SIKAR (hunting)

20.12.2011

It is an ancient practice for Santhal community. I feel lucky to accompany with a Santhal Team. The team constitute of couple of santhal people with 3 trained dogs. It was a seven and half hours strenuous walking (and sometime running behind the sikar) through jungles and fields with lot of ups and downs. The journey initiated from the village Beldanga after a 5 mins PUJA to Marang Buru.

The first two hrs. the journey become non-futile except a narrow escape of wild rabbit........it was running to save its life and the three dogs made a unified attack. But the rabbit was lucky enough......I have no idea taht a rabbit can run in such a pace....the first success catch of a wild rabbit is successfully made by Rai Soren's dog. The third and fourth attempt failed and next occasion Rai Soren Himself throwed his "KUTHAR" to a escaping rabbit and the target is perfect. Meanwhile Sufal Tudu threw his stick to a flying TITIR bird and hurt it. The total outcome is limited by capturing two wild rabbits and a Titir Bird.........The successful hunter will get the one leg piece (the back portion) as a reward and the rest portion will be divided equally to all participants. I touched the body of the dead rabbit.those are still very warm, I feel pity for those poor creatures but the whole was full of life and enthusiastic throughout the Sikar. The senior member of the team Kanai Murmu told he heard about hunting tigers 20-25 years ago,that time the place was full of jungles.....He hunted wild cats (GAUS BIRAL),Haina (HAINA), Squirrel (NEUL),Rabbits etc.

The equipments they used is Bow and arrow (arrows of two type.one is sharp edged called "PHULI"  and another is of flat edged called "HABAR" in Santhali language), net to capture rabbits called "JHILI" made of strings for capturing fishes, diffeent sizes of hard sticks and shovel for digging soil if required.

 I returned home with  lot of fatigue muscles and an unique feeling never experienced before.

The team members: Sufal Tudu, narayana Hansda,Madan Hansda,Bhajahari Murmu,Rai Soren, Matilal Hansda,Ranjit Murmu,Babudeb Soren,Chandan Soren, Kanai Murmu, Kabiraj Soren,Diyashi Soren,Sakhu Hembram.