In the lane of History

Accumulated history about the bedias it is assumed that they are the contemporaries with the tribal peoples as Sabar, Kheria, Hore, Santhal etc. It is derived from history that the bedias like gypsies are chiefly nomadic class of people. They earn their daily livings by means of different occupations. The occupations are mainly to catch/tame wild animals, to bring up and look after them, to exhibit them, to exhibit physical tactics and skills and selling empiric medicines (roots and stones), foretelling and soothsaying etc.Presently more than 60 (sixty) tribes are located all over India it is the diminishing mark of the India. The bedias are chiefly accustomed with nomadic lifestyle and accordingly significant resemblance can be noticed between the cultural features of the bedias and the culture of the ancient banzara/ gypsy communities. They transact by setting up tents either in cities or in villages - instantly on account of business and professional or occupational motive.

lane of History

A group consisting of a few families is organized or run under the authority of a leader. Discipline as well as rules and regulations are equal for all who belong to the group.

Perhaps this tradition persists since the middle age to the present time . Due to the past two millennium of the British regime, the radical changes happened with respect to political social and cultural infrastructure had broken down middle age stability and prepared the path for industrial civilization. The inevitable consequence was followed as splitting up of the tribal as well as rural communities and their cultures.

This tribal people had a very bright history in freedom straggle in India. But it is found or observed according to present statistics, that mostly they have disappeared/diluted into the agriculture based domestic cultures.

In this regard we can take an example of the Patuas (village painter) of Chandpara and Kantur of Murshidabad in West Bengal. From a pre-colonial past on coming down from Chhotonagpur tableland these people with bedia-origin have established themselves gradually into new occupations and agriculture based domestic cultures/ life styles in the plain land areas of Murshidabad and Birbhum. Till few decades before painting and showing of pata (folk painting) as well as snake charming were significant professions in this community.

The people of the new areas wherever the bedias have gone never accepted them without skepticism but the bedias have easily captured the local language, manners and customs of those areas for their own reason of survival. As they are to earn their daily livings in the manner of entertaining the local people in professional ways so they easily learn their languages with the inspiration to sooth and communicate the consumer/audience.

Bedias call their language Mangta Bhasa. Probably the world 'mangta' is derived or originated from maintenance of daily livings by begging and asking for. Like other tribal languages this language also has not any alphabet/script. The preservation of this gradually weekend language of the bedias is an urgent need as it is the crucial document about their identity.