The call of the Santal clan

Jonah Murmu

This patriotic Santali song is a favourite with Jonah Murmu, who works with the Baptist Mission in Rajshahi. By birth he is a Christian, but his identity as a Santal, he asserts, is uppermost in his mind. His vehicle in promoting the indigenous culture is the world of song. He has been composing, singing and writing songs since 1981.

" The Bangali culture is predominant in the country. The Santal culture is not properly promoted," says Murmu, who sings Santal songs on the Rangpur radio station. In the midst of the onslaught of electronic media and a fading culture, there are many mountains to climb, he says. Take the case of the Santal dress called Panchi (skirt) Parhan (top). In the face of poverty and changing tastes, the traditional dress is not worn anymore. However, the Santal language is thankfully still alive.

The Santali songs, according to Murmu, have a unique identity. Be it the music, lyrics and the themes, there is a vast difference from Bangla songs. The types of Santali songs are Dang, Lagrey, Dashai and Shahrai. The Dashai genre is rooted in the songs of activists protesting British rule. "Dashai is the language of protest. Now it is a religious song and is used in religious programmes and festivals such as Durga Puja," says Murmu.

The Santals are the second largest indigenous groups after the Chakmas in Bangladesh. However, there is a shortfall in community members who are well versed in the original arts--whether song, dance or music. Why? " The indigenous people such as Santals need funding so that their culture can be preserved. There are several cultural academies for the indigenous people, for example, the Adivasi Cultural Academy (for all indigenous peoples). The basic problem is that the Santals live in the village but these academies are based in cities. So Santal people cannot come to the city," points out Murmu.

This problem is not a stumbling block for other cultural groups such as the Garos and Chakmas, because the academies for these specific groups are situated in their own localities. However, the Santals don't have that facility. A long standing demand of the community is the establishment of cultural academies in the localities where Santals live.

" If we don't preserve the Santal culture it will be gone within the next 20 years," warns Murmu. Joining hands with community members, he seeks to generate awareness among Santal people about their present status and how they should preserve their culture.

However, all this will come to naught unless the government steps in with funding and backing for these indigenous people. Meanwhile it is dedicated people like Murmu who provide the much-needed encouragement to their kinsmen in preserving their roots and culture.