The study of ethno-veterinary practices is a growing area of inter-disciplinary research having i... more The study of ethno-veterinary practices is a growing area of inter-disciplinary research having immense potential to understanding various nuances of folk knowledge on domesticated animals. More and more natural and social scientists, veterinary practitioners, livestock owners and field workers in developing countries are becoming interested in medicinal plants and their therapeutic uses in caring for the livestock. A simplistic definition of ethno-veterinary medicine is that it is the community-based local or indigenous knowledge and methods of caring for, healing and managing livestock. This also includes social practices and the ways in which livestock are incorporated into farming systems. Ethno-veterinary medicine consists of local peoples' knowledge dealing with folk beliefs, skills, methods and practices pertaining to animal health care and production. This knowledge is based on close observation of animals and/or the oral transmission of experience from one generation to the next (Mathias-Mundy and McCorkle, 1989). The term, "Ethno-veterinary", was coined by McCorkle in 1986. It recognizes the cultural context of traditional practices of livestock management and marks the beginning of systematic exploration of local practices for the development of livestock population. This rich repository of local knowledge about almost all aspects of livestock care is inherent in most of the rural and tribal communities, although it is or well nourished among the pastoral nomads all over the world.
movement. Radcliffe Brown characterised Andamanese responses to the question, ’Where do people go... more movement. Radcliffe Brown characterised Andamanese responses to the question, ’Where do people go when they die’ as ’inconsistent and lacking in precision’ because his informants would never give him a precise destination. Pandya’s effort is to foreground the rationality (no doubt different in its presumptions from ours) that underlie this refusal to think in terms of an ’after life’ and to insist instead on the interpenetrability of the realms of spirits and men, and the constant commerce between them.
The genesis, growth and nature of a social movement is directly conditioned and regulated by the ... more The genesis, growth and nature of a social movement is directly conditioned and regulated by the structure of the movement-bearing society. Particularly, the contemporary communal ethos and the ideological motivation of the leadership determine the direction of the movement. History reveals that there was a neat shift from religious to political movements in tribal Chotanagpur within a relatively short span of time, the objectives remaining alsmost the same. It is, therefore, suggested that the Hindu encapsulated and Christian influenced tribal societies during the British period, and the emergence of political awakening along with the Indian National Movement, might have been responsible for changing the tribal social structure, leadership pattern and eventually, changing the direction of the movement from religious to political. Irrespective of any degree of excellence in the techno-economic, socio-cultural and ideological bases, social movement in any society originates at some point in time, when the forces of change-endogenous or imposed-set the stage for its emergence.
Donyi-Polo as an Indigenous Religion in Arunachal Pradesh: A Facile Analysis, 2023
Donyi-Polo emerged as an indigenous religion amongst the Tani group of tribes in Arunachal Prades... more Donyi-Polo emerged as an indigenous religion amongst the Tani group of tribes in Arunachal Pradesh under Talom Rukbo, a committed religious leader of the State, in the late 1960s. This was essentially to combat the early British colonial activities against tribal advancement by promoting ethnic disaggregation and isolation. Things were no better even after Independence. With the realisation of losing their ethnic identity, traditional religious practices and inter-tribal solidarity, Donyi-Poloism began to revive the tribal cult of animism with innovations that suited the practitioners of this new faith. Like Sarna code in Jharkhand and adjoining tribal belts, Donyi-Poloism has emerged as a powerful religious faith in Arunachal Pradesh, primarily with Sun-Moon worship, in order to consolidate the typical tribal identity and unique practice of spiritualism. This is neither to consciously thwart the spread of Christianity nor to align its believers to Hinduism or to adhere to the ideology of Hindutva
one of the fundamental philosophies of buddhism is its inclusiveness. it teaches the right to liv... more one of the fundamental philosophies of buddhism is its inclusiveness. it teaches the right to livelihood, but without killing or stealing, that ensures coexistence with the environment. these kinds of environmental worldviews are replicated among many indigenous communities of india. this paper endeavors to recount some of these environmental worldviews, very similar to buddhism, among the tribal communities of odisha in india with the help of a case study of Dongria Kondha tribe. tribal religious beliefs are reflected in the form of different rituals. there are allegorical terms that express a deep sense of unity of the Dongria with nature even without any literal meaning. not only their religious life is closely related to the nature but also the tribal livelihood is characterized by a profound relationship between their economic life and the natural environment or habitat, which is generally the forest. in this manner they become the ultimate preserver of nature and maintains harmony between humans and the nature.
Indian tribes living in close proximity to forest are often accused of devastating their environm... more Indian tribes living in close proximity to forest are often accused of devastating their environment because of population pressure, livestock keeping and overuse of the natural resources. Environmental degradation by these communities is commonly attributed to their poverty. But anthropological researches have proved beyond doubt that this assertion is not completely true. Tribals in many places are guided by the value of preserving the environment as a sacred duty. Their rich indigenous environmental knowledge ensures their efficiency as good eco-managers. This paper argues that the ecological research findings by the anthropologists should be carefully considered and a suitable tribal policy be implemented in India, which could recognize the tribal talent in resource management and preservation of the environment for posterity. This would diffuse the prevailing sense of insecurity by the tribals and put an end to the sporadic environmental movements in India.
The study of ethno-veterinary practices is a growing area of inter-disciplinary research having i... more The study of ethno-veterinary practices is a growing area of inter-disciplinary research having immense potential to understanding various nuances of folk knowledge on domesticated animals. More and more natural and social scientists, veterinary practitioners, livestock owners and field workers in developing countries are becoming interested in medicinal plants and their therapeutic uses in caring for the livestock. A simplistic definition of ethno-veterinary medicine is that it is the community-based local or indigenous knowledge and methods of caring for, healing and managing livestock. This also includes social practices and the ways in which livestock are incorporated into farming systems. Ethno-veterinary medicine consists of local peoples' knowledge dealing with folk beliefs, skills, methods and practices pertaining to animal health care and production. This knowledge is based on close observation of animals and/or the oral transmission of experience from one generation to the next (Mathias-Mundy and McCorkle, 1989). The term, "Ethno-veterinary", was coined by McCorkle in 1986. It recognizes the cultural context of traditional practices of livestock management and marks the beginning of systematic exploration of local practices for the development of livestock population. This rich repository of local knowledge about almost all aspects of livestock care is inherent in most of the rural and tribal communities, although it is or well nourished among the pastoral nomads all over the world.
movement. Radcliffe Brown characterised Andamanese responses to the question, ’Where do people go... more movement. Radcliffe Brown characterised Andamanese responses to the question, ’Where do people go when they die’ as ’inconsistent and lacking in precision’ because his informants would never give him a precise destination. Pandya’s effort is to foreground the rationality (no doubt different in its presumptions from ours) that underlie this refusal to think in terms of an ’after life’ and to insist instead on the interpenetrability of the realms of spirits and men, and the constant commerce between them.
The genesis, growth and nature of a social movement is directly conditioned and regulated by the ... more The genesis, growth and nature of a social movement is directly conditioned and regulated by the structure of the movement-bearing society. Particularly, the contemporary communal ethos and the ideological motivation of the leadership determine the direction of the movement. History reveals that there was a neat shift from religious to political movements in tribal Chotanagpur within a relatively short span of time, the objectives remaining alsmost the same. It is, therefore, suggested that the Hindu encapsulated and Christian influenced tribal societies during the British period, and the emergence of political awakening along with the Indian National Movement, might have been responsible for changing the tribal social structure, leadership pattern and eventually, changing the direction of the movement from religious to political. Irrespective of any degree of excellence in the techno-economic, socio-cultural and ideological bases, social movement in any society originates at some point in time, when the forces of change-endogenous or imposed-set the stage for its emergence.
Donyi-Polo as an Indigenous Religion in Arunachal Pradesh: A Facile Analysis, 2023
Donyi-Polo emerged as an indigenous religion amongst the Tani group of tribes in Arunachal Prades... more Donyi-Polo emerged as an indigenous religion amongst the Tani group of tribes in Arunachal Pradesh under Talom Rukbo, a committed religious leader of the State, in the late 1960s. This was essentially to combat the early British colonial activities against tribal advancement by promoting ethnic disaggregation and isolation. Things were no better even after Independence. With the realisation of losing their ethnic identity, traditional religious practices and inter-tribal solidarity, Donyi-Poloism began to revive the tribal cult of animism with innovations that suited the practitioners of this new faith. Like Sarna code in Jharkhand and adjoining tribal belts, Donyi-Poloism has emerged as a powerful religious faith in Arunachal Pradesh, primarily with Sun-Moon worship, in order to consolidate the typical tribal identity and unique practice of spiritualism. This is neither to consciously thwart the spread of Christianity nor to align its believers to Hinduism or to adhere to the ideology of Hindutva
one of the fundamental philosophies of buddhism is its inclusiveness. it teaches the right to liv... more one of the fundamental philosophies of buddhism is its inclusiveness. it teaches the right to livelihood, but without killing or stealing, that ensures coexistence with the environment. these kinds of environmental worldviews are replicated among many indigenous communities of india. this paper endeavors to recount some of these environmental worldviews, very similar to buddhism, among the tribal communities of odisha in india with the help of a case study of Dongria Kondha tribe. tribal religious beliefs are reflected in the form of different rituals. there are allegorical terms that express a deep sense of unity of the Dongria with nature even without any literal meaning. not only their religious life is closely related to the nature but also the tribal livelihood is characterized by a profound relationship between their economic life and the natural environment or habitat, which is generally the forest. in this manner they become the ultimate preserver of nature and maintains harmony between humans and the nature.
Indian tribes living in close proximity to forest are often accused of devastating their environm... more Indian tribes living in close proximity to forest are often accused of devastating their environment because of population pressure, livestock keeping and overuse of the natural resources. Environmental degradation by these communities is commonly attributed to their poverty. But anthropological researches have proved beyond doubt that this assertion is not completely true. Tribals in many places are guided by the value of preserving the environment as a sacred duty. Their rich indigenous environmental knowledge ensures their efficiency as good eco-managers. This paper argues that the ecological research findings by the anthropologists should be carefully considered and a suitable tribal policy be implemented in India, which could recognize the tribal talent in resource management and preservation of the environment for posterity. This would diffuse the prevailing sense of insecurity by the tribals and put an end to the sporadic environmental movements in India.
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Papers by Kamal Misra