HILL INDIA - BY EKNATH RANADE

Vivekananda Kendra Patrika, Vol.I, No:2 WRITTEN BY EKNATH RANADE August 1972 ##Hill India – Editorial Note ##HILL INDIA is a sequel to "Serve Man, Serve God", in a specific direction. The first issue focused attention on the significance of service, both in the context of personal evolution leading to God-realisation or Self-realisation and in that of social progress and universal well-being. It is a privilege to give and serve, for as Swami Vivekananda repeatedly reminded us, “only so we can grow”. “Give everything and look for no return” are his precious words. “Give love, give help, give service, give any little thing you can, but keep out barter,” is his exhortation. Indeed, it is the giver who is blessed more than the recipient. “Let the giver kneel down and give thanks; let the receiver stand up and permit.” This is the spirit of true service which constituted the theme of our first number. In commending and elucidating it, our aim was not merely academic or doctrinaire, but practical. The necessity for service is readily seen wherever we may turn, and the urgency of the call is obvious from more than one quarter. Almost every sphere of human life and activity has a claim on our resources and reserves, and the response must necessarily be in terms of service and selfless giving. The expression "Hill India" signifies such a field for dedicated action. It is a symbolic expression whose meaning is not restricted merely to the hills of India but extends to almost all regions inhabited by the children of Mother India who are often referred to as the “tribes” or the tribal population. We have tried to find a substitute term that would be more appropriate and widely acceptable, but we have not been successful. The term “tribe” itself is not precisely defined in the Constitution, though the Constitution refers to “Scheduled Tribes”. The terms “Adimjati” or “Adivasis”, literally meaning the original inhabitants, are sometimes used because they are presumed to represent the oldest ethnological section of the population. Some also prefer the terms “Girijans” or “Vanvasis”. However, none of these descriptions fully satisfies administrators, social anthropologists, philosophers or research scholars, each of whom tends to frame definitions according to a particular perspective. For the dedicated worker in the field, however, such terminological precision is not essential. The inspired servant of humanity, filled with missionary zeal, knows whom he must serve and is ready to dedicate himself to the task. There is already a new awakening among these communities thanks to the pioneering work of leaders such as Thakkar Bapa, Mahatma Gandhi and several service missions working among them. This awakening becomes a source of strength for those who wish to serve them. The real problem is not one of definition or description. It is practical and personal. The first requirement is understanding and mutual confidence between the so-called tribals and non-tribals. Many problems are often described as “tribal problems”, but in reality they are not fundamentally different from the problems faced by non-tribal communities. They are essentially human problems and therefore require a human approach rooted in love and understanding. The most important need is to understand tribal people in the context of their ideals and aspirations, their traditional ways of life, their beliefs and practices, and the reasoning that lies behind them. If such understanding is attempted, many of the so-called riddles of tribal life can be resolved. In the process the gulf between the “tribals” and the “non-tribals” would gradually be bridged. Practices such as shifting cultivation (jhuming), polyandry, wife-hospitality or senilicide, which may appear puzzling at first sight, may reveal deeper cultural reasoning when studied carefully within their social context. The real challenge therefore is to avoid disturbing the natural harmony of tribal life while guiding tribal communities toward constructive development. As Jawaharlal Nehru wisely said: QUOTE: “We should help the tribal people to develop along the lines of their own tradition and genius.” It is these and similar aspects of life in Hill India that are discussed in the following pages. The material presented includes contributed articles as well as compiled features and extracts. The topics range from academic discussions to legendary and biographical themes, including a short story set in a tribal background, a record of conversations with tribal people, a description of a day in a tribal colony with a dedicated worker, statistical details, sketches and maps. The presentation concludes with a note on gypsies whose original home is believed to be India though they are now found all over the world. This closing note symbolically prepares the ground for the third theme which deals with Indians living abroad.