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These
isolated Greek-like people live by their own code of consensus
developed centuries ago and shun contact with outsiders
Malana
is somewhere up there behind those mountains, our guide pointed. I
contemplated the narrow, irregular road on the opposite side of the
river, zig-zagging straight through the clouds up into the sky.
Whenever I have been out on a trek, all roads have lost every other
perspective, save this — is it uphill or downhill. Very often I
have lost sight of all the wonderful bounty of nature strewn on both
the sides, so completely engrossed I had been in the act of getting
the miles behind me. I bravely flicked my twenty odd kilogram heavy
rugsack that seemed to be weighing much more than that, over my
shoulders, already weary from carrying the blasted thing for the last
seven days, and dragged my feet over the boulder strewn river bed of
Malana Nala. It was peak summer time and the river was running
full-throated and wild. It would eventually pour into Parvati river
which was an important tributary of the mighty Beas. The Government
was planning a Hydel project over the Malana river to tap its wanton
energy. A number of such projects designed to generate
hydroelectricity were getting executed all over in Himachal Pradesh,
intended to render the state surplus in power. But we were not
there to marvel at such technological wonders but in fact a political
one, a sociological puzzle if you please. We were there to see for
ourselves, the oldest democracy in the world and we were very near
our goal. Malana village at the end of that day’s trek would
reveal it all to us. The sound of the roaring river drowned the
thump of our foot steps. At several places, narrower and steeper
paths branched out from the track and very often we would get seduced
into following a braided thread of trails used by herdsmen and local
people. Most often I have regretted my decision to stray from the
beaten track and have been left wondering at the sure-footedness and
amazing lung capacities of these local people. Our guide, a local
from the nearby village of Jari, overtook us. He pointed to the wild
bushes on both sides. “Know what it is?” He winked. I could
guess – charas plants, the source of the fabled “Malana
hash”! “ But are these wild or cultivated?” I
inquired. He shrugged and hastened away. He found it tiresome to keep
pace with us being used to walking much faster in these mountainous
countrysides, and preferred to move ahead and wait for us somewhere
further up.
Three
hours later, the village emerged out of the clouds, literally.
Aligned vertically, the houses cascaded down in steps along the
sloping mountainside. They looked top heavy as if leaning over the
edge. As we entered the village, the ornate carving on the wooden
walls and pillars showed up. Our guide pointed to a few robed
soldiers on a panel. These images have been posing perplexing
questions to anthropologists and sociologists alike. For some, it is
evidence to support a theory that Alexander the Great came as far as
here at the time of his Indian conquest and that some of his men
stayed back to marry local lasses and settle down. Certainly their
fierce “Greek” facial features and penetrating glances
required some explaining! But others believe that people from the
neighbouring valleys migrated here many centuries ago as represented
in the eight distinct clans residing in the village today. For a
community with no recorded history, without a script and speaking a
dialect that is a confusing mix of Sanskrit, Bhotti and Kinnauri,
reconstructing their past remains a challenge.
What
is easier to decipher for an out-sider though is their administration
or the governing “Malanan Parliament” which comprises of
upper and lower houses. The Upper House has three permanent members
and eight elected members, one from each of the eight clans. The
Lower House comprises of all adults or heads of families of Malana.
Any issue, big or small is endlessly debated by this Government
called “Kameti” until a consensus is reached. If not, it is
left to their guardian deity Jamlu Devta to decide. The system has
endured the test of time; divorce as well as crimes like rape, murder
and kidnapping are unknown in Malana and not a single case of
dispute has been appealed to outside authorities. They, in fact do
not acknowledge the authority of our bigger nation, India.
Their
Jamlu Devta also seems to be imbued with this same independent
spirit. Our guide narrated his escapades. One of them goes back to
the famous Dusshera festival of Kullu. The most striking feature of
Dussehra as observed in the Kullu valley is the absence of a
dramatisation or retelling of the Ramayana. Nor are there any effigy
burning rituals observed. In fact it is celebrated to commemorate
the arrival, from a temple in Ayodhya, of the ashtadhatu idol of
Raghunathji at Sultanpur, the then capital of the principality of
Kullu. This was done in an attempt to embrace Vaishnavism by the then
king Jagat Singh. When the idol arrived at Sultanpur the king
organized the devtas and devis of all the villages of Kullu valley to
congregate at a certain point where they were required to give
cognisance to Raghunath’s sovereignty. With the exception of
two, all arrived promptly and in order of protocol.
Among
the two to revolt was Hadimba the wife of Bhima of Mahabharata. She
was appeased with promises of retaining her overlordship under the
new dispensation. To this day, Hadimba is the last to join the
assembly at Dhalpur. But Jamlu, the tribal devta of Malana refused
altogether to submit to an “alien”. His absence has been
observed for centuries. He arrives at the river but does not cross
it. Apprehensive of the outcome of the conclave presided over by an
alien, Jamlu camps on the left bank of Beas, opposite the Dhalpur
site of the assembly for as long as the conclave lasts and returns to
Malana without paying homage to Raghunathji. Sociologists explain
this as an expression of the apprehensions of the tribals over the
introduction of Vaishnavism in Kullu raj and the treatment accorded
to it by the raja in preference to animism that was prevalent then.
This represents tribal non-violent resistance to organized religion.
The people of Malana stay away from the rath pulling ceremony as
well.
Ultimately,
we’re all outsiders
We
were not allowed to enter the temple of Jamlu Devta. The doorway was
arched over with huge skulls and horns of buffaloes, they were
mementoes of the sacrifices made to their Devta. We strolled around
freely in other parts of the village. The men and women alike looked
unwashed and untidy. It seems they never bathed! Some of them had a
vacant expression and a little “doped” air about them.
Liberal intake of charas or weakened genes as a result of what
biologists would call “close inbreeding” over prolonged
time? Both polygamy as well as polyandry was prevalent here. For a
marriage partner, they looked no further than Rasol, the next village
barely 10 km away. The rest of the world comprised of
“untouchables”. In fact, this aspect came to us as a
revelation when we tried to pay at a tea shop in the evening. The
shopkeeper recoiled from my outstretched hands mumbling something
incomprehensible. At first, I thought he was appalled at the idea of
money payment for an act of generosity he had indulged in by serving
us tea. But our guide arrived just then to solve the mystery. He
would never accept anything from “outsiders” directly, lest
he should get contaminated! It was however all right to lay down the
money on the table from where he could collect it. We were truly
jolted to get this dose of untouchability from the other side!
Everything in the life of this minuscule community ensconced deep in
Parvati valley of Himachal, appeared to me as a part of a bigger
scheme to keep away outside influence and lead self-reliant, secluded
lives. At a height of 2652 m, life for the residents of Malana was
certainly not easy and there were tale-tell signs of poverty all
around. But they obviously thought it was a very small price to pay
for an able and just judiciary combined with an even and free
environment, the fruits of democracy. There are no perfect
democracies, you argue, but if democracy is to be defined as a form
of “government by discussion,” in which groups of people
having common interests make decisions that affect their lives
through debate, consultation, and voting, Malana truly qualifies. I
hereby cast my vote in its favour!
INFORMATION
Malana
(2652 m) is a village in the Kullu valley of Himachal Pradesh, 30 km
from Katrain. It falls en-route the Chandrakhani trek organized every
year by Youth Hostels Association of India from June to October
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