Little Traditions in a Culturally Pluralistic Nation

Cultural pluralism in our country accepts and respects cultural diversity in India we celebrate unity by acknowledging diversified expressions of culture which are pracused in various comers of the country or ins various eco-cultural zones of the country by distinct ethnic groups. In spite of diversified expressions of culture. they maintain a harmonic relations among themselves.

We all are aware of great tradition and its various expressions in our country. But there are a number of least known cultural practices which is very much confined in a particular region or a community, hence termed as little tradition. In a civilization there is a great tradition of the reflected few, and there are little traditions of the largely unreflective many. The great tradition is cultivated in schools or temples, while, the little traditions work itself out and keep itself going in the lives of the unlettered in their village communities. The main stream populations is totally in the dark about those least known traditions or cultural practices and are very much exposed to modern techno-economic amenities. The present treatise is an effort to portrait some of those cultural practices of less or least known communities termed as little traditions in our country which are till date practised with very pomp and éclat in their area and have a deep and intricate link with our great tradition. The little traditions described in the treatise have been practised by the marginalized section of the country including Andaman and Lakshadwip Island: the socio-economic system among them compelled them to practise such expression of culture not only being a tool of survival strategy but the belief system is very much embedded in their cultural profile which also suggests towards less literacy, ignorance, poverty-stricken condition and less exposition to modem amenities This volume will help the planners and NGO's to initiate appropriate actions for their socio-economic development.

Dr. Amitabha Sarkar (Bom 1952) is a M.Sc., Ph.D (Science) in Anthropology from the University of Calcutta and Specialized in advanced Social-Cultural Anthropology. His remarkable empirical contribution in anthropological research arena is on impact of industrialization, tribal ethnography, culture ecology, ethno-science, religious belief system being integrative process and culture change, management of environment with traditional knowledge. He has published about 17 (seventeen) books and more than 115 (one hundred and fifteen) research papers in reputed journals. He possesses 35 years research experience and carried out empirical study among tribal and weaker section of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and West Bengal. He is the life member of INCAA, Indian Science Congress Association, Society for Indian Medical Anthropology (SIMA) and Indian Anthropological Society. He was associated with Anthropological Survey of India from 1977 to 2012. He was also Managing Editor of Journal of Anthropological Survey of India' till 2012, He is also consultant researcher and involve in generating empirical data from tribal area of Odisha.

Dr. (Mrs.) Samira Dasgupta (Bom 1953) is a M.Sc., Ph.D (Science) in Anthropology from the University of Calcutta. She has specialized in Cultural Anthropology and has noteworthy contributions are on culture ecology, role and status of tribal women in unorganized sector. tribal ethnography, ethno-science, religious belief system, traditional knowledge system among the tribals and cultural tourism etc. deserve for praise in academic arena being a perceptive researcher. She has published 15 (fifteen) books and about 105 (one hundred and five) research papers in various reputed journals of the country. She possesses 35 years research experience and carried out intensive field work among various tribal communities and weaker section of Rajasthan, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Jharkhand. She is the life member of INCAA, Indian Science Congress Association, Society for Indian Medical Anthropology (SIMA) and Indian Anthropological Society. She was associated with Anthropological Survey of India from 1977 to 2013 and carried out several research projects for ASI where during XIth Plan Period she was involved with the study of Tangible & Intangible Cultural Heritage-Traditional Knowledge System: Ethno Medicine. She is also involved as consultant researcher and devoted in generating empirical data from tribal area of Odisha.

Diversity of our country is the key signature of our cultural pluralism. Carried out empirical study on the project 'All India Cultural trait and Cultural area Study being a plan project for a period of more than six months at a stretch from Anthropological Survey of India at Rajasthan and Gujarat region during 1977 by us, simultaneously during the period the other members of the Anthropological Survey of India were engaged in other parts of the country. We also got a map from office on Eco-Cultural zone of the country. At that time in course of field work we encountered with number of least known ethnic groups with their distinct expression of culture; and all those were properly documented in our project schedule. Finally those were in the data archives of Anthropological Survey of India.

In anthropology, field work is very much essential in order to portray the culture of others and it is without doubt the outstanding characteristic of the discipline. When anthropologists write about an ethnic group, it is with the assuredness that comes from intimate association. They have learnt their languages and behavior patterns, participated in the wearisome daily activities, observed their rites and rituals and usually established a long term friendship. They are not merely outside observers while they have made an effort, although temporary, to accommodate themselves to that way of life and to gain understanding from the experience.

With this background in mind, the present volume is compiled where all the contributors presented their first hand data collected from their empirical study. The present treatise is the compilation of some selected less or least known cultural practices, termed here as little traditions, which are practised in various eco-cultural zones of the country by distinct ethnic groups and maintains a harmonic relation among the neighboring groups. Once the multi culturally constituted composite culture is widely accepted, it forms a pillar of nationhood. Cultural diversity then nurtures national unity. Most of us especially who claim that they are aware of all social situations/conditions of the country (including top bureaucrates, technocrats, white color job people, politicians, planning personnels etc) do not understand the contribution of little traditions in the formation of great tradition of our multi-faceted culturally pluralistic country- India.

Cultural pluralism or multi-culturists accept and respect cultural diversity, stress its inevitability and hold that diverse cultural groups are all equal members of society. Now a days nearly all societies are multicultural-they consist of people of diverse culture holding different views regarding family, companionship, the good life, values by which to live and die.

More and more countries are becoming culturally diverse, in part as a result of globalizing world, technological changes, migration etc. All cultures have something valuable to project or highlight and, therefore, different cultures can learn from each other. In any case, even though different cultures may have different values, no one culture can or should be privileged over another. Going further, most of the multi-culturists ask people to cherish, celebrate and foster diversity, and to create a multi-culturists ethos in society.

In a multi-cultural nation like India each contributing culture maintains its distinctiveness and also continues its own development though informed by fellow cultures; the contributing fellow cultures are respected and their identity are also kept intact. In a multicultural society, growth of composite culture is necessary for the formation and growth of national identity and national integrity. Once the multi-culturally constituted composite culture is widely accepted, it forms a pillar of nationhood. Cultural diversity then nurtures national unity.

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