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.

Human Rights India

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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