The topic is about the cultural transformation of Santal tribe dwelling in urban settings of Bankura town.

1. GURU-DAKSHTA
Organized by
Submitted by
Mr. Prosenjit Murmu
Assistant Professor in Geography
Egra Sarada Shashi Bhusan College
Egra, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal- 721429
C U L T U R A L T R A N S F O R M A T I O N O F
S A N T A L T R I B E S O F W E S T B E N G A L : A
C A S E S T U D Y I N B A N K U R A T O W N

2. o “Culture is the sum total of all the devices produced by man,
with the aid, advice and consent of nature, to assist him in the
attainment of his objectives.”
o “Culture means education, learning, experience, religion,
civilized behaviour, suppression of vicious animal instincts, co-
operation, replacing conflict, the law of fair play and justice
supressing the law of jungle.” – E.W. Zimmermann (1956)
o Culture is an evolutionary product of man-nature
interaction.
o Human culture is the historically learned behaviour and
ways of doing of different groups.
INTRODUCTION

3. PROCESSES OF CULTURAL CHANGE
Cultural change involves three processes:
• Purposeful drive for technical
innovations. Introduction of ideas
and know-how
Invention
• Spread of cultural elements or
complexes within a society or from one
society to another by direct contact or by
indirect transmission through a chain of
intermediaries.
Diffusion
• Modification (adoption of foreign traits) of
a culture by the culture of the dominant
one through the process of interaction.Acculturation

4. WHO ARE TRIBES?
❑ ‘Adivasi’ (Adi= original and vasi= inhabitant) is implied to the
tribal people.
❑ The dictionary of Anthropology (1948) defines tribe that – tribe
is a social group usually with a definite area, dialect, cultural
homogeneity and unifying social organization.
❑ Risley (1915) designates as aboriginal i.e. man of soil.

5. ABOUT THE STUDY AREA
o Extension: 23º 14ˊ00ˊˊ North
latitude and 87º 7ˊ 00̋ East
longitudes
o Area: 19.06 sq. km.
o Wards: 23

6. ❑ To identify the key differences of cultural practice between urban
and rural Santal population in the study area.
❑ To examine the impact modernisation on cultural transformation
of urban Santal in the area under study.
OBJECTIVES

7. STATUS OF SANTALS OF BANKURA TOWN
❑ POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS
❑ TREND OF SANTAL POPULATION
The data shows an increment of 157 Santal persons in the
municipality within seven years with an annual growth rate of
1.87%. Consequently some slight positive changes have been
taken place in the number of total male and female
population, male-female ratio, total literates, household,
average family size as obtained in field survey in comparison
with census data, 2011. Surprisingly, in spite of being a
patrilineal society the female population are dominating
male population although with a declining trend. The
number of literates have been increased which is a good
sign of development. There is an addition in households as a
result of population increase.
Sl. No
Parameters
Year
2011 2014 2018
1
Total tribal
population 1084 1114 1205
2 Male 537 553 598
3 Female 547 561 607
4 Male-Female ratio 1019 1014 1015
5 Literates 1061 1089 1165
6 No of household 241 247 260
7 Family size 4.49 4.51 4.63
From the diagram it can be easily explain that the trend of
population is continuously increase from the year 1971 to
2011. Where in 1971 the total population was only 480, then
it increases 1048 in the year of 2011. But in the year of 1961,
it is found that the total population was 928, in this time the
population was maximum it may be the reason of migration
towards Bankura town for economic activities from the
neighbour states like Jharkhand and Bihar. But in 1971 the
population become less because they may be spread
towards the surrounding area of Bankura town.
Source: Census of India, 1961, 1971, 1981,1991,
2001 and 2011
Source: Field survey 2014, 2018

8. ❑ RELIGION
1%3%
96%
RELIGION
Hindu
Christian
Sari-Dharam
5%
4%
1%
6% 1%
83%
OCCUPATIONAL STRUCTURE
Cultivator
Industrial Worker
Businessman
Mine Worker
Fisheries
Salaried
❑ OCCUPATIONAL STRUCTURE
Almost all Santals belong to their own Sari-dharam
religion. Remaining only 3% consists of Christian and
Hindu adherents. The Santals affiliated to Christian
religion are not only of Bankura municipality but also
have come from near-by block like Ranibandh,
Sarenga etc.
The educated Santal population dwelling in Bankura
municipal area are employed in various governmental and
non-governmental offices and institutions and constitute a
lion share of 82.62% of the total tribal (Santal) workers. The
mine workers (6.40%) earn their livelihood by sand digging.
Comparatively, older residents (5.48%), particularly of ward
no 11, 20, and 23 are involved in agriculture. A mere of
3.96% of total Santal workers works in near-by sponge iron
factory located in Bankura II block. Minute portions of
workers (0.91%) are engaged in business activities.
Source: Field survey 2018
Source: Field survey 2018

9. ❑ HOUSEHOLD INCOME
❑ LEVEL OF EDUCATION
The total 260 households are categorized into five income
groups with an interval of ten thousand. The most
households (26.15%) come under the category no. three of
which monthly income is Rs.20,000-30,000 followed by class
no. four (Rs.30,000-40,000) and five (more than Rs. 40,000)
which include 23.84% and 23.07% of households
respectively. From the survey it has been seen that a huge
portion (82.62%) of Santal people are salaried. 15% percent
of households belongs to less than ten thousand and forms
the lowest income group basically consisting of mine
workers and labour class people engaged in primary
activities.
The graduate Santals constitute almost half of the total
population. It is because of dwelling of educated (minimum
graduate) salaried middle-aged people and immigration of
young Santals for service here. The post graduates comprise
8.87%. The percent of primary, secondary, and higher
secondary passed persons are of 15.51%, 7.13% and 15.35%
respectively. Apart from general stream of education such
as doctor, engineer, diploma, MBA passed persons termed
as ‘others’ are of 7.21% of total tribal people. The little
children mostly form the illiterate group people.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
No.ofHousehold
Income (Rs.)
HOUSEHOLD INCOME (2018)
No. of household
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
No.ofPerson
Level of Education
EDUCATIONAL LEVEL(2018)
No of Persons
Source: Field survey 2018
Source: Field survey 2018

10. 90%
9%
1%
0%
MEDIUM OF EDUCATION
(2018)
Bengali
English
Hindi
Santali
❑ LANGUAGE AS MEDIUM OF EDUCATION
Among the total literate Santals about 89.54% are of Bengali
medium. Bengali is the main language of West Bengal. That is why
the Santals as inhabitants of this state not only speak in Bengali
efficiently for everyday communication but also have been studying
in Bengali medium. Being an urban resident 9.40% of literates have
taken the privilege to study in English medium which is a recent
trend among Santals. Conspicuously 1% belongs to Hindi medium
who might have come from adjoining Jharkhand. Although the
Santals have developed their own script of Santali language named
Ol chiki, however there is no single person who studied or studying in
Santali medium.
Source: Field survey 2018

11. MODERN VS. TRADITIONAL CULTURE:
AN EMERGING COMPARATIVE SCENARIO
o With the progress of modernisation and urbanization the Santal inhabitants of
the town have undergone significant changes in their life style
o It is being widely seen today that the traditional features of life is gradually
changing from being deeply ingrained in tribal customs and traditions to
something that is modernised, in a developmental sense, due to adaptation of
modern ways of living leading to altered life-style pattern.

12. o The rural Santal people speak in Santali language to each other.
o The urban Santal people hesitate and feel embarrassed and discomfort with
their own language in front of other non-Santal people in institutions or
workplace
o They interact to each other mostly in Bengali.
o They underestimate their language and treat it as inferior.
❖ Now-a-days there is a growing emphasis to revive Santali language in order to
preserve Ol-chiki script.
❑ LANGUAGE

13. o The rural Santals wear some traditional dresses such as lungi, panchi,
kutcha for men and sari, petticoat, blouse for women.
o Minor differences between rural and urban Santal people in dresses.
o Now the people of countryside put on modern dresses instead of their
trade-mark traditional clothes.
o The young generation (both male and female) are comfortable with
modern attires like jeans, pant, shirt, churidar, trousers, pantaloons,
salwar, leggins, plazo etc.
o The females adornment with ring, ear ring, nose ring, anklet, bracelet,
necklet etc.
Use of different types of cosmetics, perfumes.
❖ Diffusion of modern dresses from British to Bengalee to Santals
❑ CLOTHES / DRESSES AND ORNAMENTS

14. o In present day the poor rural Santals hunt various kinds of animals and eat
their meat.
o Different variety of vegetables, edible leaves either collected from forests or
planted in near-by field they cook.
o They prepare some food-items in home such as cakes (pitha). They drink
rice-bear.
o The urban Santals buy food grains, vegetables and other essential
ingredients from market.
❑ FOOD AND CUISINE

15. o Rural Santal population - primary sector i.e. hunting, gathering,
farming, mining, fishing, agricultural labour etc.
o Urban Santals - secondary and tertiary sectors.
o The Santal people living in villages belong to Sari-dharam.
o Some of the urban Santal dwellers in Bankura municipality area are
adherents of Hindu and Christian religion.
❑ ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
❑ RELIGION

16. o Almost all the urban Santal inhabitants follow their rural roots in cultural
practice.
o Participation in marriage, death (cremation i.e. funeral and funeral obsequies)
ceremonies in village
o Performance and observance of other important religious rituals.
o Maintain same beliefs, even superstition like their rural counterpart.
o Arrangement of marriages in lodges of the town.
o Exogamous marriage strictly prohibited with some opposing views.
o Registry marriage accepted in order to get legitimacy.
o Urban Santals (private nursing home)
o In villages (either mostly in house or near-by public hospital)
❑ MARRIAGE, BIRTH, DEATH & RITUALS (RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES)
❑ MARRIAGE
❑ BIRTH

17. o Integral parts of the traditional Santal culture
o In rural Santal society still different types of songs are sung in celebration of
particular festivals.
o Typical Santal dances are performed by both males and females.
o Different types of musical instrument are used in different occasions like
marriage ceremony and other festivals.
o The urban Santal people totally detached from their tradition in this regard.
o Pattern of celebration is also changed.
o The young educated people disinclined to dance in traditional manner.
❑ MUSIC & DANCE

18. ❑ CONCLUSION
o Urban Santals have deviated from their traditional culture to a larger extent.
o Santal traditional society has gradually been transforming to modern society.
o The Britishers’ policy ‘leave them alone’ cause poor or less development of
the tribal community people.
o In post-independence period several developmental programmes taken by
the govt together with reservation policy in jobs and education have
resulted in the unforeseen changes in Santal socio cultural life.
o The purpose of development programme is to create more opportunity to all
the people for better life. Development process involves improvement in the
quality of life of weaker section.

19. ❑ CONCLUSION
o The development programmes act as the accelerating force in the changing process
cultural diffusion and acculturation through the interaction with other non-tribal people in
every domain of life.
o Comparatively rural Santals are the bearer of traditions whereas their urban counterpart
are breaker of it.
o Al-beit the rural inhabitants are diverted to some extent from original primitive
traditions. Most of the villages are interconnected by roads resulting in the decrease
in inter regional disparities in all sphere of life. Food habits and material culture is
changing gradually.
o The Santals immigrants of the city enjoy fruits of development (urbanisation) such as
civic amenities, education, health, transport and communication, banking facilities and
other services that in turn have affected mostly their material culture and they have
become more modernised.
o The actual modification of Santal traditional culture started when they came into contact of
Bengali culture. Now the urban Santal people are in stage of acculturation dominated by
Bengali culture. If this process of changes continues in present manner with due course of
time the Santal may lose their cultural identity.

20. 1. Agarwal, B.C. (1974). Tribe, Caste and Peasantry Ethnographic and Folk Culture
Society, U.P.
2. Ahuja R., Third Edition, (2018). Social Problems in India, Rawat Publications, New
Delhi, P. 180-186.
3. Baskey. D. (2011). Paschimbanglar Adibasi Samaj (Bengali version)
4. Baskey. D. (2011). Santal Ganasangramer Itihas (Bengali version)
5. Bhowmik. K. (1970). Tribal India Profile in Indian Ethnology. Calcutta, World Press.
6. Chakraborty, P. (2019). Socio-Cultural Aspects of Sacred Grove: The Study in a
Santal Village. EAS Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies, 1(1):50-53.
7. Development programme and the minorities, A statistical review, Govt. of West
Bengal, Office of the District Magistrate, Bankura.
8. Census of India, (2011) published by the Office of the Directorate of Census,
Govt. of India.
REFERENCES

21. o I am beholden to my teacher Dr. Namita Chakma, Dept. of Geography,
Burdwan University for his valuable guidance, constant encouragement
and creative suggestions for preparing the present report.
o I welcome this opportunity of expanding and expressing my deep sense
of gratitude to Prof. Neeraj Dilbaghi, Director; Prof. Bandana Poonia and
Mr. Anurag Sangwan, Course Co-Ordinator of Faculty Induction
Programme-3, HRDC, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and
Technology, Hisar for giving me the opportunity to present my topic.
o I would like to give special and cordial thanks to my beloved friend
Priyankar Chandra, and student Sonali Sahoo for their co-operation.
o I am grateful to all the respondents (whom I met at the time of survey)
residing in Bankura town for their co-operation.
❑ ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

22. Thank you