Becoming a Marginal Native Author(s): Lancy Lobo Source: Anthropos, Bd. 85, H. 1./3. (1990), pp.

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85.1990:125-138 Anthropos

a Marginal Native Becoming

LancyLobo

- Indiais a cultural In this mosaic. Abstract. autobiographical1. Selection oftheDistrict and theVillage a native of social a missionary the author, anthropologist, piece, and culwith a different Karnataka state, religion, language, statement was as follows: "The Thaina village inGujarat Myresearch hisenculturation delineates ture, process kors of Dhoria. A on the Social and Cultural Missionarandculture. another with Study state, religion, language, This as considered of ieswere Life of Rural North paper proto-anthropologists. rightly Kshatriyas Gujarat."The ofa modern-day misfieldwork setsoutpersonal experiences I for chose intensive fieldwork wasDhoria, village It presents socialanthropologist. whois alsoa trained sionary, which lies ten kilometres west of the town ofKadi, and insights into andcultural rich details, ethnographic fairly the of the southernmost taluka headquarters (subuseful cluesregardIndia.Itprovides inwestern ina village life of thesamenamein Mehesanadistrict. to students ofIndian division) offieldwork aspects ingmethodological and culture. is theheart ofnorth [Dhoria, northGujarat,India, field- Thisdistrict society Gujarat, forming work] tosomeextent a cultural suchareas area,theother

me.First, ithadbeentheseatofpower oftheRajrulers ofGujaratduring themedieval put period. owes muchto the ac- The Muslims The riseof anthropology who succeeded them have also left andChris- their left counts administrators, bytravellers, in north theMaraimprint Gujarat.Finally, not were Missionaries tianmissionaries. particu- thas, the of State had Mehei.e., Baroda, princely as thetradi- sanaas thelargest fieldwork to do scientific trained larly oftheir division andheldit State Mostofthemis- until later. camemuch offieldwork tion Independence. inthepeopleand interest hadan abiding sionaries I underwent a few intellectual exercises before knowl- I beganmyfieldwork a firsthand that realized culture. their They in Dhoria.Forsixmonths I to communicate worked ona dissertation, edgeofthepeoplewas essential "TheAgrarian Structure with them Hence,someofthemission- ofMehesana effectively. Prant ofBarodaState1860-1920" for for myM. Phil,(see 1981). I analysed source material became of accounts peoples ary therein sixty were yearsof theagrarian Missionaries the later-day anthropologists. socialhistory of thisregion as considered proto-anthropologists. prior to Independence. rightly I found that tenurial field- changes had broughtabout social structural setsouttodelineate Thispaper personal of a modern-day workexperiences missionary,changes in theregion. theBrahmins, Concretely, The Vanias,andRajputs social anthropologist. whois also a trained losttheir landsmainly to the arenotmuch Patels.The dissertation and"missionary" words "Christian" workimplied consulting This the Gazetteers, Hinduvillages. traditional inmany welcomed the Census,and the Survey and and Settlement trials in detailtheobstacles, papernarrates besides the theoretical reports, reading ofa literature and experiences and encounters tribulations, onagrarian social Thisexercise structure. un- gaveme a fine in a north Gujarat village longfieldwork to year introduction thedistrict library for dertaken myPh. D. It also aimsat systematiz-and,to someextent, to thewhole ofGujarat from ofthose thehistorical, in thelight fieldwork experiences ingmy social,and economic angles. ofsomeother anthropologists.
oncultural ofGujarat, 1 Forfurther discussion see geography Bhatt 1980.

being peninsular Gujarat (Saurashtra), Lobo, Ph.D. 1987,M. Phil. 1981(Delhi University); Lancy and south Gujarat, Gujarat.The tribalbelt all at Centre for Social inDhoria;at present fieldwork 1982-1983 eastern couldbe considered as formSurat. - Publications: along Gujarat South Gujarat University, Studies, l of North The Thakors in different Articles Gujarat ingan area byitself. journals; Delhi). (forthcoming; Mehesanadistrict held otherattractions for

central

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In DhoriaI hadtodecide I couldhire After I undertook a whether myM. Phil,examination to find accomto I a room set own household or two months' Mehesana district. selectupmy fieldtrip in modation The from each someone else's house. ed five medium sizemulticaste village, villages had no rentable sinceall thevaof the eleventalukasof the district and visited however, rooms, school rooms hadbeenhired outtothevillage oftheexer- cant The purpose villages. nearly fifty-five The former Mukhi(villageheadman) anditspeople.I teachers. cisewastogeta feelofthedistrict meaccommodation inhisownhouse.The alert to offered myeyesandearsopenand mymind kept in andhiswife, both KadvaPatelsbycaste, andwavelengths ofthepeo- Mukhi up clues,trends, pick latefifties, were childless. Shehadundergone with them.A letter of recom- their ple byinteracting He hadnotyielded tothepressures from Mr. BabubhaiShah who ran a hysterectomy. mendation another wife.A childless ofresidential schools solved accommo- to marry number couple emmy a bad of a son is bodies omen and the of the in residation One teachers necessity every problem. intheHinduideology. of well-known dential schoolaccompanied me to thevillages Consequently, waswelcome for I preferred had mypresence a while. Sincethevillagers mychoicein itsvicinity. to at this house for several reasons: known the teachers, welcomed us and this (a) The stay they our to the sociocultural attitude facilitated interaction. My anthropologist wanting study friendly thana ofa research for find a better wasthat reasons lifeofa peoplecannot student, setting identity for this is best of the the I will later. At the end this I had family (b) family purpose; fieldtrip explain for a slice of I enculturation and for visited. The notes were noteson every setting acquiring village and infor- lifeof thepeople; (c) myinitial classified under thefollowing heads:general acceptance woulddepend on theperson thevillage; much mation very concerning population compo- credibility whomI wouldbe introduced and with structure of through sition;caste composition; literacy; I would of whom be associated; means of production; relations (d) I wasnotina polandholding; the role of moneylender, because I did not landlord, sitionto do myown cooking production; and and landlessagricultural tea and coffee; labourers;alternative knowcooking making except oflivelihood, in thenonagricul- (e) setting means especially up a houseofmyownwouldhaveentheroleofthedairy; tural theroleof the tailedgreater sector; expenses. Hinduresidential and emischools;immigration of labourers; of surplus wealth; gration recycling distribution of benefits of development; Problem agricul- 2. The Outsider-Insider the of ture; crop patterns; problem untouchability; thevulnerability ofthelower strata in matters re- The outsider to becomean insider is attempting caste the crux of the mode of health; conflict; garding political rumblings anthropologist's studying in theregion; and so on. thelatter 's culture andsociety. Eventhough I was Firsthaving a library-view and thena first- an Indian andnotanAmerican orEuropean, I was handfield-view ofthedistrict, I selected a village an outsider to thevillage.Whilepeopleapprecifor intensive fieldwork fora majorpartof atedmyknowledge oftheir andalso my lasting language theannual I choseDhoria,as itfulfilled studies ofMehesana I wasnonedistrict, cycle. my previous research It was a medium sizemul- theless an outsider onseveral I belonged counts. to requirements. ti-caste Dhoriahad a population of 1256. a different subState,spokea different village. language, 44 % wereThakors, to another wasdifNearly traditionally agricul- scribed religion, my wayoflife tural labourers and marginal 36 % were ferent, farmers; and,most important, mycastewasa probPatelsor Patidars, thesehurdles andbe mostly landowning agricultur-lem.How wouldI surmount 20 % were distributedacceptedand becomepartof the culture I was ists; and the remaining 9 other castessuchas Nadia (scavenger), planning to study? among Wankar Ravalia (drummer), Kumbhar At one extreme there havebeenanthropolo(weaver), Valand Rabari Atit (potter), (barber), (cowherd), gistswho had "gone native,"i.e., their speech, Bawa (Shiva priest),Sadhu (Rama priest),and dress, andsleeping sohabits, interactions, eating Brahmin The Thakors who were cial and identification had all (ritual relations, personal specialist). the ofmy focus were the caste in Dhoto the of norms the study largest begun approximate community ria. Dhoriawas a fairly At the otherextreme there representative villageof theywerestudying. thedistrict. I couldeasily toDhoria have been anthropologists who remained getintroduced "privia mostrespectable and acceptable man. legedstrangers" in thecommunity through theystudied. The problems ofmyresidence in this were Boththese extremes areunacceptable for scientific village sorted oursatisfactorily. In theformer caseoneisso deepinside objectivity.
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sufficient distance to morial) that one lacks erected toa certain thecommunity PashaPatel,a member In thelatter under case ofhiscaste, whohaddieddefending observe theculture thevillage catstudy. nearthe tlefrom themarauders. outthat oneis notsufficiently ThenMP tookme to the oneisso far In between thetwoliesthe primary tothekiosk, oneis studying. andtotheRamatemculture school, native"(see Frelich ofthevillage. "Three P's 1970)who can be ple,allbuilt bythePatels "marginal andpart-outsider. Most area must to anyvillage," as part-insider MP toldme,"thepado considered to become wouldattempt buffalo), margin- (service panch(fiveelderly anthropologists arbitrators), a mar- and Patel(member ofPatidar their fieldwork. al natives Becoming during caste)." I was told I setoutto study is that thevillages which didnothavePatelsinthem within theculture native ginal had no face at all! in this delineated paper. MP stayed inthevillage a marginal native has ofbecoming for Theprocess nearly eight days. Each the he took me to a few members ofone of two distinct day phases: (1) overlapping though andintroduced and(2) theactive research thecastes metothem inthefollowresearch period passive manner: "This is The first is Launci Bhai. Frelich 1970: He comesfrom 18). primarily ing (see period south India. the He to when write a book on Dhoria. an adaptation anthropologist plans period He in studies Delhi. He has studied our must learnhowto survive psychologiphysically, language." In Thenthere were cultural from in a strange andmorally setting. counterqueries villagers. My cally, to collect couldnot he attempts thesecond posedsomeproblems. They quantita- name simply period to pronounce it. For some I was Launci Bhai, for is pertinent datathat tiveas wellas qualitative someother Lan Singh, and formany moreI was theresearch problem. asked,"Does southIndia Ranjit.A fewvillagers meanRameshwaram?" had gone (A fewvillagers on a pilgrimage, toRameshwaran as itisoneofthe 3. The Passive Research Period fourdhams, of pilgrimage forHingreatcentres For who had no those sense of research thepassive activities pe- dus.) geography, during Mymajor ofmy thelocation native andvillagers; MP conveyed tothevillage introduction were: riod placeinthe coun- local idiom:"Launci Bhai's nativeplace is very thevillagers; with ofrapport establishment one's the"spy"problem; establishing iden- closeto Ravana'sLanka(SriLanka)." Thisled to tering "LaunciBhai, do you all worinthenative another enculturation or self-socialization question, tity; I denied Ravana in the south?" this. Butlater deLet me observation. and ship culture; participant itstruck methat thequestioner hadinmind theinanother. one after theseactivities scribe to Dravida cident related the anti-Brahmin exin a enter One cannot village Gujarat just Ravana-Lilain oran enter- Munnetra vendor as a "peripatetic" Kazhagamcelebrating perhaps cept was givenwide to Rama-Lila,which introductionopposition One needsto havea definite tainer. in thenewspapers a fewyears The publicity inthevillage. tomeet onewants totheperson ago. about doodh(milk). Thevillagers hada brother houseI wastoreside inwhose Mukhi inquired my meantmother's but and was a lec- Doodh in thiscontext whohad donePh. D. in Sociology milk, toconitmeant caste.Itwaspointless in one of Ahmedabad's turer colleges.I willcall symbolically do notbelieve in that Christians thevillagers MP. MP andI hadde- vince AP andthelatter theformer ifone does notreveal one's In thevillage, Diwa- caste.2 wewould that cided gotoDhoriajustbefore to thelowest caste!It on to a jeep andsetoutto caste,itmeansone belongs li. I loadedmyluggage to locateme and forthevillagers whowere was necessary MP and hisfamily, Dhoriaalongwith owncategories me so as totreat meintheir fortheDiwaliholidays. there identify going to in a that was with me manner and behave at AP's Aftercha-nasto fitting (tea and snacks) I disnorms. therefore the was MP the thought, community's house,MP and I setoutinto village. is thebetter ofthevillag- cretion andrespected known partof valour.So, myreply bythemajority which totheChristian hisacademic was,"I belong caste, ersbecauseofhishumane outlook, Shetty Patels or to the caste of vilis in the he conducted the Rajperhaps equivalent qualifications, camps inmy arboth ofwhich areabsent ofGujarat, theonly andhisbeing ita facelift, per- puts lagegiving in ea. Each Statehas a predominantly Dhoria to have owneda bungalow son from landholding inMaharashtra, Patils himandbe castelikePatelsinGujarat, Ahmedabad. Peoplecameoutto meet me thecon- Reddysin AndhraPradesh,and Okkaligasand MP neverhidfrom in hiscompany. in a Patel's in Karnataka."3 toDhoria Lingayats contribution ofhisdistinctive sciousness Residing to a I was a Patel,or equivalent that and theuniqueplace he held in the village.No housemeant how later a Patel.I shallshow than me- Patel,orhigher tookmetosee thepalio(stone hefirst wonder
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to read to theassembled the astrologer villagers forecast for thecoming in almacontained the year nac.Thevillage hada Brahmin priest-cum-astroloinKashi.He cametotheassembly and gertrained readand explained in hisowninimitable waythe forecast clicattle, rains, concerning crops, plants, of I and so on. mate, prices agricultural products, couldobserve that notmany tooktheexercise seributbrought to4. MyBachelor Status institution, ously.It was a dying thePatels oncea year inthetemple gether formally about yard.It was also an occasionto paytheir annual Quitea fewtimes people raisedquestions even contribution to theBrahmin status. and theRama mybachelor Whywas I notmarried priest I wasofmarriageable la- temple though age! The elderly priest. a bachelor dieswerenottoo fondof having deJust before thegathering wasto disperse, MP invite told methat itwasa goodoccasion scenduponthevillagelesttheir for him tointrodaughters trouble. from thebeginning I made ducemetothegathering. hewanted to Moreover, Right potential itclearto thevillagers: as off to Vinoba Bhave who had died the just youmarry your pay homage - which shocks me- so also itis previous ofVinobawho early day.MP was an admirer young very a natural for to shocked to hear that in was close of south associate Mahatma Gandhi. So, he you get Indiapeoplemarry late. In the I and an elaborate introduction to me south, gotup relatively gave and follow the to the of "Pahelan nature Then he said,people formula, nokri, mystudy. spokeat a then a vilon chhokri" The Vinoba "As the HinBhave, (First job, length wife). pachhi per highest found this sensible and their heads du ideals nodded Vinoba declined food three before lagers days inapproval. ofmycelibate twodaysbefore hisdeath,and, (brahma- hisdeath,water Explanation in theJesuit ordercould revealmy thelastof all, gave up air,i.e., voluntarily withchari)status and myidentity and accep- drew from this life."Just then an old,sharp witted affiliation, missionary tance as a research scholar couldbe jeopar- Patelasked:"Isn'tthat suicide?" Thisgenerated a purely dized. TheCatholic missionaries stationed atKalol lotoflaughter thecrowd. MP had no anamong town intheneighbourhood wereactive ofDhoria. swer. TheoldPatel'sremark the literally destroyed to a missionary even foracademic atmosphere MP had so carefully builtup to give entry Giving andthat tooright inthecentre ofthevil- homage to thelateVinoba. purposes, the Mukhi's house was MP had introduced me to morethanhalfof lage (where located)was unthinkable for thevillagers! hisstay inthevillage. Myresearch supervi- thevillage during Myrepeata Gujarati, had anticipated this tointroduce metotheThakors who sor,himself prob- ed pleastohim lemandsuggested that I stick tomy as a re- formed half ofthevillage on deafears. fell identity nearly searchscholar. I decidedto "delink" On hindsight Therefore I realize that itwasnoteasyfor him from the to do it either. Patels and Thakors were at myself missionary enterprise. loggeradmirers heads,andMP didnothavemany among theThakors, he was moreacceptable to thought 5. Introduction at theTempleYard them than wasAP. An opportunity cameourway. MP and I had accompanied thegarbo(procession The Diwalidaycamejusta fewdaysafter I first ofvillagers andsinging) tothevillage dancing deity went tothevillage with MP. At three intheafter- Khodiyar's shrinewhichstood in the Thakor noonthetemple bellsrang andmost oftheelderly street. Therewe metsomeThakors, andI wasinPatelmalesoccupied thetemple to them. Therewas a sort ofstudied inyard.It was cus- troduced on theDiwalidayeachyear for a Brahmin formality betweenMP and the Thakors.They tomary lookedatmewith Research didnot apprehension. make much sense to them. was writ Suspicion large 2 Caste like symptomsamong Christianshave been highon their faces. some studies in some of India lighted by sociological parts
such as Alexander 1967, Lemercinier 1981, Kananaikil 1986, Wilson 1982. 3 In southKanara district of KarnatakaState Shetty surname occursmainly converted amongtheHindu Bunts.Christians nearly400 years ago have perhaps in some cases retained their preconversioncaste appellations such as Kamath, Sheth,and Shetty.

withPatelshad, of course,its myidentification ownadvantages anddisadvantages. I may mention I inthemeanwhile, that had to however, shapemy behaviour as would befita Patel, though they ofdeviance a certain amount from would tolerate itas I was a stranger.

6. Enculturation or socialization in thelocalculMy enculturation ture in host's house. It was for mea peribegan my
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od of intenselearningof the ways of the natives. I did notknowhow to behave withwhom, Initially instrucwhen,and where.MP had givenme strict of my host's to the rhythm tionsto keep myself "This is nota hostel.See to itthattheold life-style: Help yourcouple are in no way inconvenienced. selfas muchas you can." While myhostsdid achad to do a lot to me, I as a recipient commodate to them. moreaccommodation MP remindedme at least four times of his twobitsofadvice: (1) neverto waste grandfather's even a singlegrainof food on the plate, (2) never to borrowmoney or lend money on interest.I thatfirst bitof adcouldsee thatMP implemented not He wenta step further vice literally. by letting evena dropofliquidfood (curry, kadhi) regravy, the meals. I implemented mainin his plate during bitof advice gladlybut the one of wipingthe first plate dryclean withcheerynoises and actionswas beyondme. AP oftenteased me, "Launci Bhai, you don't know how to eat. When one eats, the people in the whole Patel streetshould know it But you eat in such thesoundof eatingitself. from outsidethedoor a waythatnoteven thedog sitting can know thatyou are eating." At a much later to makeplenstageofmystayinthevillageI learnt This pleased myhosts. tyof soundswhile eating. were when we One evening havingour dinner told the hostess,"You knowthis myhostsmilingly Launci Bhai's diet involvesfish,meat, and things kind."The hostwas in a mischievous ofthat mood, to embarrassme and shock his orthodox trying wife.She looked at me withsome amountof horror.A questionwas obviously loominglargeon her face. When the matterwas obvious therewas no pointinmybeatingaroundthebush. "Yes," I said. I added, "The to be a bitoffensive, Then,wanting in Bengal eat fish,the KashmiriBrahBrahmins minseat meat, and so do some of the MaharashtrianBrahmins.I eat fishand meat because that's howI was brought up." A columnI had read in the Timemagazinea week ago came handyto me. The Patels of Gujarat owned a couple of thousandsof in Florida,so muchso thatmotelswere not motels called motelsbut Potels. "What do you thinkthe Patels served in those motels, bataka and kobil respectively),"I asked (potato, and cauliflower, to tell wanted I hosts. myhoststhatthesePatels my motels. foodin their in USA servednonvegetarian I had also cometo knowofa Patlani(Patel woman) who had soughtdivorce fromher motel-keeping to Ahmedabad husbandin theStatesand returned because she was fed up doing a scavenger'sjob. she had to clean theglassesused to Everymorning servealcohol and to clean thefloorof thevomitof
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theclients in themotel.Havingheardthis,myhost quickly put an end to hismischief bysaying,"Jevo desh, tevo vesh" (when in Rome, do as the Romans do). However, I could not miss the point. Eating meat and consuming alcohol have a highdegreeof of negativesanctionin the traditional atmosphere ruralnorthGujarat, especiallyamong the ujaliats ofJainism (i.e. , uppercastepeople). The influence and Vaishnavismis deeplyfelthere. Meat eaters, hunters and fishermen are called mahapapis(grave I sinners). myselfgraduallydeveloped a repugnance to meateatingon accountofmyvillagestay. It reached its heightwhen I witnessedthe cremationof a Patel. As thefirewood was running short, the pallbearersfishedout the half-charred body, hackeditintopieces, and threw thepieces back into the fire.All this was done withinsightof the sons of the deceased! The sight,comingas it did from strict was extrarepulsiveto me, vegetarians, a nonvegetarian! That day itself, when I came to Newman Hall in Ahmedabad, the sightof meat made by bowels revolt. Though it was against my personal creed to in dealing withhuman befosterpurity/pollution in the the ofbeingacceptable ings village, necessity to all imposedon me the burdenof respecting the behaviouralexpectationsof the community. Actea at a Harijan homewould automatically cepting blockmyentry intotheuppercastehomes,whomI could not afford to antagonizein the interests of hostess had research. stated at the my My clearly of mystaythatif I accepted tea at the beginning Harijan or food at the Thakor homes I would put out of herhouse. Later I did acceptfood at myself Thakor weddingsbecause it was cooked by Kumbhars(Potters),and she did notcreateanyscenes. in thevilNo actionofminewentunpublicized in privacy.When lage. So I couldn'tdo anything some Thakorscame to knowthatI was a nonvegetarian and not a strict teetotaler,theycame forBut I firmly ward withtheirinvitations. declined, in "I the have to stay villageforsometime saying, longerto continuemy work. If I don't keep the norms ofthepeople, I mayhave to pack up." They me further. the got messageand did notpressurize At another time an urbanized Harijan was his daughter's celebrating wedding.As I was pretoldme to be careful, to hostess over, my paring go "These Dhoria Harijans will keep theirmaryada (behaviourallimits)as regardsPatels and will not but the urbanized Harijans offeryou anything, to take tea at their force place." I was in a may you tea. Fordilemmaas to whatto say iftheyoffered oftea. It was much therewas no suchoffer tunately

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that somevery ortakeintoaccount later their sosensitivities, friendly cultural during myfieldwork cial have some tea with us." but on teased the like me,"Sir, needs, spendmoney things Harijans A guy data on the external Bhootbungalow. likemecomes toyou,sits collecting Apartfrom with and I to makes I of the notes. want to ruof behaviour you, people, began adapt highlight ways ral I had to life and its in restructure so that to their behaviour. the book, my problems my myself polI icymakers and planners ofthevillage. on socialandcultural views reality mayread it and perhaps ofmy birth andput planmore It is true that hadtokeep"aside"theculture realistically. your generanotprofit Attainment of rap- tion ofthenatives. out of on theculture book,butfumay directly my their turegenerations derive somebenefits, with thepeoplewasnotsimply imitating might just port a sapling with as youplant andperhaps the people and mingling chiltoday your ways,humouring definition of drenor their children I hadtoaccept thecommunity's them. might getto tasteitsfruits in the future." world was a sometime and thatitscultural This sortof reply did cultural reality, to my own.The initial on myquestioners. alternative reasonable peri- makean impact was crucial as itinvolved as a person od inthefield camehandy toestablish Myassets replacing with thepeople.I didnothavemany rulesand perhapsvalues with rapport matemyown cultural inturn to give, exceptsome friently which those ofthevillage beedis gaveriseto con- rial things within I (country-made conflict me. Veryoften smallgifts on auspisiderable internal cigarettes), owncul- ciousoccasions, and generous what wascommon senseinmy found that use of camera.By I do notmean in thenative For personal assets wasutter nonsense culture. tosaythat ture onehasto be a and are seriousness instance, "dashing formality, flowery language,beating guy."Shyness also assets. I was a aboutthe bush,and social scheming but (especially Initially very shyperson, cul- whenpeoplenoticed when found and applicaout)arelookeddownuponinmy myseriousness ofsurvival tionto work butsomeoftheseare techniques with me. I felt that ture, they cooperated in thenative culture. and impression management, imagebuilding, socialengineering ofrelationships hadsomeplacein and my life,but my authenticity, genuineness, 7. What are We Going to Get out of Your a major roleinsecuring honesty played qualitative Work? data. I facedin thevillage One ofthekeytemptations wasto project an imageof "niceguy."How else 8. Research Experience I make would toa large myself acceptable majority inthevillage? I didnotgo tothevillage as a devel- One ofthefirst fewexercises I conducted was to or project a benefactor or donor, collect ofthepeople.Thisforced me officer, opment genealogies or an activist. I wentthere as a learner tovisit houses inthevillage. I drew Basically many up geneand recipient. Time and againI had to facethe alogiesto thedepth of eight in some generations "Launci what are we to cases. This an occasion for mutual introBhai, question, going get provided outofyour work?" reduction between the and GenealMyexplanations regarding villagers myself. search interests didnotmakemuch ofan impres- ogiesprovided mean ideaofthekinship networks sionon them. in thevillage within each caste. Theincident oftheBhootbungalow The genealogical exercises also showedthat (haunted there are twocategories of information house)somewhat helpedme to putacrosspeople generally anideaofwhat One is andtheother they might getoutofmyresearch. in anyvillage setting. public The PublicWorks The public information wasavailable Department (PWD) had con- confidential. structed itsbungalow on a plotadjoining thecre- relatively tome,a newcomer, because, easily first, mationgroundin Dhoria at a cost of about everybody knewit and, second,it was harmless. Rs. 30,000butit was lying unused.The villagers Forinstance, whowaswhointhevillage, whoheld felt: Whowould next tothecrema- what usea bungalow andwhowasrelated towhom. Genposition, tionground? It is moreforthedead thanforthe erally with suchinformation to me peopleparted IfthePWD hadconstructed, instead ofthat without much fuss. Theconfidential ofinliving! category a bus stand in Dhoria it would have formation trickled in at a laterstagewhensuffibungalow, served a better It wouldhaveconnected cient wasestablished between meandthe purpose. rapport four I this examinformants. neighbouring villages. picked So, I began up bygathering public categople andtoldthepeople,"Thosewhoplanforthe ryinformation. consult thepeople,or respect their Another exercise I undertook wasan exhauspeoplenever
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a schedule tive household census with about fied with this butthepeoplethought using information, columns. Some of the columns werecon- otherwise. After abouttwomonths ofstayin the thirty items such more sensitive as onwership villagea number of people askedme whyI was with cerned ofindebtedness. oflandanddegree Thesequeries hanging around in thevillage coldespite having and therewas a great lectedenough raisedpeople'ssuspicions datato fillat leasttwobooks!The with that bluffed thefigures. All the villagers askedthequestion becausethey felt unthey danger down the and I noted comfortable that with the ofmystay I same, figures eventually lengthening with thelandrecords maintained would cross-checked discover the other side of life so careby village I covered household fully accountant. hidden from thevillage me. every me a in thevillagein mycensus.This afforded with for the establishing rapport great opportunity 9. Participant Observer people. thehousehold cenwhile One incident taking a house,introduced I wasas itwere, I entered to"film" suswasmemorable. thelife ofthepeotrying The pleinallitsvariety interests. and explained tocapture itinmy diamyresearch bytrying myself, torespond refused a tough Thakor, man, my ries. I kept diariesof day-to-day flatly happenings, here. Go events, etc.As far as possible I rituals, ceremonies, queries."You will not get anything it waswhere to explain theaction as I was,I tried was- listening topeople, and away."Embarrassed on theharmless eliciting their andnorms ofbehavto himoncemorewith views, attitudes, emphasis I saw iour. of mywork.But he was unmoved. nature all around me and the crowd observation wasthemainmethod Participant people smiling to explain a I usedtoobtain notattempting data. I I stoodthere, became as much as posswelled. my to happen. siblea member forsomething of thegroupI was studying, timebutwaiting and third house in came out of the its father Thakor's social life. I Hence this Well, participated fully particisat withme to answer events and agricultural and rather my patedin socialand ritual grudgingly I heldformal I wastofind outthat activities. that later andinformal Itwasmuch I discussions. queries. in notorious around at three most the in of the was one where this hung keyspots village family peoof ple werelikely to gather criminal forchit-chat. Dhoria.The old manwas a convicted While themasthat I tookpart inthelife era.Though ofthe theGaikwadi old,hewasstill saying I must committedcommunity, ofthenotorieties hasten to addthat I kept outof behind brain ter many Thissamemanat a factional that inthevillage. fights might jeopardize myresearch bytheThakors meand interests. divided intoantagooutofhiswayto befriend went later People are always stage anditisonly him onhishorseback nistic natural that onegroup or onmy insisted groups accompanying theother tries to winyouoverto itsside.Identifiand so on. to weddings with onegroup like the one cation canalienate thefieldworker of noncooperation Incidents I from another. moments One also in cooler burn one's fingers But if medepressed. aboveleft may not to one is careful. For would tensions were not all that realized instance, respond my villagers ragtwofactions At timesthe nonre- ingbetween theschoolteachamong equallywarmly. enquiries The ofdatamademequestion andnonflow my ersin Dhoria.I couldsee thestorm coming. sponse in cooler headmaster asked me to once intervene with But the ownpersonal again helpof adequacy. I elethe elders. be excused while there tellthat I realized moments village myself might byfrankly him dilemma. I in "You of personal ments see, my respon- ing quitesympathize inadequacy wooing intheschool thesituation therespon- with butI ama guest for also lie with theproblem dents, might If I two I will be accused of sidwith criminal dents. days. say something history perhaps Respondents a particular ofthepolicede- ingwith ofmy theinvestigators mewith linked group.For thenature I work need research the of all. I to convert efforts make I had to hostility cooperation hope partment. excuseme." The manunderstood as it happenedin the case of youwillkindly intofriendliness andI left becamemy my theschool. The storm broke whoeventually Thakor thenotorious problem outin theschoolandthevillage elders wereseen friend. to quieten there thetwosides. fieldwork ofmy Intheinitial peoplegen- rushing stage inwith to part volunteered category public erally an embellished included butitusually formation, where anidealvillage, ofthevillage, everypicture Rafor down norms set to on according went thing not satisI was obviously Utopia). (Hindu marajya
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in the letters, his suspicions subobjectionable sided. OncemyhostandI mettheschoolheadmasoftensions for me.First, There were sources many a Wankar of an untouchable The in house affected someone's ter, (member caste) my living privacy. from the The headmaster who of hosts of the neighbouring village. thought meeting expectations thedeputy from theKalolmission had in many me down.Sec- toldmethat wererigid waysweighed a high to start schoolinthe thepeoples'behav- cometo himoffering ond,justas I was observing down theoffer. He added,"No so werethey iour, Being area,butheturned observing mybehaviour. do good educational and to doubtthe missionaries similar inanother was to a great extent culture butthey alsoconvert I wasat thecentre ofthe health,work a fish outofwater. people.Convertbeing fold is a grave theHindu sin.Even andalways inthepublic gener- ingpeoplefrom eye,andthis stage themissionaries inspreading their netis a was: If I wereto helping atedtension in me. Mydilemma sin.I havelived Now last no doubtI grave life well. in the set up myown housein thevillage, my I do notwant tocommit sucha sintoletthe butbynotliving stages would havemoments ofprivacy, in thisarea." haveentry miss theencultura- missionaries ina household I wouldgreatly After about ofmy of a three months inthevilintheculture The inside view tion under study. stay I when was in with an incident culture canperhaps be bestobtained Ahmedabad, lage, away byliving tookplace in thevillage, I cameto aboutwhich a household. onmy return. Anoldlady haddiedinDhoria Another source of tensionwas the "spy" know and her relatives to in the had come condotwo months of Even after my stay pay their problem. ofthebo- lences.One among them was a Rastriya werenotconvinced somepersons Swayam village Hinduorganisation) ofmy the Sevak(a rightist activist. He nafides research Someamong purposes. the govern- cameto knowofmyprolonged in DhoThakors considered me a spyfrom presence a rumour, ofvio- ria.He floated "Be careful ment. Thefact that thevillage hada history about therea few distill- searcher. He will enduppreaching hisreligion." lent crime andthat there were It persons illicit theThakors' me,"He has been ing suspicions seemsmyPatelhostdefended liquor aggravated ina Patel'shousewho herefor thelastthree about months andhas notspoken my presence. Staying of his was notin good terms withsome Thakors at all." Then the activist toldthevilgave religion evengreater to their credence fears. another "In a known to me a Theythought lagers story: village thePatelshad planted me in thevillage with the Christian had come to do research workforhis connivance ofthepolice. Ph. D. butwithin a short time he beganpreaching Fora few affiliation was a Patels Christian his The beat himup and threw my religion. villagers cause of gravesuspicion. In the earlystagesof himout." fieldwork time and againmyhosttried to fish out WhenI returned to thevillageI confronted from me information the missionaries cold in faces the A few Patel street. ofmine friends concerning inKaloltown, stationed with theintention offind- cameoverand toldme abouttheincident. GradOne night he gotan- ually a few Patelleaders disclosed their fears. The ingoutifI wason a mission. with meandaccused meofhiding from him worse was to comefrom AP's wife, a deeply relinoyed of thesemissionaries. Whenthe giousperson, whowas upset.She askedherhusmyknowledge selfsame hostvisited he made it a bandto cleartherumours. I tookthewholething Ahmedabad, tocomeovertomy hostel tried tolaugh itaway, andtoldthem, "You point (Newman Hall) in coolly, order to gleansome"incriminating" information knowbestthatI have comehereto do research aboutmylinkage with themissionaries. work andnothing else." AP said,"I know itall." host never failed to mail that Buthiswife wasnotsatisfied. Thefollowing mornMy open my cametothevillage. The mailincidentally wasonly ingduring ourtea session sheaskedmeifI underfrom in Delhi University,stoodtheimplications oftheaccusation! Thenshe myresearch supervisor inenvelopes marked 'On IndiaGovernment Ser- said,"We havegiven in this and youentry village vice." The letters werein Englishand myhost accommodation inourhouse.Hope youkeepour mademetranslate them forhim.Once during my laaj (good name)bynotpreaching your religion. absence hehadtaken letter toKaditaluka cen- Why should themissonaries andconmy givemoney treand had it translated. I couldhardly makea vertpeople?If youhave moremoney, giveit to show ofresentment, oreducate him inthefiner eti- me." I assured herthatI did nothavetoo much ofmy culture that one doesnotopensome- money andI understood all that shesaid.She was quette one'sletters. theaboveactofmyhost quietened. Fortunately had a positive element. Since he foundnothing Thatnight wasa bad one for me. AP toldme
85.1990 Anthropos

- Tension 10. Spy - Identity

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ina mypresence inmy involved I spoke that without I felt sleep.I wasdeeply anyinhibitions. acceptin thebeginning ed in their If I had declared dilemma. universe. right havenoteasily How didmy I would I wasa missionary, that hostess hideherembarrassement got was the incident in north of wife-beating? "Launci Gujarat Mystrategy regarding village. entry any affiliation to reveal Otherwise i.e., Bhai,"shesaid,"don't gradually, mymissionary yougetmarried. cameto accept thevillagers me.I did youwillhave in yourfamily as andwhen thedramayou just thatI mustbe constantlynow saw enacted."She repeated thisbecauseI thought thisinjunction as a socialscientist, and people whenever theneighbour awareof myself tooktowife-beating. I asI as such because have there sured me should "I did not entertain my hostess, really gone accept ofmarrying inthenearfuture, purposes. thoughts purelyfor academic and scientific definitely of mymissionarynotbefore the non-revelation Ph. D. wasover,becausemarriage Therefore, my was a matter ofstrategy andresearch in thebeginning do notgo together." shesaw identity Though shespeculated forfurthering on mybehalf. "Willyou Also, as a thepoint, enterprise. myresearch a Gujarati I showed no excessive interest marry ofstrategy, matter You havealready learnt the girl? intheinitial lesttheir Gujarati You also likeGujarati inareaslikereligion stages, language. dishes, with themis- and sinceyoudon'tknowhowto cook,youwill aboutmylinkage vaguesuspicions needsomeone to cook. Willyouinvite be confirmed. sionaries us to your that iden- nativeplace for yourweddingif you married thefact isnodenying Thusthere my and tension, there?" gave rise to conflict tity problem of tension mensources a womanaccompanying to the other which added herhusGenerally, band or with friends other maleon thepillion earlier. tioned ofa scooter any Sharing my experiences from to time ormotorcycle time off attheentrance Hall inAhmedabad ofthevillage atNewman gets and walks to of tension. the home relieve some while the male rider drives my helped to it. She does this out of deference to roaring up thevillage norms One when I was (maryada). day 11. Signsof Acceptance getting readyto ride mymobikeoffDhoria to AP's wife saidshewouldcomewith Ahmedabad, me to the folk her of fieldwork brother-in-law's In theinitial I village stages placeinAhmedabad. To if their of she would sit on beautiful the a bike in the village. enquired picture right painted orI should methey wait for itandtoconvince herattheexit match with ofthe putup what Patelstreet woreoff village. She said,"Right Butas time inthePatelstreet." behaviour. rehearsed I was iscalled at theability sideof surprised of an orthodox andthehidden behaviour woman theunrehearsed to it a land- accommodate. I considered lifebeganto surface. folk ofunWhileI have outlined thedayI observed thetrails and tribulainmy research mark signs offieldwork, I must If people could be them- tions mention thewarmth behaviour. I rerehearsed a number it meant ceivedfrom of people. I gratefully me and I couldbe myself, before reselves member thepeoplewhosought inwas mutual there mycompany, acceptance. mevery totea andsocialevents, at the end of my two vited and One earlymorning warmly I waswoken inthevillage, months' upbynoise took timeout withme leavingaside theirown stay The Patel next work.In particular, therewas Pasha Kaka who and criesin the neighbourhood. achis introduced me tomany ofhisguests as one doorwas mercilessly wife, proudly beating rickety who would I out of the write a book on As came words. Dhoria foul as village bigas by companied the theepicRamayana. werewatching Therewereold ladieswhoinofneighbours housea number embarrassed vitedme to sitnextto them on their cot and enwerevisibly "show."Some of them about takeplacein their should There sucha thing that village quired mywell-being affectionately. on the were children who liked There were toointhePatelstreet. andthat my Mypresence company. of the the who on wife-beater. would volunteer influence unsolicno had youths village deterring spot on the"obon the"show."I wasdistressed ited"saucy"and "juicy"information carried He merrily notbe- jectionable" areasofvillage life. would I alsofelt "eduHowever, They "happy," bythesight. sexual withbawdyjokes. hiswife butbecausemy causehewasbeating pres- cate" me in matters be- Therewereyoung whonudged ofmy me fortheir him.It wassymbolic encedidnotbother girls It thrilled me to know from theremaining thebeperiodof photographs. During ingone ofthem. manifestations of thepeopleof all ages, thesamemantookto wife-beatinghaviour fieldwork, my Verbalduels,and discussions castes,and also sexes thatI had becomean inintervals. at regular in sider. life wereundertaken sideofvillage oftheseamy
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forold and unserviceable anipanjrapol, asylum mals.Ifsnakes arefound within theresidential site I suffered threeaccidents fieldwork: are and thrown outside the during my they gently picked up from theladder; thesecond, a dog-bite, villagehabitat. But theThakors and other lower One,a fall andthethird, a mobike accident on thenational casteshave their own ideas, and no wonder the castes call them sinners. highway. higher grave AP was an impatient manlikemyself. When hecalledouttometogo to interview a peripatetic I gota mobike for useafter four months of my entertainer whohadlanded inthevillage, I rushed fieldwork. Sincetheday I gotit there was a redownthestaircase, fellon byhaunches, markable attitude toslipped, changein some villagers' andblacked a while. outfor AP later toldmethat wards me.Mystatus went estimation. A upintheir rather he gotpan- number of people,especially thosewho had deseeing my eyeballs rolling wildly andheldme fora while.At that it clinedto spendtimewith to moment, icky me, started coming his handsso tightly thathe felt me. seems,I caught more Themoment hewasshaking himself OnceI gavea lift totheRamatemple on panicky. priest free from the blackout His from DhoriatoAhmedabad. While mygrip, passedaway. my motorcycle as he jokingly toldme,was partly because negotiating a road bend the oncoming truck fright, he connected fall with his mother-in-law who knocked us down. The had some my priest superficial wason herdeathbed inhervillage. She mayhave bruises on which he appliedkerosene oil. I susdied and was perhapstrying to clutchat him taineda collarbone fracture. WhenI gotbackto Lateron itwas found out thevillageafter three weeksI was toldthatthe through mymediation! that shediddie approximately around thetime of time I left thevillage on mymobike was 12 noon, an inauspicious time.Someonehad also hearda myfall! atthesametime. Ifa donkey donkey braying brays One afternoon I was planning to go to the when onesetsoutfor somegoodwork, itisconsidcourt with temple yard mybag,paper,andpencil. eredinauspicious. As I was setting out of mystreet a dog with one The misfortune of beinga male researcher jumptooka biteoff mypantandtorethrough my flesh. Thismeant to takesevenantira- and,that bachelor is thelackofacmyrushing too,an eligible bies injections at Vadilal SarabhaiHospitalin cesstovillage women. I Beinga bitshy bynature, Ahmedabad. When I returned toDhoria,an inter- wassomewhat distanced from women. Inyounger discussion followed in thePatelstreet. with women is necessary for esting I felt, My teraction they, host showed a lotofsympathy for thedog.He gave aregreater oftraditional culture inInrepositories a sermon: "It is a dog'sprofession to keepwatch dianvillages thanthemales.The villagers themanditsnature tobite.Well,he may notbitefor the selves have out,"LaunciBhai,youshould pointed second time.... Well,one shouldbefriend a 'female who could deal withwomen dogs partner' them sinto kill whileyoudeal with byfeeding men."The pointis thatas a every day.It is a grave to hufieldworker I had to dogs.The dog is less intelligent function within limitations compared my man Weshould takemore careso that and make the best of a bad beings. situation Shah 1979: dogs (cf. don'tbiteus." 31 ff.).However, the olderladies,who embody ritual. Notonly do thewholeness oftheir Feeding dogsis a religious traditional wereacculture, feeddogsevery is al- cessible to me,andI felt many villagers safeintheir day,butthere for company so an elaborate institution called VelnoRotloin mypublicimage. thispartof north Gujarat.In a villagesomeone takes theinitiative to makesomehouseholds contribute a coupleofladdus(ballsofsweets) orrotlis 13. The Active Research Period onan appointed carried (bread) day,andhasthem overto thenext datawhich village weremore bytheKumbhar to my (Potter), Qualitative pertinent anddistributed to thedogsthere. The next thepeople village research problem beganto flowafter fixes a dayand repeats thesameon to a third vil- had acceptedme and my research plans. The someone not lage.Thechain goeson until and "problem" shouldnotbe plans to words"pertinent" itforward. carry Thereare somescholars During mystayin Dhoriatwice misleading. wholabour suchchain was initiated in Dhoria. under theideathat, as scientists labjust gototheir Violenceto animalsis abhorred and testtheir in the amongthe oratories same hypotheses, castes.Old cowsand bullsare sentto the way, upper for an anthropologist thevillage is hislaboraAnthropos85.1990

12. The Accidents

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toryand people are his objects. Far fromit. The is alapproach,thoughscientific, anthropologist's in human behavioural so human. I placed myself observedand recordedpeople's behavsituations, to make sense out of it. iour, attempted DuringtheactiveresearchperiodI soughtnot so muchto test the ideas I had broughtwithme from outsideas to explorethe categories,orientaof tions, values, and norms of the community whichI had become a part. While the economist data could march on quantitative whoreliesmostly and to thevillageswitha neatbundleofhypotheses in to cases has the problems, anthropologist many ideas most and with the vague general go initially about theproblemshe wishesto study.This is not a disadvantage. The pertinentquesnecessarily can bestbe formulated tionsor problems onlyafter and cultural into the social one has gonefairly deep under study (see Bteille life of the community 1975: 100). me as particularly The two realmsthatstruck duringthe active researchperiod were important and ofrelirelations thoseofconflicting intergroup gion. Both these realmswere rathersensitiveand came under the categoryof qualitativeresearch. At thestageof activeresearchI did nothave to be worriedabout the anxietieswhichplagued me in a "nice theinitial stage,namelythoseofprojecting I was etc. not of myanyone, hurting guy"image, selfto a verygreatextentat thisstage, because I behad cultivateda numberof good informants and classes. castes to different longing the I had to make during The first adjustment residence to was activeresearch changemy period fromthe Patel's house. Though the village was therewere invisisupposedto forma community, ble walls which did not permitfree interaction Caste cleavages and hierarchy amongitsmembers. The lower castes like interaction. free prohibited Ravals, and Harijan Thakors,Rabaris,Kumbhars, castes could not easily get into a Patel's house. was another on thefields, roads,or streets Meeting WhileI needed to be in touchwithall, irrematter. ofcaste, people could notcome to see me spective withease nor could I ever call themto the house over disturbed I was getting whereI was residing. the factthatAP and his wifedid not like visitors thatstaying intothehouse. So, I felt longer coming wouldserveno purpose,and therefore there began looking for an alternative place for my residence. answerthequestionas to how I reLet me first on I was insistent In the beginning hosts. paid my I I said I should much how day. pay per knowing wouldbe veryhappyto pay because I was getting
85.1990 Anthropos

my scholarshipwhich was handsome by village standards.Both AP and his wifedeclined repeatedly to answermyquery. "We are Patels, known forour hospitality," theysaid. I made it a pointto find out ifthey would appreciatesomething in kind as a return fortheir generoushospitality. Theydid appreciate a wall-clock whose chimes could be heard in the whole Patel street. There have been times when MP, the AP's brother in Ahmedabad,congratyounger lecturing ulated me formyadjustment abilitiesat his brother's place. He said: "They are toughpeople. They don'tlikeguestsformorethanthreedays. But you had survived forquite long." PerhapsI could stay five long monthsat AP's house, partlybecause theyliked me, and partlybecause I kept themin good humour by takingsomethingor the other to the vil(vegetables,sweets,etc.) on myreturn lage fromAhmedabad. I had taken care not to cause anyirritation to them.Yet I feltit would be betterforme to get away beforetheygot tiredof me. I was happy that such developentertaining mentsdid take place. The alternative places forresidencewere: the school room,thetempleroom,a roomattachedto thetube-well, and a roomin a Thakor house. I selectedtheschoolas itwas a neutral zone whereany caste could freelyapproach me. I later realized thatthiswas themostsensibledecisionI took. The temple room was not accessible to lower castes. The room attached to the tube-wellbelonged to the Patels, and the Thakors would not therefore enterit easily. Staying witha Thakor would alienate me from otherssincetheThakorsweresplitinto a numberof groupsamongthemselves. When I stayedat the school, a village pottersupplied me meals and tea. The potter,thoughof lower caste, was acceptable to the Patels. I changed my residence at the beginning of summer. The timespentundertheasbestosroofof the school was mosttrying. The food was worse. I used to finish But interms of eatinginfiveminutes. data collectionthisperiod was extremely rich. It was the timeof weddings.People were relatively freeto come to me. I had extensiveguided interviews on religion, caste, marriage, worldview, family,education, urbanization, social change, etc. I could now focusmyinvestigation on theThathanthe Patels. korsand otherlowercastes rather remained My movementswith Patels, therefore, limitedand I spent the bulk of my time withthe Thakors, the servicecastes, and the untouchable foranyeventin their homes castes. I invited myself formystudy.They took real whichwas significant delightin explainingto me what I wanted. There

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were focused interviews, depth interviews,tweenPatels and Thakors,the two competing etc.During this castes of northGujarat. Both are agricultural cross-checking, cross-questioning, I of active research was free the fear of hurtbutthePatels holdmore landandhavealso castes, period in the them with At recent etc. the remarks, my ing questions, pastreplaced Vaniyasas shopand moneylenders whenI feltthatthe respondent was side- keepers in Mehesanadistrict. times, notto divulge TheThakors or deliberately inmodern tracking being attempting numerically stronger I had to use "bul- electoral thatI sought, havebeenable to emerge theinformation on the politics ofcourse, and pose a threat to thePatels. tactics," political very tactfully. platform lying Fordecadesthese twocasteshavebeenat loggerinheads,theallegation beingthattheThakors, steadof earning their 14. The SummerHighlights snatch it from livelihood, the Patels.The celebration of others, especially Holi has two of the life of been The summer discontinued and instead one sees highlighted aspects thereligious and sec- thepolicepostat Dhoria,becauseprivate thevillage, activities, first, revenge the intraand inter-caste conflict. The usually surfaces andtakesitstollduring overt Holi. On ond, religious aspectof the lifeof middleand lower severaloccasionsthe State ReservePolice was inDhoriaat theinstance thisseasonas posted castesbecameconspicuous ofthePatelswho during that cametolife. The lineage Thakors thebhuvas were incrop-lifting. (oracles) god- alleged indulging werepropi- I recorded a number dess and a hostof othergoddesses of violent thattook fights tiated. The propitiation sessions werecalleddak- placebetween these twocastes. members of Many Daklun is a percussion instru- these castes weretaken to thepolice,as thecrime lunor derasarun. forthederasarun ofthis ment usedinvariably whenthe register with thepolicesubinvillage lying as if in a trance.People spector's bhuvabeganvibrating office at thetaluka centre testified. It is abouttheir andmisfor- saidthat asked him doubts thePatelsare on thereceiving endthese questions satthewhole andsometimes the daysandunder tunes. from theThaThey night very great pressure too. I counted 30 no less kors.The Patelsin thevillagetry and avoidthe bhuvas, following day than18 conspicuous and many morein- Thakors evenphysically. Patels often shrines, Many change those under trees and their if route see a Thakor from the shrines, conspicuous e.g., they coming bushes. the One couldnotbutbe struck of direction. The Patels have to by logic opposite given the folk incontrast Hinduism with orBrahmi- Thakors Sanskrit a number oflabels which reveal their deep nicHinduism. The structural basisof Hinduism, seated antagonism. For example,behindtheir andhierarchy, wasreflected in backs thePatels calltheThakors "Vaina"(Varna), i.e., castedivisions thedivision andhierarchy is derived from varnasankara inamong gods,goddesses, which meaning andspirits. TherewerepureSan- termixture ofraces.WhatthePatelsmeanis that goblins, ghosts, skritic suchas Saraswati and Lakshmi Thakors are "bastards." It is a loadedterm which goddesses more andtheim- signifies allthat islow,mean, castes, worshipped bytheupper uncouth, uncultured, Hadak- uncivilized, etc. Timeand againa Pateluses the Cheher, pureonessuchas Meladi,Jogni, castes. In be- wordasanskari while to the vai,Rangni bythelower worshipped (uncultured) referring tween thepureandtheimpure were Kho- Thakors. Ambaji, andBahucharaji whowereoriginally In thelastGramPanchayat election a Thakor local, diyar, sacrifices but becamea sarpanch for thefirst time inthehistory goddesses impure demanding bloody havenowbeenelevated to thestatus ofpuregod- of thevillage.The Patelsdeeplyresent thisand dessesand are henceworshipped bitterness whenever an occasionproby the upper venttheir castes too.While itwasinteresting tonotethis dis- videsitself. one should notbe carried it The intra-caste conflict in full tinction, surfaced force awayby either. Patelsand other castes said that the season. I was under theimupper they during wedding did notpay obeisanceto impure but pression thatifthere was conflict between castes goddesses, when and tragedy struck them there must be at leastintra-caste sickness, The calamity, unity. wedto them. otherwise. It calledforinthey invariably paidobeisance Myatten- dingseasonconfirmed danceat many sessions of derasarun of diagnos- tensesocialrelations, which in turn gotasserted, andexorcizing thespirits left a deepimpression confirmed, and reinforced. Most of the private ing on me. from quarrels, land, originating family partition, Thesecond ofvillage life that struck me jewellery, and otherproperty, and fights on acaspect thesummer wasovert conflict. Dhoriahad count ofwomen andchildren, surfaced this during during a longhistory ofintercaste be- season.Loud and noisy verbal duelsweretheorconflict, especially
Anthropos85.1990

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Sometimes derofthedayandnight. and behaviour attracted peacewasre- offieldwork. My actions arrived at through anda settlement thein- orrepelled stored peopleas wellas information. Mymenofcasteelders. Attimes tervention and ability to deviz., receptivity peoplebelong- tal framework, calledintointervene. toanother castewere No codeanddiscern theinformation counted much in ing Each caste had its own the quality castewas an exception. of the data I gathered. In a waythe between ofthedatais intrinsically connected with brothers, uncles, par- meaning quotaof quarrels the what not. Thakors the and manner inwhich arecollected. Thatisone ents, Though belonged they to the same lineagegrouptherewere clear-cut ofthereasons I havestated someofmyfieldwhy work to their There in this lineage segments. experiences according groups paper. twelve the wereno lessthan majorgroups among outtheir alliances andcomAs a postscript andtowork I must hasten to add that after Thakors, and exclusions was likesolv- myfieldwork inclusions in Dhoria in 1982-83, I have kept binations, contacts with Dhoriathrough visits andletregular inga riddle. an excellent seasonprovided Thewedding receive letters from Dhoriaconop- ters.I regularly of taining thenewsaboutmyvillage. theinternal for I am informed organization studying portunity deaths inthevillage I meantheun- about andinvited Thakors. toweddings. organization By internal theinstitution ofmar- I had no hesitation onwhich in choosing Dhoriaforfieldderlying principles viz., clanexogamy, work for a subsequent isorganized, them on"SocialandCulturstudy among riage for thedirection theAging inRural ofclans, India."Overthe along al Supports bride-price, hierarchy to and from travel which thewomen and me Dhoria,and yearsthe bonds betweenDhoriawallas havegrown and rituals. warmer. customs Their their ofcourse ofmy marriage knowledge being a missionary socialscientist no longer comes inthe wayofourrelations. 15. Conclusion inDhoriawaspainful This fieldwork Thelastdayofmy wasoriginally circulated ina mimeographed paper I form from an outsider Overthetime, andemotional. the for Social Surat. I amgrateStudies, by Centre ofoneparticular ful a member aninsider, hadbecome toProf. A.M. Shah for his detailed comments which ofthevillage. Rela- have as wellas a member household metorevise the helped paper. theyearand I had so werebuilt during tionships kakas(fabahens bhais (sisters), (brothers), many and dadis References dadas (grandfathers), ther's Cited brothers), anexperience I hadgonethrough (grandmothers). inthecourse Alexander, warm became K. C. coldrelations whereby oftheNeo-Christians ofKerala.Man in I was a 1967 The Problem folks oftheyear.For mostof thevillage India 27: 317-330. forsomeI was a saheb(sir),fora bhai(brother), Andr andfor a Tha- Bteille, master few many (a schoolteacher), 1975 Trials andTribulations ofFieldwork. In:A. Bteille and a I remained photographer. korwomen T. N. Madan(eds.),Encounter andExperience. Delhi: to with answers me conclude Let questions VikasPublishing House. fieldwork? It includwasitlikedoing as what such Bharat L. of frustration, ed feelings fears, hopesand isola- Bhatt, 1980 IndiaandIndian A Critical Overview. In: D. Regions. one on the of a sense tion, inadequacy personal ofIndia;pp. 35-61.Lon(ed.), An Exploration Sopher and euphoric hand and exciting don:Longman. performances other. on the heights M. (ed.) was: How did I do field- Frelich, The nextquestion 1970 Marginal Natives : Anthropologists atWork . NewYork : butI couldnotfolI hada research work? andRow. design Harper in thefield.I had to meet lowitup mechanically Jose a lotofpres- Kananaikil, calledfor this and eventualities many 1986 Scheduled Caste Converts in Searchof Justice in the ina Notbeing ofevents. turn atevery enceofmind Halls of the SupremeCourts. Social Action 36: 101-107. butbeinga recipiandstrength ofpower position bal- Lemercinier, a delicate I had to maintain entand learner, Genevive I waslucky 1981 TheEffect folks. thevillage with anceofrelations ofthe CasteSystem onConversions toChrisinTamilnadu. SocialCompass 28: 237-268. tianity to havethesefolks beinggood to me in so many itis Lobo, Lancy research Morethantheartistic design, ways. inthesuccess 1981 The Agrarian more Prant ofBaroda Structure ofMehesana inmewhomattered the person
85.1990 Anthropos

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138 State 1860-1920. tothe dissertation, [M. Phil, presented ofSociology, DelhiSchoolofEconomics, Department DelhiUniversity]
Shah, A. M.

LancyLobo A. M. Shah,andE. A. Ramaswamy (eds.), FieldworkerandtheField.Delhi: Oxford Press. University

Wilson,K.

andthePast.In: M. N. Srinivas, 1979 Studying thePresent

1982 The Twice Alienated:Cultureof Dalit Christians. Booklinks Hyderabad: Corporation.

85.1990 Anthropos

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