Meet the Totos

Barchan and his wife Menduli Toto sip eu, a local liquor

In 2010-11, Rita Toto, a resident of Totopara in West Bengal, completed her graduation. However, what set her apart from a generation of newly minted graduates across the country was that she was the first woman from her indigenous community to do so. Why is it that a tribe got its first woman graduate only so recently? The question bothered Abhijit Alka Anil, a Mumbai-born documentary-humanitarian photographer, who chanced upon Rita's story in 2013, while working in the social sector in Bengaluru. Further research revealed limited details about the Totos - then, a community of just 1,550 - prompting Abhijit, a former student of sociology, to wonder why so little was known about the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG). "I wanted to find out more about them, and I set off for Totopara with my camera," shares the Oslo- based photographer.

Members of the cultural collective Toto Young Group in a dance rehearsal

In the next four years, Abhijit, along with wife Priyanka, made several trips to Totopara, on the border of West Bengal and Bhutan, to document the lives of the indigenous community. After several exhibitions and talks, the photographer has now written, curated and self-published the first-of-its-kind photo book on the community, titled Totos Of Totopara - An Indigenous Tribe In A Globalised World.

Asali Toto is considered to be the oldest Toto woman alive

The 185-pager strings together a cohesive narrative of the lives of the little-known tribe through photos, QR-code-driven videos and information sourced from the residents. "The idea is to shed light on the tribe. The locals would ask me why I was there. I convinced them then that documentation will put the community on the Indian map, which will make the government take note," he says.

Hadiya used to store eu among other things. Pics Courtesy/Abhijit Alka Anil

In Totos of Totopara, we get an insider's view of the everyday lives of an ancient tribe - they've been around for 10 generations - straddling traditions, acculturation and globalisation. With an intimacy born out of his camaraderie with the locals, the photographer trains his lens sensitively on the Totos, giving us a peek into their bamboo homes which are increasingly being lost to cement; agriculture of maize, marua (local millet) and areca; traditions such as modi-pai-powa (naming ceremony), weddings and khuishangpawa or burial; brewing of eu, a local liquor; colourful Tuesday markets; the influence of Nepali culture on their lives; the tribe's art and culture; and aspirations of the youth, among other facets of life. From healthcare to accessibility, the book also highlights the lack of infrastructure in the hamlet.

Abhijit AA and Priyanka

The guiding principle behind the project, from documentation to publishing, Abhijit tells us, has been consent. Photography is intrusive, and so he worked hard to build trust. "I explained my intention. I stayed in homestays, learnt Bangla and Toto [an endangered language]. I stayed in constant touch between my trips, and sent them photographs." While he'd hoped to do a book launch in India, the pandemic played spoilsport. "I hope to do a virtual launch with the Totos and gift the book to them. I want the Indian media to talk about the Totos as much as possible as they're still under-represented," he signs off.

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