On the Future of Indigenous Traditions - Munin

esponsible. The witness for example in the case being investigated by Parya, in the
Manki’s court in both the cases, did not testify to what they did not see, or do not
know about. A little favouritism by the witnesses could change the cases decision. But
on the contrary they try to bring in more evidences to what they all see it to be right.
But the state as the outside agency here can testify because ‘it does not see or think by
itself, it does what it is told’ and has a legal status of what it is made to do which is
usually not challenged. In this case the sales-deed. The document also could be right
if the question raised by the opponent is answered satisfactorily. In a collective group
trust on one another is what binds them; their relations are less dependent on any
outside ‘authority’ to be approved and certified.
There is also the issue of gender equity, which is briefly touched upon in the previous
chapter. The gender issue in the discussion concluded that in the customary system it
is not important through which gender the inheritance should be seen, but what was
important in both cases (Adivasis of Jharkhand and Khasis of Meghalaya) was the
centrality of the community.
Individualism or collectivism is not in opposition with each other, but only when there
are different interests and intensions associated with them it tends to becomes
problematic. The following case could throw some light on this issue.
5.3 Second step in the search of a modern benchmark
Beyond the level on which the customary system of the Adivasis in Jharkhand has
been elaborated, there is a question: could such a system develop to a higher level of
autonomous functioning in the present modern nation-state? If it does develop, what
could one hope from it? Secondly, would there be a need to develop the basis on
which these customary systems are founded? This means to search for the source of
that social orientation, perspectives and epistemology which demand an explanation
of this system’s structural properties.
102