INDIGENOUS TRIBAL FARMERS AWARDED

The Jhabua district (MP) a predominantly inhabitated by the poorest, deprived, indigenous tribals of India called Bhils. The district has one of the most ancient indigenous tribals or Adivasi communities of India. Their main profession is agriculture of traditional type, solely depending on the irregular rains. The rains too fail more regularly than the availability of Central and state Government funds in Madhya Pradesh. Last year there was extremely access rain and this current year much less. In the both extreme situations the tribals regularly and punctually migrate due to the non availability of Government relief funds which does not give them even partial relief but it goes to some others. In these cases 60% to 70 % of the famine and drought affected Bhils regularly migrate to the nearing states for most parts of the yea, proving the tribal Bhils were self-supporting and self-sufficient indigenous tribal communities who did not depend ever since the droughts and famines began to haunt them for nearly last 30 years.

In such a deprived conditions the two farmers were awarded for risking their efforts and money, who proved to be advantageous from their infertile and unirrigatable land. Raphael Bhuriya (59) from the Mohankot village from Petlawad tehsil of the district for mixed cultivation that is with cultivation horticulture for which the district Collector Jagdish Sharma IAS awarded Rs 10,000=00(ten thousands) and a similar amount was awarded to Maria Damor who is a simple and uneducated housewife of Navapada village (Panchkui) for developing and using Gobar Gas Plant(cow dung pit) for cooking, light and manure for healthy life and cultivation compared to chemical fertilisers. Maria ia a member of a Self-help group(SHG) of her village, guided by a well reputed and dedicated social service society called PRAGATI based in the Bhil region of Jhabua and its surroundings.

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BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS OF WOMEN

The emotional urge to make love and romance, in familial and domestic atmosphere is well known in the traditional folklore and the oral tradition of the indigenous peoples in India. It was also considered to be based on the pure relationship of Bhabhi (sister-in-law) and Dewar (husband's younger brother), family ethics and unconventional norms. A time when the pure relationship turned into too personal, emotional and intense love affair, then the problem would arise naturally between the inner circles of a household, leading to separations and doubts. But family ethics in a community would still demand enough tolerance among their members and unconditional forgiveness.

A beautiful example of the same is expressed here in a romantic and spirit of forgiveness manner. These folk-songs are popular among the Bhils of the adjoining territory of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat of Bhilanchal:

The Bangles

The bangles are shining on my hands
And my husband cannot bear to see them so.

He asks me repeatedly, “My sweetheart,
Who has given these bangles to you?”

“Beat me if you like, but spare your younger brother;
For he has made these bangles for me."

“If I kill my brother,
I lose a friend and a companion;

If I kill wife,
My house shall be desolate."



My Lost Ring
Dewar, there is little gold in the house,
Make a golden ring for me with it.....

For I have lost my ring.
Where Bhabhi milks the buffaloes
And dewar brings in the calves.

If my husband should
Come to kwon of our relationship;
He may cut off our heads
And play with them like Bhil Honkey.

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WOMEN'S HUMAN RIGHTS

A Bhil Tribal Poem from Jhabua


I went to the storage barn
And measured out a quintal of rice
I husked it and cleaned it ever so fast
And showed it to my mother-in-law.
But she was most sullen and disapproving!
She beat me with with the husking pestle!
So I fled to the mountains and hid there.
The she became frightened
Lest the wild animals should attack me.
Nervously, she called out aloud:
"Oh Bahu! Come back home;
This house needs you.
I am only a withered leaf on the tree,
Which will be blown away by the wind any moment,
And then you will be mistress of the house."

Considering the social, cultural and economic situation of the Bhil tribe of India, the Bhili poem has many lessons to offer them.

HUMAN RIGHTS FOR INDIGENOUS FOLKLORE

Folklore is the most important nerve of the indigenous ethnic societies of Indian sub-continent, that generates and communicates social solidarity, social sympathy, and creates a strong sense of cultural and social belongings that binds all its members together. While it rejuvenates in them positive energies, through the folk performances and up-keep of their physical, verbal and performing elements of their ancient folklore, that kept them together in the strong bond of social, cultural and psychological unity, it also sustains and supports them not letting them break in the bad times especially during their oppressions, discriminations and exploitations by the more strong and able ones, in the difficult days of their dark history.

These sacred and sublime elements of traditional folklore have kept the tribals / Adivasi / indigenous societies uncorrupted and united into their cultural bonds, all through the hard days of their unrecorded history. Now such a beautiful, rich cultural, social and most precious heritage of their folklore either being replaced with corrupt and futile practices, or being geared to be forgotten in the course of time sooner or later by sanskritisation and forced modernism which will necessarily and consequently engulf the noble, divine and rich heritage of their folklore.

There are tremendous social, cultural, political and administrative interferences in the tribal / Adivasi / indigenous peoples' folklore in all the areas, such as in their feasts and festivals, recitals of folk-songs, oral literatures, ethno medicines and healing practices, tribal dances and other performances, folk astronomy, indigenous knowledge, physical or material forms of their folkloric elements, rites and rituals, by the main stream society mostly.

It appears that even the existence of these folk societies shall vanish in the course of time, after the total social and cultural pollutions have taken place. Keeping the indigenous folklore alive and uncorrupted, would amount to keeping these 80 % folks of the country happy, healthy and alive in the days to come. But it is not so......It is the urgent need of their basic human rights, thus to preserve, promote, restore, innovate graciously and integrate them in the national mainstream in a dignified and healthy manner. What is happening at the moment is certainly unhealthy, dangerous and definitely more dalitisation and dehumanisation leading them in a hidden way, in the direction of social, cultural and biological annihilation.....!

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AVITOLI G ZHIMO

Lecturer of Cultural Anthropology in the University of Delhi

Avitoli G Zhimo (28), appointed as lecturer of cultural anthropology at the University of Delhi, India, in January 2009. Avitoli has already joined the newly asigned post to her. Prior to this appointment, she had been pursuing her Ph.D. In the same University on the topic of ‘Customary Law and the State: The Case of the Sumi of Nagaland.' She herself belongs to Sumi Naga tribe of North-East.

Avitoli G Zhimo has many publications and work experience to her credit. Besides being excellent student in her graduate, post graduate, and M.phil. studies, she had undertaken many work projects with national and international associations, co-ordinating their works and presenting research papers in national and international seminars. Her new appointment comes as a reward in consideration to her work, achievements, experience and publications as a young and budding cultural anthropologist in the country. It is believed Avitoli will make a good contribution towards the fresh understanding of the tribal communities in India which not only will enhance knowledge of the tribal communities in India but also help in national building.

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WISDOM IN TRIBAL CULTURES

The Indigenous populations of India have age old wisdom and values which has remained up to today; uncorrupted unlike among the literate ones of the country. This tribal cultural is preserved in their oral traditions (vachik parampara), and promoted from one generation to the next by the word of mouth, for the maintenance of their traditions, social and day today's cultural needs. All the tribes or Adivasi groups have practical wisdom in the form of their Proverbs known among the tribes of Western India as Kewat (proverbs / kahawat) as their indigenous literary genre would call it. These kewats are largely based on the age old practical wisdom, well tested by the elders of their clans and societies, to guide their Adivasi community members in good and especially in bad times. Among the Bhils there are over a thousand such pieces of practical collected by Mathias Bhuriya, over the last three decades of time. Many of these pieces of beautifal and practical wisdom are not found in the literate societies even.

Two proverbs of the Bhils, one of the most ancient tribes of India, have been preserved in their Bhili language are:

1. Bholan no Bhagwan se. (God is on side of the righteous.)
Dr. Nemichand Jain a great scholar and linguist of Bhils and Bhili, was a great admirer of this kewat (proverb) of the Bhils. This piece of wisdom he highlighted in his several writing, formal and informal talks etc. The Bhils of all the regions of Bhilanchal are highly oppressed, suppressed and deprived unjustly by all the non-tribals who came in their social and cultural contacts all through the history. The Bhils quote this kewat in the times of their psychological and physical frustrations and other forms of harassments. Rajputs, Marathas and others as well other incoming peoples, have tortured the Bhils in various forms besides depriving and degrading them.

2. Sat Sandeinyin Jhalake.(Truth glitters in the moon light.)
This kewat (proverb) too was much appreciated by late Dr. Nemichand Jain, L. Jungblut and others. The Bhils are innocent ones. Even if they robe, it is only in the form of goats or chicken and not the billions which are cleared away from various funds , relief works and of some other developmental programmes given by national and international agencies for tribal benefits. In such a situation when they are accused and harassed for small or negligible robberies by agencies concerned, in such a helpless situation s, to support their mental and physical aches they quote this kewat (proverb).

Should the ethical, value oriented and noble traditions of Adi or real India, which the most beautiful and sublime, be lost in oblivion....?

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TRIBAL MAHARAJAS OF ADIVASI INDIA

Once upon a time, the whole of India was a possession of indigenous / Adivasi / Tribal peoples of India. They were kings, and civilised peoples with great heritage of their own which is amalgamated as India tradition and not theirs.. In Mahabharata, Ramayana and in other historical times, till today, they fought with all the major powers, incoming peoples in the country, to their Adivasi habitats who pushed them back and back, as equals. But time was never in their favour and these incoming or encroaching peoples to their states and Adivasi habitats, deprived them totally in till today, calling them vanvasi and many other unacceptable names in derogatory, depriving and undignified manner while imposing their own social life, languages and cultures. Whereas their history was a glorious one and it was a complete culture of their own, then, which needs to be re-discovered today by Discovery Channel, BBC, Survival International, Cultural Survival, Indian and International Human rights organisations, Amnesty International, NGOs respecting their cultural and historical heritage working among them, progressive writers groups, students and researchers of history and pre history, cultural anthropologists and others in media. Only these ones can do much needed justice to restore their historically damaged image and distorted past by the incoming peoples who are until these days are discrediting the indigenous, Adivasis and tribals of India. These are the urgent needs in the fields of human and cultural rights of indigenous / Adivasis / tribals of India.

Needless to say that all over In India there were thousands of Adivasi kings, being remembered even today in tribals oral traditions in folk memories which are fading away today. Remnants of these tribal / Adivasi kings are still found today in several parts of India, e.g. among Mahadev Kolis of Thana district(M.S.), Bhils of Dang(Gujarat), Gonds of Mandla (M.P.), Khasis of Shillong (Meghalaya), Baria Bhils of Devgargh Baria of Dahod District(Gujarat), Bhils of many regions in South and Centre Rajasthan, etc.

The physical remains of the glorious past of a tribal king of Mahadev Kolis on Western Ghats in Maharashtra, between Nasik-Mumbai road, in the Jawhar Taluka of Thane district, some 120 km East of Mumbai(Bombay), is the glorious and visible example of the MUKNE dynasty of the Adivasi kings of Mahadev Kolis. The palace of the Adivasi Maharaja, built in 1940, 1 km away from Jawhar on Jawhar-Mumbai raod still stands in beautiful shape and style. It was built in 1940, at the time of British Raj, by Maharaja Yashwantrao Mukne, son of Maharaja Vikramshah Mukne, who was the son of Maharaja Patang Shakne Mukne, says the oral tradition of Mahadev Lolis, reports one of the oldest servant and care taker of the place Bhavlo Lokhande (60). The present Maharaja was a pilate retired from his service and now Bhavlo says resides somewhere in Pune or Mumbai, he is not supposed to reveal.

The Juna Rajwada(Old Palace ) of Mukne Maharajas too is found adjoining to the town of Jawhar in a delapidated state partially, but speaks strongly of ther tribals' glorious past

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