Not “silent people”, voices of the tribal Women of the Purulia district through lyrics: Archiving the Jhumur songs of Rarh Bangla

Key words: Jhumur, Chotonagpur Plateau, Purulia, Tribals, Folk, Oral Tradition.

The main focus of our paper is to find out if Jhumur songs contribute to the process of history writing or not. Which place is the place of origin of these songs? How was it transmitted?  How are Jhumur songs part of oral traditions? How are the voices of the periphery heard through these songs? The intention of this paper is not the discussion of ‘archiving of jhumur songs’ as material embodiment but rather as the source of the folk culture of Bengal in the process of history writing.

Research Methodology:

The current study aims to explore the varied themes of the jhumar songs of the Purulia district in West Bengal. It aims to have a qualitative analysis of these songs, their regions using field surveys, oral interviews, and with the help of secondary sources. All the relevant data were collected from different secondary sources such as books, journals, government publications, local magazines, other research papers, and articles. The manuscripts and personal collection of the artists are used as primary sources along with the interviews and field surveys in Bankura and Purulia district. 

Research questions:

1. The reflection of tribal lives through the jhumar songs.

2. To discover the themes of some unpublished jhumar songs. 

3. To hear the voices of the periphery through these songs. 

4. To focus on the study of the jhumur songs, particularly in the Purulia district. 

5. To unfold the life stories of some unknown, but famous jhumur writers.

6. Archiving the primary sources. 

7. The evolution and distortion of these songs.

8. The scope of history writing through the jhumar songs. 

9. Gendered perspective of these songs.

From some unpublished jhumur songs, we can see the struggles of the workers, poverty, societal problems, and inequalities they faced in the society and argue to bring reforms. That’s why these oral traditions can be used in the process of history writing to have a better understanding of the lives, society and problems of tribals in the Chotonagpur Plateau.

“… an archivable content of the past… would exist in any case… No, the technical

structure of the archiving archive also determines the structure of the archivable content, even in its relationship to the future. The archivization produces as much as it records the event.” (Jacques Derrida, Archive Fever)

In India, folklore studies first emerged in the second half of the 19^th century, mainly by colonial officials. So it was the colonial administration that carved space for articulation of folklore studies and archived Indian culture. Although the purpose of archiving folk culture had different intentions by the colonialists and the Indian researchers. The colonial government had political intentions but the others tried to explore the cultural diaspora of the Subaltern classes. The history of folk songs depends on the racial and ethnic research of people from different aborigines of India. The customs, rituals, festivals, dances and music of these tribes are still alive among us. Many of the lyrics and tunes of these aborigines have merged with the lyrics and tunes of conventional folk songs of Bengal, especially of Rarh Bangla. As the race of one region mingled with the other, that caused the changing nature of these songs. We find Austric, Dravidian, Santal, and Bengali words in these  songs. In West Bengal, we can see the diversity of folk culture, but the jhumur dance of Purulia district has not been so much highlighted in the writings of the historians. Some important research works about the jhumur dance performed by the tea plantation labourers in Assam and North East is done but the story of the tribal people of Purulia district in West Bengal has a broad scope to be discussed. Although one of our research questions is also,  ‘from where did the jhumoor actually originated?’ ,we will start our discussion with its importance and process.

According to Dalton (1982), it was established that Bengal has a huge ethnological importance. Folk culture also depends upon the geographical features of a specific area, and the rituals are the main factors that enrich the folk culture. Jhumur is a type of ‘fertility song’ of the tribal people of the Chotanagpur Plateau which is accompanied by dancing. The word “Jhumur” originated from the word “jhum” (shifting cultivation). Jhum is a primitive method of cultivation often practiced by the tribes of hilly areas in eastern India, Chotonagpur Plateau and Bangladesh. Although the techniques of performing this song vary in different areas. From the 19th century, the systematic approach of documenting the folklore started when the ethnographic periodicals emerged. Most of these attempts were made by the colonial officials to aid the processes of governance. In an interview, a researcher of folk studies, Bankim Chandra Mahato, told me that “Jhumur songs are basically love songs of the Jharkhand district. In the Karam festival jhumur songs are also seen, but they are not romantic in nature, although in now a days most of the topics of these songs are centred  the love story of Radha and Krishna, But we know that all the folk songs and folklore changed with time and faced some kind of distortion. When Vaishnavism became dominant in these areas of Rarh Bengal, some ‘Vaishnavite culture’ became part of it,  although its origination is traced to the phenomenon of cultivation among the tribes. The origin of the songs was noticed in the hilly region of Chotonagpur Plateau of present day Jharkhand and, mainly the Purulia district of West Bengal. 

Jhumur songs are primarily performed in festivals like Karam, Tusu, Bandna. These songs were part of daily life of various communities like Kurmi, Oraon, Munda. Although several Jhumur artists like Binoy Mahato, (Lokayat Jharkhand) points out in their book that the main theme of the Jammu songs is the love story of Radha Krishna and Rama laxmana, Manik Lal Sinha clearly points out these songs were originated when the primitive Proto-Australoid  of Chotonagpur Plateau started terrace cultivation in the Neolithic period. So, we can find that with time the culture of these tribes had to accept the religious dominance of the people of the plain or it might also happen that cultural exchanges were taking place. Whatever the actual process might be, it is clear that the distortion of jhumur songs took place with time. Music is a living tradition and in folk society it is an integral part of the daily life style and their working patterns. As we want to investigate the place of origin of Jhumur songs, after investing we find that the birth place of these songs is the region of Chotonagpur Plateau, mainly in Jharkhand, southwestern West Bengal and North Odisha and later they migrated to the tea state of Assam when the east india company brought them there. This dance has its origins in the hard labour of these workers on some of the largest tea plantations in the world. In the Suisa Village of Purulia district i have conducted a field survey with the help of Madhav Mondal who is a jhumur writer and artists. From that survey i got this classifications of songs. I am giving the list below:

1. Binoy Mahato classified Jhumur songs into five divisions.  (Madhav Sudha, Madhav Mandal)

1. Jhumurs on the story of Radha Krishna.

2. Puranic Jhumur songs.

3. Nachni Shaliya jhumur songs.

4. Adi Jhumur songs (the old ones).

2. Sudhir Kumar Karan divides jhumur into four sections.

1. Nachni Jhumur.

2. Kathi Jhumur.

3. Darh Jhumur.

4. Tair jhumur.

3. Asit Kumar Bandyopadhyay divided jhumur into four 

1. Jhumur related to Bhawani 

2. Jhumur on Brajaleela 

3. Lahar 

4. Kheud 

But generally jhumur songs are divided into nine divisions. The names are written below.

1. Darbari shumar 

2. Jhumar which is related to the love story of Radha Krishna. 

3. Jhumurs which are performed with chou dance.

4. Taid jhumur.

5. Loukik jhumur.

6. Darshaliya jhumur.

7. Jhumur which is performed wearing the dress of dry leaves

8. Jhumur songs which are performed with sticks in hands.

9. Bhadoriya jhumur.

According to  Roma Chatterjee, the significance of folklore documentation was not lost on Indian scholars and some of the early collections by the Indian state from the late 19th century itself. In the case of India the collection of folklore is specific to particular regions and these reflect local histories and some forms of political engagement. The first attempt to archive folklore was made by Rabindranath Tagore himself. A published it in 1894 and 95. The intellectuals of colonial Bengal were aware of the fact that it was an important part in the construction of regional history, especially in view of the positive historical documentation in the pre-Muslim period. It was good of them that culture is living history and if we can do proper research then it can meaningfully constitute a telos for contemporary events. Although in this time folklores created a sense of nationalism the aim of these papers is different. We will investigate the importance of folk clothes in the construction of history writing. The aim of my paper is to address how jhumur songs which are a part of folklore can be a potential archive that speak to and address the lives of tribals in Purulia district., In the evolution of jhumur songs we can find the changing status of the lives of the tribal people who lived in this area. Jhumar songs are a strong medium of raising their voices as resistance. Seen sanction time this was performed for several reasons. In the present time songs are mainly sung as a part of aesthetics but the tribal people used this as a medium of communication and transmission of important signals among the different groups. In ancient times human beings used to live in communities to save themselves from the attack of wild animals. One of the importance of performing jhumur was the same. We have to understand the geography of the Chotonagpur Plateau to get a clear understanding of this phenomenon. The Chotonagpur Plateau is situated on the height of 2000 feet to 2500 feet from the sea level. It is a mineral rich terrain, with great inequalities where many rivers like Ajay, Damodar ,Darahiswar, Kansai, Subarnarekha, Silai are flowing. The area is not plain. In this area many tribes have been living since ancient times. The Santals occupy the broader valleys. Although a plenty of cultivation is noticed it is not such an easy task as the area is formed with metamorphic rocks. The terrain is changing towards West Bengal where later right soil is replacing the metamorphic rock layers. The region is food with rolling downs, with isolated conical hills which are called ‘Dungris’. When the people used to go for cultivation or hunting many were attacked by wild animals or fell down from the hills. It was only the eastern area of Suburban Rekha river from where the plane actually started. The vast area is covered with dense jungle.  

In such hilly areas the common people reveal their emotions in jayas dances and songs. We come to know from the jhumar artist that when the people used to go to cultivate lands they were often killed by the wild animals. Also, they used to feel bored, anxious, or alone. That’s why they used to sing these songs. When a group of people went far and stopped singing others became conscious of the silence and often gave signals to other co-workers in the time of danger. So, we can come to a fact that songs were not only songs and words can be replaced with silence. The culture of the hilly people is considered to be quiet silent in nature. On the other hand singing united them. These songs were mainly sung by the group of women. On the contrary these songs also played an important role as resistencia against the oppressors. Performing these songs alongwith dance show a form of unity and strength. Women used to enjoy a place of respect and importance. But often they had to perform the songs in the Darbar of the zamindars. This information shows that the lives of these people came in touch with the people of the plain and ruling class. As Manik Lal Sinha argues that 

“The tribal people of the Chotonagpur Plateau and those of West Bengal Highlands compose Jhumur songs either in their own mother tongue or in corrupt Bengali. Those who are Hinduised compose Jhumurs in corrupt Bengali only. The Jhumurs composed by the Hinduised clans and sects are but a reflection of a reflection,the echo of an echo”. 

Manik Lal Sinha further points out:

“The Munda speaking clans and tribes of West Bengal Highlands divided the year into three broad seasons Jeta-sa (Hot weather) Jargida (rainy season), Rabang-sa (cold season), The advent of summer is signalized by the blossoming of the Sal (Shorea-robasta) and by the budding of the Mahua (Bassia-latifolia) and this is called Baha Chandu (flower month) from the fact that all nature springs into new life and flowers abound everywhere.”

During this time the air is filled with the sweet fragrance of jungle-flowers like Polash, Shimul. In this time the tribes of West Bengal, especially of Purulia, and Bankura district sing Jhumur songs in Baha festival. 

One of such jhumur song is-

“Sajo Sajo Laya, Shalai phuley

Sajo Sajo Layan Sindur Kajaley.” 

(Jhumur Sankalan, Kiriti Mahato and Shramik Sen)

O Laya! (village priest) dress up and decorate yourself in Sa/ flowers; O Layan. (the wife of the village priest) dress up and decorate yourself with Sindur (vermilion) and Kajal (collyrium). The shal trees are found in the whole Bankura and Purulia district. The lifestyle of these people touch our hearts and make us humble. They are hard working, joyful, simple hearted people. From my personal experience i  will say if we visit these areas we will feel ‘simplicity’. ‘Simplicity’ might not sound serious and appropriate enough to be a technical term of history but actually great civilizations start from this word. We often consider a place more civilized in the parameter of sound. Don’t we? 

Another Sarhul song from Purulia,

“Bagan barir bhitarey,

Titir sinau Karey lo,

Gaye lal mati makhey.”

In the garden-house a Titir (wild bird) bathes. It smears its body with red-dust. When the keoud (Diosypyros-melanoxylon) ripens it is time to begin the sowing (called by the tribal people Hero-chandu, sowing-month). During this month Dand Sal Jhumar is also sung.

Dand Sal Jhumar from Purulia: 

“Amar Bandhu hal karey

Kend kanatir dhorey

Hai! Hai! Mathar gham chokhey padey Dekhey hiya fatey

Nanadini-lo! Amijabo “Basjam’ ditey”. 

(A Bengali jhumur on ploughing)

Manik Lal Singha translated this song into English. My friend is ploughing near Kend-kanale. The sweat of his brow is trickling down over his eyes. Seeing this my heart breaks ; Oh sister-in-law! I will go to offer him stale rice. This poem is telling the pain of the working class and women who used to work for the whole day in fields. Historians might see them through the lens of class struggle and might not be able to see their usual lifestyle which contains the love life of them.

The actual meaning of the poem is that (corrected one by me)

“My wife is ploughing

 Near Kend-Kanale

The Sweat of his brow,

Is trickling down over his eyes,

Seeing this my heart breaks; 

Oh sister-in-law! I will go

To offer her stale rice.” (English translation)

(‘Basiam’ is a santali word meaning ‘stale rice’).

But while translating the song into English he made a mistake. The word “Bandu” doesn’t mean ‘friend’ here. As i have collected some jhumur songs, the word is used repeatedly. I am giving example of another song what is,

“আমার বঁধু রাতকানা,

বাড়ির পথে আনাগোনা...” (A popular Bengali folk song originated from a jhumur song).

The word “বঁধু” means “wife”. The meaning of this famous jhumur song is that “my wife is blind, still she is doing work in the field and comes home in the evening”. These are real stories of the planter’s lives. Jhumur songs are basically romantic love songs. These are not so called romantic songs but rather portrays the ‘struggle’, ‘pain’ and ‘life style’ of the tribals who were majorly formed the part of the labour class of Bankura and Purulia district of West Bengal.   Most of the songs which contain the ‘Adi Jhumur’ are not written in Bengali but in Santali and  Kurmali language but nowadays  jhumur songs are sung in Bengali and in most of the cases the old stories are not told. As the Santali people of Purulia district learnt Bengali they used to prefer Bengali language and the new generation is not interested in the old language.A  Santali jhumar is found in the Raninandh of Bankura what is:

“Hana buru noa baru tarap bilieu

Chethey jam-tey moire ! data gabeyen

Tarap jam-tey dada ! money rapuyeu” (Santali jhumur song).

The same song is sung in the Purulia district in Bengali language,

“E-dungri u-dungri 

Pial paklo

Kari khaney re mairi ! 

Dant gablo ?

Pial khaney re dada !

Man bhang lo”.

 (Bengali-Santali mixed jhumur)

“On this hill on that hill/

Pial ripens Oh dear! What have you eaten to stain your teeth ? Oh dada, by eating ‘Pial’?/

My mind is dizzy.” (English translation)

(Dada — a Bengali word means — elder brother).

Some jhumur songs are about the problems of the agriculturalists. These are composed in mixed Bengali lyrics.

“গাঁয়ে একটা খামার ঘর,

চাষীর উপর নির্ভর,

ছানা পুনা বাঁচা হল্য ভার হে,

সারা বছর কর্ম করি তাও

দেখায় আমরাকে জারি,

মাপে দুসলি ধান 

আগড়া উড়া দিল হে”| (Bengali jhumur)

We have a farm house in the village that is being run by us farmers only. Still we can’t feed our children properly. We work hard for the whole year. Still we get some amount of rice. An another one is:

“সারাদিন কর্ম করে নাহ্য না পায় মজুরি, 

লোহা কয়লার দাম হল্য বিস্তর হে,

চাটু, বঠিন, খুন্তি ,কড়া  গাইত, কদাল, হাঁসুয়া, গড়া

এই সকলের দাম না বাড়িলো।”

We work hard for the whole day and the price of iron and coal is increasing. But we are making tools made of iron and we are not getting enough price. 

To understand the culture of this region we have to understand the geographical conditions of this region. In the dry season this region represents the appearance of a barren land. When it rains the region seems to be very pleasant and the fresh green plants shade off into the darker green of the grass which springs everywhere when the first shower falls. But in the hot season it is very difficult to live in the jungle as the temperature increases with dryness. And in the rainy season the rivers flow madly and sometimes cause floods. That's why it is very difficult to cultivate in these barren lands where alluvial soil is completely absent. That's why many jhumur songs are composed with the prayer of rain and fertility. According to Manik Lal Singha ,there are twenty types of jhumur songs-

(1) Pata (2) Jhika (3) Railo (4) Lagrey (5) Jheta (6) Burihi (7) Thant (7) Galoari (7) Riuja (10) Matoari (11) Baha (12) Magha (13) Khatinach (14) Nachni nach (15) Tand (16) Dand (17) Saharja (18) Jhikadang (19) Bhaduria (20) Karam (21) Jharkhandja (22) Sadhu ete. 

The inhabitants of the tribal people are very interesting and attractive as they are picturesque with Green hills ,waterfalls ,table land, gapping designs, small rivers, dense jungle, smells of the wild flowers and their simple heart. These people of Cchotonagpur Plateau compose jhumur songs either in their own mother tongue or in corrupt Bengali. Who are Hinduised like to compose moods in korap Bengali only. The communities who speak Munda language divided the year into three broad seasons: Jeta-sa (Hot weather) , Jargida (rainy season), and Rabang-sa (cold season). When the hot season comes we see flowers in the sal,mahua,  Baha Chandu trees. 

A similar Jhumar song in Bengali collected from Purulia

“Lal saluker phul phutey adha raley

Bandhu ! phutey adha ratey/

Jar sangey jar bhab inariley ki tutey/

Bandhu ! ata rath kisey ; ata rath kisey ?

High audhar ratey bijali chamakey

Aman sankater diney aley ba kar sathey ?

Ata rath kisey bandhu ! ata rath kisey Ata rath kisey ?” (Bengali jhumur)

Red water-lily blooms at mid-night Friend, it blooms at mid-night The tie of love never ends in death, Friend, why come you so late at night ? The night is dark, it is overcast with clouds And the lightning flashes, In such a dreadful night

“With whom have you come ? Why so late at-night/

Friend, why are you so late? Why are you so late in coming ?/”

In both these songs the girl is compared to a water-lily. (Jhumar song in Bengali from Dt. Bankura).

“Bhadhar maley adar ‘Biri’ toraita khaneyphurali hansey,

hansey hansey, 

hansey tora deyarkay bhulate go 

Hansey, hansey

Kumarer gadan Chhutarer milan

Sajeychhey kaman go

Hansey, hansey” (Bengali jhumur)

Jhumar song in Bengali from Dt. Bankura

In the month of Bhadra (Aug-Sep) you have eaten all the sweet Biri pulses (Sathyrus-satira). You have seduced — your husband’s younger brother by your repeated smiles. The shaping of a potter. The moulding of a Carpenter how finely blended. You have done mischief by your repeated smiles.

In the same month of Bhadra in the barren wastes of West Bengal Highlands Jhingas (a sort of ridged cucumber) grow in abundance. Everyday at dusk the yellow flowers of the vegetable creeper bloom in abundance. Like the host of daffodils, they attract everybody and dazzle every eye. Ina ‘Jhumar’ collected from Purulia (Dt.), the charm of the flowers has been beautifully expressed,

“Jhingey phul lilek jati kul lo 

Jhingey phul lilel jati kul. ….. 

Ami band bo na band-lo-

Band-bo-na Chul”. (Bengali jhumur)

The beautiful Jhingey flower has robbed me of everything. My prestige, caste and family prejudice everything I have lost for it. It makes me restless, makes me wild. I shall not comb my hair nor will I bind them up. Here the lover is compared to a Jhingey flower. The rhythm of the love song is just an echo of a meandering hill-stream. The lover’s restlessness, her unfettered behaviour, her swelling emotions of love are identical with the whimsical hill-fed rivers and streams of this rugged region.

Similar Jhumar song from Dt. Banhura.

“Hilo lilo lilo lo

Jard bang ta

Jaley jhamp dilo”. (Bengali jhumur)

Hilo lilo lilo lo… .. .(the rhythmn of the tune) the Jard-bang (a big type Of frog) has jumped into the water. 

Another Jhumar song from Dt. Purulia,

“Kachi Kadamer jali kan korana bhala bhali 

Pakley kadam sabal khabey korbona baran 

Kachi kadam Bandhu, Chhinio na akhan

Bandhu, pero na akhan

Bara bara rasik jara kachj-kadam chhiu na tara 

Kachi kadam Bandhu, pero na akhan

Bandhu, Chhino na akhan”. (Bengali jhumur)

Every one is forbidden to look at a green kadam (Adina-cardifolia) fruit. When it ripens then all may enjoy it, then no-one will prevent you. Friend, do not touch a green kadam fruit now, do not pluck it down. So these poems indicate the helpless condition of the forest people, who are mainly tribals. They used to earn by cultivating lands or making tools with metals. Even in the present time we can see many tribes like the Sabar, Munda, Santal selling tools and arms in village markets. Even nowadays they are deprived of education and proper sanitation, and jobs. So besides romanticising these songs we get a clear picture of the lifestyle and condition of the tribal people of Chotonagpur belt. We hardly get any description of them in books. When we see their lives through the perspective of civilization we might think that they only struggled for earning their livelihood but these songs used to work as a proper knowledge system for them where they are talking about the inequalities and injustices they are facing in a particular period of time. They are protesting against the operation that they had been facing for generations. So these songs are a tool of resistance for them. Even in a song they are describing the situation of the society where only the people who have money are being prioritized over what they are not getting. It was mentioned that nowadays there is a dirt on social workers and kind hearted people. The names of the zamindars and oppressors are clearly mentioned in songs with their addresses.,,

Most of these jhumur songs were composed by Kritibas Karmakar. He was born in Gobindapur village. He got school education upto class two, and he started writing poems since the age of ten or twelve. In Jharkhand he got the title of ‘Charan Kavi’. Another famous jhumur writer was Birjuram Das. He composed mainly Adi jhumar songs. He was born in Baghmundi village of Purulia district. Both of them highlighted the societial inequalities, poverty, pains and problems of the common people of Purulia district which was then a part of Jharkhand. Another theoretical understanding of the jhumur songs is that they worked as cultural resistance. The plantation communities used this as a form of resistance against received systems and these served as platforms for dissent and cultural heritage preservation against colonialism.

Conclusion:

This research examined how the Jhumur songs of Chotonagpur Plateau contributed in the process of history writing as a discipline and gave a clear picture of the lives of the tribal communities who have been living here for some generations. We can hear the voices of the periphery through the lyrics of these songs. These songs, as oral traditions, witnessed the extensive history and struggles of the tribes especially that of tribal women. The stories not only give the geographical description of this area but also unfold aspects that could not be documented earlier in books. The respect towards women in tribal communities give us a perspective of gender equality, and on the other hand the lyrics tell us the stories of their resistance against the oppressors. The vast thematic descriptions related to nature, status of women in the tribal society, their pains, love life, knowledge systems and beliefs of people, narratives are firmly rooted in their customs which is reflected in the everyday lives, struggles and beliefs of people.

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By Cresida Chatterjee

Cresida Chatterjee is a post-graduate student pursuing History from Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University, Delhi.

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