The Lost Tribe-Introduction : The Young India

Kartikey Sehgal

An introduction to the story “The Lost Tribe” that talks about personal and cultural disintegration.

Celebrated and ‘you must read’ author Mahasweta Devi says through the newspaper ‘The Age Mumbai’ (The Asian Age):

“It’s time to bust the myth and sieve the fact from fancy. In my opinion, the adivasi women are more liberated in their lifestyles. Their (sic) might be a threat of promiscuity* but the fairer sex can willingly go for independent weddings, divorce, and even take recourse to remarriage after separation from their former spouse. There’s no question of dowry system at all. I think, we have more barriers in mind to frame the straight-jacketed canons of society.”

* The “threat of promiscuity” is actually the threat of sexually transmitted diseases

Some years back in New Delhi, I ventured into the Jawaharlal National University (JNU) campus with an old acquaintance who superbly briefed me about the university culture. There were bills stuck on wall with excessive glue asking girl students from north-east India to be “careful”. I understood later that they were considered promiscuous and immoral by the North Indian students. Their food was not pleasant smelling; “bamboo shoots and other smelly food” disturbed the students. Their dresses were too short, too revealing or “transparent” as a local mentioned; “Revealing dress should be avoided. Avoid lonely road/by-lanes when dressed scantily.”

Girls in Delhi-among the worst sufferer of crimes-are expected to be modest in clothing, as in the other modern cities of India in Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore. But women from the predominantly tribal areas-poorer and lesser educated-are ‘more independent’.

Last year, I met a retired Army Officer in a hospital who told me about his days in north-eastern hills. He said that the women there were ‘loose’. There were mothers who wouldn’t mind sending their daughters to the officers for some drugs or alcohol. But otherwise, the officer informed me, the culture there is not very prudish.A simple internet search would tell you that women in north-east are facing problems of drug addiction and alcoholism. Add to this their liberal social attitudes and you may feel assured that they would be bracketed as immoral in the conservative cities of India.

The liberal attitude, however, is not at fault. In fact, it is something to be conserved. Without going into details, let me say that Indian philosophy admires this liberalism.At home, they don’t have food or work; no development like in Delhi and Mumbai.

Their homes are without clean water or bread
For work they have to oceans tread

And when they come for work or education to other parts of India, they are discriminated. Called nasty names. Asked to shed their liberal attitude.

We talk of Women’s Day/Week/Month. It should be happy for all women in India.

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