One unique and interesting fact about the Bhilali people is their use of a traditional musical instrument called the “maandal.” The maandal is a stringed instrument with a bowl-shaped body made from a hollowed-out gourd or coconut shell, and a long neck with two to four metal strings.
Population in the Project Area: 39,1378
The People
India
The Bhilali people are a tribal group residing mainly in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in central India. Politically the Bhilali area consists of certain districts such as Jhabua district, and Alirajpur district. They are primarily a farming community, and their economy is based on agriculture and forest produce. Bhilali is a people group categorized as belonging to S.T. and O.B.C. by the governments of M.P. Various people belonging to different clans have different surnames. They do not do inter-caste marriage. They live mainly in rural areas. The religion of the majority is their main religion and they celebrate all Religions of the majority festivals with great respect and honor.
The Bhilali people live in mud and houses with tile or straw roofs. Their men wear the dhoti-kurta and sometimes they wear only a towel or Bermuda. Women wear a traditional long saree with a blouse. Girls wear Salwar and Kurta. Those who don’t own field work as laborers in others’ fields for daily wages. Their food is rice, wheat and vegetables, forest herbs, and maize. Meat is occasionally cooked for special occasions like festivals, marriage, etc.
The Project
Mother-Tongue literacy.
Bhilali is the mother tongue of the Bhilali people. The Bhilali language, also known as Bhilodi or Bhili, is a member of the Bhil language family, which is part of the larger Indo-Aryan language family. It is spoken by more than 5 million people in India, primarily in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh. The Bhilali language is considered to be one of the oldest surviving languages in India and has many dialects.The Bhilali script is a variation of the Devanagari script and is used to write the language. However, the Bhilali language did not have a standardized script until recently. In the past, the language was primarily transmitted orally, and its written form was limited to informal use.We have conducted a survey and identified the features and challenges of the language. People show great interest in learning and developing language. We have selected discerning candidates from the community for training purpose. With their help, we have prepared the study materials and methodology.
As per the pre-designed layout and methodology, our organization has developed a comprehensive set of instructional materials for the Bhilali language. These materials include a pre-reader, books for systematic instruction of the alphabet along with a corresponding storybook, and a basic mathematics book. Additionally, teacher’s guides, a spelling guide, and an alphabet chart have been developed to facilitate effective implementation of the instructional materials.Our organization is committed to the continuous improvement of literacy materials in the Bhilali language, and as such, we have plans for further literature development. Through these efforts, we aim to promote and preserve the unique linguistic and cultural heritage of the Bhilali people, as well as to empower them through education and improved access to literacy resources.
Progress
As of March 2023
The literacy materials developed for the Bhilali language have been written and illustrated by Bhilali speakers, and are based on the everyday life in the village. The primary goal of this program is to offer individuals with limited access to education the opportunity to acquire literacy skills in their heritage language through relevant and engaging materials. This will help provide a strong foundation for further education, leading to multitudinous cognitive, social, and economic benefits.Recently, members of the Bhilali community were oriented on the next steps of initiating a mother-tongue literacy project themselves. A literacy committee has been formed, consisting of members of the community who will be trained to perform their responsibilities of implementing and overseeing a successful project. The training will also include instruction on how to recruit and train mother-tongue teachers using emerging best practices.Through this initiative, our organization seeks to empower the Bhilali community to take ownership of their literacy development and foster pride in their language and culture. The community’s active involvement in the project will not only enhance the quality of the program but also ensure its sustainability over the long term.