The Kols of Patha

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The Kols of Patha is a comprehensive socio-economic survey of Patha villages. It covers aspects such as the tribes, the land, material life, economy, and organization and welfare measures. Religious and cultural aspects such as rituals, religious and secular songs and dance forms are also attributed to the Kols, who along with other Mundari tribes, constitute one of the largest groups of primitive communities in India. Agriculture and cattle- rearing remain their primary occupations. This work contains valuable photographs and illustrations of Kol men and women as well as their housing, agricultural tools, jewelry, utensils, religious and cultural events, and arts and crafts such as basket weaving.

Amir Hasan, dedicated his life to the welfare of tribals. His interest was ignited when he was working as a research scholar of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research at the Central Fuel Institute, Jealgora, Dhanbad (Bihar) in 1953- 1954. This led to a long association with the tribals. Later, as a civil servant, he maintained a dedicated and productive association with the tribals and their welfare. His large collection of authored books is a result of his intensive live research.

Our earliest memories of our father, Dr. Amir Hasan (1929- 92) are of an author at work. Every morning, we would find him diligently working on some article, paper or book chapter. An early riser, his writing work would be taken up after a walk and a spot of gardening .He would be surrounded by reference books, loose sheets of paper and a tea tray precariously balanced in the midst of it all. One by one, we would wake up and troop to where our parents were having their morning tea. He welcomed us with a smile and read out parts of what he was working on. We were treated to beautifully worded narratives of Awadh, his experiences with the tribals of Tarai and on some rare occasions tribal folklore and also Awadhi shayari. All this was delivered in his deep mesmerizing voice which overrode the early morning chirping of birds and the whisper of breeze in the trees. The scents of the earth rose in the background from the plants he had watered when the rest were still asleep. We were given small proof-reading tasks in the summer vacations. We got to work after breakfast and competed with each other to complete our tasks. We were amateurs and perhaps our work yielded no real results but we learnt camaraderie, team work and we learnt to be proud of our ink-stained fingers. This was the nourishment we grew up on and this was the exposure that enriched our childhood and furnished us with a legacy for life. Our father did not teach us how to become authors. Through sharing his interests with us, he taught us a way of life. His writing was his hobby. He was a civil servant dedicated to the nation and his profession.

In former times, members of the Indian Civil Service used to take an interest in the life and customs of the rural folk of India, and a substantial part of our early ethnographic literature is actually due to their labours. It is re-assuring that members of the Indian administration have also been evincing a similar interest in modern times. The present book on the Kols of Patha is the result of one such endeavour.

While working as a research scholar of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research at the Cental Fuel Research Institute, Jealgora (Dhanbad) in 1953 and 1954, I had occasions to come across Santhals who lived in huts in the vicinity of the Institute. This was my first glimpse of the tribal world. The only recollections of Santhals left in my mind are their poverty, hardiness, semi-nakedness and lustre of their skins, specially that of their women who were, on the whole, healthy, robust and handsome. Then I little realized that nine years later, one of their kindred races, would not only deeply involve me in their affairs but would impart a new direction and meaning to my life.