SHABARI KALA MANDAL HOPE FOR RESTORING INDIAN ADIVASIS' CULTURAL RIGHTS AND GLORIOUS HERITAGE OF THE REMOTE PAST

Ancient Adivasi Bharat had reached certain level of social and cultural level of growth at one time. In the sacred books of the Hindus such as Ramayana, Mahabharata, Upnishadas, Puranas, Kathasaritsagara and other writings of the Princely states, oral traditions, etc, we do get many reliable records and references social, cultural and political heritage of the prideful Adivasi Bharat...... The original composer of the Adi Ramaya was Adi Kavi Valmiki Bhil an eminent poet of Adivasi community in Western India. Similarly, Shabari Bhilni according to Tulsidas Ramaya was parangat (expert) in Shastras (sacred books of the Hindus). Not only this, when Rama the son of King Dashrath was exiled (nirvasist) in forest, Shabari Bhilni welcomed him in her ashram and she became his host, offering him well tested bores (Bhil fruits) by her own tongue. What a status she had and what a great value of hospitality which is still found among the Bhils and other Adivasi communities of India. Surprisingly this is not found among many non Adivasi communities. In the Sanskritic literatures we find very many such references where the original Adivasi cultures, learning’s and art, of the Bhils and other tribes had reached to the heights and later by the social, cultural, political aggressions, attacks and other invaders the Bhils and other deshaj or indigenous peoples were regressed to a very low levels from where they are not able to rise today.

Shabari Kala Mandal of the Bhils in India is but one attempt to culturally make aware the Bhils and other tribes of their prideful and royal cultural heritage of their remote past. Shabari Kala Mandal has trained Adivasi artists of Bhil and other communities in the classical arts of Bharat Natyam, Kathak, Hindustani Sangeet, Indian and tribal folk dances, folk singing and folk Music of India. Besides the singing and performing art, the Shabari Kala Mandal is also working in the line to innovate, preserve and promote the tribal paining, wood carving, weaving, bead ornaments, tattoos, folk-plays, folk-games, wall paintings like Pithora, folk literatures of the tribes in India.

In the long run this will enhance tribal views and world views in India and help them, in neglected social and cultural human rights or Adivasi/tribal human rights in the country. In the ancient India the tribals had well reached certain level of the social and cultural development in the country which in the course of time, due to the social and cultural discrimination which is very much in the Indian society today, the tribal India regressed instead of making progression. What is Indian knowledge today in the form of higher learning is certainly had been of the Bhils, shabars, Gonds, Mundas, Khadia and Santhals and many regressed other tribes of today. It is a matter of serious research and some universities in India and abroad, good to note are working along this line and many more serious scholars should come forward to restore the lost heritage and humanity of ancient Adivasi India. This will bring in justice, humanitarian service, restore Adivasi human rights, instead of snatching away what they have today under the pretention of national integration and development.

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TANTIA BHIL HUMAN RIGHTS TRAINING PROJECT

Tantia Bhil together with his companions and Bhil Sena (Bhil army) was a great patriot, freedom fighter, lover and defender of Adivasi human rights in India against two great forces of that time opposed to the tribal communities. Being an Adivasi from the exploited community of Bhils of Nimar, he had much less resources at disposal. Had he been supported for this social actions to promote the sacred mission initiated on his own with an indigenously organised Bhil sena and local trained Bhil fighters together with his three other companions Bijania et, he would have achieved much more for the country and human rights of the Adivasis of that time. British rule in those days de jure and de facto opposed Tantia Bhil, the great Adivasi patriot of India. The high caste persons or the land lords instead of supporting Tantia Bhil sided with British Raj in Nimar. In the prime time of Adivasi freedom and human rights fighting moments, Tantia Bhil was betrayed by one his Hindu friends, on sacred feast Rakhi near Patal Pani Fall on Malwa-Nimar border.

There are many tribals and members of indigenous communities who are discriminated and denied their rightful status to be remembered and recorded in India history and society. Tantia Bhil is one of them who is not getting sufficient justice and honour for all that he has done for the Adivasi and Indian society. These programmes and proposals on the contrary support Indian society and development of the tribal communities in India much along the lines of many envisaging today.

The human right associations committed to the cause should promote the sacred mission of Tantia Mama to honour the hero of the Adivasi India, preserve and promote his legacy in the country today. Among many programmes and projects initiated in memory of Tantia Bhil could be concerning human rights such for example concerning Adivasi cultures, land, languages, education, food, fodder, drinking water facilities, irrigation, folk-dances, Adivasi art, trade, festivals, transparency, participation, planning, right to information, social auditing, relief work, markets, prices, commodities, shops, leadership, mines, contracts, permits, forest, public transportation, employment, schools, colleges, scholarships, health, or any other tribal human rights related issues which are systematically being denied or ignored to suite a few or others in the planning and development of the country. Tantia Bhil human rights training programmes and projects thus shall achieve commonly many aims and objectives. These could be:

1. It shall establish the image of tribal hero’s who stood for putting to an end of British Raj.
2. Instil in the hearts and minds of Adivasi youth of India patriotic spirit.
3. Human rights programmes will gain a momentum in Adivasi Anchals.
4. A sense of indigenous leadership among the tribals shall be genuinely fostered.
5. Love to work for own community with selfless zeal like Tantia Mama and his companions shall be fostered.
6. This programme should be conducted only in Adivasi languages, with printed material at hand, in each of the tribal blocks of in the country.
7. Tribal Atrocities act shall gain importance and tribal atrocities shall diminish.
8. Human rights in which highly neglected shall be respected at all levels especially in Adivasi regions.
9. Awards for those who excel in all good activities such as games, sports, human rights, etc should be instituted.
10. Tribal self esteem (Adivasi Swabhiman) which is diminishing to cultural contacts or cultural invasions, or Sanskritisation shall be protected and the Adivasis shall feel their self worth in all social and cultural matters worth.
11. Competitions in memory of this great Bhil Saint and deified hero Tantia Bhil should be on regular basis.

Is this not the right of the Adivasis and other indigenous populations in the country who are more than 80% to have 80% heroes, sages, monks, leaders, programmes ect. for and from their communities of their interests....? Then why is this great deprivation in all the areas of life......? Are there not many more good persons in other communities of indigenous origin?

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HUMAN RIGHTS' EDUCATION IN INDIA

To Honour the Bhils and Perpetuate the Memory of Rana Punja Bhil, Senapati of Mewar

The Government of India has made beautiful act called Atrocity Act for the protection of tribals or Adivasis OF India who on record are 8.2 % in the country. The Atrocity law is also operative empowering courts and persons in authority concerned to protect the tribes of India. Ever since it has come into implementation, thanks to the Government of India for enacting such a law and much more for enforcing it in the tribal regions, but on the grass root level it has made hardly any difference for the tribals in India. Besides there are so many other laws too in existence to make no difference. When the tribal or the indigenous rights issues arise there is no one to stand by and the tribals have to pay huge price for the defence of their Adivasi rights. The land case of Orissa, Tata Nano case in West Bengal and now case of British Company's Mining rights in Chhattisgarh. It is said that some laws are enacted to keep on records in papers and not for implementation. The tribal human right laws appear to be of this category. The Bhils of Western India have laid down their lives for the defence of India for example when all the Rajputs had joined Akbar's Army against Haldighat War, it was only the patriotic Bhils of India stood by the worthy son of Rajputana. What an honour for the patriotic Bhils of Rajputana who stood by till the very end of Rana Pratap when every Rajpur had deserted him. Is it not fair to initiate Human rights education to perpetuate the memory of such loyal Bhils when the so called the great warriors had deserted the Maharana of Mewar?

To perpetuate the memory and the vision of the great tribal heroes such as the Bhil Hero Rana Punja should be initiated for the colleges and the universities very aptly. At the same time another course of the tribal human rights should be introduced for the Adiviasis of India which will enhance their lowered self image by denigrating them. One such venture in the adivasi areas of India could be rightly termed as Rana Punja human right education in India. Some may enhance their self esteem while ignoring the Bhils of Mewar but the history cannot be reversed.......!

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ADIVASI HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER

Tantia Mama the Greatest Bhil & Indian Human Rights Worker of Adivasis Today

In the written sources of India and oral tradition of the Bhils, we find many heroic characters depicted as great Bhils who left behind the traces of their footprints. Among these great Bhils are Prince Eklavya the greatest archer of his time, Shabari Bhilni who honoured God Rama by her hospitality, Bhil King Rana Punja who stood by Rana Pratap of Mewar when all Rajputs of Rajputana had deserted Rana Pratap and joined Emperor Akbar's army, Tantia Mama Bhil when the Landlords of Nimar were with British people a tribal stood against the foreign rule, and many others.
Tantia Mama the sole hero and freedom fighter of Nimar originally hails from Sirpur a small village some 20km East of Khandwa in Nimar region of Madhya Pradesh. The oral tradition of the Bhils and some written records concerning Tantia Mama's unknown life history say that due to the normal land dispute, about the division of ancestral property among the brothers and nearest kins, he left the birth place and went to Aulia some 18 km away from Khandwa and settled down temporarily in a small Bhil village called Pir Pokhar.

The Muslim sage or the Holy man of Pir Pokhar sheltered Tantia, taught him many lessons to face life and not to welcome escapism. The teachings of the Muslim saint strengthened the will and character of Tantia and he gradually began to take initiatives in solving the village land disputes, recovery of higher loan interests charged by the local land lords and annexation of the Bhil land by them. One problem the tribal Bhils suffered from the Nimar land lords was concerning the loans given on higher interests to the poor Bhils which they were helpless to repay due to failure of crops, natural calamities, manmade problems owing to which the tribals suffered serious social, physical and economic harassments in the hands of the Nimari land lords. Tantia couldn't tolerate these atrocities any longer afflicting Adivasi society, economy and self-esteem of his fellow Adivasi Bhil Brothers. He began to defend them and get justice for the tribal Bhils of Nimar by taking back the land from the land lords, illegally taken away and the same way money collected from the Bhils by these land lords who were charging higher interests from the Nimari Bhils. Thus Tantia Bhil proved to be the Robin hood of Nimar. This particular role of human right defence by the emerging Bhil hero and the leader the Nimari land lords could not accept.

The land lords of Nimar the Choudharies jointly accused Tantia Bhil as it happens even today, for looting and robbing them. The British Government took action against Tantia Bhil depicting him in their records as a thief and a plunderer of Nimar. Now the wrath of Tantia Bhil turned against British rulers too who were directly doing injustice to him and supporting the land lords. His anger doubled in revenge against both powerful enemies. The British after a long struggle arrested Tantia Mama and after trying in Jabalpur court hanged the hero of Nimar unjustly. Thus one more Bhil leader, great hero and lion of Nimar, fighting ceaselessly also a great freedom fighter vanished for defending Adivasi human rights of India against the tyranny of the land lords and anarchy of the British peoples, together with his companions. Much more than the freedom fighter, Tantia Mama the great Bhil was the Adivasi human rights fighter of Nimar giants the local landlords. The government of Madhya Pradesh has not done sufficient justice to the great hero of the Bhils in the state especially in Nimar. Today Tantia Bhil is the greatest hero of Nimar, ideal Nimari, freedom fighter, defender of Adivasi human rights in India, and deified hero of the Bhils of Bhilanchal especially in Nimar. This very sacred task Mama Baleshwar Dayal did for the Bhils of Bhilanchal from Bamania in Jhabua, MP. A fact for both, the state government of Madhya Pradesh and Indian Government are yet to recognise these two Adivasi human rights fighters of Bhilanchal.

Even though the greatest hero of the Bhils, Adivasi human rights defender and a great tribal freedom fighter the hero Nimar is no more, but his spirit and the spirit of his opponents still prevail in the land of Tantia Bhil and Bhilanchal. There is a strong fight still goes on between these two spirits. New Tantias are emerging but socially, culturally and legally still crushed in an unknown way. Due to the significant contributions made by Tantia in the precarious conditions fighting against two strong enemies, British Government and the land lords of Nirmar made him a hero, saint, freedom fighter and an Adivasi human rights defender and fighter of India. The selfless sacrifice, dedication and the spirit with which he fought with the Bhil sena (Bhil army) against the British raj, many of the high caste persons of Nimar are yet to dream. The reward Tantia Mama and his companions got in their own life time that they were hanged and a lonely and unknown figure of Tantia Bhil stands near the bus stand of Jhabua(MP) in a dirty place amidst the thela gadis of hammals.

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ADIVASI HUMAN RIGHTS FOR FOOD: UNDER REGULAR DENIAL

Once upon a time Bhagoria Bhils were famous throughout India for their folklore and tribal festivals in India. Tourists who came from within the country and abroad returned home with unforgettable memories of Bhilanchal. Today, even though part of it remains but the tribal charms that existed not earlier than just two decades ago, has vanished and a gloom has spread over the land of the glamorous Bhagoria land. The media persons have time and again noticed and highlighted, but as the expression of the Bhils of the Bhagoria land says the administration does not do 'oonha' to take a slightest not of it. Today these Bhils folks are wandering in neighboring towns, cities and states.

Where are those human values disappeared....Mama Baleshwar Dayal called once upon a time to these Bhils of Bhagoria land 'Anndata'(giver of food) of non tribals in this very regions of Malwa, Palwad, Vagod, Mayod, Bhagor, Rath and Gujarat of the Bhilanchal. The Bhils of these regions have become semi-nomads (and some places beggars), as many of the reports say, from 40% to 70% or hundred % nomads of the yea or seasons of the year. Where lies the human considerations, relief work and Rojgar Guarantee (employment) programmes...? If one goes to the remote regions of the Bhils finds nothing reaches them, and hunger, drought, starvation, palayan(migration) as media constantly depicts, persists months after months and year after year...not only today.

In the local Bhili of this section of the Bhilanchal the Bhils say ' Mara hahra upar na upar khai jae ane nisun kain ni ava de...'( The merciless fathers-in-law or persons in authorise eat up in high places and never let the relief percolate a bit down ward.....). In this region 90% of the NGOs who are consistently increasing in number and funds share evidently the same philosophy of denial and deprivation, with no exception, for tribal resources and opportunities what so ever. Even if they work for another 60 years, with 5 times larger funds the situation of the Bhils of Bhilanchal will only regress and not progress ....only non tribals shall continually progress as consistently in opportunities, wealth and all the rest as it is now..!

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TRIBAL HUMAN RIGHTS: Languages Denied

The tribal languages of India are mainly grouped as Austro-Asian, Dravidian, Indo-Chinese, Chinese-Tibetan, Tibetan-Burman, etc. Some tribal languages such as Santhali, Munda, etc are older than Aryan languages. From very early times the others have not done justice to the tribal languages. Centuries onwards they have been denied tribal human rights in this context linguistic rights of the vast majority of of indigenous peoples by imposing themselves and their languages. This has been occurring all through the history of India even today the tribal languages are being weakened. There are over 1200 tribal languages from which over 100 languages have been sufficiently and efficiently being spoken by large tribal groups such as Bhils, Gonds, Santhals, Munda, Oraon, Khadia, Munda, Warlis, Bhilalas and many others. But the state governments have done irreparable damage to linguistic heritage of the Adivasi Languages' human rights. Many of the major tribal languages are very musical, poetic, literary, rich in literature and indigenous knowledge, human rights and value oriented, recreational, having various elements absent in the major languages of the country, practical for initiating formal education in schools at early age, etc. What a great cultural disaster to the tribal human rights in India today which is still in process. This is one of the factors among many tribes why formal education, information of the economic development, health, and media could reach them. In other words Adivasi human rights concerning languages are systematically denied!

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SPOKEN BHILI LANGUAGE

Bhili language is one of the ancient and the most beautiful languages of tribal India. Dr. Nemichand Jain a linguist, scholar of ancient Indian languages of North India like Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, Apbhransh, Malvi etc. was a great scholar of Bhili. Dr. N. Jain was a specialist and lover of Bhili of Jhabua and its adjoining territories in Rajasthan, Gujarat and part of Maharashtra of Bhilanchal. He was of the opinion that Bhili has potentiality of being a language since it already has rich and vast heritage of literature behind. He was of the conviction that it is vastly being neglected by the administration and due to the ignorance of its own members of Bhil community it is losing its golden chances of developing into a rich language. Dr. Nemichand Jain left behind a three published volumes in the form of:

(1) BHIL: Bhasha, Sahitya aur Sanskriti
(2) Bhili-Hindi Kosh (Dictionary of Bhili)
(3) BHILI ka Bhasha Shastriya Adhyayan (Vol. I)
(4) BHILI ka Bhasha Shastriya Adhyayan (Vol.II) unpublished

Besides Dr. Nemichand Jain a few other scholars and writers contributed for the preservation and promotion of Bhili the language of the Bhils like Rev. Thompson(Rudiments of Bhili), George Grierson (BHILI : Linguistic Survey of India), Leon Jungblut ( A Short Bhili Grammar), Devprasad Ganawa ( Bhili Vyakaran), Sharma (Bhili Grammar), etc

Now Mahipal Bhuriya is bringing out a Bhili Grammar together with a short working dictionary of the Bhili and sample sentences for spoken Bhili. The Bhili course that he offers at the Centre for Tribal Culture and Art, Jhabua (MP) is useful for administrators, scholars, researchers, tourists, social workers, and others. Soon the course shall be available on audio and video cassettes.