Who Are the Oraon?
The Oraon (also called Kurukh) are a Dravidian-speaking tribal people of eastern India, numbering approximately 4-5 million primarily in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and West Bengal. They speak Kurukh, a North Dravidian language—linguistic evidence suggesting they migrated from southern India to the Chota Nagpur Plateau centuries ago. The Oraon coexist with Munda-speaking peoples in the same region but maintain distinct language and identity. They practice wet rice cultivation alongside shifting agriculture and forest gathering.
Dravidian in the North
Kurukh is one of only a few Dravidian languages spoken in northern India, far from the Dravidian heartland of South India. Linguistic and oral traditions suggest the Oraon migrated northward, eventually settling in the Chota Nagpur Plateau. This migration history—separate from both Indo-Aryan speakers and Austroasiatic Munda peoples—gives the Oraon a unique position. Kurukh preserves archaic Dravidian features lost in southern languages, making it valuable for historical linguistics. The language remains vital, with children still learning it as their first language.
Tana Bhagat Movement
The Tana Bhagat movement, beginning around 1914 among the Oraon, combined religious reform with anti-colonial resistance. Jatra Oraon and other leaders preached rejection of animal sacrifice, alcohol, and witchcraft accusations while advocating non-cooperation with British authorities. The movement influenced Gandhi's non-cooperation campaigns. Tana Bhagats adopted vegetarianism and white clothing, distinguishing themselves from mainstream Oraon practice. This indigenous reform movement demonstrated that tribal peoples generated their own responses to colonialism and social challenges, not merely reacting to outside influences.
Contemporary Oraon
Modern Oraon face challenges common to Chota Nagpur tribals: mining displacement, land alienation, and limited economic opportunities. Christianity has spread significantly—Catholic missionaries arrived in the 19th century, and substantial Oraon communities are Christian. Education levels have improved, producing Oraon professionals and intellectuals. Traditional governance through village councils persists alongside formal Indian democracy. The dance and music traditions, particularly the karma and jhumar dances, remain cultural hallmarks. How the Oraon balance Dravidian linguistic heritage with integration into majority Hindi-speaking India shapes this northern Dravidian people's identity.
References
- Roy, S. C. (1915). The Oraons of Chota Nagpur
- Tirkey, A. (2002). The Oraon Symbols of Life and Religion
- Hahn, F. (1906). "Introduction to the Kurukh Language"