Halma as Collective Action: Community-led Development among Bhil Tribes in India

The Bhil tribe, India's largest indigenous community, with an estimated 12 million members, is primarily concentrated in the mountainous regions of western and central India. Traditionally, the Bhils revere elements of their environment, including trees, water, and fire, as divine entities. Central to this community is the Halma tradition, meaning a "call for help" or "pukaar," which has served for generations as a foundational expression of collective responsibility and mutual assistance. Historically, when a Bhil individual or family faced an insurmountable crisis—such as rebuilding a damaged home, performing essential agricultural tasks like weeding, or even facilitating marriages—they would issue a Halma. In response, villagers would voluntarily unite, offering their labour and resources without expectation of monetary compensation, receiving only a modest meal as a gesture of gratitude.
In 2008, confronted with severe water scarcity and widespread deforestation in Madhya Pradesh's Jhabua district, the local community identified "thirsty Mother Earth" as the distressed entity requiring collective action. This incident led to the revitalisation of Halma tradition, transforming it into a powerful environmental conservation movement. Since 2009, an annual "Shivji Ka Halma" has been organised, which embodies the essence of community-led development in the modern sense. The impact of this community-led initiative has been significant. Over 1,60,000 contour trenches and 65 water harvesting structures (including 10 earthen check dams and 55 water reservoirs) have been constructed, alongside the plantation of 1,10,000 saplings and the revival of 120 sacred groves (Matavans). The revitalised Halma practice clearly demonstrates how the wisdom of traditional indigenous communities can be effectively leveraged to advance environmental sustainability and social capital development.

In this context, the proposed paper aims to examine the nature and characteristics of community-led developmental initiatives among the Bhil tribes, particularly those associated with the Halma tradition. The study also seeks to explore how the Halma tradition has nurtured a culture of resilience among the Bhil tribe, not only for individual support but also for community-led collective action. The study also aims to document the processes of the community-led Halma tradition and its relevance in the current socio-economic milieu.
To achieve the objectives, the study adopts a qualitative approach to gain local insights into the processes, perspectives, and practices of the Halma tradition. An ethnographic approach, involving participant observation, enables the researcher to immerse themselves in the community during Halma in the Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh, thereby facilitating the documentation of community-led development processes. Additionally, the data collection involves Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with community members who participated in Halma. Key Informant Interviews (KII) also help the researcher obtain in-depth context and historical information about Halma traditions among the Bhil tribes of India.

Bhil, community, development, Halma and indigenous.

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