MODERNISATION ROOTED IN SANTAL HERITAGE
A workshop for the youth of Ghosaldanga Bishnubati Adivasi Trust
A two-day workshop for the youth from various villages around Ghosaldanga and Bishnubati was held on 19th and 20th of December 2012 at the Vocational Training Centre of Bishnubati. About 40 youth attended the sessions. The major sessions were conducted by Fr.D.M.Solomon S.J. from the Johar Human Resources Development Centre, Dumka. Dr.Sushil Marandi and Dr.Junas Marandi supplemented the sessions with their experience.
The theme of the workshop was: How do we open our Santal youth to the modernisation process while keeping rooted in the values of Santal heritage.
Importance of the theme: It has been the experience of the social workers, activists and others that the present globalisation process absorbs communities into a homogenising entity. By this they lose their rich heritage. The tribal communities are vulnerable to this process and begin to lose their rich cultural heritage and their harmonious values. The youth, attracted by the glitter of the city, the availability of consumer articles and by modern fashion, shaped by the media, wrongly conclude that success comes easy and is defined by having rather than being. Migration, university education and easy access to gadgets, fashion, and media give them an illusion of being modern. Songs are modelled on catchy and fast paced film songs and traditions are looked down upon. However, the youth from the tribal community often are at a loss as they move from their communitarian based rural society to a competitive and individual-oriented society.
Hence, a workshop to make young Santals reflect on these elements is appropriate and necessary.
A look behind and forward:
Seminars and workshop create dynamics that need to be sustained. How do we enable them to take forward what they have gained? What we did was to make the participants choose two important lessons so that they can put them into practice and initiate changes both at the personal and the communitarian level.
At the end of the second day we walked around feeling the youth power; shouted slogans; felt the youth power. It was a revelation for us to discover how quick youth perceives the changes and risk their identity to look for a meaningful future. Santal youth are ready to move forward, but on their own pace and terms. We do affirm our promise to accompany them.
Thanking you
Solomon S.J.
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