Anup Ranjan Pandey: Echoes from Bastar, the Tribal Heartland
58 years old
Kosa Village, Pamgarh Block, Janjgir-Champa District, Chhattisgarh
Anup Ranjan Pandey speaks unhurriedly and deliberately, about his work. He hesitates to describe himself as an artist, preferring to highlight his enthusiasm and love for the arts instead. It is true that the term ‘artist’ does not fit him, but not because of some hierarchical measure of ‘quality’. It is because the scope of his work extends to cultural preservation, community engagement, and much more.
Hailing from the Kosa village, now a part of the Janjgir-Champa district in Chhattisgarh, Pandey has dedicated his life to preserving and promoting the richtraditional arts and ecological wisdom of his region. His journey, deeply intertwined with the culture of
Chhattisgarh, demonstrates his dedication to safe-guarding the commons—both cultural and natural.
Today, Pandey is best known for the creation of the Bastar Band, an ensemble that showcases the region’s musical and narrative traditions. “Different communities have different musical instruments and they have different styles...we present this cultural and traditional diversity to the world,” he explains. Through the Bastar Band, Pandey has not only helped preserve a rich cultural heritage but also provided a platform for traditional artists to share their skills with a wider audience.
“Let us not have to beg forgiveness for losing a tradition that lasted thousands of years."
The Bastar Band, which typically comprises about 40 artists, spotlights an array of folk musical instruments and traditional storytelling forms, such as dance dramas. The idea is to preserve the cultural memory of Bastar: the narrative traditions, lyrics, rituals, dialogues, musical instruments, and more. The music and dance dramas are deeply rooted in nature: they honour the weather gods, welcome the seasons, and celebrate
harvests. He explains, “[Bastar Band] is a contribution and collaboration of all the artists from different communities of Bastar, who have different dialects, different languages. All of them have come together under one roof.”
Bastar is, of course, a poignant location for such an initiative. The region has garnered unwanted attention primarily because of the Naxalite movement and continues to witness clashes. He shares, “The kind of chaos that is going on inside the world, the mobilisation of weapons…that is not the mark of a civilised society. The guns were increasing, the drums were fading. Violence cannot be countered with violence.”
Pandey’s early education exposed him to traditional theatre and music, shaping his cultural interests. A pivotal moment was his encounter with legendary theatre artist Habib Tanvir: Tanvir’s plays, which seam- lessly blend traditional stories with contemporary themes, offered Pandey a unique perspective on how cultural heritage could be preserved and rejuvenated.
But Pandey’s vision extended beyond theatre. He recognised the urgent need to document and preserve the traditional musical instruments and practices of Chhattisgarh’s diverse communities. His quest led him to Bastar, where he encountered the ballad of Lingo Dev - a figure revered across the Gondwana region. “When I heard the ballad and the description of 18 types of musical instruments, I was obsessed,” Pandey recalls. This obsession drove him to record local musicians, documenting rare instruments and performances, creating valuable cultural commons in doing so.
Beyond his cultural endeavours, Pandey’s work is deeply rooted in a philosophy of ecological harmony. He emphasises the symbiotic relationship between the people of Bastar and their natural environment. “The people here communicate with the mountains, rivers, and each other because as long as they worship nature, they will not destroy it,” he explains. Local customs reflect this reverence for nature: the locals seek permission from the trees before felling, and offer gratitude to the forest’s bounty.
For Pandey, there is much to learn from the persistence and resilience of the people of Bastar. “Even today, after thousands of years of hardships and facing so many crises and attempts to destroy their identity and crush them their rich tradition remains deeply rooted,” he says, talking about the incalculable value of traditional knowledge. He adds, “Let us not have to beg forgiveness for destroying a tradition that lasted thousands of years…This is a complete university, a university forthe whole world.”
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