On the Future of Indigenous Traditions - Munin

Munda (a post within the customary system) who is not from the Ho Adivasi, such as
in my areas in Chhota Modi there is one Nayak.” 138 (Nayaks are non-Adivasis. These
groups have settled with the Adivasis for long time, though Adivasis usually don’t
have marriage relations with them but share all other social benefits).
4.5. Case illustrations of how the Manki’s court work
Here is a demonstration of two of the cases of disputes over land property within the
Adivasis community of Charai Pir, in Kolhan -south of Jharkhand, where Shivcharan
Parya, the Manki functionary head of the customary systems, resolves the matter in
his court.
4.5.1 The case of Soma Deogam vs. Chokro Deogam
In this case everyone was members of the Ho group in the Ilaka Manki’s Social
Customary Court of Charai Pir, Kolhan, West Singhbhum in Jharkhand. The case was
a dispute over land property between, Soma Deogam the uncle, and Chokro Depgam
the nephew. Chokro Deogam took the side of Laxmi, the unmarried daughter of the
late Bhugon Deogam, the only descendent of the family to be the rightful owner of the
land.
The dispute was over one plot of land between two members of the descendents of
Mugru Deogam. The land rightfully belonged to Bhugon, but Bhugon died leaving
behind his wife, Namsi, and his only daughter Laxmi. After Bhugon’s death, Namsi
was threatened by Soma, her distant brother in law and for some reason she left her
late husband’s village with her daughter Laxmi to her parents’ village in the
neighboring district in Orissa state.
In the periodical distribution of land among the family members, Bhugon’s portion of
land was considered to be ‘land with no claimant from their lineage’ and therefore it
should be distributed among the nearest members of the family. The villagers also
said that Laxmi, being the daughter of Bhugon, was living and therefore deserved to
get her share of the land.
138 Interview with Shivcharan Parya, Chaibasa.
91