RANCHI/NEW DELHI
When people think of wealth, gold, silver, property, bank balances and investments usually come to mind. During Dhanteras, the first day of Diwali festivities, purchasing precious metals and other valuable goods is widely regarded as auspicious. For millions of families, the occasion is associated with prosperity, security and the hope of a better future.
But wealth can mean something considerably different when viewed through the experiences of India’s indigenous communities.
For many tribal households, particularly those whose livelihoods remain closely connected with agriculture, forests and common natural resources, prosperity cannot be measured exclusively by the quantity of money or jewellery a family possesses. Access to cultivable land, healthy livestock, productive forests, traditional seeds, adequate food stocks and the support of relatives and neighbours can also determine whether a household is secure.
This does not mean that tribal communities do not value money, gold, silver or modern assets. They do. Nor does it suggest that all tribal societies share the same economic philosophy. Rather, it draws attention to a wider understanding of material and social security that often receives little attention in discussions about wealth.
Land Is More Than An Asset
For an agricultural household, land is not simply a property whose value can be calculated according to prevailing market rates. It is also the source of food, livelihood, identity and continuity between generations.
In several tribal regions, agricultural land is connected with family histories, ancestral settlements, customary practices and community relationships. Its significance therefore extends beyond its monetary valuation.
The situation is particularly important in Jharkhand, where the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act, 1908, and the Santhal Parganas Tenancy (Supplementary Provisions) Act, 1949, provide specific protections concerning the transfer of tribal land.
These laws reflect the historical importance of land to tribal communities and the consequences of alienation from ancestral resources.
Yet ownership alone does not necessarily guarantee prosperity. Soil fertility, irrigation, access to markets, agricultural productivity and the ability to retain the produce are equally important.
Forest As A Living Source Of Wealth
For forest-dependent communities, the forest represents an economic and ecological resource that cannot be adequately captured by timber prices or the market value of individual products.
Seasonal forest produce, including mahua flowers, tendu leaves, lac, sal seeds, tamarind, honey, medicinal plants, mushrooms and edible greens, supports household consumption and provides income in different regions. The value of these resources is not restricted to what they fetch in the market. They can also contribute to nutrition, traditional healthcare, household requirements and resilience during periods when agricultural earnings are limited.
The Forest Rights Act, 2006, provides an important legal framework for understanding this relationship. It recognises individual and community rights over forest resources, including ownership, access to and disposal of minor forest produce. It also recognises the right of eligible communities to protect, regenerate, conserve and manage community forest resources traditionally protected by them.
This recognition is significant because it acknowledges that forests are not merely government-controlled natural assets but are also spaces of livelihood, culture, customary rights and community responsibility.
For a village whose economic security depends on the continued availability of forest produce, a healthy forest can represent a form of wealth that no bank statement can adequately describe.
Seeds, Cattle And Food Security
Traditional seeds are another important dimension of indigenous economic security. Farmers who preserve and exchange locally adapted varieties of paddy, millets, pulses and other crops retain access to planting material that may be suited to their local soil and climatic conditions.
Seed preservation also reduces dependence on purchasing fresh seeds every agricultural season. The practice has cultural and ecological significance, apart from its economic value.
Similarly, livestock can represent much more than an asset that can be sold when money is needed. Cattle, goats and poultry provide manure, agricultural support, milk, meat and a potential source of emergency income.
In Jharkhand, the significance of cattle is particularly visible during Sohrai, a harvest and cattle festival observed among communities including the Santhals, Mundas and Oraons. The animals are washed, decorated and honoured, reflecting their importance in agricultural life.
The festival offers a glimpse into an economic relationship in which livestock is valued not merely for its market price but also for its contribution to household and agricultural life.
Community Relationships As Social Wealth
Another dimension of prosperity is the network of relationships that enables families to withstand economic difficulties.
In villages where agriculture, seasonal work and forest-based livelihoods are important, cooperation between households can be essential. Labour-sharing, assistance during agricultural operations, participation in community activities and support during family emergencies can reduce the financial burden on individual households.
Such arrangements differ across communities and are changing with migration, monetisation and the expansion of market-based employment. Nevertheless, they illustrate why economic security cannot always be understood at the level of an individual bank account.
The Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, recognises the importance of customary law, social and religious practices and traditional management of community resources. It also gives Gram Sabhas responsibilities concerning the preservation of community traditions, cultural identity and resources.
These provisions provide an institutional context for understanding community resources as something that requires collective decision-making and protection.
Does This Understanding Of Wealth Have Contemporary Relevance?
The idea of measuring prosperity through natural resources, food security, livelihood stability and collective well-being has relevance beyond tribal regions.
Climate change, declining biodiversity, land degradation, water scarcity and the vulnerability of rural livelihoods have exposed the limitations of treating economic growth and individual purchasing power as the only measures of development.
However, it would be misleading to romanticise indigenous economic systems. Tribal communities face poverty, indebtedness, land alienation, unemployment, displacement and unequal access to education, healthcare and markets. Traditional livelihoods alone cannot guarantee economic security.
The challenge is therefore not to choose between traditional and modern forms of wealth but to ensure that communities retain control over their resources while gaining access to better education, healthcare, infrastructure, technology and income opportunities.
The Forest Rights Act and PESA provide important legal foundations, but their effectiveness depends on implementation, recognition of legitimate rights and the capacity of local institutions.
Dhanteras and Diwali celebrate prosperity in different ways across India. Looking at wealth through indigenous experiences adds another dimension to that conversation.
For a household, prosperity may be reflected in gold kept safely in a locker. For another, it may also lie in fertile farmland, a healthy herd, a seed collection, a productive forest and a community that stands together in difficult times.
The larger question is whether wealth should be measured only by what an individual owns or also by the resources, relationships and security that make an entire community prosperous.
