TRADITION IN TRANSITION: The
Birhor Cultural Landscape
Abstract
This paper presents findings from
a two-day ethnographic field visit (May 16–17, 2025) to the Birhor settlements
in Kalapatthar and Budhuchak villages, near Giridih district, Jharkhand. The
Birhor, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), are undergoing rapid
cultural and socioeconomic transitions. Our direct observations, interviews,
and informal surveys reveal a community struggling between preserving
traditional knowledge—like rope-making and forest-based subsistence—and
navigating state-led welfare programs. While some government interventions
(housing, LPG distribution, health camps) have reached the area, basic
infrastructure, educational access, and cultural retention remain limited. This
paper argues that without culturally responsive development, the Birhor risk
further erosion of their identity.
1. Introduction
Nestled amidst the forests and
undulating terrain of Jharkhand are communities whose lives have long been
intertwined with nature—none more so than the Birhor, a forest-dwelling tribal
group recognized by the Government of India as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal
Group (PVTG). With generations of ecological knowledge and a lifestyle rooted
in self-reliance, the Birhor have historically relied on forest resources not
just for subsistence, but also for spiritual practices, social organization,
and cultural expression. However, in recent decades—and more acutely in recent
years—this delicate equilibrium has been disrupted by a range of
socio-political and economic forces.
Our field visit to two Birhor
settlements—Kalapatthar in Sariya Block and Budhuchak in Jamua Block of Giridih
district—on May 16 and 17, 2025, sought to understand how these communities are
experiencing, negotiating, and adapting to this transition. The purpose was not
only to observe their current living conditions but also to explore how
traditional knowledge systems are being preserved or lost, how external
interventions are influencing everyday life, and how the community,
particularly its youth, is responding to the shifting landscape of identity and
survival.
2. Methodology
The study adopted a qualitative, ethnographic approach
centered on immersive observation and participatory engagement. During the
two-day fieldwork, a variety of research tools were employed to ensure a
comprehensive understanding of the community's circumstances. These included
semistructured interviews, informal group discussions, participant observation,
and visual documentation. Approximately fifteen individuals were directly
engaged in these interactions, including elderly community members, young adults,
anganwadi workers, and grassroots volunteers. In addition to primary field
data, the study was informed by recent surveys conducted by local NGOs and the
district administration during the period of 2023–2024, as well as relevant
local media reports.
3. Observations and Key Findings
Living Conditions and Infrastructure
The physical environment of the
Birhor settlements in Kalapatthar and Budhuchak reflects a mixture of
aspiration and neglect. In Kalapatthar, nearly 26 Birhor families inhabit a
cluster of small homes constructed under the government’s Birsa Awas housing
scheme. Of these, only 10 homes have been completed to a livable standard. The
remaining houses are either half-built or remain uninhabitable due to stalled
funding during the second phase of construction. Budhuchak, meanwhile, displays
an architectural duality—some families continue to live in traditional
thatch-roofed huts, while others occupy more recently built brick homes
provided under state welfare programs.
Despite the visible footprint of
development schemes, both settlements suffer from persistent infrastructural
deficiencies. The roads leading to these tandas remain unpaved and treacherous,
especially during monsoons. Many households do not have access to a stable
electricity supply, and even basic public utilities such as drainage and
sanitation infrastructure are largely absent. The lack of such foundational
services not only hampers daily living but also signals a deeper problem of
policy implementation gaps and systemic oversight.
Livelihood Patterns and Erosion of Traditional
Practices
Historically, the
Birhor have been skilled rope-makers, using vines and fibrous material sourced
from the forest to craft durable ropes, which were once in local demand. While
this tradition continues in a limited form—mainly among the elders—its
cultural and economic relevance
is rapidly waning. Several youth in Kalapatthar and Budhuchak conveyed
disinterest in such crafts, describing rope-making as laborious and outdated.
Instead, many young men and women are increasingly drawn toward unskilled daily
wage labor, both within and outside the village, as a more immediate means of
livelihood.
Traditional knowledge related to forest foraging, such as identifying edible tubers, fruits, and medicinal herbs, is still retained by a few elder members. However, the intergenerational transmission of this knowledge has significantly declined. Children and adolescents rarely accompany their elders into the forest, and the nuanced understanding of seasonal cues, plant behavior, and sustainable harvesting methods
is at risk of disappearing.
Cultural expressions that once defined Birhor identity—songs,
oral storytelling sessions, and community festivals—are becoming relics of the
past. Several elders nostalgically recalled evenings filled with rhythmic
chants and stories told by firelight. Yet, when asked about these traditions,
younger respondents remarked dismissively, "Those songs are only for old
people now." Such sentiments reflect not only changing interests but also
the broader displacement of traditional culture by external influences and
economic compulsions.
Education and Health Services: Gaps and
Struggles
While educational institutions exist within
accessible distances of both Kalapatthar and Budhuchak,
regular school
attendance among Birhor children remains erratic. The reasons are manifold:
economic necessity forces some children to assist with
rope-making or forest gathering; others lack motivation or parental
support to pursue formal
education. The schooling system itself is often insensitive to tribal cultural
realities, further alienating young learners.
The situation regarding health services is equally
precarious. In Kalapatthar, the local anganwadi center has been defunct for
over four months due to supply shortages and administrative delays. This has
had a direct impact on child nutrition programs, immunization drives, and
maternal care support.
A medical camp organized in December
Community Awareness and Social Participation
Despite these challenges, there
are signs of a slow yet significant transformation within the Birhor community,
particularly among its youth. In December 2024, young members from both
Kalapatthar and Budhuchak actively participated in an anti–child marriage
campaign led by NGOs such as Just Rights for Children and Banvasi Vikas Ashram.
The campaign not only spread awareness but also encouraged internal dialogue
within the community about long-held practices. Some elders, while wary of
"outside interference," acknowledged the changing aspirations of
their younger generation.
This growing awareness of rights,
coupled with increasing exposure to social reform movements, indicates an
emergent form of agency among Birhor youth. Although externally initiated,
these interventions are slowly being internalized, suggesting the potential for
long-term community-led change.
4. Analysis: Culture in Transition
The Birhor community today finds
itself suspended between two worlds—the forest and the state, the past and the
future. On one hand, there is the persistent erosion of a deeply rooted
cultural identity characterized by forest knowledge, oral traditions, and
community rituals. On the other hand, there are the opportunities and
challenges brought forth by welfare programs, wage labor markets, and social
awareness campaigns. The tragedy lies in the fact that these two worlds are not
being allowed to coexist. Instead of harmonizing tradition with development,
the current model of engagement imposes a standardized blueprint of progress
that often marginalizes indigenous realities.
State interventions, while
visible, are incomplete and inconsistent. Housing projects remain unfinished,
anganwadi centers go unstaffed, and livelihood schemes fail to address seasonal
vulnerabilities. The result is a breakdown of trust and a lack of sustained
utility. Simultaneously, the cultural soul of the Birhor—embedded in language,
lore, and landscape—is fading, largely unnoticed.
This graph gives us a clear
picture of how the Birhor community is doing in different important areas like
housing, health, education, culture, and government support. Each bar
represents how well that area is working, on a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 means
"very poor" and 10 means "excellent." The information is
based on what was observed during the visit to Kalapatthar and Budhuchak
villages.
First, housing
infrastructure gets a score of 4 out
of 10. This means that some homes have been built by the government under
schemes like Birsa Awas Yojana, but many of them are either incomplete or not
fit to live in. While families do have shelter, many still live in tough
conditions, and the help they were promised has not fully reached them.
When it comes to education, the situation is even
worse, with a score of just 3. Even
though there are schools nearby, many children don't go regularly. They often
help their families earn a living instead. Also, the school lessons don’t
connect with their daily lives or culture, which makes learning harder and less
interesting for them.
Health services scored only 2, which is very low. There was a
medical camp some months ago, but that was a one-time event. The local
anganwadi (childcare center) has not been working for months due to a lack of
supplies. This means children and mothers are not getting the nutrition or
medical help they need regularly.
Cultural continuity also scored 2. This shows that the Birhor’s
rich traditions—like rope-making, storytelling, and forest knowledge—are slowly
disappearing. Young people are not learning these skills or customs anymore.
Many feel that these traditions belong only to the older generation and are not
useful today.
Livelihood sustainability scored 4. While some traditional work
like rope-making still exists, it's not enough to support families. Many young
people now do daily wage work, which is tiring, unstable, and doesn’t pay much.
There are very few jobs that use their traditional knowledge or offer long-term
income.
The brightest spot in the graph is youth participation, which scored 6. This means that Birhor youth
are starting to get involved in important social issues. For example, many took
part in a campaign against child marriage. This shows they are becoming more
aware of their rights and are willing to bring change in their community.
Lastly, government scheme implementation scored just 3. While some support has been
provided— like houses and LPG connections—most schemes are not fully completed
or followed up properly. Because of this, the community doesn't get the full
benefit of the help they are supposed to receive.
Final Thoughts
From this graph, it's clear that
while there are some positive signs—especially from the younger generation—most
basic needs of the Birhor community are not being met. Education, health, and
cultural survival are in a fragile state. The government has made some efforts,
but without proper follow-up and cultural understanding, these efforts fall
short. If we want to see real progress, future development work must focus on
what the Birhor actually need and value. It must also involve them in planning
and decision-making, so that change is meaningful and lasting.
5. Recommendations
To respond meaningfully to the
challenges faced by the Birhor community, development strategies must transcend
the conventional frameworks of welfare delivery and adopt a more nuanced,
participatory, and culturally informed approach. The transformation that is
underway in Birhor settlements is not merely infrastructural or economic—it is
fundamentally social, cultural, and psychological. As such, the recommendations
presented here aim to promote both material well-being and cultural continuity,
recognizing that identity, dignity, and belonging are as essential as food,
shelter, and education.Also I think government must not limit their residence
in some fragmented area.
1. Comprehensive Documentation of Indigenous
Knowledge and Cultural Traditions
The Birhor community possesses a
vast, intricate, and largely undocumented repository of knowledge—ranging from
the medicinal uses of forest herbs to seasonal agricultural cues, from
ropemaking techniques to song cycles that accompany rituals and storytelling.
This knowledge is rapidly vanishing as younger generations drift away from
traditional practices.
To preserve this intangible
heritage, collaborative documentation projects must be initiated, involving
anthropologists, local universities, NGOs, and most importantly, the Birhor
themselves. Oral histories should be recorded in audio and video formats; folk
songs should be transcribed and translated; myths, kinship patterns, and
cosmologies should be archived. This exercise should not be extractive but
empowering—conducted with informed consent, and with the community determining
what is preserved, how, and for what purpose. These records could eventually be
turned into communityowned archives, mobile exhibitions, or educational
materials, strengthening cultural pride and transmission.
2. Education Rooted in Culture: Mobile Schools
and Forest-Based Curriculum
One of the core reasons formal
education fails to engage tribal children is its disconnection from their lived
realities. For the Birhor, the classroom represents not just a new space, but
an alien one— marked by unfamiliar language, rigid structures, and curricula
that do not reflect their environment or experience.
There is an urgent need to pilot
alternative education models that are mobile, bilingual (using both Birhor
language and the regional official language), and grounded in indigenous
pedagogy. A forestschool model, for instance, could teach literacy and numeracy
alongside skills like forest navigation, ecological stewardship, rope-weaving,
and traditional healing. Instructors could include both formally trained
educators and respected community elders. This approach not only promotes
enrollment and retention but validates local knowledge systems as legitimate
forms of learning.
3. Strengthening Accountability and Monitoring
of Government Schemes
While numerous government
programs—housing, nutrition, LPG distribution, healthcare—are formally
available to the Birhor, their implementation often falters due to weak
monitoring, bureaucratic delays, and insufficient community involvement.
Incomplete housing under the Birsa Awas Yojana and dysfunctional anganwadi
centers are not mere lapses; they erode trust and perpetuate exclusion.
To counter this, a multi-level
monitoring system should be established, incorporating community members as
active stakeholders. Local youth or volunteers can be trained as ‘barefoot
auditors’ to track the delivery of schemes, report grievances, and coordinate
with panchayat-level officials. Village-level monitoring committees could meet
quarterly to assess progress, enabling a culture of shared responsibility and
responsive governance. Additionally, digital dashboards and public displays of
entitlements and disbursements can enhance transparency and curb corruption.
4. Enabling Community-Led Storytelling and Media
Expression
In a world increasingly shaped by
digital narratives, it is vital for marginalized communities to have the tools
and platforms to tell their own stories. The Birhor youth, many of whom are
already exposed to mobile technology, can be trained in basic photography,
video-making, audio documentation, and social media literacy.
Workshops on community journalism
or visual storytelling could be organized in collaboration with cultural
collectives, universities, or NGOs. Youth-led documentation of festivals,
forest walks, local heroes, or oral histories can become powerful tools of both
preservation and self-assertion. These stories—whether shared in village
screenings, regional exhibitions, or online platforms—can dismantle stereotypes
and generate empathy, both within and outside the community.
5. Seasonal and Locally Tailored Livelihood
Interventions
The existing livelihood options
for the Birhor—primarily daily wage labor and rudimentary forest foraging—are
insufficient, erratic, and often exploitative. A sustainable model must be
developed that leverages their ecological skills while reducing economic
distress and migration pressures. One possibility is the adaptation of
MGNREGA-style employment guarantees to local seasons and capacities.
Customized livelihood programs
could be introduced during lean agricultural periods—offering opportunities in
forest conservation work, nursery development, rope and bamboo craft
cooperatives, or eco-tourism. Women’s self-help groups (SHGs) could be trained
in food processing, herbal product preparation, or tailoring. These initiatives
should be accompanied by microcredit support, technical training, and
guaranteed procurement to ensure viability. By aligning economic initiatives
with cultural and environmental rhythms, development can become not only more
effective but also more harmonious.
6. Participatory Health and Nutrition Models
with Traditional Inputs
The failure of state-led health
initiatives in the Birhor settlements—evidenced by the collapse of anganwadi
services and absence of recurring medical camps—calls for a paradigm shift.
Instead of occasional interventions, there should be a sustained,
participatory, and culturally sensitive health infrastructure.
This includes deploying community
health workers from within the Birhor population, trained in both biomedical
and traditional healing practices. Nutrition programs should incorporate
locally available wild foods, tubers, and herbs that are familiar to the
community. Mothers and grandmothers can be engaged as key educators in child
care and nutrition, helping revive traditional postpartum practices and
recipes. Periodic health camps should be converted into recurring, predictable
services, with a focus on maternal health, anemia prevention, adolescent care,
and chronic disease screening.
7. Legal and Land Rights Advocacy with Cultural
Recognition
Without secure tenure over forest
and homestead land, the Birhor cannot plan for their future or protect their
heritage. Implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 remains
inconsistent, especially for PVTGs. Active legal aid and advocacy are required
to ensure that land rights are granted not only in paperwork but also in
practice.
Furthermore, cultural landscapes—such as sacred groves,
foraging zones, or sites of ancestral worship—should be recognized in mapping
exercises. This would prevent future land acquisition or displacement and
preserve the spiritual dimensions of Birhor life. Legal empowerment sessions
and rights-awareness drives must become part of the development agenda.
6. Conclusion
The Birhor community of
Kalapatthar and Budhuchak represents more than a demographic group under the
state’s classification of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs); they
symbolize the enduring tension between tradition and transition, between memory
and modernity, and between marginalization and resilience. This study, through
its ethnographic lens, has illuminated the complex interplay of cultural
erosion, developmental negligence, and emergent agency in a community that has
long remained at the periphery of policy consciousness.
The findings reveal that while
traces of governmental engagement are visible—housing schemes, LPG
distribution, and sporadic health interventions—their implementation is often
fragmented and inconsistent. As a result, the Birhor remain caught in a liminal
space, receiving the symbols of development without its substance. Incomplete
housing projects, non-functioning anganwadi centers, and limited educational
access collectively form a landscape of disillusionment. At the same time, the
slow but significant retreat of indigenous practices—such as rope-making,
herbal medicine, storytelling, and seasonal rituals—signals not merely a loss
of livelihood strategies but a profound rupture in cultural continuity.
Yet, within this space of
vulnerability, new forms of resilience are emerging. The participation of
Birhor youth in anti–child marriage campaigns, their growing awareness of
rights, and their cautious engagement with modern tools of communication mark
the beginnings of a potential cultural reawakening. Rather than perceiving
these signs as isolated occurrences, they must be understood as seeds of
transformation—symbols of a community attempting to renegotiate its identity on
its own terms.
In line with postcolonial and
decolonial scholarship in anthropology and development studies (Escobar, 1995;
Tsing, 2005), it becomes imperative to question the universality of mainstream
developmental paradigms and to advocate for models rooted in cultural
specificity and participatory frameworks. The future of the Birhor cannot be
dictated by top-down policies that overlook their ecological knowledge, social networks, and historical marginalization.
Instead, a co-created path forward—one that honors their past while
co-authoring their future—is essential.
As India’s tribal policies move forward, the
Birhor experience offers a poignant reminder:
development, in its most ethical form, is not merely about
infrastructure, statistics, or schemes—it is about dignity, voice, and
belonging. Only when the Birhor are seen not as passive recipients of aid but
as active agents of their own cultural survival can we begin to speak of
justice. And only then can tradition truly find a place within transition, not
as a relic to be mourned, but as a resource to be reimagined.
7. References
Live Hindustan. (2023,
March 11). 26 families of Kalapathar-Birhor Tanda neglected even after
government attention.
Drishti
IAS. (2024, December). Birhor Tribe joins movement against child marriage.
Newsd
India. (2024, December). Anti–Child Marriage Campaign sees tribal youth
participation.
Wikipedia.
(2024). Birhor People. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birhor
Author field notes. (2025,
May 16–17). Kalapatthar and Budhuchak Birhor Tandas: Observations and
Interviews.
Comments
Post a Comment