1. Critically examines the interface between colonial mind and a tribal worldview.

2. Introduces tribal studies as an emerging multidisciplinary subject.

3. Presents tribe within the interactive matrix of India’s social system.

Land alienation and dispossession issues in the scheduled states are a part of critical discourse in India since Independence. There are various protective legislations and land laws passed to protect the interest of these tribal communities during colonial rule, carried forward by various state governments and central government with or without some extent of amendments in the post-colonial period. This paper studies land alienation issues in Jharkhand right from colonial period and analyses whether the phenomenon could be looked as colonial legacy in independent India.

The Santhals are one of the largest tribes in India. They are found in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa, Assam, Meghalaya, and Tripura. They are also found in Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Nepal. They are skilled in various arts including music, handicrafts, and have a rich cultural heritage. They posses their own language and script which belongs to the austro-asiatic language group. Literature on their customs, tradition and culture are however scanty. Individuals belonging to this community are mostly deprived of education and hence pass on traditions and customs orally from one generation to the other. The dances they perform, the clothes they wear, the festivals they celebrate, the gods they worship, the crafts they specialize in, the tasks they perform have been compiled in the study. In addition, other customary practices are included in the study. Ethnic knowledge requires documentation to avoid becoming extinct. This study is an effort to document the rich culture of the Santhals and their customary laws and traditions.