184
the nearby region, armed with bows, arrows, spears, and battle-axes, assembled in
open places of their respective villages and signaled the people to gather by blowing
flutes and beating drums. In this way, the people from far and near gathered and then
proceeded to a place where the hunt priest had already begun to perform rites for the
protection of each member of the hunting party. After taking their mid-day meal, the
hunters, under the guidance of the hunt priest, started their hunting expedition by
combing the forest for any eventual kill” (Ray 2009, p.14).
10.3.10 Polity
The basic unit of the communal system of the Santal is the village. Village administration runs by village headman, Manjhi and his assistants. All the external and
internal relations are represented by the village headman. In this research, in connection with the study on polity of the selected tribal communities, emphasis has
been given to understand the participation of tribal communities in elections as
voters and as leaders in present situation. Emphasis also has been given to understand the participation of women as leaders and transformation in political condition in tribal life.
10.4 Kharia Sabars: The Tribe Bearing the Stigma
of Criminality
In India, Kharia Sabar is one of the primitive tribal communities of Purulia district.
In 1871, the then British government notified this small, nomadic and forest-based
tribe of particularly eastern India as “criminal tribe”. After Independence, in the
year 1952, the Indian Government “denotified” Kharia Sabar, and in 1959, the
Government introduced the nefarious “Habitual Criminal Act” for them, which is
more or less a repetition of the 1871 Act. Keria Sabar tribal community of Purulia
district falls under the same group of the Lodhas of West Midnapore district and the
Dhikaros of Birbhum district of West Bengal. At present the government has made
several arrangements for their sustenance by giving them cultivable land, proper
education and vocational training. Kharia Sabar tribal community still badges with
the stigma of criminal tribe even today. Every Sabar is often viewed with suspicion.
Villagers in general believe that Kharia Sabars do not have human feelings like a
normal man that they are “born-criminal” who commit all sorts of crime.
S. Mukherjee and U. S. Malik
the nearby region, armed with bows, arrows, spears, and battle-axes, assembled in
open places of their respective villages and signaled the people to gather by blowing
flutes and beating drums. In this way, the people from far and near gathered and then
proceeded to a place where the hunt priest had already begun to perform rites for the
protection of each member of the hunting party. After taking their mid-day meal, the
hunters, under the guidance of the hunt priest, started their hunting expedition by
combing the forest for any eventual kill” (Ray 2009, p.14).
10.3.10 Polity
The basic unit of the communal system of the Santal is the village. Village administration runs by village headman, Manjhi and his assistants. All the external and
internal relations are represented by the village headman. In this research, in connection with the study on polity of the selected tribal communities, emphasis has
been given to understand the participation of tribal communities in elections as
voters and as leaders in present situation. Emphasis also has been given to understand the participation of women as leaders and transformation in political condition in tribal life.
10.4 Kharia Sabars: The Tribe Bearing the Stigma
of Criminality
In India, Kharia Sabar is one of the primitive tribal communities of Purulia district.
In 1871, the then British government notified this small, nomadic and forest-based
tribe of particularly eastern India as “criminal tribe”. After Independence, in the
year 1952, the Indian Government “denotified” Kharia Sabar, and in 1959, the
Government introduced the nefarious “Habitual Criminal Act” for them, which is
more or less a repetition of the 1871 Act. Keria Sabar tribal community of Purulia
district falls under the same group of the Lodhas of West Midnapore district and the
Dhikaros of Birbhum district of West Bengal. At present the government has made
several arrangements for their sustenance by giving them cultivable land, proper
education and vocational training. Kharia Sabar tribal community still badges with
the stigma of criminal tribe even today. Every Sabar is often viewed with suspicion.
Villagers in general believe that Kharia Sabars do not have human feelings like a
normal man that they are “born-criminal” who commit all sorts of crime.
S. Mukherjee and U. S. Malik