Verrier Elwyn

VERRIER ELWIN PHILAINTHROPOLOGIST. Selected Writing. Edited by Nari Rustomji. Pp. 385, 21 b/w illustrations, 66 sketches, 1989. (North Eastern Hill University Publications, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, Rs 275).

I was once introduced at a cocktail party to the wife of a British Colonel as an anthropologist. We sat down together on a sofa but I noticed that the lady squeezed herself into a corner as far away as possible and kept shooting furtive glances at me. Presently, however, after she had strengthened herself with three pink gins, she leant over and in a confidential and slightly guilty whisper asked me, ‘Tell me, Dr Elwin, is anthropology very prevalent in your district? (p. 18).

Dr Verrier Elwin narrates this incident to show the extent of the ignorance about the subject of anthropology during the days of the Raj. But, at least for the mountaineers, even in the present days the same Ignorance prevails. How many of us would know about the village-folks we meet on the way, our porters and their life styles, customs and rituals of the area we visit or their crafts ? That’s where lies the Importance of the likes of Verrier Elwin.

The present volume is a collection of Dr Elwin’s writings, from a number of his books that are out of print. It tells us about the man and his work. Dr Elwin came to India in 1927 and was drawn to Mahatma Gandhi and his ideals. In fact he was so involved in Gandhiji’s Ireedom movement against the British Raj that after a visit to Britain lie was refused a return passport to India by the Secretary of State for India, Sir Samuel Hoare. Dr Elwin had to give an undertaking not to take part in politics or meet persons associated with the movement. He loved his work with the poor of India so much that very reluctantly lie agreed to do so and returned.

Although some of my friends, notably C. F. Andrews, thought I was wrong, Gandhiji himself approved, and I remember Sir Francis Younghusband was good enough to say a few years later; ‘I will always be grateful to Sam Hoare for one thing at least that he forced Elwin from politics to poetry (p. 13).

But apart from poetry Dr Elwin had returned to work for the tribal people of India. First for almost a decade it was with the people of Central Provinces, particularly Bastar. His writings and studies here were acknowledged. After a few forays to Orissa, he reached the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA). The whole region was totally unknown asd feared. Dr Elwin brought the area of Assam, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh to knowledge. To him these tribals were teachers and human beings who were well organised and deeply religious. He travelled widely in the foothills of the Himalayan ranges here and visited the remote places, something that would be difficult for well equipped parties even today. These thick forests are difficult to travel, the rains and flies spread diseases and some tribes were hostile. His work and travel to Tawang, Se la pass and near the Burmese border is now legendary, so much so that anyone talking of NEFA has to remember Verrier Elwin. His understanding of the culture, problems and traditions of NEFA, if followed today would solve the long standing political animosity between people of that region and the rulers in Delhi.

A glimpse of all these are portrayed in the well selected articles in this book. Some of his poems and a detailed bibliography gives a full insight and reference to his work. This introduction to Dr Elwin will be certainly useful to all interested in these aspects of the Himalaya. It includes many drawings and photographs.

All along Roy Hawkins of the Oxford University Press was the publisher for Verrier Elwin and he pays tributes to Hawk. The dedications of Britishers like them have made many aspects of India come alive. The present editor of the book, Nari Rustomji, pays rich tributes to both.

Dr Elwin s anthropology was so humane and benefactory to the people he studied that A. H. Quiggin called it ‘Philanthropology’. In his last book before his death in 1964. The Tribal World of Verrier Elwin. Dr Elwin outlined his philosophy.

Now. feeling as I did. when I first went to live in the tribal hills of India, with my Wordsworth, my T.S. Eliot, my Blake and Shakespeare burning like torches in my little mud house, it was natural that I should look about me for poetry. And I soon found it. for amongst these gentle and romantic tribal people, poetry jumps out at you. It is there everywhere, in their eyes, on their lips, even in some of their actions. And so now poetry became, from something external to be admired, part of me. a personal possession and whatever I have done in the name of poetry comes from the work I have done with my tribal poet-friends.

Harish Kapadia