Ecohes of Eco-Communities: A Cultural Study of Mavchi Community in Khandesh, Maharashtra
Authors :- Swara Joshi and Dr. Meera Vasani
Publication :- ELT Voices, International Peer- Reviewed Journal for the Teachers of English. Issue 12.2, Volume 12, May 3, 2022. Published by International Society for Educational Leadership (ISEL)
The recent 2020-21 research findings by the Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) suggested the constructive impact on the student’s academia opting for courses on minority and ethnic communities. More such calls from the student and faculty members from the worldwide universities are demanding a curriculum that grounds them about the culture and tradition of the society, that are underrepresented and pushed on the periphery. Such a wave in the academic community has paved the way to recognize suppressed groups' cultural diversity and differences. But there are risks and exhilaration involved in studies of marginalized groups concerning their unique autonomous nature from the post-modern society. Therefore, in this paper, I attempt to discern the symbiotic life of the Mavchi people of the Khandesh region of Maharashtra. Through my ethnographic study experience, I have recorded affirmations regarding the imprecise nature of information floating about the Adivasi culture and lifestyle. Taking up this pressing issue, I try to narrate the nature-culture relationship in the voice of minority groups. I describe in detail episodes of the birth to the death of Adivasi life, their struggles, reasons and methods of sustainable living close to nature that come directly from the grounds of the Borpada region in Maharashtra. I examine the changing economic survival strategies and migratory conditions of the Mavchi people that builds a relationship with the neighboring state of Gujarat. The change in religion to the advent of the missionaries in the Adivasi regions showcase the new methods of worshipping, celebrating festivals and singing songs. To trace the history of Mavchi and the developments brought about in the culture, I have selected the novel Aador (2002) written by the indigenous Mavchi writer Najubai Gavit in Marathi as my primary source to close read it and register important historical ‘Mahua’ event mentioned in it.