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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Wednesday, April 1, 2009
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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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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Friday, March 27, 2009
GOBAR
First Bhili Language News Paper for the Protection of Tribal Human Rights
Mama Baleshwar Dayal was the first to edit and print the first Bhili news paper called GOBAR. BHILWANI is the second news paper in Bhili edited by Mahipal Bhuriya. GOBAR was edited , printed and published from Bamania(Dist, Jhabua) by Mama individually. Prior to GOBAR the Bhili news paper had some other names in thirties and fourtied and fifties of the last century.. Each time Mama Baleshwar Dayal went to prison the name of his paper was transfered to some other editors. GOBAR literally means cowdung, and this no one dared to snatch away from thr Father of the Bhils.
GOBAR was circulated in whole of Bhilanchal.
Through GOBAR Mama educated the Bhils in tribal human rights, linguistic human rights, political rights, educational rights, etc. Through this paper he brought the over all developmental education to the Bhils successfully unlike the NGOs today who do not communicate to the tribals their plans and projects.
For the protection of the human rights, development programmes and communication of other information, each of the NGO working in the tribal regions should publish weekly or monthly news bulletins and News Papers.
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Mama Baleshwar Dayal was the first to edit and print the first Bhili news paper called GOBAR. BHILWANI is the second news paper in Bhili edited by Mahipal Bhuriya. GOBAR was edited , printed and published from Bamania(Dist, Jhabua) by Mama individually. Prior to GOBAR the Bhili news paper had some other names in thirties and fourtied and fifties of the last century.. Each time Mama Baleshwar Dayal went to prison the name of his paper was transfered to some other editors. GOBAR literally means cowdung, and this no one dared to snatch away from thr Father of the Bhils.
GOBAR was circulated in whole of Bhilanchal.
Through GOBAR Mama educated the Bhils in tribal human rights, linguistic human rights, political rights, educational rights, etc. Through this paper he brought the over all developmental education to the Bhils successfully unlike the NGOs today who do not communicate to the tribals their plans and projects.
For the protection of the human rights, development programmes and communication of other information, each of the NGO working in the tribal regions should publish weekly or monthly news bulletins and News Papers.
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Wednesday, March 25, 2009
INTEGRATED TRIBAL DEVELOPMENT
Tribals of India have been persisting to adjust with the emerging situation in the country since last three centuries especially in Modern India. This newly developed socio-economic situation in modern India has not been contributing positively for their over all social, cultural, economic and political welfare of the indigenous peoples. On the contrary, they have been successively losing what their community owned traditional resources namely jal (water), jungle (forests) and jameen(land) a slogan the social activists have strongly raised in favor of tribals in India are largely depleted in favour of non tribals. .
Today they are also confronted with clashes with other powerful societies and state governments in the country.Thus ,indigenous communities are getting badly disorganized in the name of national integration.,Their dignified and joyful era, tribal co-existence has vanished and , Much worse in the whole process of tribal development they are becoming Dalits, social or cultural slaves,of noble Indians,, getting more and more in the disadvantaged positions in the national main stream of India.
A total area of human rights,, education, health, women and child empowerment, youth animations, peoples organisations, natural resource management, disaster management, child labour, should be treated with totally new and indigenous perspectives,for tribals integrated development or else the other or non tribals communities soon shall swallow these 80% indigenous peoples including tribals.
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Today they are also confronted with clashes with other powerful societies and state governments in the country.Thus ,indigenous communities are getting badly disorganized in the name of national integration.,Their dignified and joyful era, tribal co-existence has vanished and , Much worse in the whole process of tribal development they are becoming Dalits, social or cultural slaves,of noble Indians,, getting more and more in the disadvantaged positions in the national main stream of India.
A total area of human rights,, education, health, women and child empowerment, youth animations, peoples organisations, natural resource management, disaster management, child labour, should be treated with totally new and indigenous perspectives,for tribals integrated development or else the other or non tribals communities soon shall swallow these 80% indigenous peoples including tribals.
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Tuesday, March 24, 2009
IMPOWERISHED BY ALCOHOL AND POLICE
Three days back I was travelling from Ratlam (MP), a widely used railway station by the Bhils of Madhya Pradesh returning in the evening to my place Meghnagar. I casually bought a current ticket and boarded a common passengers' compartment in the Avantika Express (Indore-Mumbai) which was heavily packed by the Bhils migrating to Gujarat in search of daily wages for procuring food for themselves. Joining them in the train like this, thought I shall know the pulse of the Adivasi peoples in India better. All these Bhil passengers appeared hungry and starved, but happy and hopeful. As the train moved from the station, I found that these Bhils were from the village called Raoti near Ratlam of the clan (gotra) called Pargi.
After a brief introduction and a conversation in Bhili, I verified as usual there was no job provided by the Government and since affected by starvation and drought, they had to flee the village to Surat (Gujarat) where they would self-employ themselves in some construction work and thus help themselves in such destitute situation. This Pargi clan of people further informed me that many were fleeing from surrounding villages since the Government was not doing anything. .
I spontaneously asked whether they consume alcohol out of curiosity and seeking some information from them? A non tribal passenger standing close to me promptly responded joining our discussion saying, ' Two things are breaking down these poor people’s economy, that is Daru (alcohol) and the second police. Since they over drink and fight among themselves, the police benefits from their crimes and grow richer on the contrary leaving them socially disorganised and impoverished. A few passengers standing close to us affirmed the fact with sympathy for the tribals.
Sad enough, The Bhils of these regions had their own customary laws which are still prevalent among them, to resolve their disagreements mutually, building further their culture and solidarity, among themselves. And the justice in the Bhil tribal council through customary laws is just, mathematical, cheap, instant and transparent. What more is needed...Instead the Government destroyed good and fair tradition of their own which supported them for over many centuries, which was very much just, and introduced corrupt, most expensive and destroying tribal unity, solidarity with one another besides regressing them in several areas of life.
One question arose instantly to my mind as to whose benefits or for whose society's benefits the Government is working. Whose system, economy and society Government is building....? Is it for the good of the tribals? In this case tribals are systematically being impoverished much more by introducing these more and more corrupt practices and subjugating them totally to non tribals. Nothing more; it is high time to restore good and sublime practices of the tribals and abstain from interfering further in their valid and just systems of indigenous peoples. There are sufficient constitutional provisions for the tribal restoration; if at all the people on the top want the good of the Adivasis and the protection of their human rights in India....!
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After a brief introduction and a conversation in Bhili, I verified as usual there was no job provided by the Government and since affected by starvation and drought, they had to flee the village to Surat (Gujarat) where they would self-employ themselves in some construction work and thus help themselves in such destitute situation. This Pargi clan of people further informed me that many were fleeing from surrounding villages since the Government was not doing anything. .
I spontaneously asked whether they consume alcohol out of curiosity and seeking some information from them? A non tribal passenger standing close to me promptly responded joining our discussion saying, ' Two things are breaking down these poor people’s economy, that is Daru (alcohol) and the second police. Since they over drink and fight among themselves, the police benefits from their crimes and grow richer on the contrary leaving them socially disorganised and impoverished. A few passengers standing close to us affirmed the fact with sympathy for the tribals.
Sad enough, The Bhils of these regions had their own customary laws which are still prevalent among them, to resolve their disagreements mutually, building further their culture and solidarity, among themselves. And the justice in the Bhil tribal council through customary laws is just, mathematical, cheap, instant and transparent. What more is needed...Instead the Government destroyed good and fair tradition of their own which supported them for over many centuries, which was very much just, and introduced corrupt, most expensive and destroying tribal unity, solidarity with one another besides regressing them in several areas of life.
One question arose instantly to my mind as to whose benefits or for whose society's benefits the Government is working. Whose system, economy and society Government is building....? Is it for the good of the tribals? In this case tribals are systematically being impoverished much more by introducing these more and more corrupt practices and subjugating them totally to non tribals. Nothing more; it is high time to restore good and sublime practices of the tribals and abstain from interfering further in their valid and just systems of indigenous peoples. There are sufficient constitutional provisions for the tribal restoration; if at all the people on the top want the good of the Adivasis and the protection of their human rights in India....!
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CULTURE OF JOY
They do not get 50 % to 70% meals annually, neither proper shelter to stay when on move , nor sufficient and clean water to drink; but they are today living symbols joy and undeniable proofs of total exploitation and deprivation in a land tribal development, where the Government and NGOs claim to be fully dedicated for their total and sustainable development since decades. No responsible persons come to their rescue in the times faced with natural calamities, man made problems except in the opportune times when non tribals can avail for themselves, heavy funds from national and international agencies, merely in the name of tribal relief through heavy projects and manipulate the tribal developmental funds again heavily. Where as the tribals are independent, self sustaining or self sufficient by themselves on the contrary they are providing grain, income, labour for the non tribals in legal and illegal way.
Also they strongly believe in fatalism, and ever since natural and man made problems began to haunt them, since 30 years more or less, in acquiring their daily food, they independently searched for it in the towns and cities of distant places. The developmental funds rolling to their land were spent on the papers for some one else's benefits, very evident mirrored through a life they live today and the whole tribal scenario speak more convincingly than before. Due to their swabhiman (self-respect) they do not beg or bow politically because they know that they are the ones to deprive them holistically. They honestly and tirelessly strive to get their daily bread with their own sweat, that too with swabhiman(self respect).
Even this year 2009, there is famine and drought everywhere in all the districts of Bhilanchal and 70% Bhils have migrated. Yet the funds will come and will be spent by all for all the Bhils, through all the months of the year including by the NGOs, but the Bhils of Bhilanchal will eat the bread (roti) of their own sweat, acquired by his own labour in some distant land, in his own way and not by the funds of those who aquire in his name, because they shall be spent on the papers.
Who are the most needly ....? Who are the most greedy....? Who are the most dishonest in the whole process ...? The Bhils....? No. Guess who...? In this context the Bhils prefer to starve, face starvation, respectfully face death and honestly die with dignity not cursing any one, accepting even death as part of their life, but under their own roof.
Bhils are the genuine embodiment of divine vitues, real temple of God, whom even the great missionaries could not give more virtues because their Bhagwan had aleady endowed them traditionally. And don't forget, bhils are the most honest citizens of India who prefer to face natural death and die, rather than indulge in begging, borrowing and robbing. These factors are parts of non tribal cultures whom no one condemns such as the police in Bhilanchal whole day haunt the tribals as if they are the the only and biggest miscreants of the land. Only now since a few years, due to migration, physically broken down, a few Bhils are seen to make individual options to beg and borrow that too with utter shame and humiliation. In this context an internationally reputed Hindi poet of Jhabua(MP) says that 80% of the Bhils are honest and live by their own efforts where as in the cities or among the non tribals it is just opposite.
But in the midst of exploitation, deprivation, manipulation, migration, even when there is no food to eat for days together, deprived of most of the human rights cultural rights, and all other indigneous rights, they still sing, dance and smile freely with joy, believing firmly that one day their Good God( Bhol shall bless them and their home land Bhilanchal) with abundence. And that day the long awaited golden age will come. In this hope of millenarian live with joy because the style of life their culture provides.
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Also they strongly believe in fatalism, and ever since natural and man made problems began to haunt them, since 30 years more or less, in acquiring their daily food, they independently searched for it in the towns and cities of distant places. The developmental funds rolling to their land were spent on the papers for some one else's benefits, very evident mirrored through a life they live today and the whole tribal scenario speak more convincingly than before. Due to their swabhiman (self-respect) they do not beg or bow politically because they know that they are the ones to deprive them holistically. They honestly and tirelessly strive to get their daily bread with their own sweat, that too with swabhiman(self respect).
Even this year 2009, there is famine and drought everywhere in all the districts of Bhilanchal and 70% Bhils have migrated. Yet the funds will come and will be spent by all for all the Bhils, through all the months of the year including by the NGOs, but the Bhils of Bhilanchal will eat the bread (roti) of their own sweat, acquired by his own labour in some distant land, in his own way and not by the funds of those who aquire in his name, because they shall be spent on the papers.
Who are the most needly ....? Who are the most greedy....? Who are the most dishonest in the whole process ...? The Bhils....? No. Guess who...? In this context the Bhils prefer to starve, face starvation, respectfully face death and honestly die with dignity not cursing any one, accepting even death as part of their life, but under their own roof.
Bhils are the genuine embodiment of divine vitues, real temple of God, whom even the great missionaries could not give more virtues because their Bhagwan had aleady endowed them traditionally. And don't forget, bhils are the most honest citizens of India who prefer to face natural death and die, rather than indulge in begging, borrowing and robbing. These factors are parts of non tribal cultures whom no one condemns such as the police in Bhilanchal whole day haunt the tribals as if they are the the only and biggest miscreants of the land. Only now since a few years, due to migration, physically broken down, a few Bhils are seen to make individual options to beg and borrow that too with utter shame and humiliation. In this context an internationally reputed Hindi poet of Jhabua(MP) says that 80% of the Bhils are honest and live by their own efforts where as in the cities or among the non tribals it is just opposite.
But in the midst of exploitation, deprivation, manipulation, migration, even when there is no food to eat for days together, deprived of most of the human rights cultural rights, and all other indigneous rights, they still sing, dance and smile freely with joy, believing firmly that one day their Good God( Bhol shall bless them and their home land Bhilanchal) with abundence. And that day the long awaited golden age will come. In this hope of millenarian live with joy because the style of life their culture provides.
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Monday, March 23, 2009
A TRIBAL PRINCESS OF ODE : RESTORED BHIL RIGHTS FOR WATER
Some centuries back, a tribal Princess called Kunwari Jasma Odeni, arrived in the city of Dhar from the ancient land of Khandesh (present district of Dhule in Maharashtra) accompanied by her team of Ode community. The Odes were famous for excavating water tanks in charity for the poor, needy and the marginalized peoples in those days of history. Seeing the pathetic conditions of the tribal and other peoples in the state of Dhar Jasma Odan excavated a water tank geneously which is being deepened these days by good civil administration in collaboration with the civilians of the town of Dhar today with the kind permission of King Bhoj.
The oral tradition of the Bhils say, that later the king of Dhar was infatuated by her rare beauty and expressed his desire to marry her. The beauty of Jasma is well narrated poetically in the folksongs of Bhil of women and Bhil legends. Noticing the infatuation of the king , Jasma quietly disappeared from the city of Dhar after completing her charitable job.
Jasma arrived to the anceient town of Bhagor, a capital of Bhago Bhil in the pre historic times. She made another gesture of charity by excavating the water tank of Bhagor and then later Jasma Odan marched towards west in the land of Gujarat, where she excavated for the deprived tribals the water tank of Dahod, called Sabyan nun Talav (water tank of Sabyan) also narrated in the oral tradition of the Bhils.
Today we need the persons like Kunvari Jasma Odan and Mama Baleshwar Dayal both of them are historically remembered and honored by being deified in the Bhilanchal, but the present politicians and the NGOs are being condemned by the Bhils for their vast areas of corruptions.
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