CENSUS OF INDIA 1961 VOLUME XX-PART VI-No. 15 HIMACHAL PRADESH A Village Survey of PANGNA (Karsog Tehsil, Mandi District) Field Investigation & Draft Guidance & Final Draft by by JAG MOHAN RI KH I RAM SHARMA Editor RAM CHANDRA PAL SINGH Of the IndIan Administrative Service Superintendent of Census Operations. Himachal Pradesh PANGNA NOT' ONAL MAP PRIMARY HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL "'YURVEDIC DISPENSARY...... n "£"TERINARV HOSPITAL .... " 1t POLICE POST. @ 1I'5T HOUSE """ ~ DHA{,"'.. SAL..4 .... "" .... : ...... p TAILORING CENTRE ...... ,,, .. TEMPLE '"" ................... .. BOWLI ................. , ........ .. WATER MILL ." ............. .. PADDY HUSKING MILL .......... 'I::::> POTTER ............... ,'. ,,' .&. .-. SHOP '" """ ...... " .. , ..... '!1ll HOUSE •.. ,." ", '. c o n t e n t s PAGES FOREWORD III PREFACE v 1. The Village 1-6 History-Legends-Sources of Water-Communication-Monuments­ Flora-Fauna-Residential Pattern-Cremation Ground-Inter-Vil­ lage Relationship-Adjoining Villages and Places of [f!terest. 2. The People 7-17 Castes-Population-Untouchability-Di:alect-House Types-House Construction--Furniture and other Goods-FueL and Lighting­ Dress-Orrwments-Utensils-Food Habits. 3. Birth, Marriage and Death Customs 18-22 Birth-Chhatti-Gauntriala-Name Giving Ceremony-Ann Prashan and Lugru-Jarolan- Yagyopavit-M arriage-A rranged M arriage­ Reet Marriage-Death. 4. Social and Cultural Life 23-34 Household Worship-Temples-Fairs and Festivals-Superstitions­ Spirit World-Leisure and Recreation-Dance and Drama-Folk Songs. 5. Education, Medical and Public Health ... 35-36 Govt. Higher Secondary School, Pangna-Medical-Diseases-Tantar Mantar-Birth and Death Rate. 6. Economy 37-40 Income" and Expenditure-Indebtedness-Inheritance of Property- Workers and N on-Workers-Shopkeeping-M ode of Paymen~-Weights and Measures-Water Mills. 7. Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 41-45 Crop Calendars-Principal Crops and Major Operations-Horticul­ ture-Agricultural Implements-Pests and Crop Diseases-Animal Husbandry, 6. Village Household Industry and Crafts 46-48 BIa.cksmithy-Pottery-Shoe-making-TailOriJig-Weaving, II CONTENTS PAGES 9. Community Development, Co-operation and Panchayats 49-51 10. Conclusion 52-53 APPENDICES 54 ApPENDIX I-Tenancy-Extracts from Suket State Gazetteer, 1927 54 ApPENDIX II-Geological note on Mandi DistJrict 56 ApPENDIX III-Fairs and Festivals of Karsog 59 ApPENDIX IV-Flora and Fauna of Mandi District 61 Foreword Apart from laying the foundations of demo­ live terms on the basis of villages selected graphy in this subcontinent, a hundred years statistically at random. The selection was of the Indian Census has also produced 'ela­ avowedly purposive: the object being as borate and scholarly accounts of the varie_' much to fi:qd out what was happening and gated phenomena of Indian life-sometimes how fast to those villages which had fewer with no statistics attached, but usually­ reasons to choose change and more to remain with just enough statistics to give empirical lodged in the past as to discover how the under-pinning to their conclusions'. In a more 'normal' types of villages were chang.. country, largely illiterate, where statistical ing. They were to be primarily type studies or numerical comprehension of even such a which, by virtue of their number and distri­ simple thing as age was liable to be inaccu­ bution, would also give the reader a 'feel' of rate, an understanding of the social struc­ what was going on and some kind of a map ture was essential. It was more necessary to of the country. attain a broad understanding of what was happening around oneself than to wrap one­ A brief account of the tests of selection self up in 'statistical ingenuity' or 'mathema­ will help to explain. A minimum of thirty­ tical manipulation'. This explains why the fi.ve villages was to be chosen with great car~ Indian Census came to be interested in to represent adequately geographical, occu­ 'many by-paths' and 'nearly every branch of pational and even ethnic diversity. Of this scholarship, from anthropology and socio­ mini.mum of thirty-five, the distribution was logy to geography and religion'. to be as follows: In the last few decades the" Census has in­ (a) At least eight villages were to be so creasingly turned its efforts to the presenta­ selected that each of them would contain tion of village statistics. This suits the tem­ one dbminant community; with one predo­ per of the times as well as our pOlitical and minating occupation, e.g., fishermen, forest economic structure. For even as we have a workers, jhum cultivators, potters, weavers, great deal of centraHzation on the one hand salt-makers, quarry workers etc. A village should have a minimum population of 400, and decentralization on the other~ my collea­ the optimum being between 500 and 700. gues thought it would be a welcome conti­ nuation of the Census tradition to try to in­ (b) At least seven. villages were to be of vest the dry bones of village statistICS with numerically prominent Scheduled Tribes of flesh-and-blood accounts ot social structure the State. Each village could represent a and social change. It was accordingly decid­ particular tribe. The minimum population ed to select a few villages In every State for should be 400, the optimum being between special study, where personal observation 500 and 700. would be brought to bear on the interpreta­ (c) The third group of villages should tion of statistics to find out how much of a each be of fair size, of an old and settled vnIage was static and yet changing and how character and contain variegated occupa­ fast the winds of change were blowing and tions and be, if possible, multi-ethnic in from where. composition. By fair size was meant a popu­ Randomness of selection was, therefore, lation of 500-700 persons or more. The vil­ eschewed. There was no intention to build up lage should mainly depend on agriculture a picture for the whole State in quantita- and be sufficiently away from the major IV F'OREWORD sources of modern communication such as proach, qualitative cnange through statisti­ the district administrative headquarters and cal quantities. It had been difficult to give business centres. It should be roughly a day's thought to the importance of 'just enough journey from the above places. The villages statistics to' give empirical underpinning to were to be selected with an eye to variation conclusion', at a time when my colleagues in terms of si'ze, proximity to city and other were straining themselves to the utmost for means of modern communication, nearness, the success of the mai'n Census operations, to hills, jungles and major rivers. Thus there but once the census count, itself was left be­ was to be a regional distribution throughout hind in March, 1961, a series of three regio­ the State of this category of villages. If, nal seminars in Trivandrum (May 1961), however, a particular district contained Darjeeling and Srinagar (June 1961) restor­ significant ecological variati'ons within its ed their attention to this field and the impor­ area, more than one village in the district tance of tracing social change through a num­ might be selected to study the special adjust­ ber of well-devised statistical tables was onCe ments to them. again recognised. This itself presupposed a It is a unique feature of these village sur­ fresh survey of villages already done; but it veys that they rapidly outgrew their original was worth the trouble in view of the possibi­ terms of reference, as my colleagues warm­ lities that a close analysis of statistics offered, ed up to their work. This proved for them an and also because the 'consanguinity' sche­ absorbing voyage of discovery and their in­ dule remanied to be canva'ssed. By Novem­ fectious enthusiasm compelled me to enlarge ber 1961, however, more was expected of the inquiry's scope again and again. It was t.hese surveys than ever before. There was just as well cautiously to feel one's way dissatisfaction on the one hand with too many about at first and then venture further a general statements and a growing desire on field, and although it accounts to some extent the other to draw conclusions from statis­ for a certain unevenness in the quality and tics, to regard social and economic data coverage of the monographs; it served to as interrelated processes, and finally to compensate the purely honorary and extra­ examine the social and economic proc-esses mural rigours of the task. For the Survey, set in motion through land reforms and along with its many ancillaries like the sur­ other laws, legislative and administrative vey of fairs and festivals, of small and rural measures, technological and cultural change. industry and other, was an 'extra', over and Finally, a study camp was organised in the above the crushing load of the 1961 Cens~s. last week of December 1961 when the whole It might be of interest to recount briefly field was carefully gone through over again the stages by which the Survey enlarged its and a programme worked out closely knit­ scope: At the first Census Conference in Se~­ ting the various aims of the Survey together. tember 1959, the Survey set itself the task The Social Studies Section of the Census of what might be called a record in situ of Commission rend-ered assistance to State material traits, like settlement patterns of Superintendents by way of scrutiny and the village; house types; diet; dress; orna­ technical comment on the frame of S'urvey ments and foot-wear; furniture and storing and presentation of results. vessels; common means of transport of This gradual unfolding of the aims of the goods and passengers; domestication of ani­ Survey prevented my colleagues from adopt­ mals and birds; markets attended; worship ing as many villages as they had originally of dieties festivals and fairs.