On the Future of Indigenous Traditions - Munin

of the region as one of the primary basis of the articulation of a sub-national identity.
This has led to a regional basis for political mobilization in Jharkhand movement. 123
This very character and nature of their politics coming out of the collective reflected
in the Jharkhand movement, however, cannot only be understand only within the
frame of ethno-political, which addresses mainly the socio-economic issues. What
brings in their politics the ‘unique character’ in the Jharkhand movement is a third
component, which is the cultural aspect. In which the Adivasis demand not only the
socio-economic problems caused by the long drawn ‘state’ and ‘society’ relation but
an aspect not very relevant in the political thought; the geo-cultural aspect. This
means the culture that has developed in a certain geographical context. It is the geocultural
politics. (If the question can there is a State without a territory? Jewish State?
Why could there not be a State or state which includes the politics that is based on the
culture which develops on a given geography?)
When the state as a ‘legal organisation’, makes and implements the rules and policies,
as it has among the Adivasis has provoked strong resistances and uprising in the past.
However, since this ‘legal organisation’ is missing the very source which gave the
Adivasis customary system its basis. If all the components put together in the
Adivasis political association, which illustrates in their understanding of ‘nation’, for
example; no member of the community is above the other member, and roles and
responsibilities to run their system is not absolute (or the power vested in an
authority) but only as an convener. Yet another important aspect is that the context
they live in the land, forests and water, is not only a ‘source’ for them to meet a
certain ‘economic’ ends, but it is only used for subsistence and not as an end in itself.
Having this third component in Adivasis political association makes their politics a
geo-cultural politics which is inclusive of their ‘living rule or law’, but not limited
themselves to ethno-politics alone. The third component (culture that develops in a
symbiotic relation with nature) plays an important part in the Adivasi customary
system. Which however, has no place in the political thought either in neither the
rights theory of politics nor the power theory of politics. This is where the issue of
individualism comes in conflict with collectivism.
123 Amit Prakash, Jharkhand Politics of Development and Identity, op. cit., 18.
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