Bedia Adivasi
The Bedia are found in the districts of Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Singhbhum and Santhal Pargana. Their major concentration is in the blocks of Ormanjhi, Angara and Silli in Ranchi district and in the blocks of Ramgarh, Gola and Mandu in Ramgarh districts of Jharkhand State.
The Bedia is settled in permanent villages. Their houses are made up of earthen side walls with tiled roofs. The houses are rectangular in size with closed courtyards. Adhered to the house is cattle-shed.
They make their agricultural tools themselves except iron parts. The agricultural implements are plough, Henga, Harish, Kudal, Khanti, Axe, Gaita, Khurapi etc. They also prepare different types of baskets, tray, rope, rope made carpet, mat, broom, pida, machia and sika etc. They have earthen pots for various uses. They also have metal utensils for cooking and serving food. Their musical instruments are Dol, Kartal and flute. Their war weapons are Lathi, Gadaka, Bhala, Ber, Bow and Arrow.
The men wear Dhoti, Ganji and Gamachha in house. They wear Kurta and slippers for going out of the village. The young men wear pant and shirt. The old women wear sari, saya and blouse. The young women wear sari, saya and blouse. The girls wear salwar suit and frocks pants. The boys wear pant, shirt and paijama and kurta.
The Bedia women are fond of ornaments. They wear ornaments in neck, ear, wrist, fingers and feet. The ornaments are made up of steel, copper, bronze, glass, thread, seeds, shell, silver and gold imitation.
Family
The family is the smallest unit of society. It is nuclear in structure. The family consists of father,, mother and unmarried children. Married children establish separate family. The sons look after the old parents because they share the property of father. The girls do not get share in paternal property. After marriage, they live in other villages with their husbands.
The family of Bedia is based on cooperation and faith. Its members have full faith in each other and co-operate each other wholeheartedly.
The relation between husband and wife is very cordial. They live together, work together, eat together and have compromising attitude for the smooth functioning of the family. The husband is head of the household, but he takes the advice of the wife and young children at the time of taking final decision. The husband and the wife follow the division of labour in the functioning of the family. The wife cooks food and serves to children and other members of the family. She is in-charge of the food materials. The husband, on the other hand, performs work outside the house. The hard work like ploughing is done by him. Both take interest in the rearing and caring of the children. Both earn wages to supplement the family income.
The relation between parents and children is also very sweet. The parents meet the demands of the children within their economic limit. The children, on the other hand, co-operate their parents in household chores and also in the collection of MFP and agricultural works. The young children also go to earn wages to raise the family income. The beating of children is rare. The maximum punishment given to children is scolding.
The relation between siblings is also cordial. The siblings live together, play together, eat together and sleep together in early childhood. But, in old childhood, the siblings of opposite sex start maintaining distance. The sisters help mother in fetching water, cooking food and serving to father and brothers. The brothers go to do the collection of forest produce and assist their father in agriculture. Now the brothers and sisters do not sleep together. The sisters share food with mother and brothers share food with father. After marriage, the sisters leave the village forever to stay with their husband. The married brothers establish separate family. Married brothers and sisters maintain relationship through the reciprocal exchange of visits, invitation, service food items, gift and presentation on social ceremonial and festive occasions.
The Bedia family maintained food relation with the families of lineage and clan. they share joys sorrows together. They have reciprocal exchange of food items, feast, service, plough, oxen, loan, feast, gift and presentation. They live as corporeal kin groups.
The Bedia have food relation with the other castes and tribes of the village.
Being the members of the same village they have exchange of plough, oxen and labour at the time of agriculture. They also exchange news, joys and sorrows by reciprocal visits in the house of each other.
The Bedia also have sweet relation with the tribes and castes of the village with whom they meet daily at working sites and on market day in Haat.
The relation of Bedia with the tribes become conflicting on account of adultery, rape, extramarital relation, theft, witchcraft and destruction of crops. Such conflicts are resolved through the inter village Panchayat.
Marriage
The marriage is regarded as very important ritual which comes in the life of every individual. The Bedia are monogamous by nature. But in exceptional situation like barrenness, widowhood, widower, divorcee etc. they follow bigamy. Levirate marriage and widow remarriage are permissible. But cousin marriages are not permissible. At the time of marriage, the tribe, lineage and clan of the boy and girl are taken into consideration. Inter tribal marriage and intra clan marriages are tabooed. The boy and girl to be married must not be relative up to three generation from the father and the mother.
The most preferred way of acquiring marriage mate in the Bedia is by bride price, but other ways like Raji-Khushi, elopement and service are also adopted depending upon the situation.
The marriage is negotiated by the father or guardian of the boy and the girl. The father of the boy approaches the father of the girl with marriage proposal. Both decide the bride price in cash and kind. The bride price in cash is nominal. In kind, some clothes to bride, bride's parents, bride’s brothers and sisters are given. Rice pulse and vegetable or goats are given to arrange marriage feast for the community members.
When the marriage is finally negotiated, the Baiga priest is called to fix a suitable date of marriage. The minimum time for marriage is a week, but maximum time given is a month. A week before the day of marriage, the bride and the groom have to obey a series of taboos related to walking, eating, bathing and visiting other places. They have to under go beautificatory rituals liking applying Ubatan, Oil, Haldi and Kajal.
On the day of marriage, the bride and the girl perform purificatory bath. They wear new dresses. In the house of the bride, a decorated seat is constructed where marriage ceremony takes place. The kin of the bride waits for the arrival of the groom and the Barat Party.
The bride wears new dresses and sits on a palaki (Palanquin) or a bicycle rickshaw. The female kin of the groom express their good wishes by spraying flowers, waters and sun-fried rice. They also perform black magic to avoid the attack of evil spirits in the way. His male kin in the form of Barat party follows the groom.
When the Barat party with the groom reaches the village of the bride, the male kin of the bride receive them with respect. They offer flower breads to each members of the Barat party. They shake hands and embrace each other. The Barat party is brought at a suitable place for night halt. The Bharati are asked to wash hands, feet and face. They are served sweets, salty snacks and Handia in hospitality.
The groom is brought in the Marwa where the bride waits for him. The priest reads some hymns and asks the groom to put vermillion in the forehead of the bride. The members of the community present there clap their hands. They perform dance and sing song to enjoy the occasion. When the dance is over, Handia is served again. Then all members share the marriage feast. After marriage feast, they go to sleep.
In the morning, the farewell of the bride and the groom is done in new dresses with some money and gift. The members of the Barat party are served Handia and breakfast, and then the ritual of vidai is done.
When the bride reaches in the house of the groom, the female kins of the groom accord a grand welcome to the bride. The couple is brought before the family deity at a place in the house to seek blessings. Then the couple seeks blessings of the elders present there. All members share a marriage feast together.
The bride stays in the house of father-in-law for a week. Then she goes back to her mayake (father's place). After a year, the groom goes to bring the bride. The father, brother and sister of the bride send the couple with tearful eyes but with wishes for happy marital life.
Kinship
In the society of the Bedia, kinship is a model of relationship based on blood and marriage. The blood relation is present before marriage because it is related to birth of an individual. But an individual attains marriage age after 15 to 22 years.
In the society of the Bedia, it is believed that the blood continues generation after generation through the reproduction. On this faith, the concept of ascendants and descendants is based. As individual has his or her ascendant, he or she also has his or her descendants after marriage and reproduction.
Thus, the concept of lineage and clan is based on the principle of transmission of blood from one generation to the next. The blood relation continues generation after generation but through the marriage, because the purpose of marriage is reproduction of children and continuation of race and progeny. The children can be produced without marriage by sexual union, but those children are not accepted by the society. They are treated as illegal and mongrel. They do not get family name, inheritance right and succession. They are also not included in lineage group and clan group when function as corporeal kin group.
The marriage binds not only husband and wife in kinship relation but, they also come in kinship bond of each maternal and paternal kin of each other side. Similarly, the maternal and paternal kin of the bride come in kinship relation with the maternal and paternal kin of the groom. Thus, the society of the Bedia is kinship based. An individual is born in kinship, brought up in kinship, dies in kinship and remain in kinship as ancestor after death. The kinship bond is so strong that one can not get rid of it even after death.
The Bedia treat cousins as blood relatives. So, the marriage between cross-cousins and parallel cousins is strictly prohibited. The Bedia treat an individual as blood relative up to three generations from father and mother sides. They believe that after three generations, the bond of blood vanishes.
The Bedia use classificatory as well as descriptive kinship terminology to call their relatives. They also follow the rule of kinship behaviour like avoidance, joking and take nonymy. The father-in-law and mother-in-law avoid son-in-law and daughter-in-law and vice versa. Bhawah & Bhainsur avoid each other. Similarly, Jethali and Jija behave following the rule of avoidance. Jija-Sala, Jija-Sali, Devar-Bhabhi, Sarhaj-Nandosho etc. behave following the rule of joking.
In the society of Bedia, descent, lineage, clan, inheritance of property and succession are patrilineal.
Birth
The birth brings happiness for the couple, family and the community. The couple's marital life is taken good with the reproduction of the children. The couple attains the status as father and mother.
Now their responsibility increases. They have to spend time in rearing and caring of the children. The birth continues the name, succession and property of the family. The community becomes blessed to hear the addition of the members.
The birth brings pollution for 5 days. On 6th day, the room, courtyard, utensils, furniture and clothes are washed. The mother and child are allowed for a purificatory bath. After bath, they seek blessings of the family deity and elders. Then, a purificatory beast is given.
The birth is attended by kusarain. Delivery takes place generally in house. The navel is cut with a sharp knife. The navel along with other deliver waste is buried in a lonely place to avoid the attack witchcraft and evil spirits. Every cave is taken to save the mother and child from the attack of witchcraft. Thorny plants is placed by the side of the bed and lamp is kept burning round the clock.
The name fiving ceremony held when the child attains the age of one month. Food serving is held after the eruption of first tooth. Ear-boring takes place after 3 years and mundan ritual is held after 2 years.
The child is socialized as per the traditions of the family and the community. They are trained in works in late childhood. The performance of work is a part of their socialization process.
Death
The Bedia are aware of the reality of death.
They know well that life is followed by death, but there is difference between good death and bad death. The natural death during the old age is good, but unnatural death in childhood and young age is not good. The death in old age changes the body from old to new through rebirth. But the death in childhood and young age results in the formation of Bhuta-Preta. They are dissatisfied souls and wander till rest of their life.
The death brings pollution for period of six days. On 7th day, the male members shave their heads, mustache and beard. The families of lineage and clan observe pollution period. The house, courtyard, clothes and utensils are washed properly. A purificatory feast is given by the family concerned to the members of the clan and liveage. After purificatory feast, the pollution period ends. The Bedia buried as well as cremate dead body.
Economy
The main source of family income of Bedia is agriculture and wage-earning. The Bedia families have generally khuntkatti status. Each family owns land for house and agriculture. Just by the side of the house, they have plots in which vegetables, maize, marvo etc. are grown during rainy season. The agricultural land or the Bedia can be divided in to two categories--(1) Douland and (2) Tourland. In Douland highly yielding varities of paddy is cultivated through wet cultivation method. But in Tourland, the cultivation of Kodo, Seraho, Khurathi, Til, Arhar, Tisi etc. are grown through day cultivation process. The Bedia do not have assured means of irrigation. They are fully dependent upon rainfall. The don land has more water storing capacity.
The Bedia agriculture follows the processes like spraying of paddy seeds for seedling, transplantation of seedlings, seeding, spraying fertilizer, watching, harvesting, making bundles of the harvested crop, carrying bundles to the thrashing field and thrashing. The seeds are dropped in the seeds in the month of June. Seedlings are transplanted in the month of July. Weeding is held in August. Spraying fertilizers is done in September. Harvesting is done in November and December. For the purpose of cultivating land, they own plough, oxen. They do the transplanting of paddy seedling by own family labour or exchange or labour with neighbouring families. The reciprocal exchange of labour is also done for harvesting, carrying bundles and thrashing.
The agriculture provides employment to the Bedia family for nearly six months. But the income from agriculture is not sufficient. So, in off agricultural season, they go to work as casual or contract labour in to collieries, factories and earthwork, construction sites, brick kiln etc. For some families wage earning is the only means of stay. They also migrate temporarily to other places like Bengal and Assam in search of work as Tea garden labour. But as a labour, they are exploited in mode of payment and hours of work. They have to perform work more than 10 hours a day but they are not paid as per minimum wages Act.
The family income of Bedia family is not enough to meet expenses on food, clothes, drinks, feast etc. Naturally they have to incur loan. Their chief source of loan is the mahajan. The mahajan give them loan anytime without hesitation because they know them by name, face and village. They have to pay interest on loan.
They do not want to take loan from the bank and co-operative societies due to their harassing tendency.
The Bedia do the marketing of essential commodities in the local Haat. They visit local Haat with great vigor. They avail credit facilities in the Haat from the shopkeepers. They repay the loan and interest after the harvesting of crops or getting payment of wages. The medium of exchange is money. The concept of saving is almost absent.
Few Bedia are educated and they are employed in small jobs. But they also lack the tendency of saving. Therefore, almost all families are under debt of the mahajans.
Religion
The Bedia believe in a number of spirits, Gods, Goddesses, Bhut-Preta, Dain and ancestors. Their chief deity is goddess Bhagwati who resides in the Sarna grove or in any part of the village. They also worship Nagdeo, Dharati Maa, Gram Devata etc. Their chief festivals are Sarhul, Sohrai, Karma, Dashera, Jitia, Chhath, Diwali etc. The worship is held with the help of a Pahan. The Pahan performs his duty as sacred specialist in the Sarana grove Goat, Chick, Duck etc. is sacrificed, besides offering of sun-fried rice, dhup, ghee, fire, agarbatti etc. They also drink Handia and performance on the occasion if worship and festivals.
The Bedia also offer worship to their ancestral spirits with the help of the Pahan.
The Bedia have belief in Bhuta-Preta and Dain. They visit to the ojha for the removal of Bhuta-Preta and Dain.
Political Organisation
The Bedia have their own political organisation in the form of community Panchayat. All heads of Bedia families are members of the Panchayat. The office bearers of the Panchayat are Ohdar, Mahato, Pahan and Gorait. These offices are hereditary. The Bedia society is governed by customary laws laid down traditionally. The Panchayat looks after the observance of community customary rules. The cases related to incest, adultery, premarital and extra-marital relations, divorce, division of property, possession of property, intertribal marriage, intra-clan marriage, cruel behaviour, witchcraft, theft by etc. are decided unanimously in the Panchayat. Those who dare to oppose the decision are ousted from the community and are included only when they accept the fault and pay feast to the community members.
Now days, the establishment of modern Gram Panchayat, thana and court is influencing the functioning of the traditional Panchayat. The Bedia are not conscious towards their political rights. They are neither members nor followers or any political parties. They do not know much about the political parties and their symbols. Casting of votes in the election of Mukhia, MLA and MP are not taken seriously. They take interest only when the community Panchayat decides to cast votes. Otherwise they do not want to visit the polling booth.
Woman
The Bedia woman enjoys the status equal to their male counter parts. The birth of both sexes brings equal happiness in the family. Barrenness is not taken good and having only daughters is also not taken good because family and lineage are patrilateral. It brings problem related to transmission of family name, rank, office inheritance, succession etc.
The Bedia woman as daughter, wife, mother and grandmother are symbol work. They are hardly and industrious by nature. As daughters they assist mother and serve food to family members. In the form of wife, she extends every co-operation to the husband. As daughter-in-law, they respect and regard them. Their role as mother is very pious and affectionate. They not only rear and care the children, but also inculcate good habit, social virtues and discipline among the children. They are the first teacher of the first primary school called family. The Bedia women are not only house wife but also labour. After performing household chores, they work either in own field or go to earn wages. They struggle hard to maintain their family. But being woman, they have to observe a number of taboos during menstruation, pregnancy, delivery, death, ceremonial occasions and festive occasions. They do not participate in traditional Panchayat of the community. They do not take part in the sacrificial rituals. But in family level decision, they play vital role. They observe fast and perform worship for place and prosperity in the family. They participate in the festive and worship dance. They also perform while magic for the welfare of the family and increase in the family property. The Bedia women are exploited in the mode of payment.
They do not get payment for same kind and hours of work equal to their male counter parts. As migrant labour and Reja they have to face the situation of physical exploitation. As barren, widow and sonless, they are treated as witchcraft. But the main reason behind such treatment appears to goals their property.
Children
The Bedia children are the future assets for the family. They are loved as respected by the elders. They, too, respect their elders. The reward and punishment for the children are almost absent. The children are enrolled in school, but for household chores and supplementing the family income, they are not sent in school. The cases of non-attendance and dropouts appear frequently. The schemes of educational development have not brought desired result. It is because for the Bedia children bread is more important than education.
The Bedia children play different types of folk games such as Dol-Patta, Looka-Chhipi, Baga-Bakri, Kabadi, Chika and Gul-Danda. In late childhood they learn the art of Lathi, Bhala, bow arrow and gulel playing.
The children are the asset for the family and society. In childhood, they extend every co-operation to family. But being poor, they are not conscious towards the modern education. Majority of them remain illiterate. Illiteracy deprives them from various kinds of rights. They are not able to attain modern jobs because they are not educated. The quota of reservation in admission and jobs is availed by those who are educated.
Youth
The Bedia youth are the main force of the community. It is true that the children and the aged also contribute in work performance and wage earning but it is also true that the children and the age one depend upon the youth. The youth struggle hard not only for themselves but also for their children and aged parents. The Bedia youth perform household chores, agriculture and go to earn-wages in off agricultural season. But they have to face the situation of not getting regular work. Thus, they remain unemployed. Unemployment forces them to become depressed. Depression brings various kinds of abnormal behaviour and social pathological problems. Personality, disorganisation is taking place contact with out side world has made them more and more depressed. They find themselves nowhere in terms of modern and luxurious living. The temptation towards modern material possessions has developed the incidence of theft, dacoity, murder, rape etc. among the Bedia youth.
Aged
The Bedia aged are treated as asset for the family and society. It is true that physical disabilities appears in old hood, and deprive the aged form performing work and earning wage, but they have the wealth of experience with them. They perform household chores so long as they are capable of walking. Their household work includes making rope meaning cot, clearing Bari land, looking after shed, cutting grasses, looking after kids, narrating folktales and riddles. They have experience and ritualistic value. They are supposed to gain the abode of ancestral spirits after death. So, they command special value in the society. Some ill treatments with aged also come to light, but they are related to family property, childless couple and son less couple.
Development
Like the other scheduled tribes, our cultural and state government have formulated several schemes for the development of the scheduled tribes living in the state of Bihar (now Jharkhand) including the Bedia. Schemes of educational development, health development, agricultural development, house development and for small business or occupation have been formulated and implemented. Some welfare schemes have also been launched, Government organisations and N.G.O's are also are actively engaged in bringing the tribes on the mainstream of the nation. But result is for away form satisfaction illiteracy among the children, unemployment among the youth, no agriculture by modern method, visit to Ojha for the treatment, not participating in democratic process etc. reveal clearly that many more things are yet to done for this tribal group called Bedia. Urbanization, industrialization and modernization have brought some positive as well as negative impact on the Bedia, which have been described earlier.
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