Chharanagar comprises of houses and shops. There are small shops where people sell goods and services.
people earning their money through making liquor, which sell to other person who come from other parts of the city. None are from Chharanagar.
There is also a library at Chharanagar; about two thousand books are stored here. Bhantu student and youngsters run this library with helping from BHASHA RESEARCH CENTRE of Dr. Ganesh Devy of Baroda and activist Mallika sarabhai of Ahmedabad.
there are 1500 houses in Chharanagar of Bhantu; about 15,000 Bhantu live in Ahmedabad of which 10,000 to 12,000 Bhantu’s reside at Chharanagar. Chharanagar is said to be circa 25 square kilometres. There are three areas in Ahmedabad where the Bhantu -Chharas live.
There are lack of basic need like toilets outside, without a tap. Everywhere there is mud and garbage. lack of municipal facilities, absence of street lights, proper drainage, water system, good roads and the lack of a common plot to celebrate festivals, stage drama performances and hold other cultural activities.
History for Recognition
Many aspects contribute to the making of the Bhantu identity. Often, these factors are interrelated. One of the most important and often recurring aspects is the history of the Bhantu community. The history of the Bhantus is oral in form. Their history is usually told by their elders to the younger Bhantus.
“In India, there are 191 communities that are listed as Denotified Communities. The Denotified Communities or the Denotified and Nomadic Tribes (DNT), is a concept that has grown from the history of India. The Bhantu community is one of the 191 communities in the list. Our community lives in different parts of India. Their nomenclatures in various states are different. In Delhi, Punjab and Haryana, the Bhantus are known as Sansis. In Rajasthan, they are known as Sansi, Kanjar and Nat. In Maharashtra, they are known as Kanjarbhat, Kanjars and Chharas. In Gujarat, they are known as Chhara, Sansi and Adodiya. In South India, they are also known as Kanjarbhat. The historians did not note the origin of the DNT communities and more particularly, the history of the Bhantu community. Many of these communities trace their origins during the period of the Moghuls.
The Moghuls reigned over India from 1527 to 1757. Their empire was massive, covering at its height, almost the entire subcontinent. “Their major task was to baptise India. Some communities fled into the jungle, one of which was the community of the Bhantus. Some historians have noted that Maharana Pratap, the emperor of Rajasthan, fought the war with the Moghuls in early 1500 and thereafter fled into the jungle. His marshals included many of the denotified communities, more particularly, the Bhantus. Thus along with Maharana Pratap, they too found themselves living in the jungle. As they were supporters of Maharana Pratap, after his fall they did not find any mentor, emperor or head and so their group disintegrated. The Moghul emperor was fighting every day and it was dangerous for the community to come out openly in the villages or towns, as either they would be killed or converted into the Muslim sect by the Moghuls. Therefore they remained in the jungle. And that is why they ‘cohabited’ with some tribal villages.
Historically, this may have been the turning point for these communities. They lived in jungles and for their livelihood they would come out at night and rob some of the towns, cities or villages. They came to be known as decoys. They gradually became dreaded criminals in that period, just like gladiators. They ate raw meat and could fight singly with four men. They were a very brave people. If they ever returned to the village or town, they had to submit themselves to the Moghul emperor who would have them assassinated. So they had two options. They could surrender themselves to the emperor or fight. They opted to fight. And so they remained in the jungle.
at that time many of the DNTs, and especially the Chhara and Sansis communities, were helpful in looting the treasury of the Moghuls. However, no authentic history notes these events. this has been one of the greatest mistakes on the part of our historians. We believe that history should be rewritten and include our history as it was transmitted orally. The Chharas and Sansis did not wish to be converted to the Muslim sect. They did not want to be assassinated by the Moghul emperors either. And above all, they did not want to support the Moghul emperor. After the fall of the Moghul regime, the British came to India and in 1857, the first revolt against the British Empire took place. Once again, the Chharas were very useful in helping the revolutionaries and freedom fighters in moving from one place to another because traditionally, these fighting communities were nomadic. They did not settle in one place. They moved from one place to another. They would stay for a particular period outside the village or town, so that the village people or the police would not trouble them. When they learnt that a theft had been reported to the local administration, they would leave the place and move on.
They kept donkeys, dogs and goats. Dogs were their guards. Goats provided them with milk and meat. Donkeys were meant for transporting goods from one place to the other. This provided them with livelihood as in those times, there were no automobiles. These were a kind of indigenous transportation systems that prevailed in the country. They became very helpful to the revolutionaries and freedom fighters, because they knew the movements of the police force. The freedom fighters utilised these nomads as their shelter and at times, as their cover. The British noticed the acumen of these communities and targeted 191 such communities who were nomads. By a single stroke of the pen, they prepared a notification in the form of the Criminal Tribes Act. In this way all these communities came to be labelled as the ‘Criminal Tribes’.
Criminal Tribes Act means As all these communities were stigmatised as criminal tribes, they had to report at the police station twice a day, once in the morning and again, at night. They could not move freely, though they were said to be free people. During the night, if one member of the denotified community was found wandering, he would be arrested and punished. There was no awareness among the DNTs. The Chharas also adjusted to the new norms. It became customary for the denotified communities to report at the police station. The police forced their will upon all men, women and children. People would be detained at their will and would be released after twenty four or even forty eight hours. On occasions, they would not be released for several days. They were placed behind bars for no fault of theirs; without having committed any crime. Even women and children were barred from moving about freely. There are many instances when women delivered a child in the prison cell. Many Chharas were born and brought up in jail. The prison became a home for the community and a person belonging to the Chhara community who had not visited jail for a crime could not qualify to marry a girl.
That is how criminality was embedded into the customs of the Chharas by the administration. There were times when people who beat the police, people who looted the articles from the marketplace, people who attacked the villagers at night, were said to be brave. The police would arrest them and send them to jail. Having been in jail and after completing their sentence, when they would return home, people would call them brave. This was not good for the community. We understand this now but it became a popular practise in those days. Historians ought to have noticed that these customs had become widespread due to the fault of the administration. It was not the custom of the nomads to commit crimes. They began to do so because of the conditions imposed on them. It was because of the superimposed conditions, I should say, that these practices became customs.”
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
who are the BHANTU
Chharanagar comprises of houses and shops. There are small shops where people sell goods and services.
people earning their money through making liquor, which sell to other person who come from other parts of the city. None are from Chharanagar.
There is also a library at Chharanagar; about two thousand books are stored here. Bhantu student and youngsters run this library with helping from BHASHA RESEARCH CENTRE of Dr. Ganesh Devy of Baroda and activist Mallika sarabhai of Ahmedabad.
there are 1500 houses in Chharanagar of Bhantu; about 15,000 Bhantu live in Ahmedabad of which 10,000 to 12,000 Bhantu’s reside at Chharanagar. Chharanagar is said to be circa 25 square kilometres. There are three areas in Ahmedabad where the Bhantu -Chharas live.
There are lack of basic need like toilets outside, without a tap. Everywhere there is mud and garbage. lack of municipal facilities, absence of street lights, proper drainage, water system, good roads and the lack of a common plot to celebrate festivals, stage drama performances and hold other cultural activities.
History for Recognition
Many aspects contribute to the making of the Bhantu identity. Often, these factors are interrelated. One of the most important and often recurring aspects is the history of the Bhantu community. The history of the Bhantus is oral in form. Their history is usually told by their elders to the younger Bhantus.
“In India, there are 191 communities that are listed as Denotified Communities. The Denotified Communities or the Denotified and Nomadic Tribes (DNT), is a concept that has grown from the history of India. The Bhantu community is one of the 191 communities in the list. Our community lives in different parts of India. Their nomenclatures in various states are different. In Delhi, Punjab and Haryana, the Bhantus are known as Sansis. In Rajasthan, they are known as Sansi, Kanjar and Nat. In Maharashtra, they are known as Kanjarbhat, Kanjars and Chharas. In Gujarat, they are known as Chhara, Sansi and Adodiya. In South India, they are also known as Kanjarbhat. The historians did not note the origin of the DNT communities and more particularly, the history of the Bhantu community. Many of these communities trace their origins during the period of the Moghuls.
The Moghuls reigned over India from 1527 to 1757. Their empire was massive, covering at its height, almost the entire subcontinent. “Their major task was to baptise India. Some communities fled into the jungle, one of which was the community of the Bhantus. Some historians have noted that Maharana Pratap, the emperor of Rajasthan, fought the war with the Moghuls in early 1500 and thereafter fled into the jungle. His marshals included many of the denotified communities, more particularly, the Bhantus. Thus along with Maharana Pratap, they too found themselves living in the jungle. As they were supporters of Maharana Pratap, after his fall they did not find any mentor, emperor or head and so their group disintegrated. The Moghul emperor was fighting every day and it was dangerous for the community to come out openly in the villages or towns, as either they would be killed or converted into the Muslim sect by the Moghuls. Therefore they remained in the jungle. And that is why they ‘cohabited’ with some tribal villages.
Historically, this may have been the turning point for these communities. They lived in jungles and for their livelihood they would come out at night and rob some of the towns, cities or villages. They came to be known as decoys. They gradually became dreaded criminals in that period, just like gladiators. They ate raw meat and could fight singly with four men. They were a very brave people. If they ever returned to the village or town, they had to submit themselves to the Moghul emperor who would have them assassinated. So they had two options. They could surrender themselves to the emperor or fight. They opted to fight. And so they remained in the jungle.
people earning their money through making liquor, which sell to other person who come from other parts of the city. None are from Chharanagar.
There is also a library at Chharanagar; about two thousand books are stored here. Bhantu student and youngsters run this library with helping from BHASHA RESEARCH CENTRE of Dr. Ganesh Devy of Baroda and activist Mallika sarabhai of Ahmedabad.
there are 1500 houses in Chharanagar of Bhantu; about 15,000 Bhantu live in Ahmedabad of which 10,000 to 12,000 Bhantu’s reside at Chharanagar. Chharanagar is said to be circa 25 square kilometres. There are three areas in Ahmedabad where the Bhantu -Chharas live.
There are lack of basic need like toilets outside, without a tap. Everywhere there is mud and garbage. lack of municipal facilities, absence of street lights, proper drainage, water system, good roads and the lack of a common plot to celebrate festivals, stage drama performances and hold other cultural activities.
History for Recognition
Many aspects contribute to the making of the Bhantu identity. Often, these factors are interrelated. One of the most important and often recurring aspects is the history of the Bhantu community. The history of the Bhantus is oral in form. Their history is usually told by their elders to the younger Bhantus.
“In India, there are 191 communities that are listed as Denotified Communities. The Denotified Communities or the Denotified and Nomadic Tribes (DNT), is a concept that has grown from the history of India. The Bhantu community is one of the 191 communities in the list. Our community lives in different parts of India. Their nomenclatures in various states are different. In Delhi, Punjab and Haryana, the Bhantus are known as Sansis. In Rajasthan, they are known as Sansi, Kanjar and Nat. In Maharashtra, they are known as Kanjarbhat, Kanjars and Chharas. In Gujarat, they are known as Chhara, Sansi and Adodiya. In South India, they are also known as Kanjarbhat. The historians did not note the origin of the DNT communities and more particularly, the history of the Bhantu community. Many of these communities trace their origins during the period of the Moghuls.
The Moghuls reigned over India from 1527 to 1757. Their empire was massive, covering at its height, almost the entire subcontinent. “Their major task was to baptise India. Some communities fled into the jungle, one of which was the community of the Bhantus. Some historians have noted that Maharana Pratap, the emperor of Rajasthan, fought the war with the Moghuls in early 1500 and thereafter fled into the jungle. His marshals included many of the denotified communities, more particularly, the Bhantus. Thus along with Maharana Pratap, they too found themselves living in the jungle. As they were supporters of Maharana Pratap, after his fall they did not find any mentor, emperor or head and so their group disintegrated. The Moghul emperor was fighting every day and it was dangerous for the community to come out openly in the villages or towns, as either they would be killed or converted into the Muslim sect by the Moghuls. Therefore they remained in the jungle. And that is why they ‘cohabited’ with some tribal villages.
Historically, this may have been the turning point for these communities. They lived in jungles and for their livelihood they would come out at night and rob some of the towns, cities or villages. They came to be known as decoys. They gradually became dreaded criminals in that period, just like gladiators. They ate raw meat and could fight singly with four men. They were a very brave people. If they ever returned to the village or town, they had to submit themselves to the Moghul emperor who would have them assassinated. So they had two options. They could surrender themselves to the emperor or fight. They opted to fight. And so they remained in the jungle.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
insearch origins of BHANTU
we all BHANTU are insearch of ours origins. we are INDIAN ROMA people. if u wish to join our team then contact ghamande.s@gmail.com
Origins of ROMANI
Linguistic and genetic evidence indicates the Romanies originated from the Indian subcontinent, emigrating from India towards the northwest no earlier than the 11th century. The Romani are generally believed to have originated in central India, possibly in the modern Indian state of Rajasthan, migrating to northwest India (the Punjab region) around 250 BC. In the centuries spent here, there may have been close interaction with such established groups as the Rajputs and the Jats. Their subsequent westward migration, possibly in waves, is believed to have occurred between AD 500 and AD 1000. Contemporary populations sometimes suggested as sharing a close relationship to the Romani are the Dom people of Central Asia and the Banjara of India.[39]
The emigration from India likely took place in the context of the raids by Mahmud of Ghazni[40] As these soldiers were defeated, they were moved west with their families into the Byzantine Empire. The 11th century terminus post quem is due to the Romani language showing unambiguous features of the Modern Indo-Aryan languages,[41] precluding an emigration during the Middle Indic period.
Genetic evidence supports the mediaeval migration from India. The Romanies have been described as "a conglomerate of genetically isolated founder populations",[42] while a number of common Mendelian disorders among Romanies from all over Europe indicates "a common origin and founder effect".[42][43] A study from 2001 by Gresham et al. suggests "a limited number of related founders, compatible with a small group of migrants splitting from a distinct caste or tribal group".[44] The same study found that "a single lineage ... found across Romani populations, accounts for almost one-third of Romani males."[44] A 2004 study by Morar et al. concluded that the Romani population "was founded approximately 32–40 generations ago, with secondary and tertiary founder events occurring approximately 16–25 generations ago".[45]
Possible connection with the Jat people
While the South Asian origin of the Romani people has been long considered a certitude, the exact South Asian group from whom the Romanies have descended has been a matter of debate. The recent discovery of the "Jat mutation" that causes a type of glaucoma in Romani populations suggests that the Romani people are the descendants of the Jat people found in Northern India and Pakistan.[46] This connection was upheld by Michael Jan de Goeje in 1883.[47]
This contradicted an earlier study that compared the most common haplotypes found in Romani groups with those found in Jatt Sikhs and Jats from Haryana and found no matches.[48] The haplogroup H, which is the most common haplogroup in Romanis is far more prevalent in central India and south India than it is in northern India, where haplogroup R1a lineages make up at least half of male ancestries, and haplogroup H is rare.
Arrival in Europe
The migration of the Romanies through the Middle East and Northern Africa to Europe.
First arrival of the Romanies outside Bern in the 15th century, described by the chronicler as getoufte heiden ("baptized heathens") and drawn with dark skin and wearing Saracen-style clothing and weapons (Spiezer Schilling, p. 749).In 1322, a Franciscan monk named Symon Semeonis described people resembling these atsinganoi (meaning "untouchable" in Koine Greek: α+θιγγάνω) living in Crete and, in 1350, Ludolphus of Sudheim mentioned a similar people with a unique language whom he called Mandapolos, a word which some theorize was possibly derived from the Greek word mantes (meaning prophet or fortune teller).[49]
Around 1360, the Romani established an independent fiefdom (called the Feudum Acinganorum) in Corfu; it became "a settled community and an important and established part of the economy."[50]
By the 14th century, the Romanies had reached the Balkans; by 1424, Germany; and by the 16th century, Scotland and Sweden. Some Romanies migrated from Persia through North Africa, reaching the Iberian Peninsula in the 15th century. The two currents met in France.
Romanies began immigrating to North America in colonial times, with small groups recorded in Virginia and French Louisiana. Larger-scale immigration to the United States began in the 1860s, with groups of Romnaichal from Britain. The largest number immigrated in the early 1900s, mainly from the Vlax group of Kalderash. Many Romanies also settled in South America.
When the Romani people arrived in Europe, the initial curiosity of its residents soon changed to hostility against the newcomers. The Romani were enslaved for five centuries in Wallachia and Moldavia, until abolition in 1856.[51]
Elsewhere in Europe, they were subject to ethnic cleansing, abduction of their children, and forced labor. In England, Romani were sometimes hung or expelled from small communities; in France, they were branded and their heads were shaved; in Moravia and Bohemia, the women were marked by their ears being severed. As a result, large groups of the Romani moved to the East, toward Poland, which was more tolerant, and Russia, where the Romani were treated more fairly as long as they paid the annual taxes.[52]
World War II
Main article: Porajmos
During World War II, the Nazis and the Ustashe embarked on a systematic attempt at genocide of the Romanies, a process known in Romani as the Porajmos.[53] Romanies were marked for extermination and sentenced to forced labor and imprisonment in concentration camps.
They were often killed on sight, especially by the Einsatzgruppen (mobile killing units) on the Eastern Front. The total number of victims has been variously estimated at between 220,000 to 1,500,000; even the lowest number would make the Porajmos one of the largest mass murders in history.
Post-1945
In Communist Eastern Europe, Romanies experienced assimilation schemes and restrictions on cultural freedom.[citation needed] The Romani language and Romani music were banned from public performance in Bulgaria.[dubious – discuss] In Czechoslovakia, they were labeled a "socially degraded stratum,"[citation needed] and Romani women were sterilized as part of a state policy to reduce their population. This policy was implemented with large financial incentives, threats of denying future welfare payments, with misinformation, or after administering drugs (Silverman 1995; Helsinki Watch 1991).
An official inquiry from the Czech Republic, resulting in a report (December 2005), concluded that the Communist authorities had practiced an assimilation policy towards Romanies, which "included efforts by social services to control the birth rate in the Romani community" and that "the problem of sexual sterilization carried out in the Czech Republic, either with improper motivation or illegally, exists"[54] with new revealed cases up until 2004, in both the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romani_people#Origins)
The emigration from India likely took place in the context of the raids by Mahmud of Ghazni[40] As these soldiers were defeated, they were moved west with their families into the Byzantine Empire. The 11th century terminus post quem is due to the Romani language showing unambiguous features of the Modern Indo-Aryan languages,[41] precluding an emigration during the Middle Indic period.
Genetic evidence supports the mediaeval migration from India. The Romanies have been described as "a conglomerate of genetically isolated founder populations",[42] while a number of common Mendelian disorders among Romanies from all over Europe indicates "a common origin and founder effect".[42][43] A study from 2001 by Gresham et al. suggests "a limited number of related founders, compatible with a small group of migrants splitting from a distinct caste or tribal group".[44] The same study found that "a single lineage ... found across Romani populations, accounts for almost one-third of Romani males."[44] A 2004 study by Morar et al. concluded that the Romani population "was founded approximately 32–40 generations ago, with secondary and tertiary founder events occurring approximately 16–25 generations ago".[45]
Possible connection with the Jat people
While the South Asian origin of the Romani people has been long considered a certitude, the exact South Asian group from whom the Romanies have descended has been a matter of debate. The recent discovery of the "Jat mutation" that causes a type of glaucoma in Romani populations suggests that the Romani people are the descendants of the Jat people found in Northern India and Pakistan.[46] This connection was upheld by Michael Jan de Goeje in 1883.[47]
This contradicted an earlier study that compared the most common haplotypes found in Romani groups with those found in Jatt Sikhs and Jats from Haryana and found no matches.[48] The haplogroup H, which is the most common haplogroup in Romanis is far more prevalent in central India and south India than it is in northern India, where haplogroup R1a lineages make up at least half of male ancestries, and haplogroup H is rare.
Arrival in Europe
The migration of the Romanies through the Middle East and Northern Africa to Europe.
First arrival of the Romanies outside Bern in the 15th century, described by the chronicler as getoufte heiden ("baptized heathens") and drawn with dark skin and wearing Saracen-style clothing and weapons (Spiezer Schilling, p. 749).In 1322, a Franciscan monk named Symon Semeonis described people resembling these atsinganoi (meaning "untouchable" in Koine Greek: α+θιγγάνω) living in Crete and, in 1350, Ludolphus of Sudheim mentioned a similar people with a unique language whom he called Mandapolos, a word which some theorize was possibly derived from the Greek word mantes (meaning prophet or fortune teller).[49]
Around 1360, the Romani established an independent fiefdom (called the Feudum Acinganorum) in Corfu; it became "a settled community and an important and established part of the economy."[50]
By the 14th century, the Romanies had reached the Balkans; by 1424, Germany; and by the 16th century, Scotland and Sweden. Some Romanies migrated from Persia through North Africa, reaching the Iberian Peninsula in the 15th century. The two currents met in France.
Romanies began immigrating to North America in colonial times, with small groups recorded in Virginia and French Louisiana. Larger-scale immigration to the United States began in the 1860s, with groups of Romnaichal from Britain. The largest number immigrated in the early 1900s, mainly from the Vlax group of Kalderash. Many Romanies also settled in South America.
When the Romani people arrived in Europe, the initial curiosity of its residents soon changed to hostility against the newcomers. The Romani were enslaved for five centuries in Wallachia and Moldavia, until abolition in 1856.[51]
Elsewhere in Europe, they were subject to ethnic cleansing, abduction of their children, and forced labor. In England, Romani were sometimes hung or expelled from small communities; in France, they were branded and their heads were shaved; in Moravia and Bohemia, the women were marked by their ears being severed. As a result, large groups of the Romani moved to the East, toward Poland, which was more tolerant, and Russia, where the Romani were treated more fairly as long as they paid the annual taxes.[52]
World War II
Main article: Porajmos
During World War II, the Nazis and the Ustashe embarked on a systematic attempt at genocide of the Romanies, a process known in Romani as the Porajmos.[53] Romanies were marked for extermination and sentenced to forced labor and imprisonment in concentration camps.
They were often killed on sight, especially by the Einsatzgruppen (mobile killing units) on the Eastern Front. The total number of victims has been variously estimated at between 220,000 to 1,500,000; even the lowest number would make the Porajmos one of the largest mass murders in history.
Post-1945
In Communist Eastern Europe, Romanies experienced assimilation schemes and restrictions on cultural freedom.[citation needed] The Romani language and Romani music were banned from public performance in Bulgaria.[dubious – discuss] In Czechoslovakia, they were labeled a "socially degraded stratum,"[citation needed] and Romani women were sterilized as part of a state policy to reduce their population. This policy was implemented with large financial incentives, threats of denying future welfare payments, with misinformation, or after administering drugs (Silverman 1995; Helsinki Watch 1991).
An official inquiry from the Czech Republic, resulting in a report (December 2005), concluded that the Communist authorities had practiced an assimilation policy towards Romanies, which "included efforts by social services to control the birth rate in the Romani community" and that "the problem of sexual sterilization carried out in the Czech Republic, either with improper motivation or illegally, exists"[54] with new revealed cases up until 2004, in both the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romani_people#Origins)
About Romani people
The Romani (also Romany, Romanies, Romanis, Roma or Roms; exonym: Gypsy; Romani: Romane or Rromane, depending on the dialect) are an ethnic group living mostly in Europe, who trace their origins to mediæval India.
The Romani are widely dispersed, with their largest concentrated populations in Europe, especially the Roma of Central and Eastern Europe and Anatolia, followed by the Iberian Kale in Southwestern Europe and Southern France. Deported to Brazil by Portugal during the colonial era [16] and via more recent migrations, some people have gone to the Americas and, to a lesser extent, other parts of the world.
The Romani language is divided into several dialects, which add up to an estimated number of speakers larger than two million.[17] The total number of Romani people is at least twice as large (several times as large according to high estimates). Many Romani are native speakers of the language current in their country of residence, or of mixed languages combining the two.
(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romani_people)
The Romani are widely dispersed, with their largest concentrated populations in Europe, especially the Roma of Central and Eastern Europe and Anatolia, followed by the Iberian Kale in Southwestern Europe and Southern France. Deported to Brazil by Portugal during the colonial era [16] and via more recent migrations, some people have gone to the Americas and, to a lesser extent, other parts of the world.
The Romani language is divided into several dialects, which add up to an estimated number of speakers larger than two million.[17] The total number of Romani people is at least twice as large (several times as large according to high estimates). Many Romani are native speakers of the language current in their country of residence, or of mixed languages combining the two.
(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romani_people)
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