Do you trust people from your own caste, was my question to a group of women in a predominantly Bhil village. In unison, the reply was no. Do you think that your neighbor (from the same caste) will help you? The women denied. Do you trust people from a different tribe? No again. Are there differences in your village based on caste, education level, or social status? The answer was in affirmative. I was bewildered at these answers since the entire village was from the Bhil tribe with similar educational and economic background. What could cause such low level of social capital? I visited a village inhabited by the Patelia tribe. Do you trust people from your caste? Yes, we do. Do you trust people from a different caste? “No, not at all”. Are there differences in your village regarding education levels or social status? “No, all of us are the same”. If so, how is it that there were similar replies from all women in each of the village. Bhil women do not trust each other, while Patelia women do. Secondly, is trust a function of the caste? Does trust come with the way you are treated in a society? Since the Bhils are the “lowest” caste, they have a history of being exploited, and are indoctrinated to stop trusting each other. Patelias in contrast are said to be honest, hardworking. I asked the Bhils, who do you think would help you in times of need? Their reply was baffling! They trusted the money lenders. The same money lenders who are extortionists! The Patelias replied that they trusted their family and friends. Trust seems to be generational and tribe depended.
As basic as it may seem, mutual trust and confidence in institutions is critical for any development work. My initial hypothesis that information and awareness drive trust and confidence may not be true. History determines trust and confidence among tribes.

Radhika Iyengar

Doctoral Student, Teachers College, Columbia University
Consultant, Jan Shikshan Sansthan, Jhabua (www.jssjhabua.net)