THE DISINTEGRATION OF TRIBAL LIFE IN GOPINATH MOHANTY’S THE ANCESTOR

Abstract

The present paper highlights the disintegration of Tribal life in Gopinath Mohanty’s The Ancestor (Dadi Budha), his first novel on tribals concerning impact of colonial modernity on tribal culture and society. It is a novel about the lives, customs, beliefs and rituals of the tribal communities and about the outer intervention that causes disintegration of tribal society and culture disrupting and affecting tribal harmony in adverse ways. The novel sets in the Lulla village that tells the poignant story of struggle for survival of paraja tribe, facing decadence with the invasion of intruders. The ideologies of modern civilization are personified in the character of Santosh Kumari who seduces Thenga Jani, a representative of tribals. Tenga, under the influence of various forces of modernity, breaks away the tribal norms, devaluing his age-old tradition and cultural beliefs. And the negative consequences of this act also play out in the lives of the tribals. The tribal life is deeply rooted in indigenous eco-ethics, tradition and beliefs which exist in antipathy to modernity. Though, an impact of modernity has influenced their culture to some extent but the key tenets of their tradition remain unaffected.