Question

Choose any tribal group living in India today. Find out about the customs and way of life and how their lives have changed in the last 50 years.

Answer 1

Hint: India has 705 ethnic groups living in the country. They are officially recognised as the ‘Scheduled Tribes’.Although there are more to this list, all of them are not officially recognised.

Complete answer: The Munda tribe is the largest tribe in India. They reside in the northern parts of the eastern states of India like Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal. The official language of the Mundas is the Mundari language. They belong to the Austro-Asiatic ethnic group in India. They came to India a hundred years ago.
Mundas are a patrilineal clan which means that property transfers from the father to the son. The Munda clans are called ‘Killi’.They celebrate the Mage Parab, Phagu, Karam and several other seasonal festivals since they are involved in agriculture. Traditionally the Mundas have been farm labourers, basket weavers and woodcutters. However Mundas today live in the city because of educational purposes. The Mundas regard themselves as Hindus. However orthodox Hindus do not consider them as Hindus or a part of the traditional caste system. Mundas have developed a lot in the last 50 years. Although they practice the barter system and depend on forests for their food, they lead their lives respectfully. They know the cultures of the city people. Their children go to school and continue higher studies. Mundas are pursuing different occupations. Houses, hospitals, roads are also being constructed in places where they live.

Note: The first Mundari grammar was published by John Baptist Hoffman with the assistance of Menas Orea. He studied the customs, beliefs and the religion of the Munda people. The Mundas today have been placed under the category of Scheduled Tribes which means they are provided economic assistance and representation in public and educational spheres.