‘Tribals ruled Central India, but history projected us as backward’

Shamrao Koreti, an associate professor and chairman of board of studies for history at Nagpur University, has defied all odds to stand out tall in the Gond community which hails from the tribal district of Gadchiroli. Coming from a nondescript hamlet of Hetalkasa in Korchi taluka, around 200km away from Nagpur, Koreti has managed to bring the world’s focus on the issues and causes of the fast disintegrating tribal community. Inspired by his 66-year-old father Indersay — a poor farmer who had dropped out after studying up to Standard IV, Koreti is a shining product of ashramshala schools.
After authoring a book on the socio-cultural history of his community, Koreti contributed in the first ever Hindi-Gondi-English dictionary published by Hampi University. Apart from teaching postgraduate students history, Koreti also guides doctoral researches. One which Koreti is now supervising revolves around the tribal contribution in revolts in Central India.

Excerpts from an interview ...

Q. Is tribal population in Central India struggling to cope up with cultural invasion in the aftermath of rapid urbanization?

A. The tribal population is scattered around Central India. Although the community was a ruling class and reigned from Garhamandla (near Jabalpur) to Kherla (near Betul) to Deogadh (Chhindwara) to Chanda (Chandrapur), history has projected us as a backward community. The power shifted to Nagpur city too and went up to Chanda kingdom. Between 14th and 18th centuries, different tribal kings ruled Central India. During this time, the tribals developed administrative, religious and socio-cultural values. We guarded them until the empire lasted. It was we who had made the place safe and secure. But, today, the tribal population is at the receiving end of an alien culture and lifestyles. Landing at the cross-roads in the period of liberalization, privatization and globalization, urbanization has almost destroyed our culture due to ‘Sanskritization’ (blending of various cultural ethos). Many of us are in the confused state of mind and don’t know how to survive in the present ‘knowledge’ society.

Q. Is the tribal population and it’s indigenous culture facing extinction?

A. Yes. Our language is in peril. This is dangerous as it is the carrier of the culture for any community. We were the first settlers in Central India and had developed our own vocabulary, named every thing on land as per their distinguishable characteristics like animals, trees, flowers, mountains, hills and so on. Though it is being said the tribal are the ‘treasure keepers of ancient knowledge’, the knowledge is now taken away by other people and due credit is not given to us.

Q. What has been tribal society’s contribution in the progress of modern India?

A. Being a historian, I feel the tribals were the first who fought the British. We tried our level best to save the water resources, land and forest (JAL, jungle and zameen) from them. We began retreating into the deeper zones of the forests as it was impossible to defeat the Britishers. But, the tribals did not cease to fight or bow before them. The movement had similarities with the national one yet there was no focus on the tribals’ efforts.

Q. Why it is crucial to save and protect tribal culture and population?

A. The tribals were known for ancient cultures hence it is of utmost importance to save the population. If we can save our mainstream culture, then why step-motherly treatment to the tribal culture and population. They are complementary. Nowadays, the mainstream culture is trying to drag the tribal culture into the so-called ‘best suited system’ but I don’t think there is a need of assimilation. Constitutionally too every society has been allowed the right to follow and preserve it’s culture. Thus, the best solution is to ‘let us live as we wish’.

Q. What is the contribution of tribal revolts in Central India?

A. Apart from the Britishers, the tribals also fought Gonds, Madias, Korkus, Mundas, Santhals and other communities. The tribal communities took part in the revolts with their traditional arms and ammunitions for freedoms since 1795 when there no concept of nationalism.

Q. Is the government doing enough for the tribal society? What more does it need to do?

A. The government is meticulously framing policies for the uplift of tribals. I think that such policies are not adequate enough. The government has cut off our lifeline by restricting entries into the forest, prohibited some traditional foods like mohua flowers which were sources for crucial nutrients and could have staved off malnutritions and few culture and customs too. Our livelihood revolved around food-gathering, firewood and such practices which were part of the primitive and indigenous patterns but were all prohibited without even sparing second thought.

Q. You have authored a book and what else is in now on your mind?

A. I had tried my best to portray the tribals as they are in history. The tribal are lucky as they have their own motherland, Gondwana land. They are also lucky to have their own mother tongue which is known as Gondi. They are also fortunate to have their own culture. I write about what they were and not what has been projected citing backwardness and poverty. People are only concerned about the symptoms ailing our society but not the root cause.

Q. What are the aims and aspirations of the present tribal generation?

A. The present generation also wants the benefits of the India. It also wanted to adopt new lifestyle and livelihood but does not mean to destroy the old cultural identity. They wanted that should be part and parcel of the India’s development. They wanted to be included and not excluded in the policymaking. They should be respected and honoured for the contribution of their forefathers who helped shape laying the foundation of the modern India.