Adi Dharam

Adi Dharam or ādi dharam ( आदि धरम, আদি ধারাম, આદિ ધરમ, ଆଦି ଧର୍ମ, ఆది ధారణ, ஆடி தரம், ആദി താരം, ಆದಿ ಧರಮ್) (literal meaning the ancient or the root (Ādi) religion (Dharam) ) refers to the tribal religion or the traditional religion or the indigenous religion or the Adivasi (Hindi for original settlers) religion of the indigenous peoples of India.^[1] It is an umbrella term used to denote the religion of indigenous peoples of India.^[2] The term 'Adi Dharam' was made popular by the tribal scholar and philosopher Ram Dayal Munda^[3][4] when he sought to unite the ancestral beliefs of the all the indigenous people of India ^[3][5][6]

Nomenclature of the religions of the tribals of India

In the pre-Independence British era, the Indian government had recognized the distinctiveness of the religious beliefs of the Adivasi or the tribal people of India and had categorized it under the term 'Animism'. The term Animism was re-purposed and made popular by the works of British anthropologist Sir Edward Tylor. Census records as early as 1871^[7] and various ethnographic books by the Britishers show that a large chunk of the tribal population were followers of their traditional religion (recognized as Animism). The term 'Animism' was included in the census till 1931 after which, due to unknown reasons, its use was discontinued (some records show that Animism was there in the 1951 census). The post-Independence Indian Government abolished all the terms signifying the distinctiveness of the religious beliefs of the tribal people.^[8]

However, tribal religious movements that intended to safeguard the belief system and identity^[9] of the tribals continued at a regional level like the Donyi-Polo movement, Gondi movement, Khasi religion, Sanamahi movement, Sari Dharam movement, Sarna movement etc.,^[10][11] but a national level movement encompassing all the tribals was lacking. The early post-Independence literate tribals did feel a need for a national level movement in order to safeguard the religious beliefs of the tribals.^[12] The term 'Adi-Dharam' to denote nationally the belief system of the tribals was very much used among the literate tribals in the early post independence era as is evident from Shri Kartik Oraon's, (a tribal leader and the then State Minister of Aviation and Communication, Govt. of India) book Bees Varsh ki Kaali Raat (1970s)^[13] where he uses the word 'Adi Dharm' to denote the belief system of the tribals nationally.

The issue of the national religious identity of the tribals was powerfully reignited when in 2000, Ram Dayal Munda wrote a paper 'Adi-Dharam: Religious Beliefs of the Adivasis of India'.^[14][15] In the paper he argued for the distinctiveness of the belief system of the tribals and proposed that the term 'Adi Dharam' along with the regional term (Donyi-Polo, Gondi, Sanamahi, Sari, Sarna etc. in brackets) be included in the census survey which would include all the tribals who are still following their traditional belief system.^[16] This national identity, according to him, "will strengthen their (the tribals') solidarity, which will be helpful for their security and progress".

Distinctiveness of the Adivasi (Tribals) belief system

Ram Dayal Munda emphasized the following points which are common to all the tribal people of India as well as of the whole world, regarding their religious beliefs:-.^[17][18] According to him, in the Adivasi (Tribal) belief system^[8][15][19]

1. The socialized form of God is comparatively more intimate. The relationship between the grandparent/ grandchild is most endearing among the Adivasi people. God is bound through this kinship with the human kind.
2. The most distinctive forms of nature (hills, rivers, forest and others) are accepted as the best dwellings of God. The artificial structures – temples, mosques, churches and others – are not needed.
3. They believe in the eternity of the existence of human kind. This is reflected symbolically in the ritual of the return of the soul of the departed in the form of a shadow, prevalent among the Adivasi people in varying degrees.
4. In the Adi-Dharam belief system the individual is comparatively less afflicted with the notions of heaven and hell, merit and sin. A socially approved act is meritorious and an anti-social act is sinful. An individual does not go anywhere to heaven or hell; living within social norms is living in heaven and going against it is hell.
5. The individual has the relatively greater freedom of relating to God directly without the mediation of any go between (priest, pandit, maulvi, padre, etc.). The Adivasi religious performances are accomplished with a minimum of ritualistic paraphernalia.
6. The elements of creation have a symbiotic relationship among each other on the basis of equality and mutuality. The Adi-Dharam system does not have the audacity of declaring human kind to be the best in the entire creation and therefore has the right to control everything.
7. Adi-Dharam is self-sprung along with the creation itself. It is timeless, not dependent on any avatar, messiah or paigambar/prophet.

List of Tribal Religions / Indigenous Religions

The different tribal religions as per the 2001 census reports of Government of India^[20] on 'Other Religions and Persuasions'

The different tribal religions as per the 2011 census reports of Government of India^[20] on 'Other Religions and Persuasions'

See also

• List of Scheduled Tribes in India
• Scheduled Tribes

References