Kolkata :

On International Day of World Indigenous People, observed on August 9, Indian Museum brought to the fore an anthropological treasure it has had in its store since 1929. Physical anthropologist Biraja Shankar Guha, former director of Anthropological Survey of India, had brought in a model of the Khalash community of Afghanistan after his study on them. Khalash community. It’s accession no is 11813.

In Afghanistan, at the extremities of Hindukush are some isolated mountain valleys of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, known to rest of Afghanistan and Pakistan as Kafiristan.

The word ‘Kafiristan’ underlines that the Khalash community follows its own religion. They have liberal customs, rituals and beliefs – for instance, elopement is as common as married women choosing their new husbands, said Indian Museum education officer Sayan Bhattacharyya.

The Khalash religion is similar to the religion that was practised by Rigvedic Aryans and the community has retained most of the Indo-Iranian traits as well.

A wooden statue put on display shows the pagan origin of the community. Some of the Khalash people claimed to be descendants of Alexander the Great and a recent genetic analysis has substantiated this belief.

During the 1970s, local Muslims and militants tormented the Khalash because of the difference in their religions and multiple Taliban attacks on the tribe lead to its numbers shrinking to just 2,000.

However, protection from the government has ensured decrease in violence by locals and Taliban. It has also brought about a great reduction in the child mortality rate. The last two decades has seen a rise in their numbers.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kolkata / TNN / August 11th, 2016