Friday, March 29, 2024
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Emerging Tribes

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By Paramjit Bakhshi

There is yet another attempt to resurrect the tribal ethos. In a modern context this movement appears illogical. After all science, technology and capitalism arriving through cross cultural contact have changed people’s lives mostly for the better. As a result more people have better medicines and surgery for their ailments and disease, improved housing conditions and sanitation, more food, and access to education, travel, entertainment and career opportunities, Indeed as Dr. Russ Harris puts it, in his book “The Happiness Trap’, “today’s middle class lives better than royalty of not so long ago. “

So why is there such a clamour for a return to the past and a desire for isolation in the name of preserving one’s culture? Something must have been lost in this modernisation which people instinctively miss. When we look at the modern society and compare it with the old agricultural or tribal society the answer becomes obvious. Every person in this modern nuclear society is lonely and has been left to fend for himself and his immediate family. It wasn’t like this in the old tribal society. In olden days the community was always there. You were never alone. In periods of trouble every person had the fail safe net of the community which cared for everyone equally. All children (none were considered illegitimate or orphans) were cared for too and the little wealth that was there was distributed equitably. In times of death the community was there as it most certainly was during joyous occasions. Hunting, planting and harvesting were done together and most decisions affecting the community were arrived at by consensus. Every individual was connected to the other and the individual well being of each person was intimately connected to the well being of the community.

It is this human connection which has been severed in a capitalistic society. The tribal is being forced to become an individual and face life alone. This causes insecurity, anxiety and anguish and these emotions are heightened by economic uncertainty and daily hardship. This pressure caused by living in a capitalistic society is much more pronounced in the western world where it is estimated that in any given year about thirty percent of the population suffers from a recognised psychological disorder. Though the figures might be lower here it does not mean that the problem is not significant. In almost all instances where tribal societies have come into contact with the effects of western culture, directly or indirectly it has brought about a destruction of the old tribal society. This is true whether one looks at America, Hawaii or Africa. This contact also brings about extremely high levels of hostility, depression, and alcoholism.

On the flip side capitalism has encouraged private ambition. The new mantra for success is based on competition rather than cooperation. In the old society private ambition was always subservient to common good but with the arrival of capitalism individual effort and ambition has come to be rewarded and revered. A section of the people has done well and appropriated community lands and development money into their personal coffers. However the vast majority live in uncertainty worried not just about their future but struggling to live though the present with debilitating emotions of uncertainty, and low self esteem. It is only the past which seems to provide any solace. The desire to recreate a protective egalitarian society thus has genuine psychological reasons. The pertinent question to ask is whether it is possible to do so. The old tribe has not only disintegrated but new tribes have formed which have nothing to do with being tribal. New connections are replacing old community ties. We all lead two lives today- a professional life and a personal life- and so two different types of tribes are emerging today: the tribe of professionals and new bonds of personal relationships.

Today’s professional tribes are defined by the kind of work they specialise in. And the interests of these new tribes are often at variance with their interests of their original tribe.We commonly point fingers at one of this newly emerged tribe which consists of politicians. We have come to recognise that this tribe will only look after their own interests and not of all the constituents of the old tribe. But the same is true of all the other newly formed tribes. A tribe of businessman then is only concerned about business and creating a climate where good profit can be made. A tribe of teachers is only concerned about their work and their pay packets. Engineers, lawyers, bureaucrats, contractors, doctors and all such professions thus constitute different tribes who like the old tribes are united only by their own self interest. These new formations have affected all classes of people including NGOs and religious organisations which now have their own agendas rather than the professed goals of love and unbiased general welfare.

These tribes also have a common structure. Firstly it is not ethnicity but specialisation or a goal which is the criterion for inclusion. Secondly they have a specialised language with which they communicate with each other- the interaction between members is remarkably frank but interactions with ‘outsiders’ are marked by a degree of formality. Moreover all tribes are highly organised with many of them registered as associations, charities, societies or unions with or without a written charter, but having their own leaders, councils or spokesmen. Though there might be competition within members of these tribes they all close ranks and stand united against any threat to their common interest.

Then we have tribes in our personal life. Apart from their immediate family people today are closer to friends, lovers, well wishers and colleagues rather than to members of an extended family or a clan or a tribe. In good times these connections provide companionship and joy to each other and in bad times it is these relationships which provide material and psychological support.

It is highly improbable that all these emerging connections of personal survival will ever dissolve and allow a resurrection of the original tribe. The fissures caused by differences in wealth, status and personal self interest will never disappear, even if all outsiders were to.

Thus “Jaidbynriew”, or “Bangbandhu” or even a joint family are concepts of the past. Communities in Bengal and Maharastra have in the past tried and given up on such communal strategies. The forces of change are relentless and swimming against the current is never an option.

That is why ILP even if implemented will not solve the problem of insecurity. If it did we would not be seeing such a high incidence of alcoholism, drug addiction and strife in the states where ILP has been in existence for the last century or so. The solution lies in an honest utilisation of resources to ensure equal and better opportunity to the maximum number of people. This is what is worth rallying for rather than blinkered marches where participants are encouraged to chant obsolete and irrelevant tribal war cries.

[The writer is a life skills trainer and can be contacted at [email protected]]

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