|
Times
have, however, changed: trains and trucks have taken over
the Banjaras’ work. A souvenir published by the Tribal
Research Institute, Udaipur, in 1966 on the occasion of the
Banjara conference in village Bamania of Tehsil Railmagra,
stated that it was difficult to find any itinerant family
among the Bamaniya Banjaras of eastern Rajasthan,
though the Maru Banjaras of western Rajasthan were still
partly itinerant. The settling down was done either in new
Banjara villages or in the form of separate Banjara
khedas (encampments) in villages with a mixed
population.
Nayaks: The Nayaks or Thoris formed another
vagrant community of Rajasthan. In Punjab, they were known
as Aheris, Nayak being an honorific term while Thori
was a somewhat contemptuous appelation. The Nayaks were
devout followers of Pabuji, the famous Rajput
saint-warrior, and many among them have been proficient
singers of Pabuji's legends and other songs. The 1891 Census
report for Marwar designated them as professional thieves.
Some kindred vagrants: Occupation has been one of the major
factors in the crystallization and furthering of castes in
India. And curiously, though not altogether illogically,
there have been castes devoted to 'even such out-of-the-way'
occupations as thieving, prostitution, acrobatics, sleight
of hand, and exhibiting animals. Again, some of these fringe
groups exhibited a talent for music and dance and,
understandably, often had a vagrant lifestyle. Writing in
1882, H.B.Rowney included these 'wild tribes' under
the general head of gypsies: 'In some parts of India this
people are called Bedyas, in others Nats, in
others again Kanjars and Bajigars, leading the same
vagabond life everywhere. Some were Hindu, some Muslim, but
the one common bond' was thieving. Writing around the same
time, Shyamalclas, author of 'Veer VinocT, a
history of Mewar, included the Banjara, Kalbeliya,
Sansi, Satiya, Kanjar, Bagaria (Gadoliya) Lohar among
such vagrants. |
