ACaseStudy

Raju Oraon sings about shrinking wages, increasing work load and an uncertain future in his dumkachh tunes, a form of tribal song with an elegiac note performed in the tea gardens of north Bengal. Karam, Jetia, Baha and Sohorahi (tribal porobs) have become low-key affairs with tea workers struggling to survive the worst ever crisis in the industry. At a time when such a threat looms large over the fate of tribal culture in tea gardens, the KalabotiMudra and PBYKM's initiative to make a documentation on tribal art and culture in the gardens could not have been better timed.
Almost 150 years ago, the British brought these tribal workers, comprising Santhals, Mundas, Oraons and 10 other tribes from the Chhota Nagpur plateau, as bonded labour for the plantations in north Bengal. No effort has been made earlier to officially document the tribal culture and the way of life in the gardens. The tribal composition in the north Bengal tea gardens is said to be unique to the region. There are around 3 lakh tribal workers in the gardens today. In today’s fast-changing scenario, in which traditions and cultures are undergoing sea change due to technological advancement and globalisation, the documentation process will serve as a record of the life and culture of society in tea gardens so that the roots are not forgotten after the changes come to stay.
To be working extensively in the Dooars and Terai tea gardens, the documentation initiative will showcase the important festivals, songs and dances of the various tribal groups.
The documentation & dissemination is also expected to touch upon several aspects of tribal life - from their local brew haria to the social customs and practices prevalent among them.