Demand for Bhil Pradesh-It is a demand for a separate state for tribal people in western India. The Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP), a political party based in Gujarat, envisions Bhil Tribe Pradesh as a separate state carved out of 39 districts spread over four states: 16 in Gujarat, 10 in Rajasthan, 7 in Madhya Pradesh, and 6 in Maharashtra.
Bhil social reformer and spiritual leader Govind Guru first raised the demand for a separate state for Bhil Tribe back in 1913 after the Mangarh massacre. The massacre, which took place six years before Jallianwalla Bagh and is sometimes referred to as the “Adivasi Jallianwala”, saw hundreds of Bhil tribals being killed by British forces on November 17, 1913, in the hills of Mangarh on the border of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
ABOUT BHIL
Bhils or Bheels are an Adivasi ethnic group in West India. Bhils are listed as tribal people of the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. They speak the Bhil languages, a subgroup of the Western Zone of the Indo-Aryan languages.
The term Bhil is used to refer to “various ethnic communities” living in the forests and hills of Rajasthan’s southern parts and surrounding regions of western India, highlighting the “popularity of the bow and arrow as a weapon among these groups”.
REBEL
Against British
The Bhils were categorized as a criminal tribe by the British colonial authority in 1871, along with a number of other Indian social groupings. This meant that a Bhil may be “randomly picked up, tortured, maimed, or even killed” by colonial officials. Many of the tribes designated as criminals under the Act had previously rebelled against the East India Company and participated in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, according to Susan Abraham.
Mutiny against Mewar
According to Ram Pande, in 1881, the Bhils protested against “the census classification, prohibition on alcohol manufacture, the establishment of police and customs, and the ban on the killing of witches”. Their campaigning was stepped up and given meaning by Govind Guru who was a social and political leader. Pande suggests that because of his long-term work among the tribe, Guru was able to talk them round to refrain from consuming meat and alcohol and to pressurize the state for the formation of village councils that could administer their own affairs and for barring forced labor. In 1917, Mewar State’s Girasias joined the Bhils in the struggle to get the petty taxes and forced labour quashed and decrease the land revenues. Taking note of these protests, the jagirdars of Mewar had called on a British political agent to suppress the mutiny. Pande noted that 1,500 Bhils got shot in 1908. In 1921, the tribals and peasants united under the leadership of Motilal Tejawat in the struggle against “forced labour, petty taxes, the disparity in taxes, high taxes and the tyrannical ways of the jagirdars”. Tejawat’s thoughts drew followers from the Bhils and Girasias of the Danta, Idar, Palanpur and Sirohi regions of Gujarat; and he “became a notorious offender against the state”.(wiki)
Culture and Tradition
Bhilala subdivision of the Bhil tribe is known for its Pithora Painting.
The use of multi-coloured dots as in-filling distinguishes Bhil’s painting. Bhuri Bai was the first Bhil artist to use ready-made colours and paper in her paintings. Lado Bai, Sher Singh, Ram Singh, and Dubu Bariya are well-known Bhil artists.
Dance
Ghoomar is a traditional folk dance of the Bhil tribe. Ghoomar is the symbol of womanhood. It is performed only by women.
Communal Dance- the Lathi (staff) dance, Dhol dance, marriage dance, Holi dance, Battle dance, Bhagoria dance, Deepawal dance, and hunting dance.
Cuisine
Main foods of Bhils are maize, onion, garlic and chili which they cultivate in their small fields. They collect fruits and vegetables from the local forests. Wheat and rice are used at times of festivals and other special occasions only.
Dress
The traditional dresses of men are Pagri, Angarkha, Dhoti, and Gamchha. Traditionally women wear Sari and Ghagra Choli.
Ornaments
There are many traditional ornaments of Bhils. Men wear Kada, Bajuband, Chain, ear rings, Kardhani. Women wear a variety of ornaments such as hansli, rings, Zele-zumke, earrings, narniyan(bangle), nathni (nose jewel), etc. Tattooing is a traditional custom among them. Women folks do tattooing generally before marriage.
Faith and worship
Every village have its own local deity (Gramdev) and families to have their Jatidev, Kuldev, and Kuldevi (household deity) which is symbolized by stones. ‘Bhati dev’ and ‘Bhilat dev’ are their serpent-god. ‘Baba dev’ is their village god. Karkulia dev is their crop god, Gopal dev is their pastoral god, Bag dev is their Lion god, and Bhairav dev is their dog god. Some of their other gods are Indel dev, Bada dev, Mahadevel, Tejaji, Lotha mai, Techma, Orka Chichma, and Kajal dev.
Festivals
There are a number of festivals, viz. Rakhi, Navratri, Dashera, Diwali, and Holi are celebrated by the Bhils. They also celebrate some traditional festivals viz. Akhatij, Navmi, Howan Mata ki Chalavani, Sawan Mata ki jatar, Diwasa, Nawai, Bhagoria, Gal, Gar, Dhobi, Sanja, Indel, Doha, etc. with ceremonious zeal and enthusiasm.
Instrument use
Musical instruments include the Harmonium, Sarangi, Kundi, Bansuri, Apang, Khajria, Tabla, Jhanjh, Mandal, and Thali.
Political structure
Traditional Bhil villages are led by a headman (gameti). The gameti has authority and decision-making powers over most local disputes or issues.
