The term ‘Hindu’ was coined by the Arab and Persian invaders who referred to all those who lived beyond the Sindhu river in Bharatha as Hindu. They saw no distinctions or much of variations in the cultural or religious practices amongst the native Indians. But with the arrival of British, the Hindus were assorted into sects, sub sects, cults and clans, they were now classified as Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, Harijans, Girijans, Tribals and Animists, not that any civilization is devoid of sects and cults but never before had India witnessed anything so gross where people were categorized and listed, based even on the length and shape of their nose. Herbert Hope Risley a colonial administrator of British India claiming himself as an ethnographer was instrumental in sticking the theory of caste system into India. He dissected and divided the natives and even had something called a nasal index! An index based on the measurement of the length breadth and shape of an individual’s nose to decide the race and caste he belonged to! The white-man’s burden to divide and disintegrate the civilizational essence of India, knew no bounds as his only goal was to repudiate the polytheist tradition of the land by creating separate identities with a sectarian pitch and scoop out as many groups as possible from the Hindu fold. And in this process he introduced something called ‘Animistic’ religion of the Tribals. The tribals who worshipped nature which is very much an integral Vedic practice were now treated separately and made to feel isolated with false narratives. The British went on to call them as ‘Adivaasis’(Adi -first or original, vasana- live/dwell) meaning they were the original inhabitants or the ancient indigenous dwellers of the land so as to pitch them against the other natives who did not live on the mountains and forests. Soon the term ‘Adivaasi’ began to connote all that was primitive due to the limited exposure of its inhabitants to the main land dwelling. This facilitated easy soul harvesting for the missionaries who could now reap rich benefits from the abundant wealth of natural resources in the hills with absolute obedience of the tribal masses. The British have left but the concocted narratives of divide remain instituted. Even today our politicians refer to the forest and mountain dwellers as ‘Adivasis’ but who are the Adivasis and what does the term really connote?
In the Vedic theism divinity(God) is worshipped in various forms as deities, nature, plants, trees, rivers, the Sun, the Moon, the stars, planets, we even see God in kindness, goodness nobility and virtue of fellow humans as we are believers of existence of God everywhere in the universe amidst us and within us as against the monotheistic Gods limited to heaven. The Bramhacharis who took to rigorous learning of Vedas and sacrifices and even those who took to Vanaprastha chose secluded places amidst nature, they were known as ‘Aranas’, the place where they lived came to be known as Aranya or forests. The ones who chose this austere life forsook worldly pleasures and in harmony with nature.
The clothing of these Vedic people consisted of 3 parts:
Vasa: a kind of cloth also called Paridhana(no I am not talking about Patanjali jeansJ)
Nivi: a cloth as in an under garment
Adivasa: a mantle which is also called Atka Udarapi or Ordraapi
Atka in Sanskrit means garment and Ordraapi which is a corrupted word of Udara which means stomach, so Atka Udarapi/Ordraapi or Adivasa could mean a mantle wrapped up to the stomach or perhaps that cloth which began from the stomach(tied at the stomach/waist). Another term for Adivasis today is ‘Atavika’ which again appears to have derived from the word ‘Atka’.
Essentially Adivasi was only the name of the attire that the learned and knowledge rich hermits and people wore in the Vedic times. There is an endangered SriLankan tribe known by the name of Vedda, who are attributed as aboriginals and they have their own Vedda language which anthropologists suspect might have origins in Prakrit. Vedda sounds very similar to Veda and it is also believed that the Vedda language was used for religious purposes however today they are referred to as just another hunting tribal community.
It is really unimaginable how and when this term Adivasa, a term for an attire came to connote the exact opposite in modern times where it is used to mean all that is primitive and uncivilized. In fact it is worth pondering if it is the mediocrity of modern minds that go on to mistake the term primitive as underdeveloped because ‘primitive’ only means ‘original’ or ‘ancient’ and it is not necessary that anything ancient has to be underdeveloped than what contemporary modernity has to offer. Remember the Harappan(Sindhu-Saraswathi) Civilization with hidden drains, hydraulic engineering, Great bath leak proof water tank built with bitumen and gypsum plaster and well planned urban cities in 3250BC! Can we call the potholed unplanned drain-less city of Bengaluru as a modern township?
The most paradoxical thing is that CityVasis today clamor to be called Adivasis and run rioting rampages(Gujjar, Patidhar protests) and seek to fall into the Scheduled Tribes category! But you know what the British were right when they said that the Adivasis were original indigenous people because the it was indeed the indigenous Vedic Hermits who took to the forests for learning, meditations and penance in their traditional ascetic attires which was called Adivasa! AIT anybody ?!
The least we can do is call these underprivileged folks as VanaVaasins instead of Adivasis, not that it is going to make any policy or constitutional change but atleast let the people and politicians know what the hell they are fighting for!
Desi Herald 