4 SOCIAL SCIENTIST vis-a-vis the non-tribal Oriya community. What is thus woven in the first section is the world-view of the tribal communities and popular culture, to reach out to voices that are often difficult to hear. The second part examines specific elements of the non-tribal groups, including certain practices like inoculation, black magic and the so-called subversive cults. It demonstrates the close affinities some of these features had with the tribal communities. This part also explores certain aspects of the Oriya middle class and the way it located colonial interventions. The second section takes up some areas associated with the colonial intervention. Among other things, it delineates how certain commonalties emerge between it and what existed in Orissa. I The colonisation of Orissa in the nineteenth century inaugurated many shifts and changes. This was reflected in various ways, including the manner the indigenous or tribal communities related to disease/ health and medicine. Among the prominent tribal communities one ought to refer to the Kandhas, Santals, Mundas, Gadbas, Hos, Bhuyans, Koyas, Juangas, Parajas, Sauras, Kols, Bhumijs and the Bondas. The indigenous communities had (and still have) an oral tradition that offer us fascinating clues to grasp their visions and world-views related to the issues of health/disease and medicine. That the aspect of health was considered extremely vital by them is reflected in the importance attached to the medicine men and women. This is a metaphor that not only illustrates a constant battle with certain forces, but also the necessity of a virtual 'specialist' for this. How did the tribal population locate disease ? Nothing specific can be cited here, though the discourse of colonial officials and bureaucrats offer mono-dimensional explanations, often associated with the world of magic, spirits and ghosts.4 Such constructions appear to ignore the philosophies of disease and instead project them stereotypically as the irrational/unscientific image of the indigenous people. Let us try and explore the wa)rthe indigenous people located certain diseases. The following folk tale of the Kuttia Kandhas illustrates certain features: When the sun god began to go round the earth he was disgusted to see men relieving themselves in the early mornings. One day he decided to punish them since they insulted him by pointing their organs at his face, although he gave the light. The next day he climbed into the sky with a flower. When he saw Jagat