Adivasis, Hindutva and Post-Godhra Riots in Gujarat
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Adivasis, Hindutva and Post-Godhra Riots in Gujarat Though Gujarat has a history of communalism, adivasis were the last to be communalised. This paper attempts to explore the participation of adivasis in the riots that followed the Godhra carnage. It highlights the fact that the character of riots in adivasi areas was different from that in non-adivasi areas and attempts to reconstruct the developmental cycle of communalisation of adivasis from late 1980s onwards. It links this communalisation with the political economy of adivasis whose aspirations and problems are kept distorted and their attention diverted under the garb of religion and party politics. LANCY LOBO I Historically, the Bhils have had interac- of the imposition on adivasis for the Overview of Adivasis tion with the Rajputs. There were small purchase of liquor from Parsee taverns princely states of Bhils, at times consisting [Hardiman 1996]. of Gujarat of one village or more. The chiefs of these Two things have happened to adivasis he adivasis are spread in the eastern states married their daughters to low rank- as a result of state action in the post- districts of the state of Gujarat and ing Rajputs, who for a variety of reasons Independence period. First, Bhil physical this adivasi belt ranges from south- sought women from outside their caste. and social geography has been decimated T One can thus speak of the Bhil-Rajput/ by the linguistic division of states. Some ern Rajasthan in the north, Madhya Pradesh in the east and to Maharashtra in the south. Kshatriya continuum just as Koli-Rajput Bhils are parcelled off to Rajasthan, some The adivasis of Gujarat account for 15 per continuum. Besides, the Bhils were also to Gujarat and others to Madhya Pradesh. cent of the total population. They are employed in the militia of the Rajput kings. In Gujarat they were ‘Gujaratised’. Ignor- specially spread in the districts of Even some of the names such as Dungri ing their own languages and dialects the Sabarkantha, Panchmahal, Vadodara, Garasia and Garasia Bhils suggest that the adivasis had to do their schooling in the Bharuch, Narmada, Surat, Navsari, Valsad Garasia prefix belongs to the Rajputs. The state language. They were at a disadvantage and Dangs. 32 talukas of these districts state of Idar populated by adivasis for in speaking and writing in Gujarati with have an adivasi population of over fifty instance, was a Rajput state. Thus all along the mainstream non-adivasis. They could per cent. The government has classified the eastern adivasi belt one observes pres- easily be identified as adivasis from the them as adivasi talukas for the sake of ence of Rajputs living alongside predomi- accents and pronunciation. Secondly, the developmental programmes. nantly adivasi areas. Even in south Gujarat adivasis were Hinduised by the state. In About a hundred years ago the adivasis one finds Rajput landowners called each of the decennial census the column of Gujarat were called the Bhils of the ‘Mahidas’, eg, Valia taluka of Bharuch for religion was increasingly filled up as hills. Gujarat had two major substratum of district which is predominantly adivasi. Hindu. For instance, Gamits were prefixed population known as Bhils and Kolis. The The Bhils were not unfamiliar with as Hindu Gamits, Chaudhris as Hindu Kolis (OBCs) were 20 per cent of the assertion, protest and revolts. In 1856 Bhils Chaudhris. Secondly, during admission to population. The Kolis were known as the of Gujarat revolted against the British. The schools this Hindu identity was reinforced tribals of the plains. Kolis lived in the Bhils of Panchmahals led by Guru Govind in the school records. Different Hindu sects plains while the Bhils lived in the hills. rose against veth (free labour). In 1912 his have contributed to the Hinduisation of the Even today Kolis in Kutch are classified blind challenge to British took the lives adivasis. The Bhagat or the Bhakti move- as adivasis. The Kolis largely claim to be of 3000 Bhils. Gandhi’s freedom struggle ment and later a host of other movements Kshatriyas have named groups in different too found an echo among the adivasis in quickened the process of Hinduisation. The sub-regions of Gujarat [Lobo 1995]. The Bardoli, Salt March, and Quit India move- upwardly mobile adivasis took to Hindu Bhils too have been differentiated into ment of 1942. Kisan Sabha organised a sects faster than the others ([Lobo 1992]. numerous (29) named tribes spread along rally of ten thousand adivasis to abolish The adivasis are now stratified on ac- the eastern belt of hilly Gujarat. Some of bonded labour (‘hali pratha’) among the count of the numerous interventions of the the major names are Gamit, Chaudhri, Dubla tribe of south Gujarat. In 1940, government, non-government agencies, Vasava, Kokna, Warli, and a few have 5,000 adivasis met and resolved to put an missionaries and adivasi organisations. retained the name of Bhil, eg, in Dangs, end to British rule at the Haripura Con- Divisions like ‘Mota’ (big) Chaudhris and or use the suffix of Bhil like Dungri Bhil. gress meeting [Patel 2001:11-12]. ‘Nana’ (small) Chaudhris are found among Many of these tribes are endogamous. A Interaction with other non-adivasis the Chaudhris. There are Bhagats and non- few tribes like the Kotwalia, Kolgas, etc, viz Hindu, Muslim and Parsee traders, Bhagats within a tribe. There are differences have been given the status of ‘Primitive businessmen, and money-lenders has been of language among them. For instance, the th Tribes’. Primitive Tribes are the tribes who noted since the 19 century. Devi move- Vasavi Bhil language varied from one site are very backward and get more assistance ment was a protest against the transfer of to another though having a contiguous from the state for their development. land from adivasis to Parsees on account geographical space. There has been little 4844 Economic and Political Weekly November 30, 2002 horizontal solidarity within a tribe leave The creamy layer among the adivasis has Hindutvisation of the adivasis was alone across tribes. Some efforts particu- been caught up in a very ambivalent posi- begun by the Sangh Parivar. This was a larly during socio-religious movements tion. They exclude themselves from the planned process. The Sangh Parivar sur- have been made to establish horizontal ordinary adivasis and want to include them- veyed, selected and targeted villages, solidarity among them. selves among Hindus or at least pass off as planted its men, recruited local people and non-adivasis. This creamy layer has be- began its anti-missionary campaigns. They Table 1: Incidents of Violence – March to come highly Hinduised. This layer has also also built their institutions for children. May 2002 been co-opted by the government bureau- With a view to speedy Hindutvaisation Date Incident cracy, contractors, forest officials, police, they used Advani’s ‘rathyatra’, ‘ramshila- March 2002 politicians, and other non-adivasi volun- pujan’ and collection of bricks from 3 Arson in rural Baroda. Chhotaudepur tary organisations. Having found their own adivasis for the construction of Ram temple under curfew. 4 Mob attack on 4 people in Sanjaynagar, upward mobility they care little for the rest in Ayodhya. Warasia. Admitted at Civil hospital with of their tribe. Non-adivasi value system has The Hindutvisation process in Dediapada burns. People shifted from Central Gujarat in crept into the adivasis such as caste hier- and Sagbara was initiated in the following Baroda Range especially from Sanjeli, archy, puritanism, emulation of non-adivasi manner. Events such as ‘Ramshilapujan’, Fatehpura and Randhikpur. 5 Tension in Tejgadh, Chhotaudepur fol- dress, entertainment, food, and individu- mini ‘rathyatras’, Ramjyoth and ‘kar seva’ lowing clashes between police and tribals. alism. Communitarian values are given a were spaced over a year and a half in these Night curfew in Dabhoi, Bodeli, Pavi go by. Christianisation too has brought in areas. A collection of rupees 1.25 per Jetpur, Tejgadh and Chhotaudepur. Mob attack police convoy carrying changes, some positive and others negative. household was made from villages along Muslims from Chhotaudepur to Baroda. Hold of upper castes in Gujarat politics the highway. “If you do not contribute you One constable shot, 3 injured. Tribals fromTejgadh admitted in civil has been hardly shaken except during prove that you are from the Muslim womb!” hospital, victims of ‘private firing’. Madhavsinh Solanki’s chief ministership Provocative speeches were made en route 6 Participation of tribals in rioting reported who came to power relying on the numeri- of the mini-rathyatras. Organisers of these from Tejgadh, Chhotaudepur, Jabugam, Bodeli and Dabhoi. cal dominance of his Kshatriya commu- yatras were non-tribals. In Devmogra a 7 Army flag march in Chhotaudepur. nity, along with Muslims, Dalits and pilgrim centre for adivasis, a Muslim dargah Clashes between police and tribals in Panwad, Kawant taluka. Adivasis. His announcement of further was vandalised. Following the kar seva By March 8 property worth Rs 8 crore was reservations undid his hold on Gujarat event, a Bharat Bandh call was given on damaged in Baroda city and rural areas. politics. Anti-reservation riots by upper October 24, 1990 and its echoes were felt 411 shops set on fire. In the city 175 houses, 47 vehicles damaged and 346 castes undid his reign. Gujarat politics in in adivasi area, with trees being cut and shops set afire. 13 factories and 4 hotels the past relied on caste politics and now placed as road blocks. Harassment of worth Rs 7.5 crore damaged. Largest casualty, 32 people. with the resurgence of Bharatiya Janata passers-by was also indulged in. Flares used in tribal belt. One person Party increasingly on religious politics.