At Shankarpur...
Jharkhand is a state that was carved out of Bihar in 2000, aimed at recognising and developing the socio-economic conditions of the adivasi and non adivasi population of the region, Jamshedpur being the biggest industrial town of the state.
Traveling to some of the villages with a majority of tribal population has kept me engaged for the past couple of weeks. Being in their midst I
have come to understand some of the basic problems these people are
facing, especially the PTGs (Primitive Tribal Groups) like Sabars,
Birhors, Paharias...
Child marriages, illiteracy, malnutrition, addictions and inability to adopt trade skills are some of the ills that they are fighting each day. Some NGOs work closely to eradicate these ills and uplifting the quality of their lives by reintroducing them to their cultural heritage and providing them with employment, health and education facilities. Reintroducing to them their native scripts like Ol Chiki (of the Santhals) and Warang Shiti and promoting their sport - Kati.
Child marriages, illiteracy, malnutrition, addictions and inability to adopt trade skills are some of the ills that they are fighting each day. Some NGOs work closely to eradicate these ills and uplifting the quality of their lives by reintroducing them to their cultural heritage and providing them with employment, health and education facilities. Reintroducing to them their native scripts like Ol Chiki (of the Santhals) and Warang Shiti and promoting their sport - Kati.
Even
as a change is noticeable in the lives of the Adivasi community and the
PTGs (Primitive Tribal Groups), each day their lives are threatened by
various issues like encroachment on their lands for mining, industry and
real estate. Apart from this they are caught between the government
machinery and the Naxals who try to undermine all sorts of government
controls - the result is a population that has been exploited by both
sides.
Between all this...I chance upon a group of children and then starts my efforts to capture "another" reality while it lasts. Even as one reflects on the fate of these people, I cannot help
being touched by the children from these villages... playful naiveté,
hopes, dreams, simple joys, and aspirations….are the same that fills the
heart of all children.
Yet their childhood is a bit different from that of their peers in towns and cities. Burdened with an unsure future, malnourished, impoverished and denied the necessities of education and healthcare....however their smiles seem to say otherwise.
I don’t know, what fate lies ahead for these people caught in between this and that….but for now I am happy to see these faces…smiling, without a worry in the world…trusting and innocent, what else is needed to comfort one in times of trouble….
I am happy some children live closer to where they are the happiest...with Nature...their greatest source of sustenance and comfort.
They will surely find the meanings of life in the hills...the forests...and in Nature...their " Marang Buru"
Yet their childhood is a bit different from that of their peers in towns and cities. Burdened with an unsure future, malnourished, impoverished and denied the necessities of education and healthcare....however their smiles seem to say otherwise.
I don’t know, what fate lies ahead for these people caught in between this and that….but for now I am happy to see these faces…smiling, without a worry in the world…trusting and innocent, what else is needed to comfort one in times of trouble….
I am happy some children live closer to where they are the happiest...with Nature...their greatest source of sustenance and comfort.
They will surely find the meanings of life in the hills...the forests...and in Nature...their " Marang Buru"
At Bamni...
At Dongagaral Dhusra...
Negotiating Routes : Ecologies of the Byways III
http://www.khojworkshop.org/project/12223
Wow... I am amazed just by the pictures. They convey this sense of vitality and what their lives are like.
ReplyDeleteTo the undiscerning eye, things might seem "normal", but under the surface, one finds a population at the crossroad between the lure of city life and the struggle to stay close to its cultural roots. The problem is compounded by poverty and ignorance. But some NGOs have done a commendable job in working with these people to improve their lot, educate them and train them for sustainable forms of livelihood.
ReplyDelete