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Traditional Knowledge and Cultural Identity of Different Tribal Communities of Eastern India : a Study Dr International Journal of Innovative Studies in Sociology and Humanities (IJISSH) ISSN 2456-4931 (Online) www.ijissh.org Volume: 3 Issue: 7 | July 2018 Traditional Knowledge and Cultural Identity of Different Tribal Communities of Eastern India : A Study Dr. Nikhilesh Dhar Assistant Professor, Dept. Of English, Onda Thana Mahavidyalaya, Bankura, W.B, India Abstract: The term ‘traditional knowledge’ which refers to the vast area of knowledge and accumulated belief textured in the cultural traditions of indigenous, local communities and based on interaction with the natural environment has been orally passed for generations from person to person and may also be expressed through various performing folk art forms. Cultural identity is the feeling of belonging to a group and part of a person's self-conception and perception that has its own distinct culture. Different types of traditional performing folk art forms along with tribal garments and ornaments, puppetry and tribal wall art have become indicators of cultural identity of different tribal communities of Eastern India. However, with the 21st century global world there is a strong need to preserve this indigenous knowledge and culture. The present paper, therefore, is an attempt to bring out the relation between indigenous knowledge and the cultural identity of the tribal community and the means of preservation and propagation of the tribal culture of Eastern India. Keywords: Traditional knowledge, Cultural Identity, Tribal Community, Preservation. 1. INTRODUCTION TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE In very simple analysis, the terms ‘traditional knowledge’, ‘indigenous knowledge’ and ‘local knowledge’ refer to the wide and broad area of knowledge, collected and gathered belief system, innovations and applications rooted in the long established cultural traditions of indigenous, regional or local bodies embodying their traditional life-styles. In our day to day life, anything ‘traditional’ refers to a kind of knowledge system that have been transmitted (both in written and oral form) for generation from community to community / person to person and territory to territory. It is based on empirical observation and very innovative in nature. Accordingly, it is classified into many segments : literature, arts, science, agriculture, technical, ecological, medicinal and cultural and any knowledge that is based on any one of these segments is called ‘traditional knowledge’ of that particular field. Thus, traditional knowledge is always community / particular society based knowledge and as a matter of fact is in a mode of constant change / transformation to an environment that is always changing and flexible in nature. As already stated, traditional knowledge has always been deeply interlinked with culture and may well be expressed through different cultural expressions like dance, music, legends, folklore, customs, rituals and all other visual and performing arts in tribal life. Traditional knowledge, therefore, is an integral part of the tribal cultural life in any part of the world. EASTERN INDIA AND THE TRIBAL COMMUNITY India's tribal population covering 30 states/UTs totalling about 104.3 million people as per the Census Report,20111 which constitutes 8.6 percent of the total population of the country comprises about 705 distinct tribal communities. There are mainly two tribal groups in the eastern Indian states like Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal & Orissa and the parts of Andaman. These racial groups are – (i) Proto-Austroloid and (ii) Mongoloid distinctly identified and separated by certain physical, behaviourial and residential pattern. Among the different tribal communities the most dominant group is Santal residing chiefly in the states like Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal & Orissa. Some other tribal communities in these states are Munda, Oraon, and Ho in Jharkhand ; the Bhumij, Bhuiya, Gond, Kandha, Santal and Saora in Orissa; the Bhumij, Santal, Kora, Lepcha, Bhutia, Munda, and Oraon in West Bengal; Santal, Munda, Ho, Bhumij, Oraon and Gond in Bihar. CULTURAL IDENTITY From time immemorial India is uniquely identified for a special feature of its own ,i.e; ‘Unity in Diversity’. Naturally every group be it tribal or non tribal inhabiting here is separated from other by certain distinctive features which © 2018, IJISSH Page 19 International Journal of Innovative Studies in Sociology and Humanities (IJISSH) ISSN 2456-4931 (Online) www.ijissh.org Volume: 3 Issue: 7 | July 2018 are in a way expressed through tradition of art, dance, music , language, rituals and customs etc, in short, under a bigger umbrella term ‘culture’ while necessarily there remains divergences and discrepancies among these communities on various issues. So each group is distinguished by a kind of unique cultural identity which is exactly their own and not to be mixed ever with other. ‘Cultural identity’ is, therefore, a feeling of belonging to a group. In today’s world where every nation is trying to make an identity of their own and the country of their living a cultural construct, it should be intermingled with a sense of nationality, religion, class, locality of the people residing there. It is thus a bridge / bond among the people who have shared the same culture. To put it in other words, it is a common stage where maximum number of people share same cultural values and the root of which is hidden under the cultural ethos of that particular tribal community. It helps a/an community/individual in understanding the relationships around it and is shaped by the people within its culture and the surroundings to better understand the world. From the postcolonial perspective ‘cultural identity’, therefore, may be interpreted as a tool for constructive response to colonialism and the hegemonic ‘cultural imperialism’ in the name of pre-colonial values for defining one’s domain as a cultural construct with certain shared identical cultural values and norms. Different tribal communities are saliently identified by their own traditional and age old culture that are expressed through different forms of tribal artistic genres. It is really nice to observe how each tribal group is separated from other only by virtue of their life style largely dominated by culture and identity associated to it. Therefore, with a view to establishing a close association between traditional knowledge and tribal culture a kind of categorisation of the umbrella term ‘tribal culture’ is essential. The notion of ‘tribal culture’ therefore may be categorised into certain sub categories like (i) Festivals and Ceremonies (ii) Performing arts including different types of tribal dance, music and musical instruments (iii) Garments and Ornaments, (iv) tribal art forms like puppetry and tribal wall art etc . FESTIVALS & CEREMONIES Since there goes a proverb, “old is gold”, tribal people have been carrying on their age old rich cultural heritage even to day in this global world and amidst such ‘e’ life. They have a separate and distinct cultural identity of their own majority of which is constituted by the share of their festivals and ceremonies in life and through taking part in the tribal cultural occasions and celebrations. At the same time, the nature of tribals’ celebration of festivals is primarily congregational and approach is collective. The festivals always have been closed community festival with little scope for non tribals to join and integrate with them expressing their traditional custom and culture and are interconnected to the cultural identity and solidarity of the tribal society at large. Baha, the Flower Festival and the second biggest festival of the Santals after Sohrai is celebrated in the beginning of spring. The ritual observed revolves around man’s communion with nature and the celebration of beauty. This is the time, Santals believe from time immemorial, when the trees become reproductive and one should not disturb their body and soul by plucking or cutting off their buds, flowers, leaves and branches.2 Therefore, it has become a part of their traditional knowledge that Santals never pluck or eat the flowers or fruits of Mango trees, never tear off the leaves of Peepal and Neem trees before celebrating Baha. Women do not use Sal flowers in their hair for decoration and trees are not cut for firewood at this time. If it does happen, the firewood is not brought to the village but is kept outside. As per the tribal traditional belief, any family who breaks such rules will not be visited by the village priest who normally enters every family’s house during the Baha rituals. Sohrai which is a harvest and cattle festival of santals, Oraon and Munda people in Jharkhand, Bihar , Odisha and West Bengal is mainly celebrated at the beginning of winter harvest 3 when the paddy has ripened on the new moon day of the Bengali month of Kartik, coinciding with Diwali or Kali puja, in the month of October-November. The age old traditional belief/knowledge that marks this festival with a unique distinctiveness that Marang Buru (God of mountain), Jaher Ayo (Goddess of forest) and the elder sister of the Santhals would descend on earth from heaven to visit their brothers on this festive occasion. Santals pay homage to their gods and their ancestors as a thanksgiving for their crops, their cattle, their ploughs, and everything that has helped them to attain the harvest. Sarhul, celebrated in the beginning of New Year is one of the grand festivals of tribes (Oraon) in Jharkhand as part of the traditional knowledge regarding the Sal tree and its leaves and their productive role in it. Sarhul which literally means ‘Worship of Sal’ is dedicated to Mother Earth (Dharti Mata) with the belief that good yield of Sal fruit means bumper agricultural harvest for them. Sarhul festival is very old and traditional in nature and believed to have its roots/origin during the age of Mahabharata. It has thus been carrying the age old tradition and tribal identity from © 2018, IJISSH Page 20 International Journal of Innovative Studies in Sociology and Humanities (IJISSH) ISSN 2456-4931 (Online) www.ijissh.org Volume: 3 Issue: 7 | July 2018 an antique period and consequently attached to the rich cultural heritage of Indian tribal folk at large.
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