In
the fading light of the setting sun, a gentle breeze moves the lush
green canopy over the mud houses at Takra village on the Ranchi-Khunti
Road. The women have just returned from "jani shikar" with
their catch of goat or pig. The men, too, are back from the fields.
It's time to dance and sing - to lessen the exhaustion and ennui.
The jani
shikar that began in the past week is a year-long festival, which
tribal women celebrate once every 12 years to commemorate their victory
over the Mughals at Rohtasgarh in the 16th century. During this time,
women go out in men's robes to hunt for animals and have a community
feast in the evenings.
I decided
to be with the Takra people (belonging to Mundas) on Saturday evening
to feel the "spirit" of jani shikar and discover their sense
of excitement and celebration.
Usually,
the city dwellers perceive that poverty and deprivation have weighed
down on the tribals. It's in a sense true that tribals don't wear
elegant clothes; they don't live in great houses and don't move out
in fancy cars or spanking bikes. But I found them more joyful, contented
and anxiety-free, in sharp contrast to city people living in up-market
ambience.
"Kaji
gi durang/ Sen gi durang" (Where conversation becomes a song
and mere walking takes a dance form). This Mundari song was being
sung by men, women, boys and girls, shuffling in enchanting rhythm
to the beats of drum and mander that sums up the spirit of the tribal
way-of-life - even if that comprises course grains or only a few glasses
of hadia and rice. They are not short on bliss and pleasure. The hard
life in mud homes and absence of shoes doesn't affect their dance
and merriment a wee bit.
"The
tribals are born to live merrily. They dance and sing when a baby
is born. They dance and sing when someone dies in the family,"
says my friend Faishal Anurag, a local journalist and activist.
The Ranchi
people always complain of the city's poor entertainment scene. Their
grumble is justified also in case of Uphar Cinema, which was closed
recently. In fact, seven of the 12 city cinemas are lying closed due
to their failure to earn revenue. The city lacks in quality amusement
parks. It does not have many musical evenings, dance or drama programmes.
The people don't have much scope to entertain themselves away from
their TV sets.
But then
neither do the tribals, but they find all ingredients to delight them
from within. They make musical instruments on their own with the use
of simple things like bamboo, animal skin and wood. Almost all the
tribals know how to sing and how to play the flute and drum. Interestingly,
even those who have joined the elite club enjoy entertaining themselves
in their own indigenous way.
For instance,
Dr Ramdayal Munda who spent 17 years teaching in a United States University
enjoys playing his flute even today. His admirers say that he can
match Hari prasad Chourasia in his renditions. Chief minister Arjun
Munda loves to play his flute, too. The Mundas and Oraons dance the
Chhau in their villages in East and West Singhbhum districts. Of course,
displacement and migration issues have replaced Mahabharata and Ramayana
as a theme of this folk dance yet the rhythm, style and spirit remain
the same.
Even
if city life is getting faster and quicker, the tribals love the slowness
of their lifestyle. "Sahia ke ghar bari door/ Tani dheere chalo
ray" (Beloved's house is far away/ Saunter slowly) - Takara girls
were singing this song. It's a song based on the time when a girl
goes to meet her beloved and walks slowly, enjoying the trees, singing
rivers and enchanting stones. Even when visiting the lover, she does
not give in to the rush.
The crux
of the matter is that happiness lies within you and not in the glaze
and glamour that has gripped the city.
