// LIVE DEMOCRACY & CIVILIZATION OVERVIEW // ***DIRECT DEMOCRACY OF ANCIENT BHARAT ***

The traditional customary of “Majhi-Pargana, Manki-Munda, Sardar-Khutkati, Parha-Proja etc are the social institution of Governance of Jaher-Khond(Nature worshiper) People of “Ancient Bharat” popularly known as “ KHERWALS community. These “Ancient Kherwals Community” functions of the “Social Institution” were recognized under the period of” Princely States of medieval period and also gives the statutes of colonial rule. In post-colonial India these Local self governance (LSG) institutions have also been legally recognized. Beginning from Yule’s Rules 1856, A. W. Cosserat’s Arrangement of 1880, Parganait Reward Fund 1895, Rural Police Regulation 1910, McPherson’s Settlement 1905-12, Gantzer’s Settlement 1922-35, Santal Parganas Enquiry Commission 1937, Santal Civil Rules 1946 and Santal Parganas Tenancy (Supplementary Provisions) Act 1949 of the British times to the Standing Order 14/53-54, PESA 1996 of post-independence period, all have recognized the LSG institutions at village and inter-village level. The emergence of community life in the kherwals marked with evolution of the mechanism to administer and control the social behavior, which took the shape of LSG institutions. The Social-Religion, cultural and ethical issues primarily came under the purview of LSG bodies. Likewise, hundreds of matters concerning the welfare of the community are regulated by LSG bodies even today in every village. In the condition if a person does not follow the norms, custom & tradition of the LSG body warns, checks or punishes approve Grassroots Institutively. Moreover, the Kherwals communities mostly live in resource-rich minerals areas, and the responsibility of management of resources in the village territory grossly lies with LSG body of the village. The LSG institution regulates the use, distribution, sharing, transfer, inheritance and ownership on possibly every type of the resource available in the village. Resources might be the land, water (natural or managed), minerals, fishing, grazing grounds and other like trees, livestock, sacred groves, etc. Under the development phenomenon Inquiry into Local Self-Governance in “Santal Parganas, Chhotnagpur & Kolhan” region of central India designated these people as “Tribe” by colonial ruler. During the time of uprising of others modern Indians on the basis of “Socio-Culture & Linguistically” similarity these people were demanded for separate state identity in the Name of “JHARKHAND” with Santali Language by modern developed “Indict script – OLCHIKI” which was developed by Modern Linguistic, Literaturist & Dramatist Poindit Raghunath Murmu since 1925. On political side genius leader Jaipal Singh Munda & Sunaram Soren were pioneering the movement from present south Jharkhand with its HQ at Karandi(Tata Nagar). On the contrary the modern political thinkers denied the creation of Jharkhand state and inclusion of Santali Language in scheduled VIII in spite of so many commission and agitations than these regions were conserved with scheduled Area.

It was the colonial rulers who first timely altered the TSG system in Santal Parganas and other regions fixed the village council officials for serving their interests of rent collection and general administration. However, instead of replacing the local governance system with alien one, they wisely used the existed system by allocating additional powers/ resources to the village council officials especially Manjhi and parganaits, Sardar, Manki, Munda etc. Therefore, the functions of village officials were also expanded Rent collection, thus, were one of some duties and powers the colonial rulers infused into LSG institutions. In post independence period, Panchayat Sysytem of Governance (PSG) was formed throughout the country as a means of strengthening the village level democratic institutions and as a part of the dream of “Gram Swaraj”. It had provisions of direct elections of “Mukhia & Sarpanch”. They were expected to handle different activities like village disputes, village development work, maintaining relationship with government officials, and so on. But, on the behest of imposition of statutory LSG’s in the tribal regions, it had many adverse impacts on the LSG system, it’s resulted the outcome of rampart corruptions and Social Institutional Pollution of LSG. The colonizing alien “Panchayat” turned out to be a centre for political manipulation, rivalry and competition in the villages that accelerated weakening of village councils and degradation of ecology, simultaneously. The present politics affected badly over the Local Self Governance of “Ancient Kherwals Community” of Modern Bharat presently resided largely over the region of Jharkhand, West-Bengal, Odisha state etc and become the center of “CORRUPTION”.

By                                                                               

Thakur Lachhaman Murmu