A New Form of Resistance

New Form of Resistance

In the first half of the nineteenth century, when the adivasis were free to cultivate land whenever they liked, the only defense against excessive exploitation by shahukars and liquor dealers was to migrate. As the free land become less and less in the second half of the century the adivasis had little choice but to remain where they were and suffer the consequences. The adivasis, specially those living in villages where there were no Parsis or high caste peasants who could prevent illicit distillation, obtained their drink illicitly. It was strongly believed that the poverty of the adivasis was due mainly to their drinking habits; through education this bad habit could have been reduced. Much importance therefore was given to education and a great amount of energy was spent in persuading people to vow not to drink in later life. But drinking was not the real root of the adivasi poverty, the real cause of their impoverishment was the ever-increasing exploitation made possible by legal and tax imposed system by the colonial state. In the decade before the Devi movement, small groups of social reformers have been very active in various areas of Gujarat. They had a great victory by elimination of heavy ornaments worn by the adivasi women which could cause them skin diseases and prevent their free movements. Their crusades against drink had some limited success but the majority of the adivasis continued to drink and therefore the reformers failed to undermine the power of the Parsi liquor dealer and landlords. The literacy campaign helped the healthier adivasi families to send their children to school and consequently they had a sufficient independent economic base to be able to stand up to the non-adivasis exploiters. Many adivasi school boys become teachers. As government employees who were paid a salary they were not under the direct control of the Parsis and they could not be harassed with impunity by petty officials. They were therefore in an ideal position to act as the leaders of the adivasis against the dominant classes. During the Devi movement, however, the educated reformers did not take the initiative. The large majority of those possessed by the Devi were in fact illiterate adivasi.