Cultural History
And Emergent
Dalit Alternatives
By Goldy M. George
03 June, 2005
Countercurrents.org
Human
life is incomplete and impossible without cultural identity, which is
the essence of human dignity. In the past people lived together in community.
They had genuine feeling of love, caring, sharing and co-operation towards
their fellow beings. Their life was also influenced by the natural factors
like blowing wind, flowing water, songs of birds, voice of animals and
other natural phenomena. Thus, they developed the use of a combination
of various sounds to signify different things. In a course of time,
this could have led to the evolution of language and music. During this
period consciously or unconsciously, a life style and culture evolved
in ways that were unique to each little community.
Gradually, with
the passage of time caste discrimination seems to have arisen. The cultural
art forms and the skills became the profession and monopoly of certain
communities. For instance the Brahmins as teachers, Kshyatrias as warriors,
Vaishyas as traders and Shudras as servants. There was of course another
set of people who were not even designated within the Varna structure
and they were the Avarnas. Under the hegemony of Brahmins and other
upper caste Hindus, the Avarnas and Shudras were obliged to them in
every aspect. They worked hard in the fields of the upper caste, illams
(bungalows) and served the high caste without getting anything in return
or with very little and unjust remuneration. This had deep effects on
their whole life and culture. Their strumming and drumming depended
upon the mercy of the upper caste. In other words their cultural rights
were governed by the will and whims of the Brahmins and they performed
accordingly during festivals, ceremonies, rituals and other celebrations
of the upper caste. Also this was the period when religious input from
the Hindu mythology entered into these art forms. Traditional communities
performing Ramayana and Mahabharata are some of the ultimate results
of this age. The domination of a particular caste had influenced the
values and diverted the culture and art forms of the indigenous communities
from its origins. Consequently the cultural and art forms of the traditional
communities became the culture of the oppressed and outcastes.
Later, when these
folk arts took some concrete shape, a wave of Brahminisation of the
cultures, and communities took place. This was considered as the sanctification
of peoples culture and their art forms. Most of the gestures and
postures from the folk arts were transplanted into a new fabrication
with extreme polish known as the classical art. The classical arts were
framed to please the aristocrats and high class. Thus, ancient cultural
arts have two forms; folk and classical. The classical arts were for
the aristocrats, whereas folk art remains as the life-expressions of
every community. Moreover, the classical arts are performed and enjoyed
by only a few, but in the folk art, the whole community contributes
and participates. In this process the history and tradition or cultural
ethos of various ancient communities disappeared. For example, the real
tradition and cultural ethos of Tellis, Kurmis (non-tribal), Rawats,
Patels, etc. in Central India still remains as major question. This
is mainly because they remained as service-rendering communities from
ages immemorial. Now they have assimilated the culture and arts forms
from different cultures from their respective locality. Feeling pride
by justifying themselves as part of the higher caste is quite vibrant
among these communities. There are many such communities in India whose
history is unknown.
Consumerism and
manipulation of media
Today, with the
emergence of capitalism the class differentiation grew among the people
and took a dramatic turn. In an age of globalization and marketization,
the life values sustained through the community life and love are constantly
diffusing and substituted with competition. Globalisation is nothing
but the spreading of capitalistic regimes all over the world controlled
by a few.
Natural environment
and traditional values are being hammered in the name of progress and
development. Any system, which allows greed to grow and selfishness
to spread is a severe threat to human existence. This growing trend
had badly influenced human life and culture. Eventually, a new culture
of commoditization and consumerism has emerged within the last few decades
- breaking the community life and cultural identity of masses.
Media, which is
also meant to be a means of expressing the cultural and art of the masses,
has also played a major part in legitimizing and disseminating this
anti-life culture. The electronic media and mass communication have
become the evangelists of consumerism. People have completely lost their
control over media. The present system of globalization is constantly
snatching away peoples rights over media, by making it target-centred
than people-centred. Detailed studies had vividly clarified these in
the last few years. Close studies states that the system has variedly
manipulated the human life through the media. This range from entertainment
programmes to the advertisements the main object is not just
to manipulate the human minds but also to capture the global market.
For example, the main intention behind the anti-aids campaign through
the television is not really meant to protect and prevent the masses
from this deadly disease, but rather to sell the products like disposable
syringe, needles, condoms, anti-pregnancy pills, etc. This opens doors
to the Multi-national sectors and provides them easy entry into the
national economy. This denudation of culture had ultimately led to the
emergence of market-gods.
Emergent Dalit
Alternative
The folk arts are
completely controlled by people and even in the classical forms the
people have some control on the performance. But today people lost their
control over art and media due to the invention of electronic media
and blind rush after modernization.
Therefore, it is
very essential to develop alternative media to counter the electronisation
process and to ensure proper communication of ideas as well as to foster
the traditional Dalit-Adivasi art forms to preserve the community life
and the sense of oneness. Since both the processes are of equal importance,
it has to go in parallel. Alternative media will remain as the protective-fence
and folk art and culture will give a new meaning to the life.
In the last few
decades there is a quest among the Dalits to give a new meaning to their
cultural art forms like Parayattam, Kaniyattam, Thaeim, Pulyapattu,
Gandabaja, Panthi etc., affirming their liberation. Their singing, drumming,
strumming and dancing are re-defining their perspective. On the other
hand alternative communication like third theatre, street theatre, puppet
show, etc., is also widely spreading. Dalits search for alternative
media is in fact the search for a counter-culture, that will stand as
a paradigm to protect human existence; re-write history and evolve a
new culture of love and caring. Let this be a historical milestone from
where we reiterate our march towards equality and justice, self-respect
and harmony.
Goldy M. George
is a Dalit-Adivasi activist currently working as the Convener of
Dalit Study Circle in Chhattisgarh. He is also the General Coordinator
of Dalit Mukti Morcha, Chhattisgarh