Toto’s of North Bengal: A Reflection on a Tribe and a Technology
Animesh AL Rai
Assistant Professor (Sociology)
Indian Institute of Legal Studies
In North Bengal, the term ‘Toto’ refers to two distinct things. Firstly, it refers to a local tribal community and secondly, it refers to the popular eco-friendly motor vehicles that ply in the peripheral areas of Siliguri town. Both the Toto’s that is the tribe as well as the environment friendly cab are facing certain form of crisis at the present times.
Toto’s as a tribe inhabit in the Totopara region of Alipur Duar district in West Bengal. This tribe is found only in Totopara and can not be found anywhere beyond this region. Numerically they are less than fifteen hundred and they are an endogamous group. The literacy rate among them is also very low with some graduates and about one per cent of this tribal population is employed in the government services. Most of them are pastorals and are involved in cow herding and pen pigs while others are involved in collecting sand and stones from rivers. Due to their endogamous marriage practices almost 80 percent of the Toto’s are or have the tendency to be infected by thalassaemia, an inherited form of anaemia. This genetic disease has negatively affected the life span of the Toto’s. The average life expectancy of Toto is only 35 years which is much lower than the national average. Thalassaemia has become a major disease which has caused the decrement of their population. The Toto tribe is often described as ‘a vanishing tribe’ on a verge of extinction.
On the other hand the three wheeler electricity charged motor vehicles which operate in the fringes of Siliguri town are also known as Toto’s. These vehicles are eco-friendly in nature. They do not use non-renewable forms of energy and also do not emit smoke. Moreover, this green energy motor charges fares much lesser than other existing forms of paid transport systems. These Totos have been registered with the civic bodies. However, they do not have license permit and they do not pay taxes to the concerned authorities unlike the three wheeler rickshaws or other modes of transport. As a consequence the eco-friendly cab is facing many challenges from other tax-paying motor vehicle owners. There are many rumours that these toto’s would sooner or later be banned.
The case of both the Toto’s is similar in terms of their existence and survival. The tribal Toto’s are one of the autochthons of North Bengal and the motor vehicle toto is one of the cleanest and cheapest means of transport communication. The survival of the traditional communities like the Toto’s in the modern world and the operation of the transport system based on renewable and clean energy are important elements to describe a fair, justice loving, egalitarian modern society as well as for fighting against environmental pollution and climate change. Therefore, it is important for the Government along with the Non-Governmental Organisations of both national and international level, academia, epistemic communities, policy makers and civil society at large to come forward and collectively work towards the conservation of the Toto’s in North Bengal.
