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PASI - At a Glance
By- KANHAIYA LAL
A community of Uttar Pradesh, the Pasi trace their origin from a sage name Bhrigu. They are
distributed in 52 districts of the country and have 96 segments. Russel and Hiralal (1916) are of the
openion that the Pasis......held a part of Oudh before it was conquered by the Rajputs. The Brahmanical
legend about the origin of the community reveals that one day a man going to kill a number of cows.
Parashuram was at that time practising austerities in the jungle. Hearing the cries of the sacred animals he
rushed to their assistance, but the cow killer was aided by his friends. So Parashuram made five men out of
kusha grass and brought them to life by letting drops of his perspiration fall upon them. Hence arose the
name Pasi, from the Hindi pasina (sweat).
In UTTAR PRADESH,
PRADESH they are notified as Pasi (SC), Tarmali and their total population is 55,97,002
(2001census). They speak different dialects of Hindi and use the Devanagari script. The AIAS (1st phase)
data on the Pasi of Uttar Pradesh suggests that on an average they are medium in height with a long head, a
medium to long nose and face. Their average height is 162 cm. The AIBAS data further shows that the
average household size of the Pasi of Uttar Pradesh is five, and the proportion of male is 59 per cent in the
total population. Married females (59 per cent) are more in comparison to married males (48 per cent),
while the percentage of widows is nine. Studies on the ABO blood group system among three Pasi
subgroups, namely Raj, Bauria, Kaithwas (Bhatnagar 1973) indicate that they differ with the North
Indian pattern in the distribution of blood group. Gene A is comparatively high in these groups (24 to 29
per cent) with high level of A2 allele (3 to 5 per cent) and corresponding low levels of O gene (49 to 53 per
cent). The level of blood groups Gene B in these communities are also found to be on the higher range
(above 20 per cent) and this trend is largely similar to that observed among the communities of Central
Dravidian language speaking areas. The Pasi are non-vegetarian. They have seven subgroups namely
Arakh, Bauriya, Bittiha or Mangta Pasi or Kavi Pasi, Goojar, Khatik, Mothi and Rajpasi or Rajvanshi.
These are further divided into several clans (kul), like Amalak, Bhargav, Jamdagni, Parswa and Piplak.
Subgroup endogamy is observed among the Pasi.
Traditionally, the Pasi are engaged in settled cultivation. Business, private and government services,
labour, industrial labour are other means of livelihood. The Pasi profess Hinduism and worship
Bajrangbali and devi as their family deities. They traditionally accept pucca food from clean castes
(savarna) only on ceremonial occasions. Attitude towards the formal education of boys is favourable but
for girls it is only partly favourable. Their literacy rate is 10.17 per cent (1981 census). The Pasi use both
modern and traditional medicare. Attitude towards family planning is also favourable. They avail the
facilities of the rural employment programmes.
In BIHAR,
BIHAR the Pasi (SC) are mostly toddy-tappers. Risley (1891) has also stated that the Pasi were
involved in tapping of the Palmyra, date and palm trees for their sap. He further added that 'the name Pasi
is further derived from Pasa, a noose or cord, which Mr. Nesfield interprets as disclosing that they have
only recently emerged from the hunting state'. According to the 2001 census, their population in Bihar is
7,11,389. An Indo-Aryan language, Magahi is spoken by them. They are conversant with the Hindi
languages too. The Pasi are divided into four sub groups, namely Tirsulia, Gaiduha, Kamani and Byadha.
The Tirsulia claim the highest status, followed by the rest in order. Toddy-tapping is the primary source of
livelihood. Some are engaged in wage-labour, rickshaw-pulling, etc. The Byadha subgroup still pursues
trapping of birds and animals. The Pasi profess hinduism. They propitiate deities like Longia bari, Sokha
Shiv nath, Lahra Dak, Fulang baba, Purkhan, Masam and Mangar Dak. Patron-client relationship (punia
or jajmani) exists with the Brahman, Nai, Lohar, Barhi, Mali, Chamar Kumbhar, etc. In bihar the Pasi
have achieved a literacy rate of 17.58 per cent (1981 census).
In MADHYA PRADESH,
PRADESH the Pasi (SC) inherits all districts of the Rewa division and some other parts
of the state too. Their total population is 39,382 in the state according to the 2001 census. They speak
Hindi. Some of the clans among them are Kaithvas, Khatik, Parinanjan, Gohia and Baurasi. The Pasi have
left their traditional occupation of tapping of dates and other palm trees and have taken up business, dailywage labour, etc. They traditionally accept both cooked and uncooked food from the Sonar, Kachchi,
Bania and Halwai but do not accept the same from the Baror, Chamar and Kuchbandhiya. In Madhya
Pradesh, the Pasi have achieved a literacy rate of 42.68 per cent (1981 census).
In WEST BENGAL,
BENGAL the Pasi (SC) believe that they had migrated from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Their
total population in the state, according to the census, is 21,367. Hindi is their mother-tongue and they are
also conversant with Bengali. The Pasi are also divided into four sub groups, Byadha, Tirsulia,
Kaykhoash and gaydudhya. They belong to the single clan, namely Parashuram. Women inherit their
mother's property and the sons are given equal shares in their paternal property. The Pasi women sell
toddy (fari) to supplement the family income. Their traditional and present day occupation is toddytapping. Some of them are employed in factories, government offices and in the private sectors.
Traditionally, they accept water, kachcha, pucca and sidha food from the Brahman, Kayastha and other
such communities. Their literacy rate, according to the 1981 census, is 26.79 per cent. They do not prefer
family planning.
The Pasi (sc) of DELHI are migrant of different areas. Their population in the union territory,
according to the census, is 40,074 (24,038 males and 16,036 females). This high proportion of the males
shows that they might have migrated to the urban centre in the search of their livelihood, leaving their
familes behind in their native homes. In Delhi, the Pasi are divided into subgroups, Gujjar Pasi, Kaith Pasi
and Baurasi Pasi. The Gujjar Pasi claim superiority over the other two groups. The mother tongue of the
Pasi is Hindi but they are conversant with the Punjabi as well. They use the Devanagari script. Their
traditional occupation was pig-rearing and making leaf plates. But in Delhi, most of them do not pursue
their traditional occupation and are engaged as labourers or technical workers in cloth mills, factories,
etc. Their literacy rate, according to the census is 33.43 per cent.
In MAHARASHTRA,
MAHARASHTRA the Pasi (SC) are also known as Tarmali or Trisuliya. Their total population in
the state, according to the census, is 16,683. They speak Hindi. The Pasi of Maharashtra are a composite
group comprising of Raj Pasi, Kaithwar Pasi, Baurasi Pasi, Gujjar Pasi, Aratkh pasi and Mangta or Pas
Mangta. They are indeed immigrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. They are Hindu by faith and worship
Parashuram as their community deity. A few of the Pasi are proficient in the art of carving, engraving on
stones, weaving and pottery, and goldsmithy. The Pasi are mostly landless. They are mostly engaged as
teachers, advocates, pretty businessmen, skilled and unskilled labourers in mines or in markets. Their
literacy rate, according to the census, is 45.76 per cent. Their attitude towards modern medicare and
family planning is favourable.
In HARYANA,
HARYANA the Pasi (SC) are distributed in the Ambala, Karnal and Gurgaon districts. It is
believed that when Guru Govind Singh was returning from Patna to Punjab, at Dharampur, he was told
about a community of murderers and dacoits called the Pasi. Guru Govind Singh contacted them
personally, recruited them into his army and brought them to the erstwhile Punjab State. The Pasi speak
Hindi. Their total population in Haryana, according to the census, is 25,342. They are divided into
different clans (gotra), namely Gujjar, Kaithwas and Borasi. They are self employed as well as employed
in the private or government organisations. Some of the Pasi are engaged in business and animal
husbandry. The Pasi profess Hinduism and show a special reverence to goddesses Kali and Durga. Some
of them belong to the Arya Samaj sect. Their literacy rate in Haryana, according to the census, is 33.71 per
cent.
In PUNJAB, the Pasi (SC) are concentrated in the district of Ropar, Patiala and Ludhiana and their
population is 19,247 (2001 census). They migrated from Uttar Pradesh to their present habitat. The Pasi
of Punjab speak Hindi and conversant with Punjabi. The Pasi and Khatik maintain commensal
relationship and intermarry. The primary occupation of the Pasi in this state is pig-rearing. They also work
as labourers. Their literacy rate, according to census is 24.98 per cent.
In ORISSA,
ORISSA THE Pasi (SC) are sparsely distributed in the districts of Cuttack, Balasore and Puri, and
their population is 190 (2001 census). They speak Oriya. The Pasi are divided into a number of totemic
clans, such as bagho, Kencho and Sapo. They are further divided into a number of lineages which mainly
function to regulate marriage alliances. The traditional and primary occupation of the Pasi living in
Orissa is toddy-tapping. A few of them are employed in service and business, and as daily-wage labour.
Their women are engaged in preparation of small baskets made with palm leaves. They profess Hinduism
and propitiate Istadevata and Baladeo as the family deities. Mongala and Thakurani are the village
deities. The Pasi traditionally accept water, kachcha and pucca food from the Brahman, Goura, Karan,
Bania, Khandayat, Mali, Suda, Nahako and others. Putative kinship relations, like mahaprasad, moker,
maitra, sakhisanghat are forged with the members of other communities. They maintain traditional
intercommunity linkages with the Brahman, Nahako, Kumbhkar, Kamar, Gouda, Barika, Dhoba, Hadi,
etc. in different social and economic fields of life. The Pasi prefer formal education for boys and girls and
their literacy rate according to the census, is 37.43 per cent.
The Pasi are also notified as a scheduled caste in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and in the
union territory of Chandigarh. Their total population in the state and union territory, given in parentheses
are – Gujarat (2278), Himachal Pradesh (226), Rajasthan (943), and Chandigarh (928) (1981 census).
Source:
Bhatnagar, B.R., 'ABO Blood Groups Among the Pasi: A Scheduled Caste of Uttar Pradesh', journal of the
IndianAnthropological Society, 8, 1973, pp. 173-7.
Risley, H.H., The tribes and castes of Bengal (Calcutta: Bengal Secretariat Press, 1891;
rpt. 1981, Calcutta: Firma Mukhopadhyay), vols I & II.
Rusell, R.V. and Hiralal, Tribes and castes of the Central Provinces of India (London: Macmillan and Company,
1916; rpt. 1975, Delhi: Cosmo Publications), vol. IV, pp. 380-98.
Registrar General of India.