• About
  • Contact
  • Sitemap
  • Gallery
No Result
View All Result
Vacancies
Friday, July 4, 2025
The Indian Tribal
  • Home
  • Achievers
    • उपलब्धिकर्ता
  • Cuisine
    • खान पान
  • Health
    • स्वास्थ्य
  • Legal
    • कानूनी
  • Music
    • संगीत
  • News
    • Updates
    • खबरें
  • Sports
    • खेलकूद
  • Variety
    • विविध
  • हिंदी
    • All
    • आदिवासी
    • उपलब्धिकर्ता
    • कला और संस्कृति
    • कानूनी
    • खबरें
    • खान पान
    • खेलकूद
    • जनजाति
    • भारत
    • विविध
    • संगीत
    • संस्कृति
    • स्वास्थ्य
    The Indian Tribal

    वन्य जीवों का संरक्षण और बच्चों की शिक्षा साथ-साथ

    The Indian Tribal

    ग्रीष्म ऋतु, आदिवासी और महुआ की कहानी

    The Indian Tribal

    झारखण्ड की एक और युवा आदिवासी लेखिका ने साहित्य जगत में लहराया परचम

    The Indian Tribal

    आयोग लाएगा आदिवासी ज़मीन की खरीद-बिक्री पर थाना क्षेत्र की बाध्यता पर स्पष्टता

    झारखंड सरकार के वित्त मंत्री राधा कृष्ण किशोर ने सोमवार को 1 लाख 45 हजार 400 करोड़ रुपये का वार्षिक बजट प्रस्तुत किया।

    झारखंड में बनेगा जनजातीय विश्वविद्यालय 

    The Indian Tribal

    सौर ऊर्जा ने भगाया अंधेरा, झिलमिला उठे आदिवासियों के भविष्य के सपने

    The Indian Tribal

    जनजातीय स्वतंत्रता सेनानियों के गौरव को चित्रों में उकेरने की अनूठी पहल

    The Indian Tribal

    झारखण्ड के महान विभूतियों की संघर्ष गाथा हमारे लिए प्रेरणास्रोत हैं: मुख्यमंत्री हेमन्त सोरेन

  • Gallery
    • Videos
  • Latest News
The Indian Tribal
  • Home
  • Achievers
    • उपलब्धिकर्ता
  • Cuisine
    • खान पान
  • Health
    • स्वास्थ्य
  • Legal
    • कानूनी
  • Music
    • संगीत
  • News
    • Updates
    • खबरें
  • Sports
    • खेलकूद
  • Variety
    • विविध
  • हिंदी
    • All
    • आदिवासी
    • उपलब्धिकर्ता
    • कला और संस्कृति
    • कानूनी
    • खबरें
    • खान पान
    • खेलकूद
    • जनजाति
    • भारत
    • विविध
    • संगीत
    • संस्कृति
    • स्वास्थ्य
    The Indian Tribal

    वन्य जीवों का संरक्षण और बच्चों की शिक्षा साथ-साथ

    The Indian Tribal

    ग्रीष्म ऋतु, आदिवासी और महुआ की कहानी

    The Indian Tribal

    झारखण्ड की एक और युवा आदिवासी लेखिका ने साहित्य जगत में लहराया परचम

    The Indian Tribal

    आयोग लाएगा आदिवासी ज़मीन की खरीद-बिक्री पर थाना क्षेत्र की बाध्यता पर स्पष्टता

    झारखंड सरकार के वित्त मंत्री राधा कृष्ण किशोर ने सोमवार को 1 लाख 45 हजार 400 करोड़ रुपये का वार्षिक बजट प्रस्तुत किया।

    झारखंड में बनेगा जनजातीय विश्वविद्यालय 

    The Indian Tribal

    सौर ऊर्जा ने भगाया अंधेरा, झिलमिला उठे आदिवासियों के भविष्य के सपने

    The Indian Tribal

    जनजातीय स्वतंत्रता सेनानियों के गौरव को चित्रों में उकेरने की अनूठी पहल

    The Indian Tribal

    झारखण्ड के महान विभूतियों की संघर्ष गाथा हमारे लिए प्रेरणास्रोत हैं: मुख्यमंत्री हेमन्त सोरेन

  • Gallery
    • Videos
  • Latest News
No Result
View All Result
The Indian Tribal
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Achievers
  • Cuisine
  • Health
  • Legal
  • Music
  • News
  • Sports
  • Variety
  • हिंदी
  • Gallery
  • Latest News
Vacancies
Home » The Indian Tribal / Variety » Understanding Sandeshkhali And Its Past Linkages

Understanding Sandeshkhali And Its Past Linkages

By and large, a run of the mill, inconspicuous, semi-urban administrative block of West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, the tribal-dominated region hit the national headlines in two tranches, and has kept the political cauldron boiling. S. Shrobana digs deep into the burning issue in a two-part series. PART-1

February 22, 2024
Sandeshkhali

Vidyadhari River Flows Serenly By The Tumultous Sandeshkhali

Kolkata

“Hell is empty and all the devils are here”: William Shakespeare.

This Shakespearean quote may not be wholly untrue for Sandeshkhali, the island boondocks adjoining the frighteningly mysterious Sunderbans — or you may say a part of extended Sunderbans bordering Bangladesh — which is Bengal’s own version of what they call Never Never Land.

On January 5, alleged henchmen of a local politician Sheikh Shahjahan attacked and gave fractured heads to Enforcement Directorate officials who had gone to raid his house in connection to a multi-crore ration scam. The second incident took place one month later when hundreds of women mostly belonging to the local tribal communities came out in protest against the alleged land grab and sexual exploitation by the musclemen of the powers that be. They gheraoed the local police station demanding the arrest of Shahjahan, Shibu Hajra and Uttam Sardar — three local politicians and district board members.

But before discussing the present situation, it is worth tracing the backward linkages of Sandeshkhali and the neighbouring Sunderbans.

Sandeshkhali
Sandeshkhali Shown In Red

History Of Migrations And Beliefs And Present Status

Devils did not ‘rule’ Sandeshkhali from eternity. For, another writer of Bengali origin Amitabha Ghose wrote extensively about this rough country surrounded on all sides by the wide rivers, backwaters, creeks and the animals infesting them.

And Ghose writes in Hungry Tide how: In the beginning…there was nothing but forests here. There were no people, no embankments, no fields. Just kada and bada, (mud and mangrove). At high tide most of the land vanished under water. And everywhere you looked, there were predators – tigers, crocodiles, sharks, leopards…This was a time when people were so desperate for the land that they were willing to sell themselves for a bigha or two.

Though the immediate geopolitical reference of the area is Sandeshkhali II Block, one cannot lose sight of the adjoining regions of Sunderbans delta of North and South 24 Parganas. Thanks to their geopolitical unity.

As for Sandeshkhali, it is a part of the North Bidyadhari Plain, one of the three physiographic regions in the district located in the lower Ganga-Hooghly Delta almost at the mouth of Bay Bengal.

Sandeshkhali is entrapped on all sides by Rivers Vidyadhari, Raimangal, Dansa and Kaindi. Full of marshes, the region is bounded on all sides by semi-urban villages like Hingalganj, Basanti, Gosaba — the region which ironically houses a Bidhoba Para or village of the widows thanks to the man-eating Royal Bengal Tigers.

The tribal people are primarily the descendants of Oraons, Santhals, Mundas etc and possibly migrated to this region from Chotanagpur and Rarh Banga during colonial era. The Sardars of this region too are tribals and one of the early settlers of this place. They also migrated from the present Bangaldesh in the wake of Partition. In both the regions, like in many other river islands of Sunderban delta of North and South 24 Parganas districts, the tribal people were “imported” by the British landlords for Indigo cultivation.

Many older people believe, the British Sahibs’ lust for Indigo money was one of the main reasons why Sandeshkhali, Jeliakhali, Dhamakjhali, Hingalganj, Shamsherganj etc came into being by cleaning up the “Bada” or mangrove forests. 

“In those days, many of our ancestors believed that the men were the sons of the Sun the God. At first, the world was covered with water post which the Sun lay egg out of which reptiles were created. Upon Sun’s orders, the reptiles created mud which then dried up. As the mud heated receiving Sun’s heat the eggs too heated up and gave birth to birds which were arrogant and did not worship Sun. So he created a man and a woman out of mud,” claims Ganapti Sardar, a local.

He, however, conceded that much of their history is loaned out from the other tribal races and that the men of his origin have lost much of their history.

Sunderbans
A Royal Bengal Tiger In Sunderban National Park And Tiger Reserve

But that is an anecdote. Historically speaking in the 18th century, Tilman Henckell, a British judge floated the Sunderbans Plan under which the vast swathes of marshy lands, salt lakes and mangroves were converted into agricultural land and the revenue was distributed among the people.

However, intermittent conflicts between the British and the local zamindars derailed the initiative which was floated again in 1831. This time, tribal people were brought in from what was known as Rarh Bengal — Bankura, Birbhum and surrounding of Chhotanagpur and Odisha.

The tribals cleared the forests. During this time, between 1881 and 1916, about 700 people were killed by tigers in the Sunderbans; most of them presumably tribal. This can conveniently be found in the records of State forest department. A century and more later, the situation has not changed much save the import of some stray television sets and smart phones often tossed up as a part of some government scheme during elections. The trend continues.

Sandeshkhali is only a part of the Sunderbans deltas mostly comprising river islands at the mouth of Bay of Bengal but the tribal population of this area is not confined to this region only. They are spread all over the neighbouring regions of Sunderbans.

Indeed, more than two lakh tribals remain the most marginalised demographic group in the Sunderbans. This, despite the fact that they were the earliest settlers of the place.

Informs a professor of Oceanography at Jadavpur University how the people, most of whom are tribals, have to venture deep inside the forests on account of dwindling fish population due to climatic changes. This makes them fall prey to tigers and according to him, about 85 percent tiger attacks take place deep inside the forests in the narrow creeks of Sunderbans.

And the tribals don’t have other means to fall back on due to lack of enough education and loss of agricultural lands on account of advancing sea and of course grabbing by local dons.

MEANWHILE

The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) team reached Sandeshkhali on Thursday morning. The Commission received over 23 complaints of forcible land grabbing and torture during their interaction with locals. NCST acting vice-chairperson Ananta Nayak said they have also received complaints against a politician, which they would include in their report to the President.

(To be continued)

Root Woot | Online Puja Samagri Root Woot | Online Puja Samagri Root Woot | Online Puja Samagri

In Numbers

49.4 %
Female Literacy rate of Scheduled Tribes

Web Stories

Bastar’s Famed Tuma Craft On Verge Of Extinction
Bastar’s Famed Tuma Craft On Verge Of Extinction
By The Indian Tribal
7 Tribal-linked Odisha Products Get GI Tag
7 Tribal-linked Odisha Products Get GI Tag
By The Indian Tribal
Traditional Attire Of Pawara Tribeswomen Losing Its Charm
Traditional Attire Of Pawara Tribeswomen Losing Its Charm
By The Indian Tribal
Tuma Art Going Extinct
Tuma Art Going Extinct
By The Indian Tribal

Update

Van Dhan Kendra set up for Andaman’s Onge tribe

In a bid to make the Onge tribe self-sustainable through coconut-based products, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands administration has set up a Van Dhan Vikas Kendra for them at Dugong Creek, in Little Andaman, under the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyay Maha Abhiyan. Initially, 56 members of the Onge tribe will be part of VDVK and focus on producing value-added coconut-based products, including high-quality copra and cold-pressed coconut oil. The PVTG Onge VDVK members have been trained in copra processing, coconut oil extraction, and the use of specialised machinery that has been set up. Dugong Creek, which is about 93 km from Port Blair, is a reserved area for the Onge tribe and is currently home to only 140 people, including 74 males and 66 females.
The Indian Tribal
आदिवासी

ग्रीष्म ऋतु, आदिवासी और महुआ की कहानी

by The Indian Tribal
June 23, 2025

रसीले फूलों से लेकर उनके सूखने और फिर बोतलों में बंद होने तक स्वाद से भरपूर महुआ शराब की कहानी कुछ अलग ही है। गर्मी के इस मौसम में आदिवासी संस्कृति के अभिन्न अंग इस शानदार पेय के बारे में The Indian Tribal की विस्तृत रिपोर्ट

The Indian Tribal

झारखण्ड की एक और युवा आदिवासी लेखिका ने साहित्य जगत में लहराया परचम

June 18, 2025
The Indian Tribal

Baiga Tribals Make A Style Statement Through Nature-Derived Jewellery

June 17, 2025
The Indian Tribal

Bhunjia Tribals Do The Unthinkable: Produce Pomegranates On Wasteland

May 30, 2025
The Indian Tribal

SHGs Make PVTG Kamar Women Self-Dependent

May 24, 2025
The Indian Tribal

आयोग लाएगा आदिवासी ज़मीन की खरीद-बिक्री पर थाना क्षेत्र की बाध्यता पर स्पष्टता

May 21, 2025
Previous Post

झारखंड में मुख्यमंत्री ग्राम गाड़ी योजना शुरू, नागरिकों को मिलेगी फ्री बस सेवा

Next Post

Manipur Tribal Body Seeks Amit Shah’s Intervention To Stop Posting Of Kuki-Zo Cops In Meitei Areas, Terms It ‘Death Sentence’

Top Stories

The Indian Tribal
Jharkhand

From Despair To Confidence: Tale Of Two Physically-Challenged Tribals

July 1, 2025
The Indian Tribal
Jharkhand

Know All About Hul Diwas, India’s ‘First Tribal Uprising’ Against British, Zamindars

June 29, 2025
The Indian Tribal
आदिवासी

ग्रीष्म ऋतु, आदिवासी और महुआ की कहानी

June 23, 2025
Load More
Next Post
Manipur Police

Manipur Tribal Body Seeks Amit Shah’s Intervention To Stop Posting Of Kuki-Zo Cops In Meitei Areas, Terms It ‘Death Sentence’

West Bengal

The Sandesh From Sandeshkhali

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Team
  • Redressal
  • Copyright Policy
  • Privacy Policy And Terms Of Use
  • Disclaimer
  • Sitemap

  • Achievers
  • Cuisine
  • Health
  • Hindi Featured
  • India
  • News
  • Legal
  • Music
  • Sports
  • Trending
  • Chhattisgarh
  • Delhi
  • Gujarat
  • Jammu & Kashmir
  • Jharkhand
  • Kerala
  • Madhya Pradesh
  • Maharashtra
  • North East
  • Arunachal Pradesh
  • Assam
  • Manipur
  • Meghalaya
  • Mizoram
  • Nagaland
  • Sikkim
  • Tripura
  • Odisha
  • Telangana
  • West Bengal
  • Political News
  • Variety
  • Art & Culture
  • Entertainment
  • Adivasi
  • Tribal News
  • Scheduled Tribes
  • हिंदी
  • उपलब्धिकर्ता
  • कानूनी
  • खान पान
  • खेलकूद
  • स्वास्थ्य
  • संस्कृति
  • संगीत
  • विविध
  • कला और संस्कृति
  • खबरें
  • असम की ताज़ा ख़बरें
  • अरुणाचल प्रदेश की ताज़ा ख़बरें
  • ओडिशा की ताज़ा ख़बरें
  • केरल की ताज़ा ख़बरें
  • गुजरात की ताज़ा ख़बरें
  • छत्तीसगढ़
  • जम्मू और कश्मीर की ताज़ा ख़बरें
  • झारखंड न्यूज़
  • तेलंगाना की ताज़ा ख़बरें
  • दिल्ली
  • नॉर्थईस्ट की ताज़ा ख़बरें
  • पश्चिम बंगाल की ताज़ा ख़बरें
  • मध्य प्रदेश की ताज़ा ख़बरें
  • महाराष्ट्र की ताज़ा ख़बरें
  • त्रिपुरा की ताज़ा ख़बरें
  • नागालैंड की ताज़ा ख़बरें
  • मणिपुर की ताज़ा ख़बरें
  • मिजोरम की ताज़ा ख़बरें
  • मेघालय की ताज़ा ख़बरें
  • सिक्किम की ताज़ा ख़बरें
  • राजस्थान की ताज़ा ख़बरें

About Us

The Indian Tribal is India’s first bilingual (English & Hindi) digital journalistic venture dedicated exclusively to the Scheduled Tribes. The ambitious, game-changer initiative is brought to you by Madtri Ventures Pvt Ltd (www.madtri.com). From the North East to Gujarat, from Kerala to Jammu and Kashmir — our seasoned journalists bring to the fore life stories from the backyards of the tribal, indigenous communities comprising 10.45 crore members and constituting 8.6 percent of India’s population as per Census 2011. Unsung Adivasi achievers, their lip-smacking cuisines, ancient medicinal systems, centuries-old unique games and sports, ageless arts and crafts, timeless music and traditional musical instruments, we cover the Scheduled Tribes community like never-before, of course, without losing sight of the ailments, shortcomings and negatives like domestic abuse, alcoholism and malnourishment among others plaguing them. Know the unknown, lesser-known tribal life as we bring reader-engaging stories of Adivasis of India.

Follow Us

All Rights Reserved

© 2024 Madtri Ventures [P] Ltd.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Achievers
  • Cuisine
  • Health
  • Health
  • Legal
  • Music
  • News
  • Sports
  • Variety
  • हिंदी
    • उपलब्धिकर्ता
    • खान पान
    • कानूनी
    • खेलकूद
    • खेलकूद
    • संगीत
    • संगीत
    • स्वास्थ्य
    • स्वास्थ्य
    • विविध
  • Gallery
  • Videos

© 2024 Madtri Ventures [P] Ltd.

Bastar’s Famed Tuma Craft On Verge Of Extinction 7 Tribal-linked Odisha Products Get GI Tag Traditional Attire Of Pawara Tribeswomen Losing Its Charm Tuma Art Going Extinct