Tradition, Change and Land Alienation: A Study among the Totos of Totopara, District Jalpaiguri, West Bengal PINAK TARAFDAR† & SUBHANKAR ROY‡ Department of Anthropology, University of North Bengal, Raja Rammohunpur, District Darjeeling 734013, West Bengal, E-mail:
[email protected] KEY WORDS: Totos. Land alienation. Occupation. Culture change. Totopara. District Jalpaiguri. West Bengal. ABSTRACT: Forests are the ancestral habitat for many tribal or indigenous communities. Their society, culture, religion, economy, health and identity are closely related with concerned habitation. Due to various reasons these customary rights are denied for many decades. The article explores the process of land alienation which leads to culture change among the Totos, a mongoloid primitive tribal group residing specifically in the Totopara village of Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal. At present day scenario of land alienation is the main issue for understanding the serious situation and the changing lifestyle of the Totos. In fact the Totos are compelled to take up different categories of occupations for their livelihood due to shift from their traditional subsistence activities. As a matter of fact, they could not maintain their relative isolation and eventually their social system has undergone a drastic change which results a consequent social class formation in their society. INTRODUCTION to northern districts of West Bengal, especially in According to 2001 Census the tribal population Himalayan and Sub-Himalayan regions of the state, of India is little more than 84.3 million, which consisting mainly of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri constitute 8.2 per cent of total population of the districts, while the tribes of Proto-Australoid ethnic group are mainly confined at southern parts of West country while the tribal population of West Bengal Bengal.