75.Poverty!

In Rajsthan, I have seen some wonderful palace like  buildings. Even in rural areas, the doors will attract you. The housing and the variety in it is a matter of a deep knowledge base.

But sometimes, I do remember the moment when I entered a house in one of the villages in Barmer district.

There was hardly anything in the house. The wall had so many holes that winter would be very severe in this room.

Was it an "add on" room for a family - I wanted to know.
No, it was not.
This was the only room that the family had.
I wonder whether they have Rs. 26/- per person that out esteemed Planning Commission of India feels sufficient for a family.

71. Force

I was in a small village in Tamil Nadu. 
We were on the hillock and while watching downwards, I saw this.

Who was guiding the direction? Whose will mattered? 
Who was really using force to pull the other?

65. Bullock Carts

When I was in Madhya Pradesh in August 2013, I visited many villages. 

It was not surprising to  come across Bullock- carts; I know they still are important aspect of village life and especially Farmer life. 

What amazed me was the variety.

This one was in Amalatha; a smaller one. 

Another one in the same village. This is little bigger and without any added color.  Both these are "parked" near the farms, away from the residential area.

However, the third one was seen in village Chhota Badada.

Do you observe differences? in size, in colur, in shape, in design?

A simple "utility" object - but how farmers make give personalities to bullock carts. 

Well, where are the bullocks?  

You will have to wait for them as they are resting  

60. Fast Indefinite

I hope you have read my earlier post on the same blog - Development?? 

Unfortunately the story continues. 

Four of them (two women and two men) enter into 8^th day of their indefinite fast.

Kamal Mohite,  Balkrishna Patil,  Dilip Kadam, and Suniti S R are fasting along with number of villagers at the gate of Collector Office, Satara (Maharashtra).

 The Wang Marathwadi dam affected people are fighting peacefully for their rights for many years and have recently intensified their fight. What are their demands?

  They seem to be simple and rightful. They are:

1. Rehabilitate in the same area (in the villages that are going to be benefited by the dam)
2. Until the rehabilitation is complete, don’t store water in the dam (which submerges living villages for last 3 years)
3. The loss of crops for last three years should be compensated.
4. Complaints registered again peaceful protesters should be withdrawn. 

As a person who is not at all connected with these villages, I don’t understand what is wrong in these demands and why government has failed to implement its policies regarding rehabilitation.

Even after a week-long fast the energy levels of these four persons is very high; they are actively involved into proceedings. This shows their commitment to the cause.

Today everybody gathered at the fast site too will observe fast. Not only that; today the dam affected villages have decided to observe “Chulha Band” – nobody will cook and nobody will eat except for the patients and young children.

Hope the meeting with the Chief Minister of Maharashtra today is fruitful. I hope that government understands the reality and the rightful demands are met at the earliest.  

59. Crab Catching

First I saw their colony.

At glance I could count at least 50.

As the day progressed; they too progressed towards the human residence.

However, only us – the outsiders – were either amused or scared or interested.

First it was Neelesh – a 12^th class student – who caught the crab and threw it.

Second time when another crab appeared (or was it the same?), Yogesh – 10^th class student was around.

Have a closer look.

No, it is not only the expertise of boys. They remember one of their taai (sister, actually one of the elder girls) , who used to catch many crabs and cook for the entire group. Lately she has not been around.

“Ah! That is the reason their number is increasing,” I commented.

“Oh! No! They are not enough to make our one meal,” a spontaneous reply from another 10 year boy.

“Hmm… since these boys are educated by people like us; by next generation this art and skill will completely wither   ….” I was sharing with my colleague.

  “Don’t worry. Will teach our children how to catch crabs”, Yogesh assured me.

58. Development??

Another day.

Another village; another area.

Another scale. 

But the story is the same. 

We never learn. 

We never want to.

People against big dams have valid reasons. 

Small dams are not a problem, we thought. 

But when I visit village Umar Kanchan in Patan block in Satara district (Maharashtra); it is the same story again. 

A small dam, of 2.73 TMC (proposed) with  0.60 TMC present capactiy.

4 villages are completely affected by it; 5 partially; in total 1862 families are affected and need to be rehabilitated. 

The project started in 2000; and 60% of the families are yet to be rehabilitated. Since 2011, villages - LIVING villages - are getting submerged into water.  The crops are destroyed every year and villages get cut off. Protesters are jailed and later have to appear in  court regularly. How can rightful and especially peaceful protest can be a crime? 

Yesterday, National Alliance of People's Movement (NAPM) organized a meeting, in which along with many villages and Andolan volunteers, Medha Patkar addressed the meeting. 

After having experience like Sardar Sarovar Project (popularly known as Narmada Dam), I thought Government has learnt right lessons.
Unfortunately, we have not.
We keep on ruining people's lives in the name of Development!

Is it Development? 

42. Night

I was in a small village in Bhind district, Madhya Pradesh.
We were sitting comfortably in an open space in front of a small house and chatting with the household members.
I saw him then.

"What is his age?" I asked.
"Hmm.. he is already in the night of his life," someone explained to me.

What a term!
Night of life!
And how true!! 

31. Lane Life

A visit to two villages in Karanl district was very interesting.
What caught my eye was lanes with well constructed roads, the houses  as if chatting with each other but still aloof.

The lanes appear to be empty and silent, however they are not so; they are full of life.

A child is watching a group of strangers (15 of us) with curiosity and fear.

And a mother returns from work.

The lanes have a full story to share with me.
Alas, I had some spare time to mingle with the people. 

25. Being in the Midst

I was in a small village in Karnataka. Suddenly there was lot of music and many (loud) voices outside. We came out of the office.

It was some religious festival. Someone explained it to me, but now I have forgotten the whole thing .. except those colors and those smiling faces.

Sometimes in life, the joy is in 'being in the midst' ... does not matter that you have turned your back to God!  

21. Door and Without

While roaming through villages in Rajsthan, one cannot wonder at the artistic expressions around.

And there was another one.

On the way saw many more.

Each of these doors would take us to different world, different stories, different dreams and different pains.

And thinking this I remembered this house which I had visited in Dadara Nagar Haveli a few months ago.

A house without door? Apparently, yes! 

20. Pose

I was in village Damanwada in Daman. I was taken to the Grampanchyat.
The office of Deamanwada Grampanchyat was undergoing some renovation work.
I saw a worker engrossed in his work.

I used the camera without flash as I did not want to disturb him.
However, when someone is watching you, you become conscious.
Next moment, he stopped working and gave me a pose.

I think that was a moment of rest in his otherwise hectic life full of hard work .

18. Rest

I was traveling from Nagpur to Amaravati.
On the way, saw this.

It was so peaceful and still .. for a moment, I thought  Time has stopped running. Looked more like  a painting than real.

A well deserved rest indeed!
What would be they thinking about? 

16. Subsidy for Mule?

Natadol is a …

Well, by habit I was going to write it is a small village.

But in the hilly area of Almora district in Uttarakhand, a village with 239 households is certainly not a small village.

The road from Almora had many turns and enchanting view. The road seemed good until we approached Natadol, then it changed dramatically.

It is easily about five to six kilometers. The dust makes walking difficult when it rains. On the way, I saw many Apple orchards – so , transport is absolute necessity of this village.

But nothing seems to have been done.

The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) – a prestigious scheme of Government of India – website mentions Natadol as a ‘Location with no approved Work’ – with many more villages. (Go to http://nrega.nic.in/netnrega/home.aspx, select Uttaranchal (is it the right name of the state?), select Almora district, select Lamgara block, in Alerts, click Locations with no approved work.)

I see a man with a Mule. Mule is the common means of transport.

Interestingly, the man has given a name to this Mule. It is Hira – beautiful, isn’t it? I mean the human touch to the relationship was a good aspect to know.

How much a good Mule costs? As much as Rs. 40000/-

No exaggeration.

In remote areas like Almora; Nano is not required, Mule is; Nano is not useful, Mule is!

The government  subsidizes Tata Nano – would it not be a good idea to subsidize cows, bullocks, horses, mules, donkeys too?
Why not?