Aboriginal ‘Kaibarta-Jalkeot’ community, culture & history

Dr Arunav Kr. Nayak

(MO MBBS & professional folk artiste – KAIBARTA DHULIA DOL, AXOM)

The ‘Kaibarta-Jalkeot’ community of the Undivided Kamrup region of Assam is an aboriginal ethnicity of this region. As per well-established research by ethnographers, linguists, historians, anthropologists, government agencies, etc., the 'Kaibarta-Jalkeot' belong to the non-Aryan ‘Austro-Dravidian’ racial stock, and their original homelands have been Lower Assam (Kamrup), Bengal and Orissa, where they have been living since ages historically, and these people are still found in these places with their own traditional culture, historical kingdoms, traditions and customs, which have also been found in stone and copper plate inscriptions, etc. The traditional kings and chiefs, notably "Deveswar, Arimatta, Nagasankar’ and "Dibya, Rudra, Bhim’ of the 'Kaibarta-Jalkeot' community, established various kingdoms in this ancient Undivided Kamrup region (i.e., present-day Kamrup Rural, Kamrup Metro, Nalbari, Bajali and some parts of Baksa district) and neighbouring regions (Undivided North Bengal, etc.), notably the "Kamrup-Lohityapur" or "Matsya Desh" and "Varendra" kingdoms, respectively. Also, the Great 'Kaibarta-Jalkeot' Saint ‘Luipa’ was born in this region. As this ancient Kamrup region is their homeland, the traditional culture of these people still remains prevalent here. The traditional dress of the 'Kaibarta-Jalkeot' community of the Undivided Kamrup region consists of females with Ronga Methoni, Aaguran, Murot Khopa on the head, and Kokalot Aaghatiya at the waist, including traditional ornaments, and males with Pani Gamsa, Baniyan, Mona, Paguri, and Kaibarta-Jalkeot Gamusa, Bara Dat (wild boar teeth), helping in establishing the ‘uniqueness’ of the community. As per Sri Gokul Pathak and established research, a section of Kaibarta-Jalkeot people migrated from Lower Assam to Central and Upper Assam from the 16th century onwards only. Well-known and established sources confirm that firstly the Khasi-Pnar people came to this region, then the Kaibarta-Jalkeot people of 'Austro-Dravidian' racial stock and then the Tibeto-Burman Bodo-Kachari people and so on. The ‘name of the word Kaibarta-Keot or Kevatta’ (from Dravidian root word origin) literally refers to 'Koi/Kai' water/fish and 'Barta' to live off. The ‘ancient group of people who lived off by the water in a maritime culture through fishing, trading, subsistence agriculture, collecting gems, preparing lime, along with establishing various maritime water-orientated kingdoms’ have historically been termed the Kaibarta-Jalkeot ethnicity. ‘Kaibarta-Jalkeot’ people (Undivided Kamrup) had a ‘traditional folk institution’ revolving primarily around their traditional drum, i.e., 'Bor Dhul', known colloquially. Here, instruments such as Tal (cymbals), Kalia (reed pipe), Mohor Xinga (buffalo horn), songs, and traditional dances of the community displaying their respective lifestyle and culture, along with the practice of 'Poromporagot Xomor Kola' (traditional martial acrobatics) known previously as Dhulia Circus, are presented. But it's a misnomer, as it's actually a traditional art form prevalent among the Kaibarta-Jalkeots with their own characteristics, where different traditional martial acrobatics like fire stunts, broken glass stunts, pyramidal and traditional gymnastics, all derived from traditional yoga and war practices of these people since ancient times, are presented.

These martial acrobatics developed historically owing to the martial history of the community dating back to the days of the historical 'Kaibarta/Varendra Rebellion' of the 11th century in the Varendra region (the first major rebellion of the Indian subcontinent), which defeated the mighty Pala Empire with kings namely Dibya, Rudra and Bhim. (Varendra consisted of Undivided North Bengal, Goalpara and parts of Kamrup). Also, they established several chiefdoms in the erstwhile Kamrup region with the ‘Kamrup-Lohityapur kingdom’ or ‘Matsya Desh’, with names to behold, having kings like ‘Deveswar, Arimatta, Nagasankar’, etc. All this shows us, along with various other facts, that the ‘Kaibarta-Jalkeot’ people were a martial race and also the martial history of these people. The chief traditional folk dance of the Kaibarta-Jalkeots, i.e., ‘Mas Dhora Nritya’, displays the traditional lifestyle related to fishing activities. It displays their reverence to the Water Spirit, i.e., Jol Devota, through their National Festival – the traditional ‘Bheldia Jol Puja’ performed every season to pray to Jol Devota. ‘Traditional fishing implements’ used since time immemorial, like Jakhei, Kuk, Kosh, Jati-Keulengi-Asra Jal, Boitha, Polo, etc., are displayed, which reminds everyone of their rich maritime heritage. Also, their ‘lost art form of lime making’ from burning snail shells, ‘health benefits of their unique culinary skills’ like sun-dried fish and smoked fish, traditional fishing-boating songs and the traditional system of trading fishes (Pohari and Aska) are presented. Thus, as a whole, their ancient maritime culture of the ancestors comes to light. Along with that, they have three more traditional dances, namely 'Deodha-Joki' Nritya, which depicts their traditional Shamanistic war dance and martial history performed in reverence to Marei Puja; 'Hengar-Baah-Puja/Paura Tula', where the bamboo is revered along with the Goxai Thapona; and 'Bhaluk Kheda Nas, i.e., Moho-ho, performed to chase out mosquitoes during November. Alongside other rites and rituals, the 'Bhakot Xewa' or 'Chamon Puja' is traditionally worshipped by them in the Kamrup region, originally having rituals similar to the ones established by their Great Saint ‘Luipa’ (the ‘Siddharacharya’ of Tantric Buddhism who wrote the first form of ‘Proto-Kamrupi’ in the holy ‘Charyapada’, on whose basis the Assamese language has received Classical status today). This Kaibarta-Jalkeot ethnicity finds mention in various ancient mythological texts, like Dhibor/Dasa/Nishad Raja, the maritime fisherman chieftain of these people in the Mahabharata, along with ‘Kevatta Raja’ in the Ramayana & ‘Kevatta’ in the Jatakas. (The word Kaibarta-Jalkeot is basically derived from the Prakrit-Dravidian tribal word ‘Kevatta’). This greater ethnic group is known by various names or sub-groups and is enlisted as an ‘indigenous Scheduled Caste (SC) community’ as per the Constitution of India; known in some parts of Undivided Kamrup as Jalkeot, Kaibarta or Jalia Kaibarta and in other regions of Assam as Nadiyal Kaibarta or Kaibartta, in Bengal as Jalia Kaibarta or Keot, and in Orissa as Kaibarta-Keuta or Dhibar, respectively. In Bangladesh they are known as Jaladas, Kaibarta-Keot, etc. This is because most large ethnic groups always have subgroups with a common origin.

Similarly, all these sub-groups believe that Dhibor/Dasa (Nishad) Raja & Kevatta Raja are their ancestral origin, along with their traditional maritime culture. The term ‘Jalkeot’ is prevalent in Lower Assam, i.e., undivided Kamrup proper only. It is used along with the term Kaibarta as ‘Jalkeot is one of the primary sub-groups of the Greater Kaibarta ethnicity’. It basically denotes the same community, like Mech and Bodo-Kachari. The term Mech is used in the undivided Goalpara region along with Nagaland, but the term Boro-Kachari is used from the Baksa side onwards. But both basically denote the same origin community with slight differences. Similarly, in the undivided Kamrup region, though both the sub-groups of the Greater Kaibarta-Jalkeot community, i.e., Jalkeot-Kaibarta and Nadiyal-Kaibarta belong to the same origin stock, slight differences are seen between the two, which find reference in various British and Government of India censuses, including historical facts. For instance, Jalkeot-Kaibarta only sells fish on the bank of the river-beel within a paddle's throw of the boat without weighing it, though a rough estimate (Aska). With the prime objective of revival, preservation and promotion of the rich traditional culture of the ‘Kaibarta-Jalkeot’ people of the Undivided Kamrup region, the ‘KAIBARTA DHULIA DOL, AXOM’, the largest professional socio-cultural troupe of the community, was established. This troupe has regularly performed in various state and national events like Jonbeel Mela, RONGALI, NE Fest, Kalakshetra-NEZCC, Karbi Youth Festival, National Shilpgram Mahotsav, and Axom Xahitya Xabha, including the International G20 Summit. All the art forms displayed are the ancient art form of the Kaibarta-Jalkeots in Kamrup, which has been standardized and presented. A few weeks back, a ‘large delegation’ of about 100 artistes representing their community from different corners of Lower Assam (Bajali-Haripur, Baghmara, Dumuria, Bhabanipur, Bang & South Kamrup) led by them had taken part in the historical Axam Xahitya Xabha, Pathsala. Also, around '300 artistes’ had performed the ‘Kaibarta-Jalkeot’ folk culture led by them during the '38th Kaibarta Conclave' along with the workshop organised by them at 3 No. Amtola, Kukurmara. Thus, we must be proud of our original ancestry, traditional cultural aspects, rituals, lifestyle, historical maritime kingdoms, our native Proto-Kamrupi language, etc., and thus the young generation must preserve & promote it along with being educated to prosper in this global age. We also need to invest back in the fishing industry through scientific techniques which will bring back a lot of revenue.

Finally, all indigenous ethnic groups must be united with the motto 'Unity in Diversity & must remember the golden words that to maintain our identity, we must establish & preserve our original folk culture in addition to being "educated, organised & then agitated".