Marriage, Family and Cultural Traditions in Naiya Community

Marriage practices, likely endogamous and patriarchal, include arranged marriages and early marriage for girls, driven by economic pressures and cultural norms, with women having limited agency. Family structures are extended and kinship-based, fostering resource sharing but facing instability due to poverty and the unique custom of abandoning houses after a death, noted in parliamentary discussions. Cultural traditions, blending animistic beliefs with syncretic Hinduism, feature rituals tied to forest deities and craftsmanship like bamboo made ‘Dagra’ (A type of Bamboo Plate), primarily by women. Challenges include poverty, illiteracy, cultural erosion, and exclusion from ST-specific protections, such as the Forest Rights Act, which threaten their heritage. Despite these, the Naiya’s resilience in preserving traditions and community cohesion underscores their ethnic identity. This analysis highlights the need for ethnographic documentation, ST recognition, and gender-sensitive interventions to support their marriage, family, and cultural practices while addressing socio-economic barriers in Banka’s forested landscape.