Dhankut: A migrant tribe with special reference to social

Dhankut: A migrant tribe with special reference to social
system in changing situation.
Alok Chantia
Samira Maitti
Ritu Garg
Abstract
Sky is blue, is it true? Same questions arise for an endogamous group, "Dhankut" of
district Bahraich of Uttar Pradesh. They have been proved as a migrant group. They are
living in the middle of the city, but their culture is peculiar in many respects - language,
marriage pattern, caste stratification, and death rituals are different from the urban
culture. They have no agricultural land, literacy ratio is 3 to 5% among them and only
two people out of a population of 3000 are in fourth class service. In this regard they are
influenced by acculturation, because their basic needs (food, sex, shelter) which are a
must for every human being. So due to the introduction of urban culture, their traditional
life or social life style is very much affected, which creates a new social structure among
them.
Their festivals (Atho Ka Mela, Gagan Ka Mel, etc) have been affected. Their marriage
pattern (ceremonies namely - RangParna, Lagna, bride wealth, Chhudi Pehnana, etc) are
also very much influenced by urban culture which creates a resonance between traditional
and urban culture.
In my proposed paper, I will discuss all these factors in the light of their basic needs and
will explain these points, in which a migrant group accepts the new social life for their
existence.
Dhankut is in a transition phase, in which they are very much aware of their culture, but
they are victims of circumstances in which a new concept is coming automatically into
their life and we see a change in their social system. I will reveal all those points, which
initiates a migrant group to acquire a new scenario as Dhankut have.