Gond Jetwant

The origins of the Gonds are uncertain, but they are commonly described as the largest Dravidian-speaking tribal people of India. Centuries ago, Gond kingdoms ruled extensive regions of central India, until they lost power to the Marathas and, later, to Muslim armies.

Some Gond estates survived until India's independence in 1947. That memory remains alive in festivals such as Dasara, when heirs of royal families are honored on a ceremonial chariot. The Jetwant, as a branch of this larger family, inherit that sense of ancestral dignity, even though they now live far from the old center of the Gond kingdoms.

Most make their living from farming, on land along the rivers and near the forests. Many families own their land, and the poorest work for wealthier Gonds. They raise goats and cattle, and hunting is a cherished tradition. At the entrance of the village it is customary to hang a stuffed animal skin, and at Dasara the royal heirs are honored on a ceremonial chariot.

Social life revolves around the family and the clan. Weddings are usually held in summer, and marriages between cousins are common. The groom’s family usually gives a sum of money to the bride’s family. When a couple elopes to be united, the village council, the panchayat, is called to settle the terms of the marriage, a sign of how the community decides important matters together.

The great majority follow Hinduism, lived out in a way very close to tribal religion. The gods of the family and the clan are at the center of spiritual life, and offerings of coconut, flowers, fruit, colored powder, or threads are part of daily rituals. A chief priest serves three or four villages and leads the sacrifices in each of them.

There is a strong conviction that illness and misfortune come from evil spirits and witchcraft, and so blood sacrifices are offered to drive them away. Faith and identity go together: to believe is also to belong to the clan, to honor the ancestors, and to take part in the obligations of the village. Behind these rites lies a real desire for protection, for healing, and for peace with the unseen world.

The everyday language of the Jetwant is Bhojpuri, and portions of Scripture and the New Testament exist in it, but the complete Bible has not yet been published. There are also films about the life of Jesus and audio recordings in Bhojpuri, valuable resources for those who do not read easily. For this reason, the most promising path tends to be one of listening, with the Word carried by voice, by audio, and in conversation, from family to family.

For the Jetwant, being Gond and following the rites of the clan go hand in hand: the gods of the family, the sacrifices, and the decisions of the village council sustain the identity of the people, and following another path may be seen as turning away from family and community. Added to this are the dispersion across rural villages, the scarcity of complete materials in the local language, and the fact that there are very few Christians among them who could serve as a bridge.

Many families depend on farming and, among the poorest, on work on other people’s land. There is a need for better educational opportunities for children, for quality medical care, and for guidance on health and hygiene, to ease the burden of illnesses so often attributed to spiritual forces.

There is also the deeper need to hear the good news of Jesus clearly, in their own language, and to see a community of faith emerge that welcomes and walks alongside those who follow him, without their having to stop being who they are.