On the Future of Indigenous Traditions - Munin

and changed if there was a need. 86 Moreover, their social and political associations
manifested in their customary system is not exclusive to one Adivasis language or
ethnic group alone, but several – Santhals, Munda, Ho, Urons and Kharias. In addition
they have accommodated the non-Adivasis social groups as well who have lived with
them as a part of their community in the recent past so long as they respected their
social codes.
3.2.1. The Adivasis notion of political association before and
during colonialism
The literature dealing with political system of Adivasis reveal that administration in
“tribal societies” was managed through political institutions like the Council of
Elders, Village Panchayat, (Panchayat meaning councils) Village Head, Inter Village
Panchayats, and Adivasi Chiefs. Accordingly, it is concluded that traditional Adivasi
administration was “simple and democratic”. 87 As said earlier, in their book Tribal
Development in India (a critical appraisal) 2003, Upadhyay and Pandey states that,
with the “details available”, it “highlight that our tribal brethren were the original
inhabitants of the land of Bharatvasha.” 88 While this textbook gives a basic overview
of political and legislative developments, on this theme it further reads,
“They (Adivasis – called here as the ‘tribes’) claimed the virgin forests and
converted them into cultivatable lands of our country. There was a time when they
possessed entire forest and land of our country… but they were driven towards hills
and forested areas by non-tribals who came to settle here from foreign countries and
laid the foundation of Aryan civilization and Hindu religion…they have excessive
love for their land… have their own traditional political and administrative system to
control the society, forest and land…” 89
However, before coming to the post – colonial time administration, very briefly it
should be observed that these authors’ phrases the continuation of the traditional
86
Jagdish Chandra Jha, The Tribal Revolt of Chotanagpur (1831-1832) (Patna: K. P. Jayaswal
Research Institute, 1987), 32-33.
87
, V.S. Upadhyay and Gaya Pandey, Tribal Development in India (A Critical Appraisal) (Ranchi:
Crown Publications, 2003), 31.
88
Indian sub-continent in the early AD was referred to as Bharatversha.
89
V.S. Upadhyay and Gaya Pandey, Tribal Development in India (A Critical Appraisal) op. cit.
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