Soliga
From Wild India
A Soliga is a member of a tribe that inhabits the Biligirirangan and associated hill ranges in Southern Karnataka, mostly in Chamarajanagar District, bordering the Erode district of Tamil Nadu (a neighbouring state). Most of them are concentrated in and around the BR Hills in Yelandur and Kollegal Taluks of Chamarajanagar. Their population numbers close to 20000, although the population in and around Biligrirangan Hills is only 2000.
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Nomenclature
There are two interesting versions as to how the Soliga got his name. The word 'Soliga' means 'one who has come from within a bamboo'. The Soligas believe that their ancestors originated from the bamboo. Luiz, in the year 1963, wrote - "the name 'Soliga' is the corruption of the Tamil word Colai or Solai (a thicket) and refers to the dense thickets in which they live." Significantly enough, both these versions speak of an intimate relationship of the Soligas with the forest.
Settlement
The tribal settlement is called Podu. It consists of a group of usually 10 to 50 huts. The huts are made of bamboos and dried grass. The door is a portable bamboo frame and usually 3 feet in height.
Dress
The traditional apparel of the Soliga men is Jotra (cloth from waist down to knee). A piece of cloth is wrapped around the shoulder to ward off the cold. The women wear saries of colours that blend with the forest hues. They like to decorate themselves with bangles and forest flowers.
Dialect
The dialect of the Soligas is Soliganudi which has a mellifluous rhythm and is sonorous in tone. It is a dialect of Kannada.
Tribal Religion
The religion of the Soligas is the poetry of their life. They do not find God to be away or alien but feel His presence in the forest, in Nature and in every blade of grass.
"The Lord of Dodda Sampige* Do protect us! The creeper that hangs over the tree Swings gently as a cradle for Thee." (*A big Champak tree in the interior forest worshipped by the Soligas).
Diet
Traditionally, the Soligas led a seminomadic life and subsisted on small game. Shifting cultivation, and minor forest produce like honey, wild roots, tubes and fruits. Ragi is their staple food.
People's Court
Previously, all differences and quarrels were sorted by the Nyaya (Justice) system which the Soligas held in high esteem. The unique feature of this system was compassion for the culprit without lowering the standard of justice. Even to-day this system is followed.
Marriage
The Soliga concept of marriage is based on companionship. Marriage is by mutual consent of the individuals. It takes place usually by elopement. Divorce, though not very common, is permitted by paying a fine of Rs. 12.50 to the Tribal Court. Both the divorcees can remarry, choosing their new spouses. As regards the clan, the Soliga woman gets the clan of her husband.
Many of the hamlets were high up on the slopes and inaccessible by road. The existing roads were few and were infested with elephants and panthers.
Traditional Tribal Calendar
The concept of the cyclicity of time is innate to every culture, though a wide spectrum of variability is found in its formulation. An understanding of this and its formulation in the form of a traditional calendar is of particular importance to the groups that work with communities which have lived in relative isolation so far. Needless to say, for VGKK it has been imperative in view of its activities for the development of the Soliga community.
They speak Soliganudi, an ancient Kannada. They used to practice shifting cultivation, but have more or less given up this practice now. They grow Ragi (=Finger millet, Eleusine coracana) for subsistence, although their main source of income is harvesting and sale of Non-timber Forest Produce (NTFP) like honey, nellikai (gooseberry, Emblica officinalis), bamboo, Paasi (Lichen). They are increasingly being brought to the 'main-stream' with an active Government and NGO initiative. Many have been given lands closer to 'civilization' and most of the forest-dwelling population have been brought together into clusters called Podus. Most of the forests they stay in comes under protection. The Biligirirangan Hills are a Wildlife Sanctuary under Wildlife Protection Act, 1973, the Malai Mahadeswara Hills is a Reserve Forest, and Bandipur is a National Park. There is a lot of man-animal conflict with their increasing population and needs. Recently, their rights on harvesting NTFP is being sought to be withdrawn citing conservation concerns, sparking a debate about the rights of indigenous people.
