The objective to writing the article is to highlight the various points where Santals are equally good or well ahead of others in various aspects. Santals should feel proud of this instead undermining themselves.Survival of fittest rule is applicable anywhere at any age. Santals have been surviving in a place established by themselves which is normally not affected by drought, flood, cyclone and earthquake. This indicate that they are well informed about weather conditions of the vicinity. Their prediction about intensity of rainfall in a particular year is also moderately accurate which helps them in optimizing the crop production by choosing which particular crop to be sown where as per the geographical topography of the area. However there has been changes of requirement as per the times goes on and some of the traditional methods, rules, principle has become obsolete. Here are some of the points where Santals are well ahead of others.

1. Honesty:Generally, they do not lie. SantalNeyamdhorom is better than taking oath in front of judges.It is said that the name “Santal” originated from the word “Saint All” to Santal. It is good behavior, but too much honesty has sometimes become detrimental for the particularly in business. They also easily get caught even if they commit crime as they are unable to hide it anything.
2. Hospitality: Every Santal is a relative. Santal give food & also shelter to stranger Santals when in distress. If unknown santal meet at faraway place from their living place they start cordial relations among themselves. This is seen particularly in town & cities.
3. Beggar:There were nobeggarearlier days in Santal society. They die out of hunger but do not beg. But time has now changed due to influence of other society.
4. Self-sustainability: Santal will have everything of their own. All serial, vegetable, are grown by them. Fruit trees like mango, jack fruits, tamarind, berry, seasonal wild vegetables from jungle are collected by them. Some of the leafy vegetables are kept dry and preserved it to be used during rainy season. They make bullock cart, plough, ropes and other related farming equipment of their own. They produce oils / edible or non-edible themselves. They even do hair cutting of each other and do not go to saloon.
5. Self-administration: Resolve all issues / disputes at village level. The village Majhi( Head of administration) along with his assistance Jog Majhis. All rituals right from birth, marriage, divorce and funeral related issue are done by villages themselves and do not need assistance of other. They normally do not go to police station or court unless situation becomes out of control like a rare criminal case.
6. Respect to women:Sex ratio is ideally equal i.e. 1000. No female fetus termination.Women help all sort of domestic work including farming. However heavy jobs like ploughing, roofing , hunting etc are exclusively meant for menfolk.
7. No Dowry: There is no dowry system in Santal society. On the other hand during marriage pride price is given from groom side to bride’s parent as they have brought up their daughter who will be going to in law’S place after the marriage. Hence, there no question of torturing bride for dowry.
8. Hygiene: They do not allow anybody to enter house without washing feet. If some highly respected people come to their home they wash their feet. This happens ifsome close family member have come after long period of time. Newly married couple are usually get their feet washed by the relative when they visit there for the first time. Similar feet washing done for following :-
9. Men returning from annual hunting as he has survived attack from wild animals.
10. Person coming back to house after great achievement like wining medal in sports, getting degree from college.
11. Village priest coming back from main religious place Jaher.
12. Coming back to house after immersion of mortal remains of family member.

It is also not necessary to touch each other body like hand shake,  touch the feet of seniors while saluting/ namaskar except when in laws of bride and groom side exchange salutation.

This particular social gesture ofSantals had received high light during pandemic period of covid19 for hygienic behavior.

13Food habit: It isvery simple mainly a rice produced by themselves. Constitutes various nutritional value having various seasonal varieties. Moringa like green veg is quite common in Santal family which is in use since time immemorial now getting importance and being sold in market which helps in curing BP.There are also other medicinal leafy vegetables which are of organic in nature.

14 Marriage: Major five types of marriage depending on the financial capability of bride & groom parent. There is also widow re-marriage system. No marriage within the same clan. Marriage is not just a relation of bride & groom family. Marriage ceremony is a rituals of two villages. All villagers participate in this.

15 Hard worker:Men and women work equally.

16Equality:Distribute hunted items equally including fishing from local village pond.

17 Religion: Participate all villagers in festival. Santals do not allow other non santals in their rituals. Outsiders are strictly not allowed. Preserved various trees including Sal trees in main religious place called “Jaher “. Unlike other non adivasis who use to destroy jungle and cut trees to make religious place like temples.Santals on the other hand plant trees at their religious place Jaher. Use leaves of Sal leave for disposable plates, chuktietc. which areecofriendly. Worship ancestors and offered rice beer in every festival before they consume the same. Rice beer is medicinal and it cures jaundice. Consuming rice beer during hot sun keep the body cool and protect it from sunstroke.

18 Housekeeping:Broomingis done by women early in the morning all house premises including courtyard early in the morning every day. They do not throw garbage here and there but deposited only in garbage dumping location in the back side of the plot. In main festival like Sohray, specific day is allocated for on the very first day for washing clothes. Ashes of specific tree is used for cleaning of clothes with hot water. They go far away location for defecating prior to starting use of toilet. Houses mainly made of mud houses are well maintained and painted well during each festival.

19 Environment friendly: Preserve forest, trees for preservation of environment. Even the Santals do not do pucca or concreting in their most sacred placejaher and maintain it in most ecofriendly manner as the same way as it exist in the nature.

20 Santalname: Typical Santal name is different from non Santals. They inherit name from grandparents from both paternal & maternal side. The name of villages are generally derived from nature like trees, animals, jungles, stream, a person who inhabited first in that particular location. There is also likely that same name of village are given in other places also.

21 Relationship: Santal respect everybody and follow social status to elder and younger elder/ younger different people. Their greeting / namaskar is based on the relationship they have irrespective of age and it is different from Anybody can make out from the greeting itself who is elder or younger by relationship. There is taboo in touching each other for some relation such as wife cannot touch elder brother of her husband and husband cannot touch elder sister of wife.

22 Song &Dances: Santals have different types of dance in different festivals and each one having its own specialty. Some song are allowed only during the specific festival and not on other occasions. Baha&Sohray are two of them. There are some adult song which are done only during hunting within the presence male adults only. Usually santals love song and dancing and merrymaking. They spend lot of time in singing and dancing of their own tradition. Even female use to sing song while working in the paddy field or during carrying firewood/ Sal leaves from forest. Apart from their own they also spend significant time in celebrating the non Santal festivals of the locality.

23 Artistic: Workmanship/ craftsmanship of Santals are very good. Their mud house are of best quality. Its maintenance is also of high standard. Wall painting of house is very beautiful and it has to be seen to be believed. Generally handwriting of Santals are better than others. Most of the music instrument like flute,banam, chodchudi, tamak are made by themselves.

24Town Planning:Santals have a good sense of town planning. Normally they design the road space straight and wider. Houses of both sides of village road/Courtyard (Kulhi) are made within a distance which is wide enough to allow crossing of at least two loaded bullock carts without any problems. They hardly encroach common road area of village which is much better as compared to Non Santal village. Santals are aware of wooden plank of Black berry tree used for making dug well which does not get deteriorated due to dampness.

25 Freedom fighters:Santals have rich history of freedom fighters right from Baba TilkaMajhi ,SidoMurmu,KanhuMurmu, Chand Murmu, BhairoMurmu, FuloMurmu, JhanoMurmu.Bajal Soren.

The Santals should feel themselves superior instead of being grasped by inferiority complex.