At the far end of Rajat Jubilee village in the Sundarbans lies a tribal pocket called Tripligheri, home to 100 to 120 Munda families. Tripligheri begins where the concrete road running through the village ends.
Deepali Sardar, 32, belongs to the Munda community of Tripligheri. She earns a living by performing tribal dances at local lodges in Tripligheri and Sajnekhali. While Tripligheri is on Satjelia island, Sajnekhali is located in Gosaba.
She is not alone. More than 50 women have been doing the same for at least the past five years — a period that coincides with the tourism boom in the Sundarbans.
Deepali’s family migrated from the Chota Nagpur Plateau to the Sundarbans in the late 19th century. “Earlier, we danced only during Tusu. That was about celebration. Now we dance to earn money,” she said. Tusu is a harvest festival. For each performance, a group of eight dancers earns ₹1,000.
They are yet to receive the Lokprasar Prakalpo identity cards that would entitle them to a monthly stipend of ₹1,000 under a state government scheme for folk artistes aged 18 to 60.
Women perform their traditional tribal dance
By 7pm on performance days, Deepali finishes her chores, feeds her children, and heads out. “If I have to go to Gosaba, I must cross two rivers — the Datta and the Garal. The unearthly hours don’t bother me. This is a respectable way to earn a living. My mother spent her life going to the forest to collect firewood, edible roots and fruits. That’s no way to live,” she said.
She also spoke of others who travel to Bangalore, Chennai and Andhra Pradesh to work as farmhands. “I have heard of their plight. Some had paralytic attacks from the inhuman workload, and some never returned. Yes, they earn ₹30,000 in three months. But for me, this is a better option. At least I’m home with my family,” she said.
These days, Deepali’s sister Rupali also performs traditional dances for a living.
But not everyone is hopeful. One woman, who didn’t want to be identified, said: “More and more women from other communities are learning our tribal dance steps. I fear that one day, we will become a minority in the group. Others will perform our dance.”