Cultural Identity and Sustainability in Santal Indigenous Community of Birbhum District, India

Abstract

The aboriginal inhabitants residing in India are known as the Tribal population. These indigenous people are scattered in different parts of the country including the state of West Bengal in the eastern part of India. In West Bengal, different districts such as Birbhum, Purulia and Midnapore are important seats of the indigenous inhabitants and their unique cultural and historical background, distinct from the other populations of the region. The Santhal population formed a larger portion in these districts during the early part of 20th century. They possess remarkable cultural identity which is expressed through their songs, music, arts and crafts, their unique indigenous forms of belief and styles of worship. The present research is based on an extensive field survey of the Santhal villages located in the Birbhum district in eastern India. The study aims to highlight the unique artistic manifestations of the Santhal tribe focusing on the sohrai paintings, the themes that are reflected point out the uniqueness of their heritage, tradition and cultural identity. It is also important to sustain the cultural aspects, both tangible and intangible of this indigenous population which involves an inter-disciplinary approach. Corporate Social Responsibility implemented by different companies in India for social development may also aid in sustaining the indigenous community and hence build a mutually beneficial corporate-community engagement model.