Changes and New Identities in Tribal Life and Culture: A Study of Tribals of West Bengal, India

The way of life of the tribal people has always been quite different from the mainstream society and they have a cultural environment of their own. Recently in the case of Indian tribals it is noticed that some changes are taking place in the specific cultural environment in which they live. The activity of the Akhil Bhartiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram (ABVKA), an affiliate organisation of the Rashtriya Swamsevak Sangh (RSS), has a special role behind this recent change in the lives of the tribals. Influenced by the ABVKA, now a large number of Indian tribals are coming out of their own cultural environment and are leading their lives to some extent according to Hindu religious practices and as a result of this there is a change in tribal culture and a new identity is being created in front of it. The main aim of this article is to highlight the cultural changes that are taking place in the lives of the Indian tribals under the influence of the ABVKA and the ‘new identity’ that is being developed among them as a result.