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Culture survival for the indigenous communities with reference to North Bengal, Rajbanshi people and Koch Bihar under the British East India Company rule (1757-1857) Culture survival for the indigenous communities (With Special Reference to the Sub-Himalayan Folk People of North Bengal including the Rajbanshis) Ashok Das Gupta, Anthropology, University of North Bengal, India Short Abstract: This paper will focus on the aspect of culture survival of the local/indigenous/folk/marginalized peoples in this era of global market economy. Long Abstract: Common people are often considered as pre-state primitive groups believing only in self- reliance, autonomy, transnationality, migration and ancient trade routes. They seldom form their ancient urbanism, own civilization and Great Traditions. Or they may remain stable on their simple life with fulfillment of psychobiological needs. They are often considered as serious threat to the state instead and ignored by the mainstream. They also believe on identities, race and ethnicity, aboriginality, city state, nation state, microstate and republican confederacies. They could bear both hidden and open perspectives. They say that they are the aboriginals. States were in compromise with big trade houses to counter these outsiders, isolate them, condemn them, assimilate them and integrate them. Bringing them from pre-state to pro-state is actually a huge task and you have do deal with their production system, social system and mental construct as well. And till then these people love their ethnic identities and are in favour of their cultural survival that provide them a virtual safeguard and never allow them to forget about nature- human-supernature relationship: in one phrase the way of living. Here this whole thing is to be discussed in terms of the Sub-Himalayan Folk People of North Bengal including the Rajbanshis. Full Text: West Bengal is a state within the federal structure of India (29 states and six Union Territories). West Bengal is formerly a part of ancient Bengal whose eastern part is now an independent country by the name of Bangladesh. Among various administrative zones within the state, North Bengal is an important one and it is truly transnational. Six districts out of total nineteen within the state fall in this North Bengal and these are namely Malda (also Maldah or Maldaha), Dakshin Dinajpur (also South Dinajpur), Uttar Dinajpur (North Dinajpur), Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar. District subdivision blocks District headquarter Cooch Behar Mekhliganj, Haldibari, Cooch Behar town Mathabhanga, Dinhata,Cooch Mekhliganj (in Behar, Tufanganj Mekhliganj); Mathabhanga-I, Mathabhanga-II, Sitalkuchi (in Mathabhanga); Sitai, Dinhata-I, Dinhata-II (in Dinhata); Cooch Behar-I and II (inCooch Behar); Tufanganj I and II (in Tufanganj) Jalpaiguri Jalpaiguri Sadar, Malbazar, Rajganj, Jalpaiguri Jalpaiguri town Alipurduar Sadar, Maynaguri and Dhupguri (in Jalpaiguri Sadar); Mal, Meiteili and Nagrakata (in Malbazar); Falakata, Alipurduar I and II, Kumatgram, Kalchini, Birpata- Madarihat (in Alipurduar) Darjeeling Darjeeling Sadar, Kurseong Matigara, Naxalbari, Darjeeling town (also Karshiang), Kharibari, Kalimpong, Siliguri Phansidewa (in Siliguri); Mirik, Kurseong (in Kurseong); Kalimpong I and II, Garubathan (in Kalimpong); Darjeeling-Pulbazar, Jorebunglow- Sukiapokhri, Rangli-Rangliot (in DarjeelingSadar) Uttar Dinajpur Islampur and Raiganj Chopra, Islampur, Raiganj associated Goalpokhar I and II, with Karandighi Karandighi (in Islampur); Raiganj, Itahar, Kaliyaganj, Hemtabad (in Raiganj) Dakshin Dinajpur Balurghat and Gangarampur Balurghat, Balurghat Kumarganj, Hili (in Balurghat); Gangarampur, Tapan, Kushmandi, Bansihari, Harirampur (in Gangarampur) Malda Malda Sadar and Chanchal English Bazar, English Bazar (also Bamongola, Ingrez Bazar) Habibpur, Gazole, associated with Old Kaliachak-I and II Malda town and III, Manickchak (in Malda Sadar); ChanchalI and II, Ratua I and II, Harishchandrapur I and II (in Chanchal) Headquarter of North Bengal administrative zone: Jalpaiguri Town Portions of North Bengal fallen in Bangladesh comprises of sixteen districts categorically distributed under Rangpur and Rajshahi Divisions. North Bengal can be divided into seven subcategories: (1) Mahananda river system, (2) Barind ridge or highland, (3) Barind lowland and marshland, (4) Teesta river system, (5) Torsa river system, (6) Kaljani-Sankosh river system and (7) included areas. Zone Description Mahananda Mechi-Mahananda basin: It is eastern part of Mahananda-Kanki east- River system west foothill river system (sub-Himalayan). Mahananda-Kanki is transnational by nature (Indo-Nepal foothill), generally known as Terai and geopolitically as Morong. The India portion of Mahananda-Kanki is distributed between North Bengal administrative zone and eastern portion of neighboring Indian state Bihar. Mechi-Mahananda basin is completely under Indian jurisdiction: Siliguri subdivision (see: Table- 1), small portion of Islampur subdivision (see: Table-1) and Thakurganjtehsil (subdivision) of Kishanganj district of Bihar. Mahananda and Kanki meet near Dalkhola town of Islampur subdivision (see: Table-1). Mahananda-Nagar basin: This is next to Mechi-Mahananda basin and likewise falls completely in Indian territory. It is equally shared by Islampur subdivision (see: Table-1) and border districts of Bihar(Kishanganj, Purnia and Katihar). Nagar originates from Chopra block (see: Table-1) and determines Indo-Bangladesh international border between Islampur subdivision (see: Table-1) and Rangpur Division of Bangladesh (Panchagarh and Thakurgaon districts). This basin holds the entire Islampur subdivision (see: Table- 1) and separates Bihar state from direct contact with Bangladesh border. Mahananda lowland: Near Dalkhola, Mahananda creates Kalindi distributary. Both Mahananda and Kalindi from Barsoi block of Katihar district of Bihar enter into Chanchal subdivision (see: Table-1). This is very fertile and lowland. Mahananda-Kalindi basin is known as Tal and Kalindi-Ganges as Diara. Kalindi reunites with Mahananda near Malda town. Mahananda separates roughly Chanchal and Malda Sadar subdivisions (see: Table-1) of Malda district. Mahananda then enters in Rajshahi Division (Bangladesh) and meets into Gangetic delta in Nawabganj district there. Barind It is actually a north-south ridge with both sub-Himalayan and highland transnational nature (Indo-Bangladesh). It separates Mahananda system from Teesta-Torsa to its west and east respectively. It includes portions from Jalpaiguri Sadar subdivision (see: Table-1), parts of Mekhliganj subdivision (see: Table-1), regions from Rangpur Division (Bangladesh), Chopra block (see: Table-1) and pockets along Indo- Bangladesh international border at Raiganj subdivision, Gangarampur subdivision and Balurghat subdivision (see: Table-1). This is catchment area of so many rain-fed rivers running into both North Bengal andBangladesh. Panchagarh, Thakurgaon and Dinajpur districts of Rangpur Division (Bangladesh) and Rajganj block (see: Table-1) are the origin of many such rivers. Some facts: (A) Rajganj block is sub-Himalayan by nature and separated from Mechi-Mahananda basin by Mahananda river to its west. (B) Panchagarh district is separated from Mechi-Mahananda basin by Mahananda river and Chopra upland to the west. (C) Panchagarh and Thakurgaon are separated from Mahananda-Nagar by Nagar to the west. (D) Dinajpur in Bangladesh is continuous with Raiganj, Gangarampur and Balurghat subdivisions where rivers like Kulik/Kulick, Gamor/Gamari, Tangan, Purnabhava and Atreyee/Atrai enter into. (E) Purnabhava-Atrai together is a river system. (F) Karatoa initiates from Baikunthopur forest region near Rajganj block and enters into Panchagarh. It joins the Atrai-Purnabhava system. It has now been disconnected with its Jamuneshwari water course that once flowed along with Teesta. (G) Teesta is on east side of Rajganj, Jalpaiguri Sadar and Haldibari blocks (see: Table-1). (H) Teesta flows into Rangpur Division towards Brahmaputra mouth there (Bangladesh). (I) Teesta-Jamuneshwari once flowed to further distant locations like Bogra on Brahmaputra mouth and even Pabna on Gangetic delta (via Ichhamati River). Bogra and Pabna are situated in Rajshahi Division (Bangladesh). Barind lowland Raiganj, Gangarampur and Balurghat subdivisions (see: Table-1) on Kulik/Kulick, Gamor/Gamari, Tangan, Purnabhava and Atreyee/Atrai river from Barind highland from this lowland. It also extends upto major portions of Malda Sadar subdivisions (see: Table-1). It has marshland, water bodies, canal interconnections, sandy river basins and dry forestland. Kulik, Gamor and Tangan meet into Mahananda river system. First two are in Raiganj block and whereas Tangan flows over Kushmandi, Bansihari, and Malda Sadar (see: Table-1). Jagaddal was situated by thereby. Purnabhava-Atrai covering rest part of Dakshin Dinajpur district goes into Rajshahi Division (Bangladesh) and meets there into Chhalan Beel (a huge swamp covering major portion of this Division) created on Ganges-Baral intercourse. From Manihari subdivision of Katihar district (Bihar) to Bogra district (Bangladesh), it serves as a huge swamp including Malda district (North Bengal) and Rajshahi Division. This cross-country region was renowned for agriculture, perennial fishing, agro-forestry like that of mango and sericulture, social forestry in drier regions, inland river ports, ancient urbanization, educational hub, early civilization, transnational trade and