A Tribal Boy's Struggles For Primary Education

Tribal India is struggling today to aquire their basic needs in which the the education of the promary school going tribal chidren suffer most. In fact Govt. of India under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (right to education / education for all) provides some minimum facilities and incentives for these primary school going children but of not much facilitating. But, on the other hazards are much more binding and powerful than the support provided to the chidren by the Governent, which does not help the children to avail these public facilities. Most of the parents of the tribal India are either agriculturists or involved in some other occupations. But when the whole family is collectively involved or engaged in common endeavour for earning their daily food, no matter how serious the other matters are. daily bread or right to livelihood is of highest concern of the day, or else they have no right for food even at home. Here is a beautiful description of a tribal boy who needs to go to school but is unable to find time due to the pressures of work at home:

Tan tan rings school bell, but my teacher

How should I come to study ?

My sick and old father forces me to graze cattle

And then how can I come to study, my teacher..?

My mother frail one forces me to fetch water from the village well

How then I can come to school...?

Tan tan rings the bell of the school my teacher

My elder brother forces me to take care of the small children.

Then how can I come to school to study, my teacher.

My elder brother's wife compulses me to prepare food.

How to come then to school my techer...?

Tan tan rings bell my techer,

My elder sister makes me lift cow dung

from cow shade my teacher

Then how can I come to study my master....?

This folk song is creation of the school going tribal boys and girls og Jhabua district in Madhya Pradesh and is appropriately sung in the public places for music competion, marraiges, pleasure hearing and other occasons.

TRIBAL IDENTITY: AN URGENT HUMAN RIGHT OF INDIA

According to prehistorians and cultural anthropologists ancient India was the homeland of tribals and other indigenous (Mulnivasis). Later more dominant and invading people in their land subjugated and suppresed them in the past 20-30 centuries. Years back these Mulnivasi groups were inhumanly assimilated leaving no traces of thier social identity axcept rendering them Shudras reserved for various menials tasks, whose self sacrifising valuable services rendered in past centuries either for no money or little compensation. Today no one wants to gratefully acknoweledge these services with sufficient justice to give them opportunities for socal and economic emancipation in the light of Indian Constitution. What is achieved in the last 60 years is but a straw in camel's mouth. On the contrary some reversing movements are under current to fail this newly achieved social dignity with the help of Constitutional safeguards for the indigenous population, for their identity, culture, art, languages, mytholog, folk-education, values, folklore, folk wisdom, etc.

Today tribal/adivasi India is with much dificulty able to save their cultural heritage and protect their social identity against the damages being done to them . Hence it is an urgent need of the time to protect their over all tribal human rights with the help of techniques like social ingineering against assimilation and in favour of their social or tribal identity. Tribals should retain or maintain their hstorical identity at any cost otherwise they shall fall in the category of Shudras like other ethnic groups who socially and culturally got even degenerated.

Keeping these social and cultural concerns in mind the Centre for Tribal Culture & Art (CTCA) at Meghnagar, District Jhabua (M.P.). India conducted a three day long national conference where from Sept. 17-19 2010, where 31 scholars, social workers of national reputation attended it. Its innaugural address was given by an octogenerian cultural anthopologist of India no other than Prof. Dr. B.K.Roy Burman of New Delhi in which he expressed a grave concern for the protection and promotion of tribal identity and their human rights on Sept. 17,2010. Dr. Marianus Kujur of Indian Social Institute New Delhi articulated strongly ‘ identity crisis of tribes in India'. Prof. Dr.J.J. Roy Burman spoke on ‘Sacred Grove: cultural symbol for tribal self-assertion’. Pratap Baria spoke about ‘contribution of Central and State Governments of India for the promotion of tribal art.’ Dr. Rita Malache of Mumbai University spoke very strongly on the preservation and promotion of tribal culture through museum in the country. Malhingh Katara a Bhil social worker spoke on the Bhil Pithora art: motifs, depiction and popularisation in the post modern India through images and its content explanation. Mahipal ( Mathias) Bhuriya spoke on ‘ADIVASIKARAN: a tribal vision of India, Prof. Dr. P.S. Vivek of Mumbai University expressed his views on development and tribals in urban context in India. Dr. P.C. Hembram spoke on tribal culture and its identity. The seminar on tribal identity was jointly organised by ActionAid ( Bhopal), Centre for Tribal Culture & Art (CTCA) and other organization.

It was strongly felt by the paticipants that seminars, consultations, workshops, on tribal identity should frequently organised CTCA net working with other like minded institutions, assoiatons and individual scholars.

FLAMES CONSUME A TRIBAL HERO

When asked to Vijay Ganawa (40) a Bhil if Jhabua(M.P) ‘Do you burn Ravana the great Bhil...? He promptly replied, 'No, we don’t burn Ravana. He is our Bhil hero. We honour him as our god, hero and fellowmen.’ And then Vijay narrated a long story in which the Bhils of Jhabua untimely associate with Ravana as revered person of great importance. Alas, I said in my mind all through the centuries how many tribal heroes must have been killed, despiced, socially murdered together with their reputations, damaging totally their human rights from pre-historic times untill today. Some are burried even from memories of their tribal folks some are called Asuras yet others are criminals and remmaining had to indulge in ‘vagar’(forced labour) building their palaces, cultivate fields and fodder for them, build roads and bridges all through not for one generation but for many centuries for centuries.

The Bhils traditionally celebrate Dusshera in their own Bhil way. Ravana is their god and much revered hero. In past years the Bhil way of celebrating Dusshera was by killing a big buffalo and here one can say that in their folk memories, the meat is a holy food and was shared by all the families residing in the boundry of the village. In some places even Rajput who annexed Bhil territories participated in their sacred ceremony like in Jhabua there is still a mountain where Jhabua kings of Rathore family of Rajputs used to hold this ceremony for Bhil community with joy and even the ‘kalals’(liquor merchants) supplied ‘ganzo’(country liquor) who marketed it among the Bhils and other communities of present day Scheduled Castes (SC) and Other Backward Communities (OBC), as sared drink to all male elders residents talking in their liquor shoping areas. Today among many customs and festivals of the Bhils, suffering breach of human rights, linguistic rights, religious rights this too under strict vigilence and prevention. But on Arch Bhil Badwo Mano of Ranapur area in Jhabua district of MP is said to continue Buffalo Ceremony during this festival on a mountain top of Vagai village some 20 km west of the town of Ranapur resisting the breach of their human and cultural rights by non-tribal communities or even government as people report. Why should we not maintain our rights and festival people say.

Vijay Ganawa says that the Bhils of Jhabua District gather in Jhabua district headquater and Thandla town not to burn Ravana but to honour him and to see the direction in which the skeleton of the symbolic body collapse when he is shot by firy arrows in the Dusshera festival of the non-tribal Hindus. Each direction of Ravana fall has a symbolic and auspicious meaning. And when Ravana holy body collapses on the ground, while inflamed by fire, the rush to take burning wood back home, believing that if placed in ther homes will cast off many sickness and bring home various blessing for family members, cattles, agriculture and other occupation.

Should not be tribals religious' feeling be respected not burning Ravana….? Or, should the image of Ravana not be enhanced for social, cultural and other ethoes…? In this we need to enter into history, culture and folklore of tribal India if at all we protect their overall human rights.....!

BHILI : SERIOUS THREATS TO ITS LINGUISTIC RIGHTS TODAY

Bhili had been the rich and ancient of Bhil kings, princes, tribal chiefs of the past who in the course of time lost their rich and glorious cultural and linguistic heritage when they came in contact with more powerful invaders who in turn reduced them to lowest status today in the country depriving them almost of everything. The ancient tribal communities of India like Gonds, Bhils, Santhals, Jesukurumbas in the South and others had reached once upon a time a certain level of cultural progression as we get their stray, sporadic and a times solid records in prehistory, ancient Sanskrit literatures, history of the medieval age, records of so called royal families, Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan of Todd, Muslim and Mogul records, British history and clearly pointing that even how brutally were treated by more powerful invading people in the past and also we can see these accounts in their oral history or oral tradition of the Bhilsand other tribes. In the collective or folk memory of the tribe it goes without saying that they once upon a time were rulers of many princely states or parts of the vast regions which once they occupied and more powerful invading people annexed from them by invading and torturing them . Coat of Arts, siezeliography, numismatic, cultural symbols and other records too depict that the present Bhils had their monopoly over vast regions of North India which is annexed from them systematically regressing them to the annihilative situation. This goes without saying in the case of Gonds, Jesukurumbas, Bhilalas, Mahadev Kolis and few their tribes in india.

When we place Bhili the mother tongue of millions of Bhils uncared and and given no importence for its survival, development, formation of script, promotion of their mother tongue, education, festival, historical and other rights, it goes without saying that it shall meet similar fate as its speakers were dealt badly in the past 20-30 centuries. But if the policy makers are honest it can change it fate of Bhili the mother tongue of the bhils

Around 1828 Rev Thompson of Kherwara in Rajasthan had made a survey of this tribal language of the ancient Bhil tribal community, followed by Linguistic Survey of India conducted by George Grierson, and later a dozens of writers paying keen attention to its grammar but with no support of the Free India's responsible people who in turn divided this great linguistic BHILI speaking zone in their favor. And now Dr. J.C. Sharma is seriously engaged in preparing Bhili Grammars with a team of experts and Bhili writers and respondents from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. In this connection one should know what the background of Bhils and Bhili is.

The Bhils re the Great people of the ancient days from whom the present invading people have annexed their territories in these four states. They are they indigenous or autochthoms of the place . Once upon a time the prehistorians and scholars say that their culture had reached a certain level of development and they did have their kings, rulers, chiefs, religion, language, art, philosophy, law, justice of their owl which the more powerful invading people suppressed and oppressed them over the 20-30 centuries and deprived them of everything and brought them today to a situation to starve and die. Now all over Bhili speaking regions specially n these four states, a sow but steady awakening is coming for the revival of their past glory, culture, language, art, music, region, solidarity, values, food, culture, etc in keeping with the 5th & 6th Schedule of the country. And now in the light of the 8th Schedule they feel that Bhili can be the language listed in the 8th Schedule of the constitution of India. Thanks of the sympathetic attitude of the Central Institute of Indian Languages(CIIL) Mysore, India that they have developed a scientific system to render Bhili which was so far in the oral tradition to give a written form.

TRIBAL - ADIVASI - INDIGENOUS : COMMUNITY OF INDA DENIED THEIR LINGUSTIC AND CULTURAL RIGHTS

A National level Bhili Workshop was organised to safe guard the educational lingustic and cultural rights of the third largest tribal ethnic COMMUNITY of India, in Udaipur (Raj.) from Oct 1-8 2010 under the leadership of Dr. Rakesh Sachdeva, Director of Central Institute of Languages(CIIL) of Mysore, Karnataka(India). First two days sessions of the Bhili workshop a wider consultation was held with the Bhili speaking delegates, teachers, language experts and others coming from various places in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. including other experts from NCERT(Delhi) and CIIL. In all some 80 participants were present in the first two days workshop and the rest of the days were spent in finalisation of The Bhili Grammar and The Bhili Dictionary being worked out under and eminent Linguist Dr. J.C. Sharma a retired Profssor of CIIL, at Mysore.

First day Dr. Rakesh Sachdeva director of CIIL, Prof. Ravindra Director of NCERT (Delhi), Dr.Sastry Director of engangered anguages of India, Dr. J.C. Sharma in-charge of Bhili Project and others addressed the innaugural session utmost pride and great enthusiasm. Dr. Sachdeva stressed the need of promoting Bhili initially as a means for encouraging Bhili speaking into primary schools education while Dr Sastry upheld the tribal or human rights of vanishing tribal languages even though some of them are being spoken by less than 10 thousands persons.

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Dr. J.C. Sharma an expert of Bhili spoke very convincngly and generously in favour of Bhili the language of the Bhils of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharshtra and of Madhya Pradesh that among all the 22 major and schduled languages spoken in India Bhili ranks 14th s the speakers of Bhili as their own mother tongue and hence Bhili has all the rights to be listed in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India. He further mentioned that there are over all 17 variety of Bhili dialects spoken in the four states according to the Census of India 2001 and total number of Bhili speakers are 95,82,957. Actually some people in these four states by mistake returned in the Census their mother tongues as the speakers of regional languages such as Gujarati, Marathi, Rajasthani, Marwari, Malavi, Nimari, Hindi etc. So we can convenienty add to the list of speakers another 95 lacs of Bhils whose mother tongue is Bhili and the Bhils who are on the fringe of these linguistic regions of the regional languages whose mother tongue is Bhili some 50 lacs if not more. These faulty enumerations are due to some unexpressd personal problems of Bhili speakers and other internal strategies of the returning persons of the Census apparent in some places like Chhatisgragh tribal regions, also appearing in other places in the Census 1991 and 2001. This fact is of no exception to Bhili speakers and Bhils eitheir wose mother tongue is Bhili . Actually one can say boldly that Bhili is the language of neanly 300 lacs of Bhils homogeniously scattered in these four states. They are either erroniously and discriminately denied their Human Rights ,or for the convenience of major ethnic groups such as Marathi, Gujarati and Rajasthani speakingpeople. the Bhili speakers or the Bhils divided unjustly in four states deniayng their linguistic, cultural and other human rights. The cultural and inguistic rights of the Bhils should be restored sooner and human rights of this vast majority of the ethnic community of the Bhils so far denied and ignored be respected

Dr. Ganesh Devy of Gujarat strongly feels and is of the opinion that that Bhili language can easly be a convenient language of instruction in schools beginnng from primary to higher Secondary schools and even up to collegesand universities where many subjects can be easily taught in Bhili and this language is capable of. It is only this wayDr. Devy feels that the education in all the Adivas ares will be a success. Otherwise we are denying them of the education. It is very true and actually n the grass root levels only denial for their basic rights for education, language and culture is on rampage. If the language is denied, culture is denied and their social existence as a community is denied, be sure their annihilation and assimilation as shudra is socially and biologically geared. Can the denial of their human existence and human rights be egitimaley accepted....?

A week long Bhili language consultation ended with immediately hope for the development of Bhili as an mportant language of India capable to entr into 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India.

After Oct 2 the Gandhi Jayanti, few days were spent by Dr. Sharma to revise Bhili Grammar and Bhili dictionary with a team of Bhili experts where Mahipal Bhuriya Director of Centr for Tribal Culture and Art Society and Bhili Resource Center was a resource person for Bhili, the great language of India.

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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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