Publication of Tribes Paper

8/12/2019 Publication of Tribes Paper

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CULTURE, LANGUAGE, ART AND LIFESTYLES

ABTRACT

The present study was conducted in Seethampeta, Palakonda and Kuthuru mandals of

Srikakulam district. These mandals were predominantly inhabited by tribal communities and thus

sample drawn for the study was also consists of tribal communities. Among the tribal

communities that inhabit in the study area, three of the tribal communities were very

predominant and these are Jatapu, Savara and adaba. The most significant feature of the social

orgnisation of the savaras of Andhra Pradesh is the absence of clan organi!ation. As a people, the

Jatapu are developing both materially and politically. They own fertile lands and rich forests, and

possess more wealth in cash, "ewelry, and property than their neighbors. #n addition, they hold

most of the local government positions. They are now aspiring to higher district and legislative

positions. #n general, the Jatapu have a friendly, considerate spirit that prevails at all times. They

are e$ceptionally clean, and most Jatapu men are loving fathers. adaba or utub is a %undari

language spoken by the adaba, a Scheduled Tribe living in the Agency Area of north coastal

Andhra Pradesh. They call themselves &%ogililu& or &%odililu& in their own dialect in the

Srikakulam 'istrict. The adaba were formerly employed as palan(uin)bearers. There is a low

level of literacy among the adaba, and their language is rarely written.

INTRODUCTION

The schedule tribe population in Andhra Pradesh is about *+ lakhs which constitutes .-

percent of the population / lakhs0. The tribal women population in Andhra Pradesh is **.

lakhs as per the provisional figures of +112 statistics0. The 33 schedule tribes of Andhra

Pradesh form a very large component in the entire South #ndia. Tribal concentration in Andhra

Pradesh is in the districts of Srikakulam, 4i!ianagaram, 4isakhapatnam, 5ast odavari,

Khammam, 6arangal andAdilabad.

There are about *+/ tribes each having its own socio economic and political setup in the

country. The tribal communities are differentiated from non tribals as their social affairs are to a

large e$tent guided by mutual obligations and moral bindings. Their institutions and traditions

are based on co)operation and community oriented. Tribal society is usually small, isolated,

closely knit and is based on kinship. Tribal people are normally honest, simple, heroic and true,


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they live in varied socio)economic conditions, and the tribal setting is so comple$ in its nature.

The ma"or source of income of the tribal7s besides agriculture was forest and forest

produce. 8eing close to forest they took to honey and gum collection and other medical herbs.

The tribal economy of the region was, therefore, based on two ma"or sources9 agriculture and

forest.

The tribal7s are at the bottom of the socio)economic level. True, economic opportunities

have brought some changes in the position of tribal7s though they largely continue to remain

below the poverty line. Their historical isolation has not yet been fully overcome.

To raise their standard of living and also restructuring their society, it is essential to

provide them new status opportunities. The tribal7s have to be taught to identify resources for

obtaining capital, developing managerial skills and prepare themselves for decision making and

risk taking.

METHODOLOGY

Srikakulam district was purposively selected for the study as it has the mandals under

the "urisdiction of #T'A Seetampeta. #T'A Seethampeta was purposively selected because the

concentration of tribal population is dense in this #T'A. 6ithin the district, the %andals

spread over under the "urisdiction of #ntegrated Tribal 'evelopment Agency, Seethampeta

were specifically selected. 6ithin the "urisdiction of #T'A, Seethampeta, three %andals vi!.

Seethampeta, Palakonda and Kothuru, were selected.

Profile of Savara Tribe

Savara, a Scheduled Tribe is found inhabiting the 5astern hats of Srikakulam and

4i!ianagaram district. The Savara population in Andhra Pradesh is 2,1-,*- as per 2::2 census.

The total literacy rate among Savara as per 2::2 ;ensus reports is 23.


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names. #n the absence of e$ogamous family names and clans, they resort to cross cousin

marriages as a way to regulate their matrimonial alliances and thus avoid incest. >evirate,

sororate and widow remarriages are socially approved. =our methods of ac(uiring mates vi!.,

marriage by negotiations Pankui0, marriage by elopement 'ingdengboi0, marriage by service

Kinersung0 and marriage by e$change ?laiboi0 are socially accepted among Savaras. %ost of

the Savara families are nuclear. 'ivorce is permitted on the grounds of impotency, continued

(uarrels in the family etc.

A t!i"al Savara tribe #o$a%

The Savaras subsist on agriculture. Savara agriculture consists of &podu& or shifting

cultivation and terrace cultivation on hill slopes besides dry and wet farming. The implements

are manufactured mostly by using indigenous techni(ues and locally available materials. =orest

labour, collection and sale of @on)Timber =orest Produce, fishing and hunting are important

subsidiary occupations. Similar to most of the primitive societies, group cohesion and intra)tribal

solidarity is maintained among Savaras through social control institutions decreed by tradition.

There are three grades in the traditional leadership in social precedence i.e. the &amang&,

the &8uyya& and the &Par"a&. The amang is the civil head of the village. The 8uyya is the


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religious head. Savaras consider a amang to be rich with lands and other property. &'esari&

another religious functionary of Savaras attends for fi$ing up of auspicious days for the

performance of both social and religious ceremonies. &Kudan& is also a religious functionary who

recites hymns and conducts social and religious ceremonies. The festivals of first eating of the

crops, propitiation of the deities and ancestral spirits, name giving ceremony are some of the

ritual functions at which &Kudan& recites hymns, conducts the rituals and offers sacrifices. e

chants hymns while playing on a musical instrument called &Kudansngrai&. Savaras propitiate

various deities and ancestral spirits. The ods and spirit beings of Savaras can be classified into

benign and malign. The benevolent gods are those of earth, hill, pot, sun, rain, wind, stream etc.

The malignant deities are associated with tiger, small po$, bloodsuckers and sorcerer. There are

as many malignant spirits as there are diseases known to the Savaras.


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&o$e% !arti"i!ate' i% "(lt(re ba)e' a"tivitie)

The Savaras draw certain designs on the walls known as &5dising&. #t is also known as

&>ingor&. These designs are drawn in honuor of the dead, to avert diseases to promote and on the

occasion of certain festivals. These &5dising& designs are common among Savaras inhabiting

interior hilly tracts. These drawings depict the moon, the sun, animals and all the ob"ects, which

come across in their daily life.

The most significant feature regarding the social organi!ation of the Savaras of Andhra

Pradesh is the absence of a clan structure. =or all practical social purposes, e.g., marriage, the

group having a common surname is e$ogamous. Some sections of the Savaras of the Seethampet,

Pathapatnam and Sompet areas have not even adopted family names. #n the absence of

e$ogamous family names and clans, they resort to inter)cousin marriages as a way to regulate

their matrimonial alliances and thus avoid incest 8ehera B Pfeffer 2:::0.

>evirate, sororate and widow remarriages are socially approved. =our methods of

ac(uiring mating partners are used C marriage by negotiations Pankui0, marriage by elopement

'ingdengboi0, marriage by service Kinersung0 and marriage by e$change. %ost of the Savara

families are nuclear. 'ivorce is permitted on the grounds of impotency, continuous (uarrels in

the family, etc. The Savaras subsist on agriculture. Savara agriculture consists of podu or shifting

cultivation and terrace cultivation on hill slopes besides dry and wet farming. Savaras


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manufacture their own agricultural implements suited to their shifting, terrace, dry and wet

farming. The tools are manufactured mostly by using indigenous techni(ues and locally available

materials. =orest labour, collection and sale of non)timber forest produce, fishing and hunting are

important subsidiary occupations.

Similar to most of the primitive societies, group cohesion and intra)tribal solidarity is

maintained among the Savaras through social control institutions decreed by tradition 8oal

2::/0. There are three grades in the traditional leadership in social precedence, i.e. the amang,

the 8uyya and the Par"a. The amang is the civic head of the village. The 8uyya is the religious

head and Savaras consider a amang to be rich with lands and other property. 'esari, nother

religious functionary of the Savaras attends to the arranging of auspicious days for the

performance of both social and religious ceremonies. The Kundan is also a religious functionary

who recites hymns and conducts social and religious ceremonies. The festivals of the first eating

of crops, propitiation of deities and ancestral spirits and the name)giving ceremony are some of

the ritual functions at which the Kundan recites hymns, conducts the rituals and offers sacrifices.

e chants hymns while playing on a musical instrument called kundan singrai. Kundanboi, the

female counterpart of the Kundan, conducts birth deliveries, diagnoses and cures diseases. She is

a soothsayer and employs magical charms as part of the curative prescription.

Profile of *ata!( Tribe

The Jatapu are located in the hills of central #ndia. They are mainly concentrated in the

Srikakulam and 4isadhapatnam districts of Andhra Pradesh, although there are some

communities in the states of Tamil @adu and Drissa. The Jatapu have no deep history or heritage.

%any have even forgotten their original language, Jatapu, which belongs to the Kui)Kuvi branch

of ;entral 'ravidian languages. %ost of the Jatapu speakers have adopted Telugu as their

mother tongue.

As a people, the Jatapu are developing both materially and politically. They own fertile

lands and rich forests, and possess more wealth in cash, "ewelry, and property than their

neighbors. #n addition, they hold most of the local government positions. They are now aspiring

to higher district and legislative positions. #n general, the Jatapu have a friendly, considerate

spirit that prevails at all times. They are e$ceptionally clean, and most Jatapu men are loving

fathers.


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The Jatapu predominantly work as farmers and forest laborers. Eice is their staple crop, and

grains, peas, beans, chilies, and tobacco leaves are also grown. #n addition, they collect and sell

minor forest produce. A few Jatapu sell pottery, baskets, or bangles, but very few work as

craftsmen. They generally do not spin, weave, make pottery, or work as carpenters until they

come in greater contact with the plains peoples.

A t!i"al *ata!( tribe #o$e%

A typical Jatapu village consists of mud houses lined in rows. The homes are "oined to

each other with common outer walls and a long thatched roof. There are usually four separate

rooms in each house to provide privacy. The homes have very few possessions, mainly earthen

pots, baskets for grains, and mats for sitting. There is no bedding materialF they stay warm in the

winter by burning fires. The village street serves as a courtyard and playground. ;attle are either

kept in sheds or tied to posts in the middle of the streets to avoid cattle theft. The streets are kept

e$tremely tidy at all times.

Among the Jatapu, lineage is patrilineal traced through the males0 and leadership always

rests with the men. owever, the women en"oy e(ual status with men and share in family

decisions. 8oys begin working in the fields and forests at the age of five. 6omen rear the

children, draw water, cook, clean, and keep the house. They take special care of their hair and


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also use artificial hair pieces that are sold in the markets. Shining black tassels are gathered into a

hair bun. They also en"oy wearing necklaces, bangle bracelets, several nose rings, and many

earrings.

&o$e% !arti"i!ate' i% Cere$o%ial a"tivitie)

Among the Jatapu, there are three types of marriages9 by consent, by elopement, and by

bride)service the groom works for the bride&s parents0. The Jatapu only marry within their own


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tribe, but never within the same clan e$tended family0. They prefer to live as nuclear families

husband, wife, and their children0F however, some live as e$tended families.

The Jatapu are virtually all indus, worshipping millions of gods and goddesses. The

only native god of the Jatapu is Jakeramma, who has one shrine in each village. #n general, there

are no sayings, superstitions, or taboos among the Jatapu. There are no idols and sacred places of

worship in their homesF neither are there temples in or around the villages. They offer buffalo in

animal sacrifices, but do not eat its meat. They have hardly any myths about "ungle gods, spirits,

or ghosts. This is perhaps because they have been stripped of their beautiful forests through

Gslash and burnG agriculture and commercial e$ploitation of trees.

A ma"ority of these precious people have not yet heard a clear presentation of the ospel.

Their focus on the family and fatherly love has already prepared their hearts to understand the

=ather&s love for them. They simply need to hear the Truth. ;ompassionate ;hristians are needed

to minister >ife and love to the Jatapu.

Profile of Ga'aba Tribe

adaba or utub is a %undari language spoken by the adaba, a Scheduled Tribe living

in the Agency Area of north coastal Andhra Pradesh. They call themselves &%ogililu& or&%odililu& in their own dialect in the Srikakulam 'istrict. The adaba were formerly employed

as palan(uin)bearers.

This tribe owes its name to the fact that its ancestors emigrated from the banks of the

adabari odavari0 river, and settled at @andapur, the former capital of the Ea"as of Jeypore.

Some evidence say that they can be called Kadava, as in Tamil, because of their prominent

earrings ) Kaduin Tamil meaning ear. #t may be more proper to derive their name from the three

Sanskrit gatvara, which in Driya means locomotive and palan(uin)bearers may deserve thead"ective &gatvara&. Another derivation may be from the Sanskrit kadavada, which means

speaking indistinctly. There is no more indistinct speech than that of the adaba, for their words

are rarely heard. Kadavada also means vile or contemptible.

The adaba are distributed in the Agency Area of 4isakhapatnam, 4i!anagaram and

Srikakulam districts and in certain agency tracts of Koraput and an"am districts of Drissa.


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According to the 2:/2 ;ensus the total population of the adaba was +-,21


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&o$e% !arti"i!ate' i% E%tertai%$e%t a"tivitie)

The adaba tribe is divided into different sub divisions vi!, 8odo or utob, Katheri,

Kollari etc., 5ach sub division which is ndogamous is divided into various e$ogamous clans. The

modes of ac(uiring mates among adabas are marriage by negotiations, by mutual love and


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elopement, by capture and by service. =amily is nuclear. 6idow re)marriage and divorce are

permitted.

At present adabas are cultivators and agricultural labourers. Those who inhabit the hilly

areas practice shifting cultivation and they cultivate Eagi, Eed gram, @iger in their Podu lands.

They collect @on)Timber =orest Produce for household consumption and sale.

They worship Sankudevudu, Peddadevudu, %oda Kondamma, Jakaridevatha,

#ppapolamma etc., and they celebrate festivals like, 5etelapanduga, Ashadapanduga

Korrakotha0, Kothamasa and %aridamma Panduga. #n addition to the above festivals, they

worship the spirits of their ancestors.

adabas have their own traditional council. The traditional village headman is known as

G@aikoG. is office is hereditory. e is assisted by &;hallan&, messenger0 and &8arika& 4illage

servant0. #n the fields of religious activities, &'esari& or 4illage Pu"ari officiates all the religious

ceremonies. adabas are recogni!ed as Primitive Tribal roup in A.P.

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