Birjia: Society and Culture: A Study in Cultural Ecological Perspective (An Old and Rare Book)

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Dr. (Mrs.) Samira Dasgupta, is M.Sc., Ph. D. in Anthropology from the Univer- sity of Calcutta. She is hard working, and a researcher in the field of Cultural Anthropology. Her especial interest is around culture, ecology and cultural change.

She has till now completed several research projects from Anthropological Survey of India, Calcutta. Her research project on Tribal Women Labourer in Construction Industry deserves special appreciation for understanding moral exploitation of tribal women (Bhil). In connection with her attachment with Anthropological Survey of India, she has carried out extensive field investigation in Rajasthan, Gujarat, West Bengal and Bihar, of which especially in the belt of Chotanagpur plateau of Bihar. She has eighteen published research papers in her credit.

Dr. (Mrs.) Dasgupta has joined the Anthropological Survey of India in 1977 and presently appointed at its Sub- Regional Centre, Jagdalpur, Bastar, M.P.

The present book contains the study on Birjia-a less known primitive tribe of Chotanagpur plateau of Bihar who are nurtured in the forest environment. The author has taken over the study among them when she was so impressed by observing their life style which is very much related with their local forest environment and got astonished how they cope up with their natural environment in their day to day life.

The author studied this tribal people in relation to their ecology and analysed it into following chapters namely; Chapter 1 The Setting: Ecology and People', deals with the geo- graphical environment of the area and a brief description of the people of the area. Chapter II 'Village and Demography' gives an idea of the location of the studied villages. It states reasons of selection of the villages and also includes the demo- graphic aspect that is sex ratio, age-group wise literacy rate and marital status of the Birjia population of the village, Chapter III 'Economic Activities narrates a picture of their economic life including their various occupational resources and their annual economic activities. Chapter IV 'Social Organization' describes their social life, various customs and obligations etc. Chapter V, 'Political Organization' draws a picture of social control of the Birjia of the area. Chapter VI 'Treatment of Disease' deals with the concept of disease and their treatment by their own indigenous method and Chapter VII 'Religion' gives an idea of their religious life, belief in supernatural power and their ritual practices. An annual calendar of the rituals performed by them is also given and lastly on the basis of the above mentioned observation a conclusion is drawn.

In connection with the work, the author is highly indebted to the Director General, and the Director of Anthropological Sur- vey of India, Calcutta, who duly approved the proposal of work and allowed her to carry out research work as a Ph.D. dissertation among the Birjia. Author expresses her sincere gratitude to her supervisor and guide Shri B. N. Banerjee, Reader, Dept. of Anthropology, Calcutta University for his guidance and suggestions in each and every step of work. She is also grateful to Prof. P. K. Bhowmick of Department of Anthropology, Calcutta University, Dr. B. K. Dasgupta, Suptd. Anthropologist, Anthropological Survey of India, Calcutta, Dr. A. K. Das, Director, Cultural Research Institute, Calcutta with whom she had discussion and their suggestions are also incorporated.

Empirical studies on the isolated and self-contained primitive communities taken up by anthropologists have helped in the development of the methods and concepts in the social anthropology. Study of the primitive communities appears to its students to be of practical importance at this age of industrialization and urbanization, particularly in India where many primitive people still adhere to their traditional patterns of living, recalling the days of the lithic period.

To make the context clear Bhowmick's wise observation about the Chenchu (1990) is quoted here, "in this age of great techno- logical advancement in every sphere, there also exist some fellow-men who.still.pursue a precarious livelihood with a crude technology... .. To measure up the gulf between them and the civilized men, we have to study the tribal societies in detail."

Early studies, in the beginning of the century, of the Indian so- called tribal communities such as the Khasis (Gurdon, 1907), the Munda (Roy, 1912), the Angami Nagas (Hutton, 1921), The Lhota Nagas (Mills, 1922), etc. are more descriptive accounts of such communities but they do not delineate their way of life as interlaced with ecology, environment along with the neighbouring groups of people. Such studies after 1950's are more equipped with theoretical background and the problem of these people highlighting the social systems in the context of the geo-cultural environment in which they live. A few works here as-Rangsanaggiri (Burling, 1963), The Lodhas of West-Bengal (Bhowmick, 1963), the Paharia (Prasad, 1978), On Purum (chote), (Dasgupta, 1985), the Kodaku (Singh and Danda, 1986) etc. can be mentioned in this context.