Hul!

One hundred and fifty nine years ago, on June 30 , 1855,  thousands of Santals, led by four brothers, Sido, Kanhu, Chand and Bhoirab Murmu, in the village of Bhognadihi  in what was to later become Santal Parganas, rose as one to take an oath against  the British tyranny and ruthless exploitation by local landlords, moneylenders and traders. It was to be one of the fiercest uprisings that the British ever faced in India.

Simmering from the continuous injustice perpetrated on them ever since they were forced to migrate from their native heartland in the Chhota Nagpur plateau, in the early decades of the nineteenth century, they declared themselves free and vowed to fight unto the last against the British rulers as well as their agents.  Hul in Santali means a movement for liberation. 

Attack by 600 Santals upon a party of 50 sepoys,
40th regiment native infantry

The rebellion soon reached the scale of a full-fledged war. At the outset, Santal rebels, led by Sido and Kanhu, captured control over a large tract of the region between the Rajmahal hills and Birbhum district. For a while, British rule in this vast area became completely paralyzed, but the British soon rallied back with their superior arms and out-and-out butchery.  In spite of the  courage and  incredible bravery of the approximately fifty thousand strong Santals, twenty to thirty thousand of them were brutally  decimated by the British Indian Army. The brothers were captured and killed. John Company was finally able to suppress the rebellion in 1856, though some outbreaks continued.

In his Annals of Rural Bengal, W W Hunter quotes a British commanding officer during the Santal rebellion: " It was not war - they did not understand yielding... So long as their national drums beat, the whole party would stand and allow themselves to be shot down.. " . They went on fighting to the last man... "There was not a single sepoy in the British army who did not feel ashamed of himself."

But the Santal Hul was not in vain. It led to the formation of the Santal Parganas (in Jharkhand). Efforts were also initiated to offer protection to these indigenous people from ruthless colonial exploitation. The anniversary of the Santal Hul is celebrated every year.

Group from Purulia perform on Hul Diwas at the Folk
& Tribal Cultural Centre,  Kolkata

On June 30, 2014, the Folk and Tribal Cultural Centre, West Bengal at Kolkata celebrated Hul Diwas with performances by groups from Bankura, West Medinipur, Birbhum and Purulia districts. In his speech, Dr Upen Biswas, the Hon'ble Minister for Backward Classes Welfare urged all tribals  to take inspiration both from their rich and proud origins and the fearless courage that their ancestors had displayed during the Hul.  It is not enough, he continued, to merely celebrate Hul Diwas each year -  they should go forward fearlessly  in society and learn to be independent - and not just depend on government jobs. "You can do it", he encouraged.  He shared with the audience that many tribals  have been given the  opportunity  to  sit for the IAS exams, for the first time in West Bengal. Moreover, he continued, it is now possible for tribals to cut through the red tape and apply directly for funding to the SC & ST Development & Finance Corporation.

Group from Birbhum  

It was also announced that there would be an Adivasi Bhawan set up in each district - as a sort of transit house for visiting  members of tribal communities. Click on the link below for an excerpt of Dr Biswas's speech (in Bengali).

Dr Pashupati Mahato who was invited to sing a Jhumur song for the occasion, spoke first on the origin of the word Santal : from Samantol (plains) people as against the Paharis or hill tribes (of the Rajmahal hills, a destination to which the Santals from Chhota Nagpur  were compelled to migrate by the British)  to Sonthol  to Santhal and finally Santal.                                              

Annals from the past

When the idea behind Daricha first occurred to me a couple of years ago, I consulted the eminent historian, the late Dr Barun De, one of the first advisors of Daricha Foundation. His first piece of advice to our initiative was "Read the District Gazetteers, without fail!". 

British Indian Empire 1909

Thus began our process of discovery of the land we live in through the remarkable Gazetteers. Being somewhat restricted in funds, we chose to begin with the editions available on the extremely useful digital repository of the West Bengal Public Library Network. And what a journey it was! 

Most of the catalogues were compiled initially in the late 19th Century although many have since been reissued or edited in recent times. Barun De himself had been the  honorary state editor for the West Bengal District Gazetteers and had edited a few volumes before his passing.

The preparation of district, provincial and Imperial gazetteers was part of a tradition set up by the Raj. The Gazetteers are a systematic, comprehensive geographical, economic, social and cultural catalogue of the Indian subcontinent catalogued by the British Viceroy during their conquest of India. British civilians in India undertook the preparation of these enormously useful projects under their supervision. District Officers or Deputy Commissioners assisted in the collection of material and often wrote entire reports themselves.

The purpose of these gazetteers compiled by the British was to acquaint themselves with an alien land and its people. It was to be a kind of manual or handbook for the administration and went on to become a Bible for every British field officer. The British certainly took their work very seriously for the depth and scope of the research in these magnificent tomes is absolutely overwhelming. The gazetteer is a treasure house of data.

Fifty years after the Battle of Plassey,  the East India Company saw the need to learn about the land it had acquired in the subcontinent of Asia. In a Despatch of 1807 are these words: "We are of opinion that a Statistical Survey of the country would be attended with much utility; we therefore recommend proper steps to be taken for the execution of the same." This was the beginning of a series of gazetteers, which, valuable they may have been for officials of the East India Company and subsequently the Crown Colony of India, have also proven of immense value to scholars to this day. Some gazetteers were commercially published while others were governmental or quasi-governmental documents. Sir W W Hunter, Father of the Gazetteers of India, brought out the first Imperial Gazetteer in 1881 - which was published in nine volumes. 

William Wilson Hunter (1840-1900), who was educated at Glasgow University (BA 1860), Paris and Bonn, studied Sanskrit before passing first in the final examination for the Indian Civil Service in 1862. He reached Bengal Presidency in November 1862 and was appointed assistant magistrate and collector of Birbhum, where he began collecting local traditions and records, which formed the material for his publication, entitled The Annals of Rural Bengal, published in 1868, which influenced among others, the historical romance Durgeshnandini of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.

In Appendix I of his book, Hunter listed out ten Santal festivals that he observed during his stay at "Beerbhoom". These were :

1. Johorai: after gathering in the December rice-harvest; lasts five days in each village, but is generally protracted to a month, by fixing different days for it in neighbouring villages. The ceremony is simple. An egg is placed on the ground; all the cows of the village are driven near to it, and the animal that first smells at the egg is honoured by having its horns rubbed with oil.

2. Sakrat: a few days after the Johorai; lasts two days. It consists of practising with  bows and arrows, performing the sword dance, and similar sports.

3. Jatra: about February; last two days. Eight men sit on chairs; are swung round the two posts placed outside of every Santal village. The same sort of revolving swing as is set up for the children in English fairs.

4. Baha (‘flower’): about March; lasts two days. Every house washes the Naikki’s (priest’s) feet, and he distributes flowers in return. Ceremonies take place in the grove of trees outside each village. Four chickens are offered to Marang Buru (the great god of the Santals); one coloured chicken to Jahir-era (the primeval-mother of the race); one black chicken to Gosain-era (a female divinity residing, like Jahir-era, in the Sal grove); and a goat or chicken to Manjhi Haram (the late head of the village).

5. Pota (hook-swinging): now stopped by Government, but still practised (1865) among the northern Santals in April or May. Lasted about one month. Young men used to swing with hooks through their back, as in the Charak Puja of the Hindus. The swingers used to fast the day preceding and the day following the operation, and sleep the intermediate night on thorns.

6. Ero-sim (sowing chicken): offered in each house at seed sowing time.

7. Hariar-sim (green chicken): offered by the Naikki (priest) when the dhanhas somewhat grown.

8. Chhata (‘umbrella’): about August; lasts five days. The Naikki (priest) offers a goat, and the people all dance round a bamboo umbrella erected on a high pole.

9. Iri-gundli (two kinds of grain): the Naikki (priest) offers these with milk in the Jahir-than (Sal grove), and calls upon the poor to come and eat.

10. Horo (rice): when the rice is ripening. The first-fruits of the rice are offered to the Pargana Bongal (district deities), along with a pig, which the men of the village afterwards eat in the Sal grove.

In all these festivals there is a great quantity of rice-beer drunk.

Santals in celebration

The actual  names may have changed - or are pronounced differently. For instance, we know that Johorai is actually Sohrai. And Sohrai is celebrated in October-November (month of Kartik) in regions like Purulia but in December-January (month of Poush) in Birbhum. But we'll be back!

Disom Sendra

Midnight. It is Buddha Purnima now. Every year, on this night, thousands of tribals from Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal gather at the Ayodhya Hills on the full moon night, to celebrate Disom Sendra, a hundred year old tribal festival. Also known as Shikar Utsav or Parab, this is the annual ritual hunting festival of the Santals, in which men from all the households participate. It is believed that young boys attain adulthood during this festival.

Mohua, the local brew is consumed and after singing and dancing around a fire, the tribals set out, torch in hand, for the hunt. They hunt through the night and then enjoy a community meal the following day prepared from the game that was killed. Community elders act as umpires in case of disputes between various groups. There is also a fair that takes place on this occasion.

The Forest Department has been trying to raise awareness against poaching, but it seems that little can be done. 

Daricha Foundation hopes to bring you some images from this year's celebrations - but till then, here are some images : http://www.citizenside.com/en/photos/culture/2013-05-24/79368/disum-sendra-hunting-festival-by-the-santhali.html#f=0/722071

The photos arrived  - but are not fit for the feeble minded. So I am just posting one :

Quote/Unquote

Two months ago, we were very excited when we received a request for an interview from a well known daily. The interview happened and we  talked at length about Daricha Foundation's birth and its journey. This morning, it appeared in the papers : http://epaper.telegraphindia.com/details/79369-183455203.html

Thrilled as we were about Daricha Foundation's first mention in the papers, we noticed  a couple of misinterpretations  in the article. So for the record, we thought we would use our blog to set matters right:

" ...These days we also come across a lot of fake artistes.  Many claim they are puppeteers, nachni performers or beniputul makers in the hope of getting some monetary aid from authorities"

While we did speak of people posing as traditional artists, these particular communities were never mentioned - the simple reason being puppeteers (Beni putul artists are also puppeteers) and nachni dancers need years of training before they can ply their art.

I guess there must have been a mixup with other strands of our conversation because we also spoke  of  folk forms that are sometimes misrepresented in the cities.  For instance,  Jhumur  is often accompanied by "Santal dance" - but Santals do not sing Jhumur. And  this has nothing to do with Nachnis, who do dance to Jhumur. As for  Beni Putul artists, I spoke of how there were only a few families left  - so this "quote" about fake puppeteers and Nachnis was unfortunate and misplaced.

"Bose's initial efforts for government funding proved futile. "I wrote to the Ministry of Culture and got a reply that they'd get back to me soon. But I still haven't heard from them after two years. "  

The facts are :   I wrote to the MoC in 2011 - not for funding - but to share with them my concept.  I was looking for feedback on the genesis of an idea and I thought at that time, the MoC would be the best people to ratify it. I also told her about some of our previous unsuccessful attempts for funding from MoC. But the printed statement above  that I had been kept waiting for a response on a funding request for 2 years is incorrect. And particularly embarrassing when I have just received funding from them - in a very swift response to our proposal. In fact we had also told  the interviewer that we had recently applied for this.

Regardless, our efforts continue. We remain committed to our goals, and to our commitment to creating awareness about our folk artists and the rich traditions they represent.

Vote for ...

Gombhira singer Ashok Chakrabarty and his group perform on a makeshift stage in front of the Malda collectorate on Tuesday. Picture by Surajit Roy

The district of Malda votes today. In an unusual move, gearing up to this event, the Election Commission hired five groups of Gombhira folk singers to create awareness and encourage people to vote for the Lok Sabha elections in Malda. Five groups of Gombhira performers performed in all the 15 blocks of the district, especially in areas which have a record of poor turnout during elections. The budget allocated for these performances - Rs 40000. 

The common refrain sung by the performers was: “Na na Deri Nai Aar Nirbachan/Amra Boothe Giya Vote Diya Korbo Angshogrohon." (The elections are near. We will go to the booths to cast votes and participate).

It has been the practice of the government in the past few decades to use folk artists to create awareness among the rural masses on a variety of subjects. Until we, the privileged, make an attempt to recognise, respect and promote these traditions, our folk artists will have to continue to depend on awareness programmes such as these. 

The Durga Pujas are coming up. Calling all Durga Puja organisers across the state, country and the world, perhaps... What about spending a fraction of the "entertainment" budget on promoting a folk form?

With inputs from : http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140409/jsp/siliguri/story_18170047.jsp#.U1iwB-ZX_9l

The Blog begins...

According to the 2001 Census, the indigenous people of India - known as Scheduled Tribes and also as Adivasis, compose 8.14% of the total Indian population. There are 697 tribes in India.

Many urban middle class Indians still view the tribal as primitive or uncouth or childlike and unsullied by civilization. Post independence, there has been a great deal of acculturation, displacement and other changes among the tribes. This transition has led to a sense of angst among the tribal people, aggravated by their extreme deprivation and exploitation at all levels.

Around the middle of March, a very interesting 2-day conference was held entitled Tribes in Transition: Conflict over Identity, Resources and Development. Organised by the Dept of English, Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi  with the Ghosaldanga Bishnubati Adibasi Trust, Santiniketan, the first day was at the Sriniketan Community Hall of Visva Bharati and the 2nd day, at the RSV School, Ghosaldanga, Birbhum, ending with the Baha Parab festivities on the 3rd day.

Santal children sing a welcome song. Dr G N Devy
in the background

Eminent speakers, both tribal and non-tribal kept the audience entranced for the two days, taking us across a gamut of tribal issues. For a newbie like me, it was an eye opener indeed. Covering topics ranging across Tribal Cultural heritage & Conflict over  Identity, Tribal Literature, Human Trafficking, Tribal Health and Problems of Employment of Tribal Youth. A tongue-in-cheeked management student speaker felt that if papad, a cottage craft could be branded and marketed as Lijjat by Gujarati women, creating sustainable livelihood, why not the country liquor brewed from the Mohua flower?

Dr G N Devy of the Bhasha Research & Publication Centre, Vadodara, who gave the keynote address, informed us that the concept of tribe in India is a product of colonization - though, strangely, there were no tribes in Europe! Back in the 17th century, the Portugese used the term to refer to all Indian communities.  The term resurfaced in the late 19th century in colonial discourse in India. People belonging to "tribal" communities  were considered to be the lowest in social hierarchy by 17th century ethnographers, but today in India, these people proudly identify themselves as TRIBE - a distinctive identity.  However, nation building  negatively impacted tribal development and nearly 70 years after independence, there are still a multitude of serious issues to be resolved. For more on the conference, read Dr Boro Baski's report :  http://www.indiantribalheritage.org/?p=14187

Class rooms at RSV

Of the many problems affecting tribal is that of being educated and retaining their culture at the same time. Santali schoolchildren of Birbhum would often find themselves lost in a sea of mainstream education and often dropout as a result. As a response to this problem, the Rolf Schoembs Vidyashram  (RSV)  school was started in 1996. Situated between the two tribal villages of Ghosaldanga and Bishnubati, near Shantiniketan, as a non formal tribal day school offering junior school education in the tribal idiom. Once the children cross Class V, they are sent out to join the mainstream government school nearby.

The founding of the RSV school meant breaking new ground in the education and schooling of Santal children. This day-school (elementary), which consists of 5 school years, provides intensive academic and pedagogical support of these children in small classes of a maximum of 15 pupils. Lessons take place in circular buildings which are open at the sides, and - weather permitting - in the open air. The school was conceived and developed by Gokul Hansda and Boro Baski, two Santals with degrees and a doctorate from the Visva-Bharati-University in Santiniketan. Gokul Hansda was headteacher up to 2010, when Boro Baski took over his predecessor's position.

Befriending a "Bohurupi"

Waiting for the festivities to start on the Baha Parab day, I spent some time at the government school near Bishnubati, to which all the little students from RSV would eventually go to. On my way out, I found myself suddenly surrounded by a whole bunch of children - who thought I was a Bohurupi! I managed to extricate myself only when i promised to take their photograph.  Here it is - barring a few stragglers.

Introducing the Daricha blog

Hullo friends & well-wishers!

Now that the website is up and running, after many months of birthing pains; I thought I would start a blog to keep you posted about what is going on in the folk and tribal art world. But just to start us off, I thought I would answer a question I have been asked a lot over this last year or so.

During my time as the webmaster of www.itcsra.org, the website of an internationally renowned Indian Classical Music Academy, I’d come to realize that though there was no dearth of online information on classical music in India, the same could not be said about the country’s folk and tribal art forms.

India has a wealth of such art forms, but the awareness, popularity and respect given to them is negligible. There is no lack of folklorist expertise; much research has been undertaken and many books have been written, primarily in the vernacular. But these are inevitably relegated to dusty corners of local bookstores and libraries. The only hope of bringing knowledge about our rich folk heritage into easy circulation is through our favoured medium today -- the internet. A few travel and tourism websites offer superficial and selective details. But no website attempts to consolidate information for global dissemination.

Enter Daricha. :)

With an abiding passion for music and folk crafts, I decided to take on this project as a personal challenge and as my contribution to society. However, i realized that my vision could be achieved  - shift from part time pursuit to major project - only with the help of a team. Friends who shared my vision came on board and Daricha Foundation was born. To help matters along, i gave up my job to devote myself wholly to this project. Other friends have pitched in since, helping out, in oh so many ways. We all believe that - yes, we can - make a difference...

The folk and tribal artists themselves live mainly isolated in their villages, most of them without opportunities to showcase their talents. Some might find their way to annual government-organized craft festivals or festivals organized by some NGOs in urban spaces. But while some initiatives have resulted in greater exposure of a few chosen forms, a great many more are dying a slow death for want of awareness, interest and support combined with the increasing encroachment of urbanization and cultural dilution. These artisans have put away their tools, found other occupations; children of artists are no longer encouraged to learn their traditional arts or crafts due to its lack of economic viability.

My vision for Daricha is that it will reverse the decay through the creation of awareness and demand. That the urban Indian (and people of the rest of the world) will rediscover their love for the colour, drama and beauty of these indigenous art forms and bring back the life and prosperity it rightfully deserves.

It is of course not as easy as all that, but I’m confident that by bridging the gap between the artists and their prospective market; and shining a spotlight on the nuances and history of the art forms it can be achieved over the course of time.

Do take a look at the site, and let me know if you think it is aligned to our objectives. We are always open to feedback.

Ratnaboli Bose.