With the election of Her Excellency Smt. Droupadi Murmu to the office of President, the first citizen of the country, a hope is raised for about 11 crore adivasis in India, who may see President Murmu as the pinnacle of their recognition. H.E. Droupadi Murmu is a tribal (Santhal) from the (tribal-dominated) Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. With her becoming the first citizen of the country, the tribals have come into the reckoning.

In this piece, I seek to bring out the uniqueness of the tribal culture; and show that it is by far the most progressive one in India. Don’t we tend to regard the Western systems as modern and their culture as civilised as they are said to be based on rationality and evidence? Even the Western countries thought it their responsibility to civilise the rest of the world. Recall Rudyard Kipling’s poem published on 4 February 1899 in The Times London, entitled “The Whitemen’s Burden ”, where he asserts that it is the moral duty of the nations of the West to bring civilisation to the rest. Kipling wrote, “Your new-caught, sullen peoples/half devil and half child.” Lots of people objected to these words as expression of so-called white supremacy and racism.

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I take another perspective here, which is to show that Indian tribal culture that is perceived to be primitive and tradition-based is comparable to the Western culture, and is therefore liberated and progressive. However, before sharing the interesting, but unknown vignettes of tribal life, let us have some account of tribal people in India.

The ruling regime led by the BJP has been focusing on adivasis since it came to power. Remember, the first-ever Ministry of Tribal Affairs as a separate department was created by the BJP-led government under the Prime Ministership of Shri Atal Behari Vajapyee. Likewise, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribe (NCST) was instituted by the bifurcation of the previously combined commission for both the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). Both these Acts of Parliament have given tribals some independent recognition, as it has been a historical conceptual error to club Dalits and Adivasis as one group as if they constituted a pair of siamese twins in their status and deprivations. That is actually not the case.

While most groups and collectivities are allowed the privilege of self-definition as exemplified by the Scheduled Castes who called themselves Dalits, the Adivasis are even denied that self-assertion. The concept of Adivasi (early-settlers) is contested, the tribals are pushed to the periphery as mere vanavasis or forest-dwellers. So, they have been victims of erroneous conceptualisation and inappropriate policies. Let us see how.

Note that 9 August was the International Day of Indigenous Peoples. India is celebrating the 75th year of independence. It is a good time to introspect about 11 crore tribals who constitute 8.6 percent of India’s population. This is the second largest population of the tribals in the world. The tribals are concentrated in 809 blocks of the country which are called scheduled areas, but half of them live outside the scheduled areas rendering themselves most powerless without the government support allocated to the scheduled areas.

The statistics on socio-economic indicators of the health of tribals point to a precarious situation. According to a survey by Lancet, Indigenous Tribal Peoples’ Health 2016, the infant mortality among the tribals in India is one of the highest in the world, next only to Pakistan. The incidence of Malaria and Tuberculosis is three to four times higher among tribals. Although they are only 8.6 percent, half of the Malaria deaths in the country occur among them.

Article 350 of the Constitution provides education up to the age of 14 in mother tongue. Yet the tribal population in India does not have a script of their own. Their representation in politics, thanks to the reservation policy, is proportionate to their population. But their access to and representation in education, especially higher education is dismal. In 24 Central universities, out of 5,876 faculty members, only 203 were from the Scheduled Tribe category. Out of 790 professors, only five were tribals. Their under-representation, therefore, is galling. This is because of a high dropout rate of nearly 86 percent in higher education.

Tribals suffer from structural deprivation and social and economic alienation. Their marginalisation can be encapsulated in three Ds – disparity, displacement and denial. They suffer from huge economic and social disparity; they are displaced to the periphery of society as they are mainly forest-dwellers, living in the nature. They are denied political autonomy. Tribals are distributed among several states despite the fact that they speak the same language and have the same culture. They could be given an administrative unit as a district or a regional council, if not a full state.

Unique tribal culture

Now, let me turn to my primary argument – the tribal culture which makes them unique and gives them hope and joy. The tribal culture is special and distinct as it consists of many interesting traditions, precedents, rituals and customs. Tribal people are said to have deep faith and a sense of belonging in these elements in their culture. As said before, the premise is to portray the tribal culture as akin to the Western culture. I refer to the Western culture as experienced in England and tribal culture in the district of Mayurbhanj. I take these two as case studies in comparison as I have lived in both.

Mayurbhanj has just been catapulted to glory as the Hon’ble President hails from that district. Incidentally, she represents the majority tribe in the district. This district is bordered by the Singhbhum district (Jharkhand) in the north and Medinapur (West Bengal) in the east, making it the confluence of three states. The Mayurbhanj district, predominated by tribal communities (nearly 60 per cent) unfolds an enormous panorama of nature’s beauty, a virile dance form called Chhau. This particular dance has gained worldwide recognition for its beauty, vigour and marvel of the art. It is also famous for celebration of Damodar mela, celebrated a day after the Makara parva (festival).

Makara is a joyous and a colourful festival celebrated in Oriya month of Pausa. In English calendar it is January. The festival is a happy occasion when the harvesting (paddy ripping) is completed and people have food in store for the coming months. On the occasion, people, rich or poor, wear new clothes, relish home-made sweets and cakes. They go to nearby rivers, or to the confluence of rivers to take bath and meet friends and relatives, shop in a special market, drink and dance.

A day after the Makar Sankranti, Damodar mela is celebrated for three consecutive days. It is observed by tribals in the Mayurbhanj district. They do it in a place called Baruni Ghat in Baripada, the district headquarter. This spot is again a confluence of three rivers – Budha Balanga, Jarali and Sarali. Santhals, the majority tribal community in the region – from West Bengal and Jharkhand, along with those from Mayurbhanj, participate in it. The festival is mainly for Asthi visarjana, immersion of the mortal remains of the dead family members. This funeral ritual of their ancestors is called a ‘long journey’. When one of their deceased ancestors hypothetically makes the journey from mrityuloko (earth) to janmaloko (heaven) they should not feel lonely. After the immersion, they tonsure their heads.

A similar belief is that if the mortal remains of the deceased are not immersed in the Ganges, the soul will not rest in peace. But if the tribals fail to do so in Ganges, they come to Baruni Ghat. The ritual is followed by drink, dance and music.

Like Epicureans, the disciples of the Greek philosopher Epicurus (341 BC to 270 BC) who professed the philosophy that pleasure was the chief good in life, the tribals believe in a life that is all for enjoyment –  eat, drink and be merry. Since childhood, I have noticed this cultural trait in the tribals of my district. They prefer to stay and move in groups, and at any time of the day, while walking or working in groups, they burst into a chorus of traditional country songs. They depend on the jungle (forest), largely forest-dwellers, collect their food and fuel from the forest at no cost – bamboo, fire woods, edible leaves, fruits, roots, timber and honey.

Of the eight features listed by the Commission on ST in 1952, one was that the tribals are nomadic, have love for drink, dance and songs and live off forest. These attributes were reflected in the tribals in Mayurbhanj as elsewhere. They engage in hunting, fishing, collection of roots, fruits, nuts, berries, honey and other forest produces. Their staple food is mutton curry, cakes, country liquor (handia). In Mayurbhanj, they are fond of Pokhala Bhat (watered rice), saag (green spinach), available in their Badi (garden). When they can manage it, they love a bit of sukhua (dried fish). As per clothes, they wear just a lungi (male skirt), ganji (a banyan) and a gamuchha (a piece of cut-cloth across the body); for women, a skirt and a T-shirt (girls) a saree and a petticoat for women. The blouse, bra or under garments are not in practice.

The White Tribal Culture

Now, let us move to comparison and celebration. In fact, I spoke about it a few years ago at a gathering of tribal women in the heart of Delhi, at Vishwa Yuva Kendra. At the end of my talk, the tribal women were so edified that they came up and kissed my palm which is part of the tribal culture. The crux of the talk was to show that Indian tribal culture was comparable to the European culture which I called the White tribal culture. Let us highlight some of the features which are common.

Women in the tribal community are as liberated as the White European women. The Indian tribal women work in the fields as the men do. They do not pay dowry for their marriages. On the contrary, occasionally, the men pay dowry to their wives at marriage. Women do not observe purdah (veil) like upper caste Hindu women in rural areas. Women also have a share in their parental property. They drink and eat as men do in public, in the community along with the men, not in hiding or in isolation.

The tribal women bathe in the open as men. In my village pond, the women had a corner separate from men. But they can also occupy the men’s space in the pond if and when men were not using it. They expose their bodies like men do while dipping in water or washing their bodies. There was no ogling their breasts or bodies or voyeurism by men, young or old. In England, women take off their clothes even in public places while taking bath. It’s a common site in youth gatherings, summer camps and in holiday spots. The women are scantily clad as our tribal women in India.

Community dancing, drinking and singing are all part of tribal culture. Unlike non-tribals where dance is performed by expert dancers, male or female and people sit around as spectators. Of course, now-a-days, there is group dancing among non-tribals around marriages or festivals, yet not everybody dances and certainly not together. In the tribal communities, dancing is a part of life. Tribals jump on their feet on any occasion and dance to the beats of the drums. Each festival brings in a special form of dance.

Around Makar Sankranti, mentioned above, the tribal troupes go from house to house performing a particular dance called Dasain. In this, a group of seven to nine people perform various twists and turns, even perform acrobatics, by beating the brass utensils to regale the household audiences. They are given portions of rice in containers as a gift for their dance performance. They take this rice home and make country liquor, drink it and dance again at their respective hamlets.

Another special feature is that the tribals invite even strangers to join them in dancing. Tribal women escort them by holding their hands. In Europe, community dancing is common as the men and women hold hands and cavort to the music.

On singing, as they move in groups for work in the rice fields, as daily wagers or to the market for selling or purchasing, they sing along the journey. This signifies at least two things. One, the tribals are always jolly and enjoying life, however, it presents itself, even as tedious labour in the fields. Second, it removes the monotony of journey and loneliness while infusing a group spirit. They entertain the entire locality while announcing their presence for various works. The villagers also enjoy the chorus and encourage them to sing more. In Europe, community singing is commonplace in the churches as they chant the hymns from the Bible.

Marriage customs are similar in both England (Europe) and tribals in India (Mayurbhanj). There is no caste or community barrier, except, sometimes, the tribal group identity. A boy will choose a girl and take her to his house. This marriage is consummated and celebrated with a feast to the neighbours and relatives with drinking and dancing. So, it happens in England although the marriages are performed in the church.

There is a special custom in Mayurbhanj. It may be there in other tribal areas in the country as well. A boy will have his fiancée and pulls her away to his side in a public place, particularly in a festival gathering. The girl is pulled back by her friends and relatives. It is like a tug of war between the two groups. The boy always wins if he and the girl know each other and have made up their minds to stay together. So, the pulling in the public place is a mock-drill. But it could also happen between a boy and a girl who have not decided to marry. Then, there will be a real fight. If the boy succeeds in pulling the girl away, she has to become his bride. I have seen such real and vigorous pulling of the girl. I have no knowledge of a parallel in Europe to this custom.

Like in Europe, live-in relationships are part of tribal culture. It has begun to happen in non-tribals as well. But the tribals have been enjoying such freedom for a long time in history. However, promiscuity is not a part of tribal culture like in Europe. A boy and a girl go together and are committed to each other as long as the relationship lasts. Associated with that, tribals sleep in groups not in privacy. The young men and women live in a dormitory. They will physically touch each other but within boundaries. The girls will massage the boys if they are tired and vice-a-versa. There is no sexual contact in the dormitory. If they feel like doing so, they have to go into privacy. In Europe too, the young people live in dormitories. I have stayed with other young women in the same hall as we went for youth camps and conventions.

Toilet rolls not just the European legacy

By far, the most interesting comparison is the use of toilet paper. In Europe, it is a common practice. In India, it is not so. But in tribal areas, this has been a practice. This particular practice prompted me to compare the Indian tribal culture of Mayurbhanj, in reference to European culture. Tribals use big leaves from the trees as the toilet paper. When I mentioned this in Vishwa Yuva Kendra, the tribal women giggled and applauded. They felt vindicated in their belief and practice that they were not primitive people but have habits comparable to those of the so-called civilised West.

In my work with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), a UN body, I was part of the introduction of a tribal agricultural practice to the world as heritage structure. The FAO had invented a practice to recognise certain agriculture practices as Globally Identified Agriculture Heritage Systems (GIAHS). These systems encapsulated elements for sustainability; ecological balance and climate security as they did not, among other things, use fuel-driven technologies or chemicals. Such agriculture sites were identified across the world. In India, we suggested that such practices are done mostly by tribals. We argued that the integration of at least five elements constituted systems which GIAHS sought to preserve and promote.

These elements are expressed in Indian vocabulary as five t & ty] taxy] tehu] tkuoj, oa tu & water, forest, land, animals and people. The combination or togetherness of these is seen only in tribal agriculture practices. Well-off tribal households will have their own or have access to a water-body, stay in the vicinity of a forest, own a piece of land for agriculture and horticulture, rear cattle, and will have their families, even the extended ones. This is also a tribal culture which is unique and is now internationally recognised (FAO). Thus GIAHS was named as THAS in India – Tribal Heritage Agriculture System.

To conclude, without being judgmental about the merits and efficacy of tribal culture in the so-called modern world, the urban drift of the tribals is increasingly painfully observed. I say painfully  because while visiting the new settlement for the tribals constructed by a coal company in Odisha, where tribals were displaced from their homes to give way to the digging of coal, I met tribals who felt like ‘fish out of water’ in those cemented houses without their cattle, trees and water bodies (ponds). The tribals, who eked out their living from gleaning, hunting and ‘crude’ agriculture, have to send their children to distant factories, mining areas and plantations. So tribals are no more a geographical and homogenous entity but segregated and dispersed.

Although not in totality, this trend is slowly diminishing the tribal culture. Tribal customs and practices which set their social lives are losing their value. The choice of leaders and of mates is now guided by different considerations. New behaviour patterns are emerging as individualism begins to assert itself and community-ness is getting diluted. The desire for modern social equality is manifesting among tribals reducing the status of a clan chief and a sacerdotal head. New customs find favour of the people and new prescriptions for age-old maladies. Whether this trend is desirable or not is left to the readers as I share my deep appreciation of and belongingness to a culture I grew up with.