Cracks have begun to appear in the centuries-old social order of Adivasis in Adilabad and the neighbouring districts. For the first time in history, Pardhan elders of Kanaka clan lodged a police complaint against the dominant Raj Gond elders of the same clan alleging social discrimination.
This unprecedented development took place in Sirpur (U) mandal on May 9 during the Persa Pen or Bada Dev puja of the Kanaka clan at Burnoor village. The Raj Gonds had refused to let the Pardhan or Patadi musicians participate in the puja as punishment for breaking the sacred customs of the clan following which the latter had lodged a complaint.
The tiny Pardhan bard community, which is over 26,000 strong against the Raj Gond population of 2.64 lakh, is a dependent tribe that is associated with the clans of bigger tribes. For centuries, the Pardhans have guided the Raj Gonds in their religious ceremonies, marriages and deaths, besides being the chroniclers of the history of respective clans. Pardhans accept ‘alms’ as compensation for their services. Anthropologist Christoph von Furer-Haimendorf had noted the phenomenon of Pardhans getting alienated from Gonds in tribal areas, now in Maharashtra, during the period of his seminal study The Raj Gonds of Adilabad which was published in 1948.
Cultural loss
Haimendorf stated that wherever he noticed Pardhans discarding their fiddle and abandoning their ancient association with Gonds, their own cultural life as well as their former patrons’ cultural life suffers the loss of a vital element.
Since the last two decades, the younger generation of Pardhan tribe in these parts is trying to break away from the shackles of tradition by rooting for education and landing with jobs. Their participation in the scheme of things of the dominant tribe is slowly decreasing.
Immutable customs
“We want to be treated as equals as we too are Adivasis,” demanded a Pardhan elder not wanting to be quoted.
“You are known as Adivasis only because you follow customs and traditions,” countered Kanaka Ambaji Rao, a senior member of Raja Kanaka clan from Marlavai village indicating that the Raj Gonds want them to strictly adhere to the norms of the social order which they believe is immutable.
About two decades ago, the Kanaka Pardhans were banished for a youth having committed the sacrilege of marrying a Kanaka Raj Gond woman, who is considered a sister. The ‘mistake’ was repeated four years ago following which the Raj Gonds banished Pradhans once again from participating in important religious events.
