By Johann Ratnaiya
Indias tribal festivities are a feast for the eyes. On these occasions, women are dressed in the choicest robes from a tribes boutique. Her tribal avatar is resplendent. One of these tribal cultures was celebrated in the recent past. A concert was organised in Naya Raipur, Chhattisgarh. The event witnessed the enthralling performances of over 100 participants. The Chhattisgarh culture was pleasingly depicted by the dances, artwork, and distinct apparel of different tribal groups. The Bastar tribe was the highlight of the evening. The cultural heritage of this tribe is common knowledge now.
History of tribal festivals in India
Tribal festivals have been around for as long as anyone can remember. The revelry and pomp usually bore religious significance. The Karama festival in Odisha is a good example of this. Between the months of August and September, the branches of a Karam tree are planted by spinster women in a bid to have their fortunes changed. Similarly, the Sarhul festival in Jharkhand is about securing the safety of the village by worshipping the Sal tree- the abode of goddess Sarna. However, unlike the past, these groups do not necessarily gather for religious reasons today. Except for a relatively small number of tribal groups, people celebrate these festivals as a reminder of their ancestry, a fun way to self-preserve, and to herald seasonal changes. However, tribal groups that are blissfully untouched by modernization require varying degrees of protection and support from our Government.
Government initiatives to preserve tribal culture
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is a government initiative that helps preserve the heritage of these tribal groups. The protection and preservation of these communities is its primary function. The TRIFED (The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation Ltd), which is under the ministry of tribal affairs, organised an Aadi Mahotsav last month. This grand festival lasted a little more than two weeks. The theme of the festival was A Celebration of the Spirit of Tribal Craft, Culture, Cuisine and Commerce. The festival served as a marketing platform for tribes to display and sell their handicrafts, textiles, jewellery, paintings, natural and organic products. In preparation for the event, Trifed managing director Pravir Krishna said, “The first-of-its-kind festival in Assam will roll out a spectrum of rare folk art and craft of various states. Acclaimed artists and artisans, drawn from over 20 states of the country, including Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bengal and the northeastern states are a part of this mega cultural razzmatazz. After Delhi, Jaipur, Bhopal, Ranchi and Chandigarh, this is the sixth in the series.” The objective of this Government initiative is to improve the economic welfare of these indigenous communities while being careful not to tamper with their cultural autonomy. More parts of India are being modernized rapidly.
The more worrying part, however, is the modern Indias unforgivable ignorance about our rich cultural heritage and tribal descent. There is a manifest lack of awareness among our Indian youth today. We need to be taught the significance of these festivals that we celebrate. A basic history lesson is enough to put our Makar Sankranti, Modamba festival, and other national festivals into context. Our nations history will so easily be forgotten if these festivals are only about the food, fellowship or exchanging pleasantries.