On the Future of Indigenous Traditions - Munin

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Syiems system of the Khasis in Meghalaya is not very different from the Parha, Munda Manki, Doklo Sabha system of Adivasis of Jharkhand but the ‘legitimacy’ of their access to their own land and forest resource makes a big difference. As in the 5 th and 6 th Schedules, the state governments can only introduce their rules and not impose them given the level of autonomy in these schedules. Khasis of Mehgalaya being in the 6 th Schedule has been able to maintain their customary system through which they not only manage their community affairs but their resources too. Syiems, however, is neither a perfect system nor are the Parha, Munda Manki, Doklo Sabhas and others, especially when those representing it change their orientation or, changes their subsistence or “tribal economy” character to the profit and “market economy” orientation. This aspect in the customary system can also be considered to be on the cross road of traditional vs. modern, subsistence usages vs. commodity usages. If the customary system is still representative of the collective identity of the people, then the said principles that make it function as a system must also have its own corrective mechanism. However, if these customary institutions also become institutionalised they would encounter problems as any bureaucracy faces. This emphasis can be understood better with the following explanation. If we recall the reference made to the report of the Deber Commission earlier in chapter four, the Adivasis have their philosophy “which has kept these people free from greed of material wealth…” this needs to be understood here. The same philosophy in their traditions has enabled the Adivasis to codify their social, cultural, and economic life with certain guiding principles. It can be seen in their unique religious traditions and practices which are centred on the forces of nature and the forest. Like many indigenous traditions, their religious practices indicate a belief that the natural universe is continuous with the human world of interactions and sentiments. The human, nature, and supernatural are all bound in mutual relationship. 146 However, this collective and communitarian approach represented by the customary system in the respective states (provinces) where we see growing market economies, comodification of all the resources, conversion of Adivasi indigenous territories into commercial estates and industrial cities. How can the 146 Pradip Prabhu , “In the Eye of the Storm; Tribal People of India,” in Indigenous Traditions and Ecology by Surajit Chandra Singh ( Cambridge: Harward University Press, n.d.), 57. 104
traditional customary system prove its worth for the Adivasis themselves as well as the non-Adivasi? Sidsel Saugestad raises the question of indigenous peoples in her essay 147 on Africa’s Indigenous Peoples: First Peoples’ or ‘Marginalised Minorities’ is the similar issue for the Adivasis when it comes to accepting them as indigenous, who only have their place as ‘Scheduled Tribes’ and their privileges cut whenever the government wants to. Coming back to the original question: how do the Adivasi, Aboriginal, the First Nation, the ‘historical communities’ and the like, when denied their status as indigenous by the individualistic natured institutions, challenge the modern nationstate and its governments? What would be the most important step for the indigenous people? Firstly, for the indigenous peoples, it is the realisation of their rich social and cultural components exist within an indigenous shared philosophy is the first step to assertion of their rights to the State that do not regard the collective approach in the broader frame of rights. Second step would be to take up case studies of other indigenous groups in post colonial States to compare if the new states recognise the indigenous peoples collective aspects through comparative studies. Finally, to say that the customary systems of the indigenous peoples, not necessary that all have only good aspects in it, these aspects together however need to be studied. It is by taking a constructivist approach these systems could reveal that there is another aspect in the discourse of political philosophy which has not been explored; the geo-cultural politics. However, some thing that is its basis of it all to put it up ones again as Gregory Bahla had stressed: 147 Sidsel Saugestad, “Contested Image: ‘First Peoples’ or ‘Marginalised Minorities’ in Africa?” In Africa’s Indigenous Peoples: First Peoples’ or ‘Marginalised Minorities’? Edited by Barnard, A. and J. Kenrick (Edinburg: University of Edinburg, 2001), 299-322. 105
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Acknowledgements I dedicate this wo
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Table of Contents On the Future of
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CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION...........
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Map of India and Jharkhand Capital:
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Statement of the problem: The socia
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important aspect of these communiti
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Limitations and scope: The Adivasis
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CHAPTER ONE: Background of the them
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pointed out at the lack of definiti
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“which specify the tribes of trib
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ules that maintain a balance betwee
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1.2.4. - Political Jharkhand is a p
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are associated with. Roy further ad
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- but fought in vain - to steam the
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2.2 The customary system / laws How
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generation to another. Customs coul
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khuntkatti dars - the decedents of
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The social organization for their a
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Among the Mundas these posts have b
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The sense of independence among the
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- That the practice of Adivasis cus
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sufficient occupation any more. Los
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Nevertheless, there were three reas
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the ‘modern temples of the nation
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the pilot projects of Peraj East Op
Page 53 and 54: Bank machines are lying unused. So
Page 55 and 56: 2.8 Which direction is the ‘devel
Page 57 and 58: CHAPTER THREE: Adivasi Politics 3.1
Page 59 and 60: “Originally, a tribe normally com
Page 61 and 62: system of the Adivasis that: “The
Page 63 and 64: policy of non-disturbing of the Adi
Page 65 and 66: specified, as the socio-cultural or
Page 67 and 68: 3.4. Rules & laws specific to Jhark
Page 69 and 70: in Jharkhand. They argue that reser
Page 71 and 72: 3.5. The “Tribe” /Adivasi ident
Page 73 and 74: In the political nation here, the r
Page 75 and 76: The policy of “‘tribals’ to d
Page 77 and 78: Jharkhand region and secondly, the
Page 79 and 80: The third point mentioned earlier i
Page 81 and 82: forward for discussion on the issue
Page 83 and 84: survived through different periods
Page 85 and 86: language called to be ‘the langua
Page 87 and 88: teen Manki court. That does not lim
Page 89 and 90: The positive side of it is that peo
Page 91 and 92: Munda (a post within the customary
Page 93 and 94: saying she was illegally building h
Page 95 and 96: the state mechanism and its process
Page 97 and 98: CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION 5.1. Basic
Page 99 and 100: do we look at it to find the distin
Page 101 and 102: “…most important argument for m
Page 103: 5.3.1. Adivasi customary system in
Page 107 and 108: Bibliography / References: Books Ar
Page 109 and 110: Articles, Published and Unpublished
Page 111 and 112: Appendixes: International Definitio
Page 113: Maps 2 and 3 Photos sources: Cover
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