সদৌ আদিবাসী ছাত্ৰ সন্থা(আছা) কেন্দ্ৰীয় সমিতিৰ উদ্যোগত আৰু বিশ্বনাথ সমিতি আৰু আদিবাসী জনগোষ্ঠৰ সহযোগত ১৯ তম আদিবাসী  মহাসভা উদযাপন কৰাৰ প্ৰস্তুতি চলিছে। এই মহাসভা অহা ইং ২৫,২৬,২৭আৰু ২৮ জানুবাৰীত বিশ্বনাথ জিলাৰ  ধুলিত  অনুষ্ঠিত হব। আদিবাসী বৌধিক মহলে মহা সভাৰ আগে আগে তিনিওটা আছাৰ গোটক একগোট কৰাৰ প্ৰয়াস কৰিছে যাতে অনুস্থিত হ’বলগীয়া মহাসভাখন সফল ৰূপে উদযাপন কৰিব পাৰি।

১৯তম আদিবাসী মহাসভা উপলক্ষে এখন সোৱঁৰনি পুস্তিকা প্ৰকাশ কৰাৰ প্ৰয়াস কৰা হৈছে। পুস্তিকাখনৰ বাবে সকলোৰে পৰা লেখা আহবান কৰা হৈছে।

The tea garden labourers (the Adivasis) have lived in the Northeast for more than one and half century. Today they form about 20% of Assam’s population and have been the backbone of Tea industry in the state. Their presence is most of the time associated with the tea industry. However, some historians hold it that the Adivasis were present in the NE much before this period. Historians such as Col. Dalton, (in his “Tribal History of India” pg. 235), Edward Gate (in “History of Assam” pg. 4), Hamlet Brach (in “History & Culture of Khasis”) etc. have shown that Adivasis especially the Mundas and Santhal were living together with the Khasis in Meghalaya and as such there is much similarity in the language, some customs, dance, musical instruments etc. Today the community is integral part of Assam. However, due to their existence in a peculiar condition within the tea set up and due to adverse socio economic and educational condition the community lags behind in development.

Contribution of the Tea Garden Labourers

1. Contribution to the Huge Profits of Tea Companies:
   

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The tea garden labourers of Assam /(Adivasis) have been playing an indispensible role in the birth, growth and expansion the tea industry. Each tea company makes huge profit on the sweat and blood of these labourers.  Based at Guwahati, Assam has the world’s largest CTC auction centre, where around 140 million kg of tea is auctioned annually. Assam produces nearly 400 millions kg or 53 percent of the all-India production. The total estimated turnover of the industry is Rs. 2,000 crore and the industry’s contribution to the state exchequer is Rs. 140 crore.[1]

1.2. Contribution to Assam and Northeast. 

The contribution of the tea garden labourers will be better appreciated when their indirect contribution to other subsidiary industries and other sectors are taken into consideration. The tea industry is the oldest industry of northeast India and has been a potential factor in promoting the economy of North-East India. It still provides a stable economic base and has considerable potential for further economic development. The tea plantation industry is a major contributor to the national income as the second biggest foreign exchange earner.[2] Many subsidiary industries like road construction, transportation, building of ware-houses, manufacture of plywood tea chest, aluminium foil, tinplate, metal fittings, paper card board, fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides, coal, iron, steel depend on the tea industry. There is a growing demand for more of these items in the tea industry.[3] Tea industry has been responsible directly or indirectly for clearing of jungle infested lands, for the growth of schools, hospitals, wholesome drinking water etc.[4] The Tea Industry has been mainly responsible for the Assam Trunk Road linking lower Assam and upper Assam, and the steamer service between Bengal and Assam connecting Calcutta to Dibrugarh. The domestic demand for tea continues to rise.[5] Sib Ranjan Misra, an economist, argues that this huge rising domestic consumption will continue to be the main support to prices, particularly when the international market behaves indifferently, will act as a stabilizer in case of need.[6] Besides, the labourers have been contributing to the state, the region and the tea industry by providing political stability and industrial peace.

2. The Economic Status of the Labourers
   

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2.1. Income: Income of the labourers is very low and hence their standard of living is low.[7] The wage of a tea garden worker is not only substantially lower than that of a worker in the jute or textile industries, but even much lower than a worker of an unorganized labour such as in coal mines.[8]  Their working and living conditions are unhygienic with very meager facilities for medical care.[9] There is maximum exploitation of the women labour and child labour with much less wages.[10]

2.2. Employment and Education: Since tea industry primarily functions on subsistence economy (pays just for the survival of the labourers) hence both parents and children are compelled to work in the tea garden works.[11] Unemployment among them is gradually increasing.[12] Casualization of labourers (reducing the number of permanent workers and increase the temporary ones) is on the rise. On the other hand, the number of permanent workers has been declining progressively. Between the year 1960 and 1980 the permanent workforce has come down by 21, 000 while there has been steady increase in the number of tea gardens, area cultivated and the production of tea.[13] The educational status of the labourers is one of the poorest and the majority of the literates are of LP standard and education of females is rare.[14]

2.3. Land-holding and Debt: The vast majority of the labourers are landless. A small percentage of them have lands outside the tea gardens mostly for cultivation. Under tremendous pressure from the outrageous land grabbers, among whom include tea companies, small tea growers, wealthy land owners, the Adivasi losing lands at an alarming rate. According to a study the income of the tea garden labourers being insufficient about 75% of the tea garden labourers incur debts of different amount.[15] 

3. Who is responsible for their stark underdevelopment
   

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3.1. Government’s Initiatives for Welfare of Tea Labour

There are three types of institutions which oversee the welfare of labourers: a) The Directorate for Welfare of Tea Garden Tribes (including ex-Tea Garden people), b) the Tea Board and c) the Assam Tea Labour Welfare Board. 

3.1.1. The Directorate for Welfare of Tea and Ex-Tea Garden Tribes      

The government of Assam established the Directorate for Welfare of Tea Garden and Ex-Tea Garden Tribes in the year, 1983 for the welfare of the labourers. The Directorate has been implementing various Schemes in the State  which include – Family Oriented Income Generating Scheme, Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarship, Grants for Non-Government Educational Institutions, Grants for Cultural Activities including Educational Tour, Grants for Non-Government Organisation, Grants to Patients suffering from T. B. and other Malignant diseases, Grants for Purchase of Text-Book and Uniform. The directorate received 50% of the fund from central budget and the remaining 50% from the state government plan allocation.

A quick glace into the amounts of a few of these schemes clearly indicate the government’s negligence and apathy towards the tea garden labourers. For example, under the Family Oriented Income Generating Scheme (FOIGS) the amount allotted for tea garden labour community (who compose 25% of the population of the state) was Rs. 33.00 lakh for 800 families for the year 2003-2004. For the same Scheme (FOIGS) the amount allotted Scheduled Castes (SCs) (who compose less 10%) was Rs. 224.99 lakh for 8334 families for 2002-03; and for the Plain Tribes (STs) (who compose about 18%) was Rs. 103.36 for 1850 families for 2002-03.    Likewise, while the amounts allotted under other schemes and grants for SCs and STs runs into hundreds of lakh but for the tea garden labourers the amounts are negligible. For instance, for the year 2003-04 for Grants to non-government educational Institutions was Rs. 4.00 lakh, for Grants for Cultural Activities including Educational Tour was 1.00 lakh, Grants to Patients suffering from T.B/Cancer and other Malignant diseases was Rs. 0.45 lakh, and for Grants for Purchase of Uniforms was Rs. 0.68. The partiality of government becomes very sharp when the above total amounts allotted to the tea garden labourers is compared to the total amount allotted for the Minority community of Assam, which Rs. 1,00,00,000.00 for the year 2001-02.  The negligence of the government becomes unpardonable considering the enormous contributions the tea garden labourers are making and their socio-economic status is much lower than SCs and STs.

3.1.2. The Tea Board and the Assam Tea Employees Welfare Board (ATEWB)

The Tea Board was set up under section 4 of the Tea Act, 1953 and was constituted on 1st April, 1954. It succeeded the Central Tea Board and the Indian Tea Licensing Committee which functioned respectively under the Central Tea Board Act, 1949 and the Indian Tea Control Act, 1938 which were repealed. The Tea Board is functioning as a statutory body of the Central Government under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry. Among many other major objectives and activities (being a catalyst towards acceleration of the production and growth rate of tea industry) of the Tea Board, the welfare for the tea garden labourers is a minor objective and activity, and receives a little attention. The Board’s welfare activities include stipend for education, vocational training, grants for the extension of school buildings and construction of hostels, Scout and Guides activities in Tea Estates, treatment of T.B. and Cancer etc.[16]

The Assam Tea Employees Welfare Board (ATEWB) was set up after the enactment of the Assam Tea Plantation Labour Welfare Fund Act, 1959. Since then Board has been working for the welfare of the labourers through various schemes. The schemes include running community centres (15), Mezenga Female Labour Welfare Trainging Centres, Rest House for Tea Garden Patients, Hostel accommodations (11) for college students, Book Grant, Stipends to the students (of engineering, medical, agriculture, veterinary), stipend for the Trainees in nursing in the Indian Red Cross Hospital and other hospitals, medical aid, grants in aid to NGOs etc.[17] The present estimated budget of the board is roughly Rs.5 crore per year.

From the grants and schemes of the above 2 Boards the only thing which is benefiting the labourers are matters related to promoting education. But even in this a good amount of fund is appropriated by and channelized to non-tea garden people. Other programs like vocational trainings, Scouts and Guides activities etc are neither planned with a vision of sustainability nor have they made the beneficiaries self-reliant.

3.1.3. Various schemes under Bharat Nirman

Under Prime Minister Rozgar Yojana (PMRY) scheme, no initiatives have been taken to include those tea garden labourers who do not have any job in the tea garden and generally worked in other places as manual workers with a nominal wage. At present, there are no such schemes to cover the tea gardens labourers.

Under The SGSY many special programs are implemented in each state of the country for holistic development of rural India such as Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana, Indira Awas Yojana (IAY), Pradhan Mantri Gramodya Yojana (Rural Shelter), Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), etc. A substantial amount of money was spent since 2002 in the implementation of these schemes in the country. The tea garden laboureres do not benefit from such schemes. The reasons cited by politicians, bureaucrats, policy makers and academicians for the non-implementation of these schemes for the tea garden labourers is that tea gardens are considered private does not fall under the Panchayati Raj system. Even under the special package for SCs and STs, these schemes do not benefit the tea garden labourers as they are not included in the SC and ST list. Although, the state government through DRDA is willing to implement these schemes in the tea gardens, and has several times asked the management to provide a no-objection certificate for allowing the DRDA to initiate Indira Awas Yojana (IAY), Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) etc, but it has failed.  

3.2. Tea Industry’s Initiatives for Welfare of Tea Labour

The tea garden labourers provide the skills and the muscle-power for the tea industry of Assam because of which, the tea industry earns crores of rupees as profit. Yet the amount that is allotted for the development of the labourers by the owners of the tea industry is not only little but un-proportionate to huge profit they make. For example, the total estimated turnover of the industry is Rs. 2,000 crore and the industry’s contribution to the state exchequer is Rs. 140 crore, but the amount earmarked for welfare activity by ABITA (Assam Branch of Indian Tea Association) is just 1 crore.[18] But that is not all, most of these welfare activities by ABITA do not benefit the labourers in anyway. The best example if the Cultural Complex at Guwahati costing crores constructed by ABITA serves the rich and the powerful and does not benefit the labourers in anyway. This is not only sheer injustice and exploitation but inhumanly apathy and insensitivity.

Conclusion

The years of subjugation and social exclusion has left the community behind in education, economic and socio political field. Though due to their sheer number the community has been able to bring political stability to Assam, it has not been able to control politics. The failure of education system in the tea plantations, and due to difficulty in the medium of instruction in schools which is not in their mother tongue there is large scale drop out. At the moment when Assam boasts of around 73.18% literacy rate, the rate of literacy in the tea gardens is less than 20%.

For the overall growth of Assam, there is need for this community to develop. The government and the policy makers need to pay attention to the overall development of this large group of people if it wants to see a developing Assam.

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The name ADIVASI – is constitutional term, it well know and accept in the national media, social scientists and re-search scholars.
–         It unites with other tribal groups of India whereas ‘tea tribe’ only divides and alienates this national unity.
–          The name ‘tea tribe’ is a recent origin (may be not more than 25 years) whereas the term ADIVASI and equivalents in English like tribes, tribals etc goes to the time of British rule.
–         The name ‘tea tribe’ – illogical, derogative, an ethnic groups social worth is not recognized.
–         The birth of number of organizations with the name ADIVASI (like AASAA, AAWAA, ACA, ASS, ADIVASI Sahitya Sabha) all over Assam speaks its popularity and on the other hand, clearly indicates the revolt against the name ‘tea tribe’.

Famous journalists and social scientists not only use the term ADIVASI but they are also in favour of granting ST status to them.

“If ST status is about whether a group deserves reservations in jobs and in educational institutions, the case for ADIVASIs being recognized as STs is indisputable.” He further states with strongest possible emphasis, “whether migrants should be considered ST or not, given the contribution of the tea labour community in blood and in sweat to the formation of modern Assam, no other group has a better claim to full citizenship rights and compensatory justice than they do.” (Sanjib Baruah, ADIVASI Politcs in Assam, telegraphindia.com, December 10, 2007.) Sanjib Baruah is from  Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi and the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati)

“But, for the ADIVASIs, demanding ST status is not unreasonable… Keeping in mind the precarious living conditions of ADIVASIs, both the governments of home and resident states need to consider it seriously while not neglecting the interest of the indigenous tribes of the resident state.” (Moirangthem Prakash, The ADIVASI Question in Assam, Telhelka.com, December 14, 2007)   Moirangthem Prakash, a researcher at the Indian Social Institute, New Delhi.

“… it is a fact that the ADIVASIs are socially and educationally backward compared to many other tribes. Now the time has come for the Centre to take a firm decision on the matter and settle it convincingly once and for all. No one would object to the granting of ST status to ADIVASIs if they fulfill the required criteria.” (Pradeep Kumar Dutta, ADIVASIs and ST Status, Assam Tribune, Editorial, December 2, 2007).

Under the name Tea Tribe it is just not possible to get ST status for anyone

“They [ADIVASIs] have been demanding Scheduled Tribe status for a long time. But the Government of Assam, by sending their application as a tea tribe, ensures that they will not get such status: After all, they are ADIVASIs, Mundas, Santhals and others who are recognized as tribes in their original homeland. So why not extend that recognition to other parts of the country, such as Assam, where they now live and have lived for over a century.” (Sanjay Hazarika, the Veteran journalist and Northeast observer stated this in Guwahati Clash could start another Tragic Conflict, on IBNLive chatroom – http://ibnlive.in.com/news/delhi-pays-attention-to-ne-only-when-forced-to/53135-3.html-  on November 27, 2007)

Yet in another place Sanjay Hazarika says very clearly says that there is no such thing as ‘tea tribe’. “The Assam government’s position has been to send it straight to Government of India saying the tea tribe should be scheduled as tea tribe. There is no such thing as a tea tribe. There are many communities within the tea-growing community that migrated here in 19th century,” said Northeast expert Sanjay Hazarika. (Deborshi Chaki, Storm in Assam’s Tea Cup: Story behind the unrest, CNN-IBN (http://ibnlive.in.com/news/storm-in-assams-tea-cup-story-behind-the-unrest/53146-3.html) Nov. 28, 2007)

“Yet the demand of the tea workers’ descendants for ST status, and the framework within which the debate is being conducted, drew attention to our continued reliance on a highly questionable stock of colonial knowledge about Indian society and culture. This should be a source of embarrassment, as well as cause for serious introspection.” (Sanjib Baruah, ADIVASI

Politics in Assam, telegraphindia.com, December 10, 2007) Sanjib Baruah is from  Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi and the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati).

Vested interest in trying to retain the name ‘tea tribe’

It is important for media, the social scientists, the thinkers as well as the common tea garden workers to understand why a group of vested interest want to retain and perpetuate this derogative name.

Those against the ST of ADIVASIs
–         This group opposes the name ‘ADIVASI Development Council’.
–         The groups opposes the idea of ‘Sarba-siksha’ in ADIVASIya (Sadri) .
–         These groups opposed the idea of ‘ADIVASIya News in ND TV.

Drastic Wrong in the name ‘tea tribe’ and in the intention of all those who wants to perpetuate it.

The organizations at national and international level like ICITP (Indian Confederation of Indigenous and Tribal Population, UNPMII (United Nations Permanent Mission on Indigenous Issues) etc  are more and more getting involved in the process of working for the preservation and promotion of the languages, cultures and heritages of the indigenous groups of the world. While those who want to maintain the name ‘tea tribe’ are involved in a contrary process of destroying the beautiful and distinct linguistic and cultural identity of the tribes and castes of the tea industry. Even if the present demand for identity recognition of the ADIVASIs is side-tracked or high-jacked due to political high-handedness very soon due to the force of democratic consciousness this demand will find its ex-pressions in social, political and industrial arenas in a healthy or unhealthy way, in a constructive or destructive way. The greater the political and democratic consciousness the greater will be the demand. Here is what is needed the wisdom on the part of decision makers to understand the undercurrents of the crucial tea industry and take necessary remedies.

Critical questions after the para of opinions of thinkers on Tea tribe and ADIVASI

It was the government of India which de-scheduled the ADIVASIs during the ministry of Tarun Ram Phukan. Why did the government of Assam not consider to give constitutional recognize to each of the tribes and castes of tea industry as they are in the state of origin? In stead it branded them with the derogative nomenclature ‘tea tribe’. It has become more than clear now, that under the name ‘tea tribe’ it is impossible to get Scheduled Status. Isn’t the harsh truth that the government of Assam has been using one mechanism after another in depriving the ADIVASIs from their constitutional rights?

Industrial Peace is must for increase of productivity

The tea industry of Assam has been enjoying reasonable industrial peace. However, from this industrial peace the workers have not gained anything much in matters related to their rights as workers, which in turn will affect the productivity of the industry in the long run.

Emphasizing on the need to improve the conditions of the labourers, the 1975 seminar titled Problems of Tea Industry in North East India, states, “The Seminar noted with concern that the tea plantation labourers had not been provided with the requisite housing, medical and other facilities under Plantation Labour Act 1951. It suggested the need of closer co-ordination between the management and trade unions so that the workers could be ensured of their due share of industry’s prosperity. Though there is an organized trade union movement in the region, yet it cannot be said that labour has gained out of the industrial peace that has been reigning in the tea plantation industry for a long time.”[1]

G.P.Baruva, tea planter, Sibsagar, Assam, writes, “…Because of this labour intensiveness, labour-management relations here play a vital role in increasing the efficiency and the productivity of workers and thereby the welfare of the country as a whole. …It is through good labour management relations that productivity could be increased and gains could be equitably shared.”[2]

Prasanneswari states that there is an increasing gap between management and labour. The management of the tea industry, as a private enterprise, will aim at maximum profits and minimization of costs, in the pursuit of which the workers’ interests get aback-seat. In these circumstances, the trade unions and the government could effectively intervene in the protection of the legitimate right of the workers, thereby minimizing the areas of conflicts and gap. If the government is to play an effective role in protecting the workers and the industry, it should pass laws carrying more stringent penalties and effectively enforce their implementation.[3]

However, at the present juncture of history of tea industry the tea garden labourers are not only interested in their rights as workers but much more their political and constitutional rights. Unless government makes necessary structures so that they enjoy these rights the industrial peace is bound to shatter and affect the productivity negatively and thereby the economic growth of the state. Those who are opposing the creation of ADIVASI Development Council and the scheduling of the ADIVASIs are also responsible for shattering the industrial peace.

Feeling of Alienation of ADIVASIs of Assam

‘The sheer exploitation of Assam’s primary products, tea and oil, without a nominal return for the indigenous people and labour, lakhs and lakhs of whom were brought from Chota Nagpur, Orissa and further south, is hardly remembered with indignation’ writes S. Gurudev, the sub-editor of Hindustan Standard (Delhi edition).[4] In Eclipse in the East, Assam Sahitya Sabha expresses its pain and fear, “Over the years, since Independence, Assam has been treated as nothing better than a colony within the republic for exploitation by the rest of the country and by foreigners. …Every year we get Rs. 22 crores as royalty for Rs. 840 crores worth of oil….The tea industry, here, which produces 270 million kgs. of tea worth over Rs. 400 crores every year, is controlled from Calcutta and London….”[5]  M. Hussain, a renowned sociologist of northeast India, establishes close relationship between the underdevelopment of the economy of Assam and the Assam movement.[6] N. A. Gokhale, one of the renowned journalists of Northeast India, traces back in history the feeling of resentment, insularity and alienation by the locals towards the tea industry.[7] If the feeling of alienation of those who do not directly work in the tea industry is such strong then how strong will be the feeling of alienation, of deprivation, of marginalization, of oppression of the ADIVASIs/tea garden labourers of Assam, who have been contributing towards the tea industry, the economy of the state and the foreign exchange through their sweat and blood generations after generations? How great is the feeling of alienation of ADIVASIs when they are not even given the need-based wages and amenities while the tea industry mints money, the planters, the owners and the share holders enjoy luxury and plenty, the government gets in crores by way of tax and foreign exchange? How great is the feeling of alienation of the ADIVASIs when for more than 40 years have been deprived of their constitutional rights?

References:-

There are about seven million Adivasis in Assam, scattered either in the 845 odd tea estates or in the villages. Though they form a substantial part of the population of the state, their socio-political and economic conditions are pathetic to say the least. And their plight is deteriorating by the day. One of the major reasons for this backwardness is their abysmally low educational status. This paper tries to find out, at least partially, the educational level of the Adivasis in Assam and some of the reasons behind their low literacy status.

Who are the Adivasis?

Generally people associate the presence of the Adivasis in Assam with the history of tea industry in the state. Anthropologists, historians and sociologists have not tried to link the community to times prior to the inception of the tea industry. But evidences prove that Adivasis were in the Northeast even prior to the coming of the British East India Company. The existence of the Santhal colonies in Western Assam, for instance, show that the Adivasis were not brought to Assam solely for the tea industries.

The presence of Adivasis in Northeast India can be traced back to times immemorial. The first settlers of the undivided Assam seem to be the Khasis and the Syntengs.[1] Linguistically they belong to the Austro-Asiatic or Mon-Khmer group. Through their language they are related to the Munda tribes of central India and many tribes in Myanmar and Indo-China. They resemble them culturally too. For instance, they erect stone monuments to their dead ancestors like the Mundas and Hos of Jharkhand and the tribes of Indonesia.[2] According to historians once Kol-Mundas and the Khasis lived together in Northeast India and the Khasis adopted the language of the Kol-Mundas.[3] Initially the Khasis did not cultivate, and the Mundas called them “Ka-si” which in Mundari means “not ploughing, non-cultivators”.[4] The linguistic and cultural links between the Khasis of Northeast India is another proof of the presence of the Mundas in Northeast India. But it is a fact that large number of Adivasis were brought to the tea gardens of Assam from 1841 as indentured labourers. Their descendants are today found in the tea gardens or villages of Assam. According to the Bihar Scheduled Tribes list, Adivasi tribes include Asurs, Baigas, Banjaras, Bathudis, Bedias, Bhumijs, Binjhias, Birhors, Birjias, Cheros, Chik-Baraiks, Gonds, Goraits, Hos, Karmalis, Kharias, Karwars, Kisans, Koras, Korwas, Lohars, Mahlis, Mal-Paharias, Mundas, Oraons, Paharias, Santals, Sauria-Paharias, and Savars.[5] Apart from the present day Jharkhand, they are also migrated to Assam from Chhattishgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal.

Educational scenario among the Adivasis in Assam

Undoubtedly vast majortity of the Adivasis in Assam are illiterate. A survey by Fr. Hippolitus Toppo, a scholar from the tea garden community, shows that in 1994, in the 845 tea estates of Assam, there were 34,400 children studying in 666 tea garden schools, while there were 89,598 child labourers.[6] In fact,, till the end of the last century only about 10% of them were literate, which is an abysmally low percentage. Lack of education is the main cause of exploitation of these people by the non-Adivasi society. Dr. Virginius Xaxa, a scholar of sociology in New Delhi School of Economics, wrote in the Times of India in 1997:

The living standard of tea plantation workers is extremely low. This has bearing on the level of literacy and the quality of health of the tea garden population. The literacy level stands at about ten percent and the population prone to all kinds of diseases has a low life expectancy. The area is even today characterized by very low level of urbanization, education, level of income, social service, etc. Much of this has been due to the indifference of the industry to the needs of the region.[7]

In 1999 a brief survey of tea garden labourers was done by Fr. Thomas D’Silva  among 560 families from seven tea gardens, namely, Badlapara, Bhutiachang, Borangajuli, Dimakuchi, Nonaipara, Orangajuli and Paneri in the District of Darrang, Assam. According to this study, the following was the number of students in the lower primary, primary, high schools and colleges in the seven gardens:

The literacy rate in these seven tea gardens was very low. If we take an average of 5,000 people in a garden, out of 35,000 people (5,000 x 7) only 656 students were in the lower  primary and primary schools, 217 in the high schools and 45 in the colleges.[8]

According to the 2001 census, Jorhat District of Assam had the highest literacy rate in the state. But a recently concluded study by the Northeastern Social Research Centre, Guwahati, shows that among the plantation labourers educational level is the lowest in the same District of Jorhat.

A survey by Assam Sarba Sikshya Abhijan Mission (ASSAM) shows that while in Assam 25% of the children in the 6-14 age group are out of school, among the tea garden workers their proportion is 43%. Out of 246,843 children in the garden areas in the 6-14 age group, 105,821 (42.87%) are out of school.[9]

Already 59 years have passed since the PLA was enacted. Yet 55.54% of plantation workers’ children have not entered a school. Moreover, 438 males (18.61%) and 307 females (13.62%) or a total of 16.07% have dropped out after primary school, 328 males (13.94%) and 173 females (7.68%) or a total of 501 (10.87%) have dropped out after ME school. Thus those who never entered a school (55.54%) and those who dropped out of primary and ME school (26.94%), together form 82.48% illiterate and semi-illiterate children in the 6-14 years group. They are forced to remain without any hope of a better future.[10]

Constraints to Education and Possible Solutions

1. Poverty

The tea garden workers are poorly paid. Their meager earnings cannot even adequately meet their daily needs. Even those living in villages are poor as their land holdings are becoming smaller by the day and there are others who are becoming landless. All these and other factors make education of their children a distant dream. Some possible solutions to improve economic status and facilitate education would be:

(a) Cultivating saving habits:

If the Adivasis are taught to save a little but regularly even from their meager earnings, their economic condition is bound to improve.

(b) Self-Help Groups:

Formation and participation in self-help groups are another means of improving people’s economic situation.

(c) Regulating Expenditure:

Budgeting a family’s expenditure and avoidance of unnecessary expenditure (like alcoholism, gambling, over-spending on celebrations etc.) can alleviate poverty to a great extent.

(d) Better Wages:

Assam tea gardens pay the lowest wages to the plantation workers. There must be lobbies to fight for better wages.

(e) Search for Govt. aids

Govt. funds should be discovered and made known to the people so that people can benefit from them.

(f) Intensive schools

Helping non-school-going children to pass many classes in shorter time through intensive schooling and admitting successful students in regular schools.

2. Lack of Motivation
   

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It happens that some parents refuse to send children to school even when some opportunities are offered to them. One of the reasons is that they do not see the usefulness of studies. They prefer the children (especially boys) to work and augment the meager income of the family or to make the girls to look after their siblings. To solve this problem to some extent the following could be helpful:

(a) Seminars

Seminars could be organized both for the educated and especially at the grass-roots level to help create awareness about the importance of studies.

(b) Making use of any public forum

Whenever an opportunity is available, make use to speak to the people about the necessity of education for a successful and meaningful living.

(c) Printed media

Printed media like magazines (e.g. Gharaiya Goith), leaflets, etc., could be used to highlight the sine-qua-non requirement in today’s society. Such means can be used also to publicize success stories from our society. This will encourage people to appreciate education.

(d) Modern media

Radio talks, audio cassettes, films etc. are powerful means to influence people. Educational radio talks, catchy songs, attractive documentary/story films could be produced (at low budgets) to help people to appreciate education.

(e) Street theatre

Street theatres are cheap but powerful means of making people understand the utility of education especially in today’s society.

(f) Preparatory schools

Preparatory schools like the Bosco Xixu Vikas Kendra at Harmutty, Bosco Mangal School in Imphal, can motivate and prepare children to join regular schools (e.g. Govt. Schools).

(g) Incentive –  through awards to meritorious students…

3. Gender Bias
   

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Many of the Indians, including the Adivasis, do not like to educate girls. The Adivasis say “Beti to dosra ker chulha phukek jai…).  But we must remember that even if an educated girl is a “loss” to the family, she certainly is a gain to the society. Moreover, a girl has as much right to study as a boy.

4. Diversity
   

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A child understands educational concepts better in his/her own mother tongue. Cultural and especially linguistic diversity found in Assam is a quoted as a great hindrance to finding a suitable medium of education. Fr. Zepherinus Baxla sdb has tried to experiment successfully with the use of Kurukh medium of instruction in his “Lur Dipa” school in Jharkhand. Mr. Wilfred Topno, Director of Adivasi Sahitya Sabha, Assam, is trying to experiment with Sadri medium school.

PAJHRA has tried to study the possibility of bringing MLE – Multi – Lingual Education which refers to “first-language-first” education, that is, schooling which begins in the mother tongue and moves to additional languages…[11]

Some are of the opinion that those who cannot afford financially should make use of the existing Assamese medium schools (possibly with help at home with coaching) and English medium schools for those who can afford.

5. Management’s clever machinations
   

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It is often heard or even understood that tea garden management is not really interested to educate children of plantation labourers because they fear loss of cheap labour force…

As a solution it must be emphasiszed that the management should be strongly reminded that they are obliged to implement the steps suggested in the Plantation Labour Act 1951. Besides many other steps the PLA 1951 demands provisions for housing and for children’s’ education. The Act stipulates that when the workers’ children aged 6-12, exceed 25 in a garden or division the employer should provide and maintain at least a primary school for imparting them primary education. If the management does not maintain it because a public school is situated within a mile from the line, then the employer is required to pay a tax for their primary education.[12]

It must be demanded that the Lower Primary, Primary, Anganvadi schools and the crèche must be in the same premises so as to facilitate the school attendance of the girl child. Teachers in the garden schools must be sufficient in number and well trained as well as paid adequately. Teachers should not be part-timers.

Wherever garden schools are few in number venture schools could be opened by trained youth, with the community’s help to supplement the paucity of schools.

6. Government’s Apathy
   

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The unjust de-scheduling of the Adivasis in Assam is a pure sign of the state government’s apathy towards to the welfare of the Adivasis. Concerted and persistent demands must be made till the Adivasis in Assam are re-scheduled.

The state government also must be constantly reminded to pressurize the tea management to implement the provisions of the PLA 1951.

7. Opposition from other groups
   

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There could be other groups with vested interests who do not want to see the educational progress of the Adivasis and may even vehemently and subtly oppose it. In such cases there must be united stand among the Adivasis to speak out and to act for their God-given rights.

8. Literates helping non literates
   

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Padho aur parhao – study and educate…..

9. Consortium
   

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a body which will coordinate and monitor the educational activities by the government, management and other organizations. Could PAJHRA be this body forming the consortium?

Conclusion

According to recent data available the literacy rate among the Tea Garden community is 20%.

Some data are also available on those who have climbed the upper reaches of higher education. As the recent data show currently there are:

• • 8 PhD holders among the Adivasis in Assam
  • 230 Master’s degree holders
  • 2623 Graduates
  • 97 MBBS (doctors)
  • 16 Engineers
  • 28 LLB (law graduates)
  • 15 Agriculturists (Agriculture B.Sc. degree holders)
  • Magistrates (2 APSC, 1 ICS)
  • 3 MBA certificate holders
  • 2 Veterinary doctors, etc.

There are also some professional and free-lance journalists and electronic media personnel. These are some success stories among many others which also must be discovered and made known.

This paper does not claim to be scientific or exhaustive. But if it can elicit some thought  and useful discussion to find out some solutions to one of the greatest problems, namely, educational backwardness among the Adivasis in Assam, it will have served its humble purpose.

Ainai ke Sahek Janena
Lekin ainai karek nahi janena
Sob Jait milke ninda karena
Holo raure matiyai rahila

Hey! Adivasi re Bhai man
Ka karla itna din
Cha bagan me rai ke…

The excerpt is from a song of Zubin Garg, the film fair Award winner 2006, for the song  “Ya Ali” and composed by Subil Bagh ( lyricist of Chal Gori –commercially most successful and popular video album 2004)

It means –

You bear exploitation, injustice
However, you never exploit others
All community dishonor you
Nevertheless, you say not a word

Hey! My Adivasi Brethren
What you have done
Remaining so many years in the Tea Garden

 This is the plight and situation of Adivasis in Assam. They are being exploited, but the community never reacted. Of course, they had reacted against the British colonial rule. During the freedom movement when the father of the nation declared non-violence against British, Adivasis too co-operated. And their movement was so strong that the mighty British soldiers had to go back to their own barracks leaving the battlefield.

There are about 60 lakhs of Adivasi people in Assam. Major chunk of it is in the Tea Gardens. However the economic condition of the community is poor. 70% of the ex-tea population is landless (Umanada Phukan). Tea industry employed only 5, 85,044 persons in the year 1991[1].Today this number may increase but not much because of casualisation of labour (labour chatai). 45% of the community is illiterate. Their political and social condition is very poor compared to other communities of Assam.

Adivasis took part in the freedom fight and many of them sacrificed their lives. Christoson Munda and Mangri Mem sacrificed their lives during the freedom struggle.

The backbone of the economy of Assam is the Tea Production. Therefore the contribution of Adivasi Tea Labour should be counted and due share must be granted. However, in reality they are considered as second-class citizens of Assam. The development schemes never reach the Tea Gardens (Adivasi inhabited) areas. Education, Health and livelihood programs of government are never implemented well in Adivasi inhabited areas. They are just left in the hands of the company whose policy is ‘Low cost, High profit’. Today the situation of the Adivasi tea labourers is very pitiful .They are living in sub-human conditions. The Tea Industry is going through a crisis and several tea Gardens are closed down making lakhs of Adivasis jobless. Government could revive ‘Assam Transport Corporation’ then why not ‘Assam Tea Corporation’ which has all the merits. It is because in these tea gardens majority of the people are Adivasis and they are non-important for the government of Assam. The names of Christoson Munda and Mangri Mem are lost from the history of Assam who had sacrificed their lives for the freedom of Assam.

Government and the elite of Assam have not only neglected but also systematically destroyed the evidences of Adivasi heroes. Even the community was made insignificant by leveling them as coolie[2], Tea & Ex-Tea Tribe[3], Black Tribe[4],Seuj Assomia[5], Seuj Potiya, etc,. This is nothing but strategically demoralizing and pushing back the community from the path of development. It is a mystery that government of Assam levels them as Tea Tribe but no Tribal facility has been given to them where as in the states like Orissa, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Tripura there is no one termed as Tea Tribe but   Adivasis are able to get all the facilities as Tribal.

2. SHORT HISTORY OF ADIVASIS OF ASSAM
   

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A general belief about the history of Adivasis in Assam is simultaneous with the history of Tea Gardens. Historians and Sociologist never tried to link the community beyond the establishment of tea Industry. But there is sufficient evidence that adivasis are connected to north east even before the establishment of tea industries in Assam. The Santhal colonies of west Assam is evidence that Adivasis were not brought to Assam only for Tea Industries. (Thus leveling them as tea tribe is not valid.)

The connection and relation of Adivasis and Assam and northeast can be traced back to immemorial dates. The first settlers of Assam were the Khasis and Synteng [6]. In the article “The Races of North east India”[7] Stephen Fuchs says that linguistically these tribes belong to the Austo-Asiatic or Mon-Khamer. Through their language they formed a link between the Munda tribe of further west in central India as well many other tribes in Burma and Indo-China border. They resemble them culturally also; they erect stone monuments in the name of their dead ancestors like the Mundas and Hos of Chotanagpur. Historians say that once upon a time Kol-mundas and Khasis were living together in the north east, and Khasis adopted the language of kol-mundas .[8]

Some believe that the Khasis were not cultivators therefore, Mundas called them “Ka –si” (in Mundari meaning not ploughing-non cultivator)[9]. The earliest ruler according to legend was Mahiranga Munda. The legend also tells us about Marang Buru[10]. Kamrupa temple and Kamrupa devi has relationship with the magic prayer of Santhal where the recitation of Kamrup Guru said again and  again.[11] The great ruler Naraka[12] Sur was the son of Janaka. Janaka had a daughter Sita who was married to Lord Ram. Sita’s name is kept so because Janka found her during ploughing the land. Only in Mundari  the meaning of Sita  fits with the statement (Si- tan  meaning ‘si’-plough ‘tan’ –(do)ing )[13].Therefore Janka was Munda hence sita and Naraka were munda. Hence there is a lot of possiblity to relate adivasis with the north east. Dr.Grension believed that the Adivasis have gone to Chotanagpur through noth east.

Assam came under East India company on 24^th February 1826[14] through the Treaty of Yandabo between king Hpogyidoa and East India company. During the collonial period Adivasis were again brought as slaves to the tea plantation of Assam. I say slave because slavery was abolished only in the year 1843 from India [15] .

3. IMMAGRATION OF ADIVASIS TO ASSAM

Why did Adivasis come to Assam?

 There were two major factors for migration of Adivasis to Assam.

• Firstly, there was scarcity of laborers in Assam. The tea industry grew so fast that there was great demand for Laborers. The planters appointed Arkatis as Agents to recruit Laborers. Government also supported Planters with the black laws of workmen’s Breach of contract Act 1859. Agents were sent to collect Laborers from different parts of the country. The agents lured and forced the innocent tribals to sign agreements[16]. Catholic Mission Co-operative Society established by Fr. Hoffman also encouraged Adivasis to go to Assam. This same agency was approached by the Government for recruiting Laborers.[17] Thus through this Agency a large number of Adivasis were sent to various places including Assam.
• Secondly, the situation in Chotanagpur also contributed to the extreme miseries of the Adivasis. They suffered very badly in terms of alienation from their lands. Chotanagpur became hopeless and non-promising land for Adivasis when colonial rule imposed land taxation and captured the forest resources and minerals. The replacement of –collective ownership of land by private ownership use for profit which was facilitied by the land tenure system. The major  reasons for migration of Adivasis were-(1) Land tax introduced by Major Wilkinson, the Governor General’s Agent in the year 1837(Land tenure), 8 anna on the plough. Adivasis had no money to pay. They never used money. (2) Famine and epidemic during the year 1896-1900. (3) Unrest and insecurity due to several wars between British and Local leaders (Birsa Munda ulgulan (Revolt) , Sidu & Kanhu ‘Hul’ (Revolt).)

First batch of Adivasis came to assam in 1941. But they all died due to famine and diseases. In  1858-59 about 400 labours were brought to Assam. This increased to 84,915 on May 1863. Thus lakhs of people were brought to Assam. This number increased as the areas of tea plantation increased. During this time Large number of Adivasis died due to diseases[18].

Adivasis were brought from Chotanagpur and other places through the legal provisions for Workman’s Breach of Contract Act XII of 1859 and its amended act of 1865, where workers could be punished for striking work and where the minimum wage was also stipulated for the workers. There were two systems of recruitment. The first was called Arkatti system, the other Sardari system[19]. In Sardari system, the labourer who already requited went to different area and brought labourers. In the year 1842 Assam Tea Company opened a steam boat Service between Guwahati to Kolkata. The labourers were brought by steamer. In 1889 railway was introduced. Labourers were brought by train.  

 It is to be noted that these Adivasis migrated to Assam not for their personal gain or to exploit resources of Assam for their gain(like other emigrants ) but they were forced to come for building the tea industry and other infrastructure which gave Assam a strong economical base.

• John Henry Lawton and Dunlop & BEGG

 Once while Adivasi labourers were brought through a steamer, on the way they were abducted by a gang of Henry Lawton during the year 1863 – 70. Usually Dunlop and BEGG charged Rs.3/- per man and Rs.1/- for a woman. But John Henry Lawton Charged Rs.30/- per man and Rs.25/- per women. John Henry Lawton collected sufficient money and went to Shimla, lived there for some years and died in 1870. His tom Stone is found at Shimla. This is the fact that Adivasis were brought to Assam under great suffering and misery. Thousands died on the way and thousands died after reaching the tea estates in Assam.

4. THE FREEDOM STRUGGLE AND ADIVASIS OF ASSAM
   

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The history of freedom struggle in Assam is incomplete if the struggle of the Adivasi plantation labourers is not counted. However, the great scholar Amulandu Guha has rightly accounted the labourers fight and given name the freedom struggle of Assam, the fight and the struggle against Planter as ‘Planter Raj to Swaraj’. This clearly shows that Adivasi Plantation Laborers fought the fight against colonial British. The conflicts began in 1904 -1905, when labourer demanded better facilities from the Tea Garden management.  There were several strikes in the tea Gardens during 1911 to 1937. There were 210 cases reported where the laborer- Planter conflict took place. Out of them 141 were cases of rioting and unlawful assembly, arising from the issue of inadequate remuneration and trying economic conditions[20]. The Chandgola Exodus[21] not only shows the great sacrifice of 3000 Adivasi Laborers but this also inspired the Railway workers to fight against the British. From 1916 to 1937 there was continued labour unrest in the gardens of Assam Valley. Who united the labourers? Whose hand was there in all these uprisings? It seems that congress was not interested in the labourers affairs.

“Congress circles were as much right of the growing number of plantation strikes. Congress men did not want get involved in to them and persistently tried to disown them.” (Planter Raj to Swaraj ,P-136).

Thus, congress did not give importance to the strikes of tea laborers. Adivasis themselves organized and fought against Planters. A large number of Adivasi Tea Labourers sacrificed their lives for the freedom of Assam and India.

5. POST INDEPENDENCE & PRESENT STRUGGLE
   

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 India got freedom on 15^th of August 1947 but the Adivasi community was not free from the slavery of colonial planters. Still the gardens were under colonial planters. The Indian Government never paid attention, neither did Assam Government. Adivasis organized themselves under the leadership of their own community and continued the struggle for their right as Indian citizen.  Here I like to mention the major organizations and their struggle for society.

• Adivasi Council of Assam (ACA):-After independence Adivasis were mainly demanding for Scheduled Tribe status in Assam. Visit of Jaipal Singh Munda (MP) the “Manrang Gomke”(Chief Leader or Head ) in the month of March 1958 ignited the mass on scheduling issue(14^th March 1958 Hindustan Standard ). He said how   same constitution will differ for two brothers one at Assam and other in Bengal. Being the member of constitution drafting committee he knew that only political tactics will provide ST status to Adivasis. Therefore, Jaipal Singh Munda and Sushil Bage (MLA Bihar) visited Assam to organize people to demand ST status. During his visit, 1958 Adivasi council of Assam was formed and meetings were held at several places under the leadership of Francis Hans, Bishal Topno of Lakhimpur and Simon Soren of Gossaigaon. .
• Assam Tea Tribe Student Association (AATTSA):- Chotnagpuria Chatra Sangha formed under the leadership of Simon Singh Horo & Santosh Topno on 28^th December 1947[22]. The same organization later came to be known as Assam Tea Tribe Student Association. During 1984-85 it lead a strong movement under the leadership of Lokeswar Kurmi (President) and Bhagirath Karan (Secretary). Their movement ended with an accord with AGP Government. According to understating ATTSA got four AGP tickets for Assembly seats. All of the ATTSA leaders lost in the election. However AATTSA created a fake identity such us Tea Tribe which is not accepted by Experts. On 14^th August 2006 Silvius Condapan raised the bill at parliament to include Adivasis in the ST list. Tribal Minister said that with regard to 97 communities, which are clubbed under one caption of tea tribes, the State Government has itself stated in its latest report that they do not have primitive traits and that they are not geographically isolated.  The RGI has stated that they have furnished their comments four times – in the year 1978, 1981, 1995 and 2005 but he did not support the proposal[23]   because Assam Government sent wrong report.  In the year of 1985 central government was about to give Scheduled Tribe status to nine Adivasi tribes of Assam. But the then labour minister Barki Prasad Telga and ATTSA leader Mr. Bagirath Karan opposed and sent a resolution to Assam government to oppose the central government’s move. Struggle for Scheduling is still going on in several forms.
• All Adivasi Student’s Association of Assam (AASAA) :-AASAA was formed on 2nd July 1996 as a result of the ethnic clash of Kokrajhar. Initially it worked well to solve the problems of Adivasis. It was a strong organization during 1996 to 2003. For the first time it was able to raise the demands of Adivasis at Delhi. Adivasi masses were able to lead strong movement demanding their rights from the government under the leadership of Justin Lakra of Gossaigaon (president),   Joseph Minz of lakhimpur (general secretary) and Bosco Chermako of gossaigoan. Several leaders of AASAA sacrificed their life for the society and are listed names in martyrs list. Philimon Hemrom (Srirampur) sacrificed  his life in police firing on 5^th July 2000. Andrius Marandi Asst .General Secretary of AASAA gave his life at the gun of Bodo extremist on 8^th March 2001. Eight Adivasis shed their precious blood in the police firing on 25^th July 2002 during the bandh called by AASAA in demand of rehabilitation of Kakrajhar Adivasi IDPs and scheduling. The Martyrs were Jiten Tanti, Arun Tanti, Nathenial Munda, Dambu Hasa Purti, Sanika Sawasi, Mangra Mund and Basudeo Kherwar. Hundreds of student were arrested and tortured whose names were not recorded.

Another great contribution of the movement was formation of organization. All Adivasi Womens Association (AAWAA), Adivasi Sahitya Sabha (ASS) and many NGOs were formed to work for Adivasi Society. Several Adivasi Mahasabhas were organized which took resolutions and plans to strengthen the community. A section of youth started underground movement like Adivasi Securiy Force (ASF), Birsa Commando Force (BCF) Adivasi National Libaration Army (ANLA), and Adivasi Cobra Militant (ACM).

The movements and organizations have today lost their strength due to lack of leadership. Today other organizations are also silent about the grave situation of Adivasis for several reasons.

• The trade unions:- trade union started in the year of 1939 with the registration of labour organizations of Assam. Syllate Cachar Cha Bagan Mazdoor Union and Upper Assam Tea Company Labour union registered on 27^th April 1939[24]. Assam Cha Mazdoor Sangha formed under the banner of Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) on 9^th August 1958 is the largest trade union in the tea garden of Assam with largest membership. The organization today becames just a means to capture the political power for congress. It raises fund for the congress from the labourers and provides vote bank[25]. They are not interested in the development of the labourers and the community. Because of this trade union congress retains its power in Assam. The former congress president of Assam Debokanto Baruah  said, “So long as Alis and Coolies are with the congress party, it does not care for any body.”[26]  Several leaders were elected to parliament and legislative Assembly but no body cared for the community. Leaders like Pawan singh Ghatwar, Silvius Condapan, Prithvi Majhi etc are elected from this community but they have done nothing for the community.

Tea Garden Situation

The situation of Tea garden is deteriorating. The extortion by extremist groups and other problems resulted to closing down of many tea gardens creating large scale unemployment. The wage of the labourers is very low compared to labourers elsewhere. A Tea labourer gets wage less than Rs. 50/- but the minimum wage in the state is Rs.66/-. There is high child labour in tea gardens. Lack of Education, health facilities and Sanitation make tea Labourers live in an inhuman conditions. Sukumar Bogasi (Assomor Arthaniti 1997) says that during their studies at several tea gardens they found that the labourers are living in sub –human conditions. Umanada Phukan points out that 70% of Ex-Tea population are land less. Land alienation is one of the major problems in the community.

The carnage of Kokrajhar and Adivasi IDPs

Ethnic conflict of 1996 displaced 2 lakh people and killing 8 thousand Adivasis[27] . “Still Assam has large number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) including 33,362 persons in Kokrajhar district and 74,123 persons in Gossaigaon district” (India Human Right Report of 2006). They are some from forest area and some of them are Patta holders (Uddipana Goswami).[28] It is shame for a country that is not able to rehabilitate the IDPS after so many years.[29] The greater society does not feel the pain and sufferings of Adivasis who are in the concentration camp of government of Assam, living for last 15 years. More than one lakh people are still in the concentration camp (relief camp) of Kokrajhar District. I say concentration camp of Assam (similar to Nazi) because it is made to kill the Adivasis who are in the camp through non –supply of food and water[30] . They are also pushed to die of famine and epidemics.

6. CHRISTOSON MUNDA AND HIS FIGHT AGAINST BRITISH
   

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 Christoson Munda was the leader who organized Labourers, Adivasis as well as local Assamese peasants against the British from 1904 to1916. It is mentioned in the Labour Enquiry report of 1921 that Christoson Munda was a pastor of Lutheran Church of Phulbari Tea estate. He went to Munda country (Present Khunti Area of Ranchi district of Jharkhand) his home and came across the Birsa Munda  “Ulgulan” (1989-1900). Christoson Munda was much influenced by the “Ulgulan”(Revolution). After his coming back to Phulbari he organized the labourers as well as the local peasants against the British planter. It is also reported that the Christian labourers collected donation for Birsa Munda Movement and sent to Chotanagpur several times. Some people must have had to travel to Chotanagpur to reach the donations or they might have been sent in the hands of Christoson when he went for leave.

During those days British started ‘Hats’(village market). The Huts were the centre of economic exchange. The moneylenders who were from the non-locals and exploiters were the main target. Chistoson with his friend and local peasants joined together and attacked the ‘Huts’ destroying, looting and burning the market houses. Interestingly the Adivasis from tea garden and local peasants fought together in this anti –hats movement as stated by Sanjay Barborah[31]. Christoson Munda being a Pastor visited several places probably Sonajuli T.E, Helem, Kacharigaon, Kathoni Tea etc, where Lutheran Mundas existed during those days. He organized and motivated them to fight against the planters. Several hats (market) were destroyed. Police hunted for Christoson Munda and finally arrested. The great freedom fighter was publicly hanged at Phulbari tea estate in the year 1916. That never stopped the movement. After this incident labourers of several tea garden rose against the planters demanding better wages. About Christoson Munda the then Deputy Commissioner of Darrang reported to the labor enquiry committee as follows-

“The Lutheran denomination was before the war supervised by a German pastor and it is not impossible that their present attitude is partly the out come of his teaching. Many of these native Christians are literate and their religious interests are looked after by pastors and Pundits of their own caste. Sometime before the riot the chief resident pundit, Christoson, obtained leave to go to his country from where he returned shortly before the riot. Since his return the Manager had noticed a gradual growth of a feeling of sullenness and discontent amongst the coolies for which no apparent cause could be assigned. No grievances were formulated but a spirit of ‘Ca’ ‘canny’ began to pervade all forms of garden work. The manager was at first inclined to blame his Jamadar and Mohurries for this attitude but the riot showed that the manager’s suspicion was unfounded as these men were the first to be attacked by the rioters.

 These feelings of discontentment had come to the forefront some two days before the occurrence when the laborers who had been sent out to do specific work deliberately skipped the work.” It is, I believe beyond doubt”, concluded the Deputy Commissioner,

“That these Munda Christians have been influenced by the social and semi- political propaganda which appears to be now pervading the Munda country. The Manager had noticed that for sometime before the riot correspondence between the coolies and their own countrymen had enormously increased and it was also reported that a number of subscriptions had been sent by Christian coolies towards the expenses of this social and political propaganda in their own country. The visit of the Pundit to his own country appears to have increased his sympathy with the movement, and on his return there is no doubt that he and his friends have attempted to spread it on the garden and on other gardens in the east, of the district where Christian Mundas are to be found.”[32]

(P-166-167, Tea Garden Labourers of North East India –S. Karotemprel B.Dutta Roy )

We do not have much information about Christoson Munda but from the above document and other evidences are sufficient proof that great fighter existed in Phulbari Tea estate of Assam. [33]

16 October 1921 laborers of Monabari & Kathoni Tea Estate rose against the management demanding better facilities. Soon after on 21 March 1921 tea workers of Helem T.E created a serious situation. The workers attacked Mohri (clerk) Jamadar and other staff of the tea garden and badly wounded.Again on 9 &10 October Labour of Sonajuli and Kacharigaon tea estate attacked the manager and Jamadar. (Planter Raj To Swaraj).

In 1942 when the freedom struggle was in its full swing hundreds of people were arrested at North Lakhimpur. Among them there were several Adivasi Laborers like Mahachal Gond, Sambhuram Gond, Pratap Gond and Gajadhar kurmi. In the same year when the mass was trying to hoist the flag at Dhekiajuli police Station, Dayaloo Panika, Mongol Kurmi and Ramcharan Kurmi sacrificed their lives. Arjun Ghatwar was sent to jail for Six months because he led the Adivasis to oppose the British when Madan Mohon Malavya was not allowed to enter Assam.[34]

7. MANGRI MEM (MALOTI MEM) THE FIRST WOMAN MARTYR OF ASSAM
   

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During 1921 non-cooperation movement was declared by M. K. Gandhi the father of the Nation. All sections of people joined the movement. Mangri Mem or Maloti was a beautiful girl. She was married to an English man and hence she was known as Mem (Mem Saheb).Though she was wife of a saheb she never forget her community of tea garden. She joined the anti-Alcohol movement in the Tea Garden. She was killed during police firing at the agitation program on 2^nd April1921. She is the first women martyr from Assam[35].

Recently some writers have said that she was ‘alcohol addicted woman’ married to ‘three English men’ (“Homver” 10^th June07)[36], which are unbelievable and debatable issues. Facts and reality should be brought into light for such a freedom fighter who sacrificed her life for the freedom of the country. During those days English men have used labours as slave. Getting girls for their sexual satisfaction was not difficult,[37] then why three English men go to same woman?  Why would a congress volunteer go to an alcohol addicted woman who was excommunicated from the society? Some evidence show that congress workers had no interest in tea labourers matters.[38] Therefore the labours joined themselves in the freedom movement thus Mangri joined the movement.

It is possible that she was a respected and noble woman that is why she is called “Mem”, a sign of respect. We have come across a number of people who have married to “sahibs” but they enjoy same status like other members in labor society; they were not excommunicated from the society.

It is also possible that Mangri was a beautiful and noble girl. She might have had attractive personality that is why she was married to sahib and came to be called Maloti Mem. She had love for her people therefore; she did not accompany her husband and live among his people like many other Anglo-Indian families. She joined anti-Alcohol movement to save her community form the dire effects of alcohol. She sacrificed her life for the country and became first women martyr in Assam.

If today her character and morality is being questioned it is up to her community and countrymen for whom she shed her blood to stand for. She embraced death so that we may have life in free country. Therefore it is up to us how we visualize her either with the bad accounts of her character which may not be all true or with a noble character that inspires the community.

Presenting Mangri as characterless woman is an example of Mythological or liturgical discrimination.[39]

Labour martyr Banku Orang of Santak Tea estate was the first martyr from Adivasi community.

8. CONCLUSION
   

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 Today Adivasi society is caught up on the cross road. It is unable to decide which path to go. The path of non-violence, which first martyr Mangri Mem, showed is vanishing where they have traveled for last 200 years reaching no where .Exploitation and injustice have bonded the Adivasi society and are sucking blood like the octopus. Seeing the helpless situation a portion of desperate youth want to follow the Christoson Munda’s or Birsa munda’s violent movement to liberate the society from the custody of octopus and to get their constitutional and human rights.

Adivasis are traditionally peace loving and faithful. That is why they are considered as the first class labourers and for the same reason they are recruited in large number in the tea garden. However, every thing has a limit. The patience has also limit. Today the limit of patience gradually ending from the Adivasi society. However, the educated and intelligentsia of the Adivasi community believes in non violence and a silent but systematic revolution in attitude, social status, economic self confidence and political participation and dignified citizens of free India.

The term Adivasi means oldest inhabitant.¹This is not used for single name of the tribe but for the people who are characterized as oldest inhabitant. This is name given to the group of people who are the oldest inhabitant of the land. There are several groups of people in India due to certain characteristic are being classified as oldest inhabitant and they come under the umbrella of the term ‘Adivasi’. Similarly in Assam there are several tribes who meet the criteria come under the umbrella of Adivasi and they are called ‘Adivasis’.

These tribes have different historical background, Culture, Language and Tradition of their own. They have different setup of knowledge. Through their narratives this type of knowledge are traceable. Each of them can be studied in a particular little narrative. In broader concept of meta-narrative these little narratives has been super excluded by the mainstream knowledge, whereas in order to understand the whole as meta-narrative one cannot exclude the part. This tribe’s knowledge is a part of the whole and it is important to re-evaluate the knowledge of these tribes who seems to be more close to nature.

These tribes in Assam mostly reside in the forest areas. This is one of the oldest characteristics of these people except for the tea garden employee who are being bound by the government to let the generations work in tea garden. Even then they continue their living in their customs, culture and tradition. This has safe-guard their identity. This identity draws attention of the scholars to analyze their living condition, their belief, knowledge etc.

Adivasi find their meaningful living only with the nature. They have a vast knowledge of natural herbs than the modern technology. They have master the nature so much that they can predict most of the probable events of nature. They pull the string of ancestor’s knowledge in oral form from one generation to next which keeps their identity alive. They are highly found to be respectful to their ancestors and this attitude gives way to their spirituality and prepares their life to connect them to ultimate reality.

History of Adivasi

According to Parimal Chandra Mitra, India was a no man’s land before the Pre-Historic Stone Age. Since then, people migrated to India from different groups and in different period. The different groups of people who migrated to India are as follows:²

The first group of people who entered India in the Pre-Historic Stone Age from Africa via Arabia are known as Negrait or Negribotu. The second group which entered India are spread in middle India and beyond India like Melanesia, Polynesia etc., from West-Asia and known as Proto Austroloid people i.e. Kol people like Munda, Santal, Gond etc in India. The third group of people known as Mediterranean race from Greece, Aegean Island, Miser, Palestain, Syria, Asia Minor etc. The fourth group of people is known as Western-Brachyeepals entered India in batches from Mesopotamia and Asia Minor. The next group known as Nordic people entered India via Iran and Afghanistan form the Mediterranean area. The last Group of people known as the Mongoloid, entered India from the East and North of India, Crossing the Himalaya range.

Among these six groups the second group of people entered India are Proto Austroloid people i.e. Kol people like Santal, Munda, Gond etc. They spread in the states like: Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar, Odissha, Assam, Tripura, etc. These tribes are not the last to enter India, but according to the historical findings of the scholar Parimal Chandra Mitra they are one the oldest inhabitant of India. These tribes Identity springs from above historical background.

According to some scholars in the history of northeast India the first settler of Assam were the Khasis and Synteng.³ In the article “The Races of North east India”⁴ Stephen Fuchs says that linguistically these tribes belong to the Austo-Asiatic or Mon-Khamer. Through their language they formed a link between the Munda tribe of further west in central India as well many other tribes in Burma and Indo-China border. They resemble them culturally also; they erect Stone monuments in the name of their dead ancestors like the Mundas and Hos of Chotanagpur. Historians say that once upon a time Kol-mundas and Khasis were living together in the north east, and Khasis adopted the language of kol-mundas.⁵

The earliest ruler according to legend was Mahiranga Munda. The legend also tells us about Marang Buru⁶  Kamrupa temple and Kamrupa devi has relationship with the magic prayer of Santhal were the recitation of Kamrup Guru was chanted again and again.

During the colonial period Adivasis were brought as slaves to the tea plantation of Assam. First batch of Adivasis came to Assam in 1941. But they all died due to famine and diseases. In 1858-59 about 400 labours were brought to Assam. This increased to 84,915 on May 1863. Thus lakhs of people were brought to Assam. This number increased as the areas of tea plantation increased. During this time Large number of Adivasis died due to diseases.⁷ Adivasis were brought from Chotanagpur and other places through the legal provisions for Workman’s Breach of Contract Act XII of 1859 and its amended act of 1865, where workers could be punished for striking work and where the minimum wage was also stipulated for the workers. There was two system of recruitment- the first was called Arkatti system, the other Sardari system .⁸ In Sardari system, the labourers who already requited go to different area and brought labourers. In the year 1842 Assam Tea Company opened a steam boat Service between Guwahati to Calcutta .The labours were brought by steamer. In 1889 railway was introduced and labourers were brought by train.  

India got freedom on 15^th of August 1947 but the Adivasi community was not free from the slavery of colonial planters. Still the gardens were under colonial planter. The Indian Government never paid attention and similarly the Assam Government. Adivasis organized themselves under the leadership of their own community and continued the struggle for their right as Indian citizen.⁹

The above historical findings show that they are one of the oldest inhabitants of India. The connection and Relation of Adivasis of Assam and northeast can be traced out from the immemorial dates such as Stone Age.¹⁰ Mr.Wilfred Topno put a note that these Adivasis migrated to Assam not for their personal gain or to exploit resources of Assam for their gain (like other emigrants) but they were forced to come for building the tea industry and other infrastructure which gave Assam a strong economical base.¹¹

Common Characteristics

These tribes share common characteristics in their living. They are usually found in bulk near the forest area. They are content with the nature. Their food habits are highly dependable in forest. They have similar kind of administrative setups; they follow nature base religious practices. Their knowledge is highly based on probability. One most important common characteristic is, they believe in the spirit. They acknowledge that the spirit is present in nature and the universe is controlled by spirit.

Adivasi Religion

Adivasi religion should not be mistaken as one religious belief. Since there are several tribes, each tribe are grounded in its own religious belief. They have similar religious concept but not altogether same. Hence this difference helps them retaining their identity. This can be discussed below:

Santal Religious Concept- Spirit is the base of their religion. It is a metaphysical entity and it is called Bonga. Santals believe that they are surrounded by the invisible supernatural power. The ancient Santals gave name to these invisible mysterious powers as- Bonga.  They believe in Absolute Being  called Thakur Jiu and Thakur Jiu along with his subordinate beings created human being and the world. These three kinds of being can be called as the supernatural eternal Being.  The Fourth kinds are the spirit of dead person in the village: Moreko Turuiko Bonga, Pargana Bonga, Manjhi haram Bonga and Abeg Bonga. They are the mortal being turn into the spiritual being when they are dead. Santals belief in these supernatural beings and their entering into relation with them constitute their religion.

In their leading of life they acknowledge their ancestors for they have passed them knowledge of meaningful living with the nature. The spirit of the ancestors is believed to be surrounding their lives. This concept of ancestor’s presence in their living trims their life in a disciplined manner.

Oraon Religious concepts- This tribe believe in the souls or spirit in and around various natural objects, in dead ancestors and animals, and in and around and associated with the daily used articles in the households essentially in the life process.¹² Oraon believe in supreme beings like: Biri Belas/Bir Nad – spirit of Sun, Cando Nad– spirit of moon, Dharti Burhi– spirit of fertility and production, Tusa– spirit of spring. Barand Nad– spirit of hill. Chigri Nad – spirit of bamboo, Chandi Nad – spirit of wealth. Gaesali Nad– spirit of cowshed and above all the Dherme is the spirit of all spirits

Munda Religious Concepts- Mundas believe in the Supreme Being known as the Singbonga, which means the Sun God. According to the Mundas, he saves them from the external enemies and troubles of life. They say Singbonga punishes them if they break the law of marrying in their ones tribe. Mundas are of the belief that Singbonga is not the jealous God and gives his people the right to worship any celestial being. In Sarna the Mundas worship the nature. The Sarna people do not have any written code of moral laws. The ideas of what is right and wrong are the adopted from their traditions and cultures. The Munda believe in numerous Gods and Deities. Their supreme benevolent God is called Singbonga. Next in importance are the presiding Deities of the village namely Hatu Bongako such as Desauli, Jaher Buri, Chandi Bonga etc. These Deities are of significance during agricultural and hunting operations. The Pahan, the village priest at Sarna, the sacred grove of the village, worships them. Then come the ancestral spirits, the Ora Bongako. Their blessings are invoked on every social and religious ceremony like the Hatu Bongako, which calamities are sure to overpower them. Apart from these, they appease and propitiate a large number of malevolent spirits and ghosts on different occasions. They came up with the concepts of two types of spirit- benevolent and malevolent. ¹³ The Mundas call the benevolent Bongas as ‘Maneta Bonga’ and malevolent Bongas as Banita Bongas.¹⁴

The above mentions are the three major tribal religions under the Adivasi Umbrella- the groups of tribe in Assam. It can be assumed from here, their similarities of beliefs. Their religious concept has no much difference in kinds but in degrees. It may vary in number of supernatural deities they acknowledge in their religion and the way of acknowledge the spirits in hierarchy. But over all these tribes are nature worshipers. Hence, they are eco-friendly people. The ultimate reality according to them is Spirit which they observe through nature.

Spirit and Nature

From these two major concepts of tribal life two worlds can be assumed- Spirit in metaphysical world which is beyond physics and physical world. Now the question arise how did they came to know the spirit if the spirits are metaphysical entities? They assume the metaphysical entity through physics i.e. nature. Nature is a composition of matter and can be viewed as object or body. One cannot directly view the spirit but through the body (any kind of body made up of matter).

These tribes were the wanderers in the ancient days; they wander from one place to another in search of food. They came across several surprising activities of nature. This was fearful for them. It was beyond their thinking. They could not observe the cause of the activities but only could observe the effect of it; for example: rubbing of two stones produces fire, only the effect ‘fire’ could be seen and not the cause. A stone in itself cannot be the cause but the energy accumulated in the stone cause a fire and this energy is invisible to human senses. This example can be analysed as- when one switches on the fan in the room one can feel and see the effect of the electrical energy but the energy is invisible. And this invisible power of nature is worshipped by these tribes. They are not blind to worship the nature. The nature has amazed them in different form and it was uncontrolled by human senses and they thought it was worthy of worship. Hence, their religion does not sounds meaningless but one of the basic way of understanding the ultimate reality. Reality for these tribes is unseen hence they don’t reduce it into any man made images. They acknowledge and worship the reality in natural body.  Thus they are non-idol worshipers. They have no temple, no images to stoop to.¹⁵

 Difference between world religions and tribal religion

 Tribal religion is the most down to earth religion. Tribal people do not build temples. They worship their deities in open air. But the major world religion mostly prefers temple as worship place. There is no official founder of tribal religion. But almost all the world religion sprouts out from official founder. Their religious knowledge has been orally transmitted from generation to generation. On the other hand, in case of world religion, knowledge is passed through the holy book or scripture. Tribal’s belief in ancestors, of surrounding their life, reminds them to retain their religion in strong hold as the ancestor’s keeps eye on them. In other word their religion helps them to lead meaningful life.

One important aspect of tribal religion is they acknowledge the interdependency of nature i.e. of the plant and animal (including higher animal as: man). And they use the nature for their basic needs and not for the destruction of nature. Plant and animals must coexist to survive. They depend upon each other because each provides something the other needs. Trees provide shade, a place to live, food for nourishment. Animals spread the seeds of plants and help with pollination. First, plants are food for herbivores, which are food for the carnivores. Without plants, the carnivores have no food source. Animals breathe in oxygen, and breathe out carbon dioxide. Plants on the other hand, breathe in carbon dioxide, and breathe out oxygen. Without plants, we have no oxygen, and suffocate, and without animals, plants have no CO2, and die. Hence, the tribal religion is helping them to respect the interdependency of nature and realise the ultimate reality through the nature.

Right from the birth of the tribal child all the rituals is to let the child grow in respect of the ancestors and the nature. In all their festivals they worship their deities for the natural balance for their vegetation and their good relation with the deities. In other word tribal religion is all round development of individual’s knowledge of the human being, nature and the animals. This keeps the universe in equilibrium state.

But some of the major world religions are more concerned about the human life then the nature. It is highly influenced by modern science and not by nature which perhaps aims to calm only the human system of life but as discussed above human life alone cannot reach the goal of happiness (Ultimate reality or bliss) unless it acknowledges the interdependency concept. This interdependency concept lies at the base of tribal religion. Thus they follow eco-friendly religion.

 Conclusion

India is a country with many Adivaisis. Adivasi does not mean one tribe but comprises of several tribes. These tribes have certain similarities but at the same time not altogether same. They differ in their languages they speak, culture, tradition etc. From the above historical discussion, as per Parimal Chandra Mitra, Adivasis were among the first settlers and since then resided in India and according to Mr Wilfred Topno he logically explains that the Adivasis were in Assam before the British brought them from other parts of India to Assam. British brought not one group of people but many groups who were found strong enough to work. They were being used by the British and now by the Assam government and companies for tea industries. But change in the name of the Adivasi tribe into Tea & Ex-Tea Garden tribe does not logically flow from the mass groups to particular, where each and every tribes under the umbrella of Adivasi has unique characteristics  of its own.

Eradicating the identity of these tribes by whitewashing the name does not succeed in erasing the unique philosophical background of religion and culture of each tribe under the umbrella of ‘Adivasi’ living in Assam. Each and every tribe under Adivasi contribute to eco-friendly philosophical knowledge. It is important to acknowledge the nature based religion, culture and tradition of these tribes for the betterment of the living of human being in this world then to ignore their existence for other selfish motive. And re-evaluation of their religious knowledge in the light of Meta-Narratives each and every group under the umbrella of Adivasi are the part of knowledge. It is highly important to dig out this kind of nature based philosophical knowledge of the little narratives of each tribe as a part in order to contribute knowledge in today’s highly alarming natural imbalanced destruction of the world with modern science.

In Assam, there are almost 885 tea estates and residing in Villages around 70 Lakhs of tea workers, which are not only important parts of Assamese society but also a formation of Assamese culture and socio-economic development of Assam. Before illustrating the social and political tribulations of the tea garden worker it is important to talk about their history and which will also make it clear for further understanding the way of life of the community. With the help of this article, it has been tried to inaugurate the various strange historical facts of the labour community. The tea garden people are known as Adivasi in their native land and some of the people insist that they belong to the Aryans. As the historians call them Adivasi so here, we also will call them Adivasi.

The term Adivasi can be defined as ‘Adi’ means the ‘foremost’ and ‘basi’ means ‘inhabitant’ which means the first inhabitants of the country are called Adivasi. According to Assamese literature ‘Hemkhu’ Adivasi word means first inhabitant and in every place comes first. According to ‘Aboriginal’ Indian Confederation of Indigenous and Tribal Population (ICITP) means the first inhabitant and the people who are formed from the ancient community.  The term ‘Adivasi’ means Adi-Aborigine, Vasi- Inhabitant. These groups of people are presumed to from the oldest ethnological sector of the population. The Historian M. Banerjee says that the citizens of Chotanagpur are Adivasi.

“Their taboos about food and intermarriage have hitherto presented them from being coalesced [coalesced] into one otherwise they may be said to be harmoniously amalgamated as one nation, under the generic name of ‘Kol’ better the aborigines or under the present nomenclature  the Adivasis of Chota Nagpur.”[i] (Mangobinda Banerjee, A Historical Outline of Pre-British Chotanagpur [from Earliest Times to 1765], Education Publication, Ranchi, 1993.p.72)

In the graduation syllabus of Indian History of Dibrugarh University Profullo Boruah had introduce Adivasi community.

Adivasi Community:

People of this community used to be short, black in colour and with flat nose. They were interested to live in hill and forest area. They do not have their literature and their language was totally different from the language of AJOs and DRAVIDs.  Kool, Bil and Munda people belongs to Adivasi community. Therefore Adivasis are the Kool, Bil, Munda, Sautal, Hue, Juang, Orang, Saura, Kharia, Ghor, Sobor, Bhumij. In Assam people living in the tea garden introduce themselves as Adivasi. But people named them as tea maker, kuli, tea tribe, Green Assamese.  If the people accept themselves with the above names then also they are Adivasi.

First inhabitants of India:

According to Col.Delton Adi and Risley Adivasi came from Cambodia and Vietnam, they cross Brahma and Assam then they reached to Chotanagpur.  For a proof there is similarity in the language and culture of Khasi of Meghalaya.

For an example we can take the below Santali Song.

Heheri Pipirire Bon Jonmolen
Haratare Bon Haralen
Kios Kamonare Bon Khojlen
Sason bedare Bon Jatlena

At first human travelled from Heheri to Kaman then they moved to Sasan Beda and then to Champa. According to Tuila Hasda, the name of Bharat came from the Santali word ‘Bharhasa.’ The word ‘Bhar’ means Blessing or virtue and Hasa means Land, in one word Bharat means ‘Land of Blessing.’ According to Karam Binoti, the first human in earth were Pilsu Bura and Pilsu Buri and they had five sons and five daughter. These people were known as Modeku-Turueku. Pilsu Bura and Pilsu Buri along with their son and daughter came to India through Singa hill Gate and Bohi hill Gate. Since 6000BC from Kandahar and Indus to Ganga Yamuna bank Modeku and Turueku people were living. During that period (2000BC) the the Hidhu Civilization formed. They were the first one in the world who reached the highest level in tradition and culture. In 2000 BC this tradition resulted into a fire fall due to massive lightening.

In Santali ‘Baha’ song, there is mentioned that-

‘More Sanyo more Siyanda sengel dak dai,
Jari leda hu, manav jari ledai,
Takarepe tahe kaha-hu manav-
Menak menak dhiri kapot,
Menak menak dhiri dandur,
Onde gele tahekana hu manuwa,
Onde gele horolena.

Therefore, in result of the fire fall, though the Adibasi tradition got destroyed yet some survived. While the Aryans came and spread their values, in result of which  Adibasis  failed to make it alive again. Again the Mundas believe that ‘in the time of creation of Babil, after the division of language, human scattered to different directions according to their language. Even the Mundas came across Babul(Mund means intoxicated) Kabul(sober) Mohenjo-Daro(Mayam-j-daru means tree of blood), Harappa(Har-Rappa, means burning the human) etc and enterd into India.

In the modern period, the earliest inhabitants of India depend on the data found during the period of mahenzodaro and Haraapa.  In the Archaeological Excavation work of Mohenjo-Daro, the skeletons which were found matched with that of the Pre-Dravidian Mundas of Chotanagpur.

“The earliest inhabitants of India are now to be judged with the ethnic type of people unearthed at Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa which “represent some culture yet unknown to us of Dravidian or Proto-Austroloid  origin.”

The human remains at Mohenjo-Daro show a close affinity with the Pre-Dravidian Munda of Chotanagpur. (Benerjee : 1975:73)

In the year of 1992 (September), in the book named ‘Pratyogita Darpan’, the head news ‘Hindu Ghati Sabhyata Ka Lipi Padhne Ka Dava’ had put into light that ‘the scripture used by the Adibasis for naming Gods & Goddesses match with that of the Hindu Culture. It is further mentioned the news that the Adibasis came across the areas of Harappa & Mohenjo-Daro  and settled in Chotanagpur.

According to Sir Kamleshwar the Adibasis of India were called Dravidian & Kolerain.

(Benerjee: 1975:65) Sir George Campbell, in his Indian Anthropology divides the ABORIGINAL races in two classes the DRAVIDIAN aborigines and the KOLERIAN or Northern aborigines[ii].

According to Professor Dr. Bhuwan Mohan Das, “the Negroes can’t be the ancient people of India. The Australian was the ancient people of India. In different parts of India since the pre-historic period, the end skeleton was discovered. This proves that the ancient Adibasis were Australian. “

In the present period almost all Anthropologists believe that the ancient people of India are Australian.

The Australians are divided into various classes below –

In the books of Assamese scripture, it is mentioned in Page 15, that the Mid-indians, Kola Munda, Adibasis of Nicobar Island and the Khasis of Meghalaya speak the Austro-Asiatic language.

These facts clearly show that the Adibasi people are the first inhabitants of India and the land son.

Adivasis The first inhabitants of Assam:

According to the scholars the khasis and Syntengs were the first inhabitants of Assam. In the graduation syllabus of Dibrugarh University, in ‘the history of Assam’ Dr. Lakhi Devi mentioned that the most ancient people of Assam were the Khasi and Synteng. They belonged to Austric tribe.. The language of the Munda community of Chotanagpur in India, is similar to that of the Khasi and Synteng. According to Sir Edward Gait, other than similarities in language, the rituals are found to be similar.

(A History of Assam: 24) ‘A peculiar feature of this country is furnished by the curious Monoliths which the Khasis and Syntengs use to erect in memory of their dead. Similar Monoliths are found amongst Hos-Mundas in Chotanagpur who speak dialects belonging to the same family of language.’[iii]

In his book named ‘History and Culture of Khasi people’ Hamlet Brach has uplifted the fact that about similarities in Hos, Munda and Khasi people in (page no 23-28). Dr. Dolteng thought that the Khasi and Adibasi Hos and Munda people belonged to the same tribe.

The above similarity in death uniform considering with regard to the view based on linguistic offerings that the Khasis and Hos-Mundas were originally descended from common-stock[iv] (Hamlet Brach: 28).

Dr. Grension, an eminent linguist, proclaimed that Mundas came through North East.

Dr. Grension, an eminent linguist, in a paper read before the society of Art in March, 1906 to say whether the Mundas or Dravidian or both were aboriginal of India

As for the Mundas, if they were immigrant they must certainly have entered India proper form the North East. (Benerjee: 63)

Similarly many scholars said that the Kolerian Mundas came to India from the North. In the Adibasi rituals and folk-songs, many figures of Assam can be found. According to Toila Hasda, the word ‘Kamrup’ took origin form ‘Kamrup Guru’. The name of the Kamrup Guru can be heard in the Santali Mantra verse, Jharni song etc. No worship song, mantra verse is complete until the pronunciation of the name of Kamrup Guru. In Kamrup city, Kamrup Guru firstly worships the Kamakhya Devi and disseminates the beliefs on matrimonial society. Historically these Gurus are the first who starts the worship on Siva in Kamrup.

 In the Santali song it is –

“Salai Sehu kamrup guru
Jhomor rekelai
Hari hari champa
Baha ranji lai.”[v]

Champa nadi, dibrugarh etc are Austric language. Dibrugarh means ‘Dav-lak-garh’ which means Bath room. The historical Kundil Nagrah was there.  Although there is not written historical evidence, according to the belief of the Adibasis, in North Bihar the king of Videha named Raja Janak was a Munda. During ploughing, the baby girl was found therefore he named him ‘Sita’ (Si-tan in Munda means during plough). The famous king of Jyotishpur, Narkasur was the son of Janak. Therefore once upon a time the Mundas were ruling over the Assam.

The word ‘Khasi’ or ‘Ka-si’ means no ploughing. The Austric Mundas did ploughing but the khasi people did no ploughing that’s why they were called ‘ka-si’ or ‘khasi’. The name of the Mairang hill is originated from ‘Marang Buru’. In Marang Buru, lived the ‘Marang Bonga’ (Marang Monster) and only the red colour hens were sacrificed there.

It can be said that the name of the river Dikhou, Dibang, Dikrung etc were named after the word ‘Da’ (Water). Through these facts we can guess that once the Adibasis were in Assam and the north-east in India.

Explaining the first human settlement in Ass Dr. Lila Gogoi explained that it was found some areas of in the hilly area during the protno prosto to Modern age, evidence with some stone made equipments.  But due to lack of the prostoribhut skeleton or jibasmar, the origin of human cannot be yet acknowledged. It can be forecasted that they were the forefathers of either Austric or Nissad people. Generally, it is known that the complexion of their body was dark, bones were uthonga, flat nose, reddish eyes, golden-brown hairs. The antique people of such kind could not be found now days. More or less these symptoms can be found in the Santali people of Kokrajhar area. Similarly some of the characters found with the communities engage in the Tea Garden area from last 100 years. Same characteristics with the   kol, Bhil, Munda, Shabar etc[vi] (Prantik: 16-31 ……… 91)

The Khasis in actual belong to Mongolia tribe but their language is Kolerian or Australian. The Kol-Mundas lived in Assam before the Khasis came to Assam. The khasis learned the Ausstralian language form them. According to the book (Asomiya Jatir Etebriti) published by the Assam Sahitya Sabha-

“The Australians lived in Assam before the Khasis came into Assam. Then the khasis came and acknowledged the language”

Recent study specially “50 Years After Daojali-Hading”(by Jamir Hazarika (Author), Manjil Hazarika (Author)

. Dr. Bani Kanta Kakati in his book “Mother Goddess Kamakya”  pointed that ancient name of Assam Pragjotishpur[i] is derived from Santali and Mundari Language. Only a Strong community can give the name of any place. The Kings of Pragjotishpur were Asuras. Only the Adivasis uses Asur Surname which is still prevails in the Adivasi community. Modern Assamese Intellectual Dr. Devabrata Sarma the Principal of jorhat College mention in a interview that  Mundas came to Assam in Ancient period in Assam many thousand  years before and not just200 hundred years with the beginning of Tea industry. Col. Dalton,believed that Adivasis Came India from North East.[ii]

[i]Dr.BaniKantaKakati (1998) Mother Goddess Kamaky P20ff

[ii] A  Historical Outline of Pre-British Chotanagpur [from Earliest Times to 1765], by-Mangobinda Banerjee,

Therefore the Adibasis are not only the inhabitants of India but of Assam too. But the Adibasis are the earliest inhabitants of Assam, the historical scholars do not want to converse according to this point of view and because of the influence such kind of study, the Adibasis are taken to be called , tea tribes, and outsiders, not of Assam and are treated the same. And because of this thinking of people there is seen barriers in result of which the people of the Adibasi community face problems in social, economic, and political upliftment.

These pre-historic Adibasis first travelled to west direction. Because of the extension of Mongolian, they(majority) went away from Assam. On the other hand, in the war of Hari-Har , the Ban king, Narkasur , Ravan etc. got defeated, in result of which the commencement of the Aryan culture took place. With the commencement of the Aryan ethnicity, the Austric people were bound to give up the ancient religion named “Charna”. The Austric men cut their hairs to bald and burned their hands with fire to make round spots. The Austric women were tattooed with needle on their forehead, chest, and hands. In a sense they were also treated as slaves and were bought & sold. According to the delegation of work, the Adibasis were divided into various social groups. The Kamar, Kumar, Tanti, Telis, Mayra, Sonar, Rajawar, Chundi etc. gave up their Austric individuality and turned to Aryans. But the standing Austric could not be turned to Aryans. Instead of accepting slavery they settled down in ‘Jharkhand’. Including Singhbhum, Manbhum, and Beerbhum a vast state ‘Jharkhand’ was influential under India. Due to dense forest the Aryans were not able to discover the veiled resources.

In the Aryan ethnicity, in the literary ved, Ramayana etc the identity of the Adibasis was covered by naming them as Asur, Ape or Bear. But in reality, this Asur, Ape and Bear like imaginary people in no way existed in India.

In (the Munda and their country: 43ff) Mr.S.C.Roy, by means of the various verses of Ved, Puran etc fortified the fact that the Mundas were called to be Asur .[vii]

Alike the past incident of Aryan ethnicity, today the Adibasi is to face the Jatiyabad. Hiding the actual identity of the Adibasis they were named as tea tribe, tea makers, tea worker, new assemese etc. Rests of the Adibasi people were correlated to an unannounced war and were to be murdered and finished. These self-centered people know that if somehow the Adibasis obtain the light of knowledge and get geared up, then they would demand for their rights and the exploiters would not be able to exploit the Adibasis anymore. Therefore, in the mean time the Adibasi people are to be geared up and be ready for the war against all kinds of Exploitations.

References: