http://www.vishvish.com/story/five-crores-and-fifty-lakhs <p>After first encountering the tribes in early February 2007, I learned that Gujarat is home to around 50 million people&mdash;officially recognised, that is. The tribal population is estimated at five million, an extra ten percent. One tribesman, Ramanbhai Dafer, said to me at the time,</p> <blockquote> <p>"The Gujarat Chief Minister talks loudly about the 'Five Crores' people of Gujarat <em>(Fifty million),</em> but he has forgotten about us. he should say, 'Five Crores and Fifty Lakhs.' <em>(Five Million)</em> We are the Fifty Lakhs"</p> </blockquote> <p>[<a href="../../../story/the-usual-suspects">See Previous Story: "The Usual Suspects" &rarr;</a>]</p> <p>Their lack of recognition in the statistics has been symbolically parallel to their lack of rights, lack of homelands, lack of education, lack of healthcare. But the World Bank estimates that 42% of India is below the poverty line, and hardship alone is not a distinguishing feature of any one group. India's recent growth has seen the beginning of poverty reduction, but the growth is still disproportionate, the majority of the poor being lower classes and orders in India's notorious caste system.</p> <p>Tribals fall slightly to one side; with their nomadic and semi-nomadic heritage, they often have no land of their own to live on, have until recently lacked voting rights and therefore political power, plus a historical reputation as criminals. Within the last four years, a movement for the betterment of tribal people has sprung up in Gujarat under the umbrella of the Ahmedabad-based non-governmental organization (NGO) Janpath.</p> <p>"Jan-path" means the people's path, and their mission is to show people the way, the direction, but not to do the work for them. They have documented these disparate and often remote tribes and their culture; they have helped them in obtaining voting rights, land rights, education and political leverage. Janpath want the tribes to reach self-sufficiency within a few years, reducing Janpath's involvement to nothing. Development brings education and money, but it also brings the outside world with all its influences of fashion, customs and culture.</p> <p>Heading back in the summer of 2009, I see much more. Lifestyle changes, as tribes cease being nomadic and begin to settle, are also part of the picture, with television becoming the main source of news, entertainment and cultural trends. It is inevitable that as something is given, something is taken away, and so we may be witnessing the end of an era: snake charming and other traditions are dying, as the 1972 Wildlife protection act is enforced to prevent snake ownership, and newer, cheaper, more convenient fashions are arriving, making the old ones quickly obsolete. The young frequently do not want to wear the same styles as their parents, and who can blame them? There are many things changing, but at varying speeds and degrees.</p> <p>Looking at many tribes spread over Gujarat, all at different stages of development, one finds a living timeline, the past and the future, by seeing two tribes in the present: one developed, one undeveloped. How continued progress will affect them is a little more certain than it once was, although there is no single solution that can be given to all of them. Even though there are thousands of tribes and millions of tribal people across India, let us not zoom so far out for the big picture that we lose sight of them as individuals.</p> Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0000 en-gb vishvish.com RSS generator 2.0 http://www.vishvish.com/photo/hansol-village-ahmedabad-623 Hansol Village, Ahmedabad A yellow-painted mud house in Hansol, on the outskirts of Ahmedabad. The heat is oppressive today - 43°C. Vish Vishvanath http://www.vishvish.com/photo/untitled-647 Untitled Sarania tribals in Hansol, living out of a room. Beds, Bikes and Bakri - Goats. Vish Vishvanath http://www.vishvish.com/photo/untitled-648 Untitled Filling in his ration card application form, noting all his dependents down. Vish Vishvanath http://www.vishvish.com/photo/untitled-634 Untitled At a tribal gathering. Vish Vishvanath http://www.vishvish.com/photo/untitled-633 Untitled Women at a large community meeting voting on whether they should contribute a salary for a full-time community worker. Vish Vishvanath http://www.vishvish.com/photo/geetaben-vijapur-mehsana-district-632 Geetaben, Vijapur, Mehsana District A month after their house was demolished, Geetaben is still clearing the rubble from what was a room, and now a back yard. Vish Vishvanath http://www.vishvish.com/photo/karsanbhai-vaadi-vaadi-snake-charmer-surendranagar-district-630 Karsanbhai Vaadi, Vaadi snake-charmer, Surendranagar District The chief of the tribe is an experienced magician and snake charmer, with letters of recommendation praising his skills. But he is likely to be the last of his kind, after the increasing enforcement of the laws banning snake ownership. Vish Vishvanath http://www.vishvish.com/photo/vaadi-community-surendranagar-district-631 Vaadi community, Surendranagar District The chief's son boasts of his snake charming skills, but midway through his demonstration, panics as the snake slithers towards him, and is rescued by his friend. Vish Vishvanath http://www.vishvish.com/photo/dafer-children-vijapur-mehsana-district-641 Dafer children, Vijapur, Mehsana District Vish Vishvanath http://www.vishvish.com/photo/teaboy-at-samuchit-gram-vikas-trust-office-prantij-mehsana-district-629 Teaboy at Samuchit Gram Vikas Trust office, Prantij, Mehsana District A 12-year old chaiwalla - tea boy - fetches and carries tea all day. A 12 hour day earns him 30 rupees - 40 pence - when he should -legally - be in school. The money may be crucial to his family, even though children are paid far less than adults. Vish Vishvanath http://www.vishvish.com/photo/loading-salt-near-malia-rajkot-district-639 Loading Salt, near Malia, Rajkot District Late summer, the monsoon is near, and the last few tonnes of salt are being loaded, and then the workers can return home for a four-month rest before their working lives begin the cycle again. Vish Vishvanath http://www.vishvish.com/photo/untitled-646 Untitled The red rice is given as a wedding invitation, accepted by sticking the rice to the forehead. Vish Vishvanath http://www.vishvish.com/photo/oad-woman-juna-disa-village-banaskantha-636 Oad woman, Juna Disa Village, Banaskantha Unable to read or write, a woman's thumbprint is her signature for a job card application. A card guarantees 100 days employment a year, greatly appreciated even though it will be shifting earth or other unskilled manual labour. Vish Vishvanath http://www.vishvish.com/photo/oad-community-juna-disa-village-banaskantha-635 Oad community, Juna Disa Village, Banaskantha Battered and callused: "My hands are my only tools." Years of manual labour for an uneducated man in Juna Disa. Vish Vishvanath http://www.vishvish.com/photo/saltfields-little-rann-of-kutch-638 Saltfields, Little Rann of Kutch Stormy weather signals the arrival of the monsoon winds, much rain, and little time for the last few salt piles to be taken away. The salt is invisible under a thick layer of mud. Vish Vishvanath http://www.vishvish.com/photo/untitled-645 Untitled Umarbhai sits on the wall separating the neighbouring village from his new settlement. After decades on the move, they have this land and will begin building houses soon. In a few years, the settlement will look like the village. Vish Vishvanath http://www.vishvish.com/photo/untitled-644 Untitled One man and his gods. Vish Vishvanath http://www.vishvish.com/photo/the-story-of-rajini-14-1810-10-june-2009-627 The Story of Rajini 1/4: 18:10, 10 June 2009 Rajini, 8, sits in her new classroom. She has been desperate to go to school and her mother has finally relented for her to be brought to Kheda, 300 kilometres away. It was crucial to separate her from her community, notorious for their tradition of women working as sex workers. Vish Vishvanath http://www.vishvish.com/photo/the-story-of-rajini-24-1105-10-jun-2009-626 The Story of Rajini 2/4: 11:05, 10 Jun 2009 On a long journey across Gujarat from the North border with Rajasthan. Mittal, social worker, on the right, found a suitable school for Rajini away from her community. Vish Vishvanath http://www.vishvish.com/photo/the-story-of-rajini-34-1828-9-june-2009-625 The Story of Rajini 3/4: 18:28, 9 June 2009 The men hammer, the women fetch sand and cement, and the children bring bricks and water. Rajini is the first child on the left in the yellow dress. She left the settlement with a new haircut and the clothes she was wearing. 24 hours later, she walked into her new school, 300 kilometers away. Vish Vishvanath http://www.vishvish.com/photo/the-story-of-rajini-44-24-july-2009-628 The Story of Rajini 4/4: 24 July 2009 Over a month after entering her new school, her mother had fetched her back and she now goes to the poorly-run and irregular village school nearby. From left to right: Rajini, her sister, her grandmother, her nephew, her mother, her younger sister and her great-grandmother. The four older women, from her sister to her great-grandmother, are or have all been sex workers. Girls go into the sex trade in their early to mid teens. Vish Vishvanath http://www.vishvish.com/photo/baby-girl-bajaniya-community-kadi-mehsana-district-622 Baby girl, Bajaniya community, Kadi, Mehsana District The Bajaniya community is originally from Rajasthan. Vish Vishvanath http://www.vishvish.com/photo/devipoojak-man-prantij-mehsana-district-621 Devipoojak man, Prantij, Mehsana District Many tribespeople are clearly different from other Indians in the region. The majority of Indians do not migrate far from their homes or states. Vish Vishvanath http://www.vishvish.com/photo/bharvad-goat-herder-national-highway-15-little-rann-of-kutch-624 Bharvad goat herder, National Highway 15, Little Rann of Kutch Travelling light and modern clothes indicate that this tribe live locally Vish Vishvanath http://www.vishvish.com/photo/rabari-goat-herder-national-highway-15-little-rann-of-kutch-637 Rabari goat herder, National Highway 15, Little Rann of Kutch Still several days from home. His style of clothing and his bundle indicates his tribe still follow the traditional ways. Vish Vishvanath http://www.vishvish.com/photo/untitled-642 Untitled Raberi tribesmen head the last few kilometres back to their settlement from their day in the town. Vish Vishvanath http://www.vishvish.com/photo/national-highway-8-between-bagodara-and-limbdi-rajkot-district-643 National Highway 8, between Bagodara and Limbdi, Rajkot District The men left early in the morning to walk the cattle. Around midday, the women and children pack up the camp from the previous night and head to their next camp. Led by grandmother, three generations of this Rabari tribe are heading back to their home settlement. Trucks for hire frequent the highway and they will hail one, pay the driver 200 rupees, load up and set up camp before the men arrive. Vish Vishvanath http://www.vishvish.com/photo/untitled-640 Untitled The monsoon is late, but so are they. A packed rickshaw takes them onwards. Vish Vishvanath