Kinship Relationship

Societies are the networks of two types of kinship relations. The gotiyars or bansaj are the relationships of blood. All the kin relations in this type are defined with blood relation and the principle of inheritance follows through this line only. The gotiars or bansajs are usually belonging to a same clan and worship a common ancestor spirits and common house deities. For hill people, the common dewali or kul pooja (lineage or clan worship) which is carried out either annually or once a three years period generally distinguishes the bansaj kin groups. Usually all the bansaj people are present in such pooja and show great respect to their ancestor. Among gotiyar or bansaj all are invited on all life cycle ceremonies and their presence is more or less obligatory in life crisis ceremony.

“Ragat pani bhanda rato hunshha” (blood is red than water) is the common saying among the gotiyars group. That is a biological link of consanguinity, is a powerful bond of solidarity, mutual help, and reciprocity usually stronger than most other links. But there is a great deal of feeling of jealousy, unholy competition and fragmentation among the people of same gotiyar and bansaj in practice. People again equally say that “satru ko anuhar hernu chha bhane dajubhai ko here pugchha”, that is, if you want to see the faces of an enemy, just go and see the faces of your brothers. These are the examples of paradoxes that have been shaping the societies and cultures within the societies.

The kutumbha are the relationships of affinity by marriage. Marriages are the central institution to define and distinguish the kutumbha relationships. A relationship of kutumbha may exist when a marriage between two households occurs such that all the consanguine members of the spouse’ may be deemed affinities. These relationships of kutumbha are often of systematic and permanent character, forming the basis of ongoing relations between kin groups or marriage classes. Nevertheless, these relations are considered as more fragile and volatile in nature in comparison with gotiyar or bansaj. The saying that “kutumbha ko bhar na parnu, yo kahile pani afno hudaina”, meaning, never depend or trust on kutumbha, he never be one’s own, is more or less the outcome of the very nature of the relationships.

Besides, these standard kinship relations of families, in some villagee, kinship terms are also applied within the whole caste group or neighbourhood, sometimes even extended to other caste from higher to lower strata. A boy may call all the boys and girls of the village in his own generation “brother” and “sister” and all the men of his grandfather’s generation “grandfather” and so on.

Furthermore, there are various kinds of natasambandha (kinship) that appear in public and political discourses when a person interacts with persons of different social identities. For example, a man has special patikonata (relation of similar party or politics) with his own party leader and members. He is considered nearer than the other ordinary public in party and political discourse. Similarly, a man can take a person in his confidence and works for mutual benefits placing him in his own inner circle of afnomanchhe, this is called afnomanchhe ko nata. In similar fashion, there is kinship of regionalism, religion, caste, and village that have been shaping the life of the people. Among these, political kinship has become more prominent after the restoration of multiparty democracy in the country. Political kinship is necessary for every steps of life. From getting job to appointment to a doctor, child’s school admissions to labour migration all need strong political connection.