Despite the remoteness of their home in the shrinking forests of Surguja district, the Pahadi Korwasof Lau village are no strangers to Christian missionaries or to Hindu Jagran Manch activists. But while suffering a cultural assault from both quarters, the Korwas continue to follow their traditional animistic religion.
Activists of the Jagran Manch and the VKA insist that the tribals are Hindus and must conform to Hindu tenets, like cow-worship. Beef has been a traditional part of the tribals' diet, but now they are being asked to give it up and report instances of cow slaughter to the police.
On the other hand, Christian missionaries try to persuade them to give up their loincloths for more adequate clothing, send their children to mission schools and hospitals and keep their homes and persons clean. Either way, they are being urged to change their lifestyle drastically.
Clutching their bows and arrows, the Pahadi Korwas of Lau peer apprehensively at visitors. Of late, government officials and social and political workers have been descending on the tribals, bearing dubious gifts: land pattas, agricultural implements, promises of education, clothes, food, medicines and, sometimes, country liquor.
Massive deforestation has deprived theaborigines of their traditional sources of livelihood. No longer able to rely on forest produce, they are ill-equipped to fend for themselves. Under prompting by government officials, they are gradually settling down to year-round agriculture and are abandoning shifting cultivation.
None of the Korwas has converted to Christianity, but they look confused when asked if they are Hindus. However, activists of the VKA have told them that Dalip Singh Judev of Jashpur is the "Korwa King" and they must follow him. Judev plays the part to the hilt, moving around occasionally with a bodyguard of Korwas bearing bows and arrows.
The Oraon tribals have been integrated into the mainstream far more successfully than the Birhors and the Korwas, thanks partly to the efforts of the Christian missions. "The educated tribals were able to take advantage of government quotas and get jobs," explains Surguja District Magistrate Pravir Krishan. "The Korwas are the most prim -itive, the most marginalised among the tribals, and we have to make special efforts to help them."
At the same time, there has been rethinking on the merits of forcibly "civil-ising" the tribals. While those displaced by deforestation are being resettled, Krishan adds that it might be better to leave those who follow the tradtional forest-based lifestyle undisturbed. In the process, the Korwas have been left rather confused.
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