Birjiya [Birjia] is the language spoken by Asur tribe/ethnic group, just as Kurukh is spoken by Oraon group, Santali by Santal group, Mundari by Munda group, Ho by Ho group and Kharia by Kharia group. These are broadly identified by sociolinguists and anthropologists as belonging to two distinct linguistic and ethnic families:
a. Mundari (Santal, Munda, Ho and Birjiya) b. Adi-Dravidian (Oraon, Kharia).
Santali is very similar to Mundari, Ho and Birjiya (i.e. mutually comprehensible) but different from Kurukh and Kharia.
The Chotanagpur region of Jharkhand has many tribal groups living close to each other. A unique phenomenon of this region is the emergence of a hybrid language called “Nagpuri” or “Sadri”, which is used as lingua franca. It is a mix of many tribal languages and Hindi. It’s a bit like the Creole used among migrants in some areas of the world. Purists dislike the Nagpuri/ Sadri language and are trying to revive their mother-tongue.
In Santal Parganas (Dumka) region, there are two main tribal groups – the Santal and the Paharia. Paharias are considered backward and live on hills while Santals are considered more advanced and live on the plains. The Santals see themselves as dominant and do not intermarry with Paharias, though they do intermarry with Oraon and Munda groups (which are the most advanced among Chotanagpur tribes).
There are other small groups also in Chotanagpur like the Birhor of Netarhat and the Chik Baraik. The Birhor and Paharia communities are among the “Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups” (PVTGs) identified by the government, entitiling them to special welfare schemes.
Even among different tribal groups, there is some friction and some sense of animosity. The Santals and Mundas are supposed to be most “martial” because the two great tribal rebellions occurred among them – the Santal Hul of 1855-56 (led by two brothers named Sido and Kanu Murmu) and the Munda Ulgulan of 1872-1901 (led by Birsa Bhagwan).
Courtesy: Dr. Ivy Hansdak, Assistant Professor, Department of English, Jamia Millia Islamia University New Delhi (email 17 March 2017)
Ivy Imogene Hansdak on the state of Santal culture and Santali in modern India
Excerpts from a conversation between Dr. Ivy Imogene Hansdak: Poet, Translator and Assistant Professor Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India with Audun Nedrelid: Freelance Norwegian writer, artist, musician and filmmaker | Read the full interview >>
“I think the Santals have a very characteristic culture. Although we do not have our own script yet we have our own language that has been there for centuries. It is a complex language where you can be very expressive. We also have music and dance, and we have our own customs.”
Asked whether she is afraid that the Santali language will disappear: “I don’t think so, but you never know. When you look at schools and universities in urban areas, children do not learn Santali. They are told that they must learn English and Hindi because these are the languages that will give them success in life. When I talk to friends about this, we usually agree that it is the poor villagers who will keep the Santali language alive. They are the ones who speak the language. It is not the script that keeps a language alive – it is the act of speaking. I am a person who knows several languages and use them all in different contexts, but for the villagers, Santali is the only language they can speak.”
On interest in folklore in Santal society: “There is probably some interest, but now we live in a world of rapid development in the media. We cannot let our culture and society stop. Folklore was what we had, but we have also evolved. We live in a world where we all use mobile phones and Facebook. We are spread across much of India like Assam, Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha as well as Bangladesh and Nepal. Everyone has different influences from where they live and change in different directions. The Santals in Assam are very different from, for example, me and the Santals in Odisha are struggling to use a new form of writing while others use the Latin alphabet. We are all also influenced by different politicians, and with political influence we go in many different directions.”
Source: “Santal and Professor: A Conversation with Dr. Ivy Imogene Hansdak” by Freelance Norwegian writer, artist, musician and filmmaker Audun Nedrelid (The Johar Journal, Vol. II, January-June 2021, first published in the Norwegian magazine, Agenda 3:16, 9/2018)
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