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Since the time of India's Independence in 1947, a majority of its tribal communities have worked out compromises with modern education and slow urbanization, often with active Government support. However, the Santhals an Austro-Asiatic tribal community that according to many anthropologists have been resident in eastern India since the Iron Age, had until recently fiercely rescinded any alien influence on their culture. However, immanent poverty and promises of a secure life are actuating a general movement in Santhal communities towards integration with the contemporary Indian urbanized living. This tendency has created a context where Santhals realize the need for cultural adaptation but find their intrinsic devotion to age old Animist cultural traditions conflicting with their larger material interests. This paper explores the extent of this socio-cultural tension through observing aspects of Santhal life including the social, political and economic. There is a focus on the cultural response to Christian proselytization activities and the status of Santhal women. My study is based on the Santhal families in a village in Azimganj in the Indian state of West Bengal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]