A Munda Burial

A drum procession makes its way through the village of Sarjoma. Three women lead the way carrying baskets laden with grain and assorted offerings. The procession makes its way to a large stone which marks a memorial stone.

The Munda community of Jharkhand erects a gravestone to commemorate the death of an individual. The rituals they carry out today are the same ones their ancestors carried out 100s of years ago.

"The rituals and the gravestone keep the identity of the people of the community", says Sinu Munda, an elder of the community.

In addition to the gravestone the deceased's family also plant Sal trees, a tree that is an important livelihood source throughout a Munda's life.

"The person may be gone physically but the stone we erect in their memory, makes them live on forever", Says Community Correspondent Amita Tuti who is also a Munda.

Fighting for Change: The Story of Bihar-Based Journalist Amir Abbas

 
/ March 23, 2023

  Inspiration can come from many sources, but one of the most powerful is seeing someone walk the path before you. Our Community Correspondent, Syed Amir Abbas found his inspiration in Stalin K., the founding director of Video Volunteers. “I met Stalin at VV’s national meet in 2017 and I...

The torch bearer of rights for marginalized tribals of Odisha

 
/ March 27, 2023

If you ask Video Volunteers’ Community Correspondent Bideshini Patel to rate her childhood on a scale of 1-10, she would probably give it a negative marking due to the neglect and abuse she faced.  But if you ask her to evaluate her professional life as an impactful journalist, resolving basic...

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *