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Paharia, The a small ethnic community, very thinly dispersed in northwestern Bangladesh. Paharia is an Indo-Aryan word referring to people living in hills or mountains. Paharias of Bangladesh claim Rajmahal Hills of southern Bihar (India) as their place of origin. In the past, Paharias were notorious bandits engaged in robbing people in the neighbouring areas in the plain or cargo boats in the ganges. Paharias are a historically neglected ethnic minority engaged in cultivation and primitive gathering from forests. At the time of food shortage, they depended on theft, plundering and looting. The British government used a corps of light infantry to keep such mountaineers in order. Paharias of Bangladesh are one of the two Dravidian-speaking ethnic groups, the other being oraons. There is, however, no clear distinction between them. Paharias are divided mainly into two divisions: Sauria (also known as Maler) and Mal. The Kumar or Kumarbhag is an offshoot of Mals, who are extremely few in number in Bangladesh. According to the 1991 census, the Paharia population in Bangladesh was only 7,361 concentrated mainly in Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Bogra and Pabna districts.
The Paharia community in Bangladesh now finds it very
difficult to maintain their indigenous identity largely under the influence
of hinduism.
The Mal Paharia kinship terminology is now completely Hinduised. The Paharia
language does not have any alphabet and in some places Paharias even forgot
their own spoken language. Under the changing social structure and because
of closeness in religious beliefs, most Paharias now identify themselves
as Hindus, although they may not have formally converted to Hinduism.
They claim to worship Hindu deities such as Laksmi, Manasa, Kali
and Durga, but they do not erect any images of these deities. [Sadat
Ullah Khan] |
