Influence of Maoist extremism on Adivasi culture in Adilabad having gradually declined during the last 10 years, the tribal folk tradition has come into a revival mode. Now, remote hamlets emanate robust folksy strains in the evenings instead of the naxalite brand of revolutionary music which had dominated the scene for three decades between 1975 and 2005.
That the folk tradition of Adivasis is reviving is evident from the increasing number of troupes performing Gondi Ramayan, Mahabharat and other ‘khel’ or dance dramas in villages. It was a record of sorts when seven different troupes belonging to villages in former extremist strongholds gave performances at the Keslapur Nagoba jatara in the second half of January this year.
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While most of the folk forms performed during day time like the Dandari and Ghussadi dances had remained unaffected by naxalite presence, those that are staged during the night were badly hit. “We had to discontinue performing the Ramayan and Mahabharat khel only to avoid being disturbed midway by some roaming dalam of naxalites,” recalls Mesram Jangu of the Lingapur troupe throwing light on the situation in those days.
“The extremists had imposed their brand of music to attract tribal youth into their fold. Their strategy had no space for our dance-dramas which are related essentially with our culture and tradition,” points out a Gond elder from Tiryani.
The night-long Ramayan and Mahabharat khel are usually performed by Gond and Kolam troupes during the Ganesh navaratris in villages. The dance-dramas are also held when some patron, usually the village Patel or headman sponsors it.
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The last 10 years have seen revival of the once famous troupes from Gunjala village in Narnoor mandal, Jerlaghat and Lingapur in Sirpur (U) mandal and Dubbaguda, Daboli and Powerguda in Jainoor mandal to name a few. Though Narnoor and Jainoor mandals were not much affected by extremist activities, most of these troupes and others troupes from villages in Tiryani mandal had found no takers as the revolutionary music by ‘annalu’ or naxalites (then belonging to the People’s War Group of CPI (ML)) had come to occupy their space during the heydays of left wing extremism in this district.
Traditional culture gets a boost again with the gradual decline of Maoist influence on Adivasis