their ancient origin, ancient Adivasi regions prehistory, history, culture, ancient Nishad Deshes, encounter with other peoples, look into the transferring of their land into the hands of incoming aggressive and militant peoples, suppression and oppressions of their ancient sublime Adivasi cultures and societies, exploitations today, diminishing of their developmental opportunities, inappropriate division the Bhil, Gond, Santhal and other Adivasi lands in four or more present states of these respective tribes, they should be meticulously studied in equal justice and social eaqualities. If these rights are not protected according to the rights and privileges given in the 5th and 6th Schedules of the great constitution of India, according to the great vision for the indigenous peoples of the country seen by our country's Constitution maker Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, then their total rights shall appear to be systematically denied, and we shall appease ourselves eating only crumbs. Many minor tribes have been given with their own tribal states. Then why not Santhals with Santhal Desh, Gonds with Gondwana and the Bhils with BHILANCHAL for the protection of their tribal/Adivasi human rights in dignified way of national integration....? In the present political scenario, only one party seems to be respecting the human rights of the indigenous peoples. But many media persons are awakened to look into these issues. The tribal intellectuals and other scholars have begun to enlighten the nation. We suppose the dawn of Tribal/Adivasi human rights is appearing gradually.
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Sunday, January 4, 2009
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