Uchamadihi an upcoming model village, a success story

The village Uchamadihi is situated in Banspal block of Phuljhara GP, Keonjhar district, the tribal dominated village consists of 121 Households. With more than 4 years of fruitful intervention by the organization named Prakalpa in the village, has literally made the villagers to get assembled and plan things in organized ways, many villagers feel they are now literate enough to understand the cause for deficit of development in the village. With the onset of the Forest Right Act in the Keonjhar district, the organization has played a crucial role to devise the FRC in the village with the presence of Sarpanch & forester in 2008, the organization has taken a step ahead to educate 15 FRC members to claim the forest right. With the assistance of the trained FRA field coordinator (Ranjan), total 93 claims was made demanding 198.87ac land at the same time community claim was made demanding 303.01 ac land. However, the engagement of project coordinator & field coordinator to each GP and disseminating the FRA process smoothly has made a positive impact on the villagers. Out of 93 individual claims 73 have received individual patta, although there was mistake done by the Government officers in printing the villagers name incorrectly, with the assistance of the field coordinator the pattas were send back to the Government officers to retrieve the actual names & amount of land claimed. The villagers are now waiting to receive the rectified pattas and joint verification for the community rights. One of the noble initiatives undertaken by Prakalpa was documenting micro-plan in the villages for land development activities under NREGA. The field coordinators were trained to prepare micro-plan with consultation with the villagers. This literally gave the villagers a scope to raise issues on water problem for cultivation and resolving it under the micro-plan. A Rain water management plan was then prepare with the help of village map & implemented for the first time in the Uchamadihi village. With full participation of the villagers and support from the Prakalpa staffs the plans are now been implemented successfully which is note worthy to be acknowledged. The villagers are now await to irrigate their agricultural field with the channelized water systems and save their crops during rainy season which is planned under the micro-plan, through this plan many will get benefit to cultivate more cash crops & vegetables.  The villagers have now planned to include other land developmental activities under the micro-plan in the coming days. The villagers appear to be optimistic about their village development & improving the socio-economic condition through the available NTFPs & program under NREGA. If such invariable facilitation is been provided to the village by the Prakalpa then soon the village will be recognized as a model village in the block. The there are now three SHG groups functioning in the village, one village education committee to check & balance the school drop outs, Gaon Kalyan samiti to discuss the village development issues and a Forest right committee to claim forest land. With the support from Prakalpa these committees are now more organized & functioning in regular manner. The intervention of Prakalpa in the village has made a visible impact as many are train to calculate the rain fall density, aware on Government schemes, legal ways to handle land issues & other income generation activities.   

A day spend with Mankirdia primitive tribal group, Odisha..

It was early morning; the winter was almost set in the Jashipur town. After reaching the place on same morning we plan to visit the Durdura village to have interaction with the Mankirdia, PTG community. I have heard about this primitive tribal community  earlier who are popular for their monkey eating habit and nomadic life style. The term Mankirdia was derived from monkey eating habit, the Mankirdia believe that by eating monkey they will be spiritually pure throughout their life. Although the Mankirdia population is the smallest population amongst the rest of the PTGs in Odisha. We came to know from the villagers that these tribal communities are seen in various other parts of the Mayurbhanj district  such as Kendumuidi, Baniabasa, Uthania, Chatani, Malibasa village etc.

After reaching Durdura village on that day we could see some women busy stitching leaf plates, the time spent on stiching the leaf plates should not be going worthless as many earn their livelihood by selling them in the weekly market or hatt. The houses in the colony were seen scattered all over the village, cemented houses with advestor roof which was abundant in the entire village. My conscious mind was wondering, is it Mankirdia people who have built those houses? If so how did they get such an ideas of living pattern? As we walked through the village road we could see pucca road, cemented houses, a community hall, school building, and a small poultry farm house at the backyard of the village which appears to be shut for long time now. Those modern equipments were supposedly provided by the Government, but I could still see the old pattern houses made up of leafs next to every cemented houses known as Khumba.

The village appears to be quite on that day not many people were seen roaming around, when we enquired from the villagers we revealed that most villagers are gone out for the hunting & gathering popularly known as ‘Basa’. I stopped at a house where a women was busy stitching leaf plates, as I start enquiring the money she make out of these plates, to this she replied ‘muie 100 patra dele 10 tanka mile’ (I get Rs 10 per selling 100 pieces) as we start walking little further we saw some more women either busy drying up the sala leafs on the floor or stitching 2-3 leafs together. There were many trees in the colony bearing Ambeda, the Ambeda fruits were seen boiled in a big container by most villagers, I was wondering why a large container full with Ambeda fruit is boiled by the villagers, latter I came to know from the villagers that those fruits apart from eating, the seeds are used for making cork & sold to middle man which is another source of livelihood for the villagers in Durdura. The Khadia & Mankedia development agency have provided cemented houses, mend the roads of the village, provided goats to each household, poultry farm for livelihood. The Mankirdia of Durdura who used to have their temporary shelter near Durdura hata (Durdura Market) 25 years back has now been provided with a settled colony, the Government wanted to settle this nomadic community at one place. A colony was constructed by the Government with basic facilities of tube well, school building, community hall etc. now the colony is popularly known as ‘Mankedia sahi’ the Mankedia colony now have 25 household, as per villagers some changes were seen amongst the Mankirdia people like having intercommunity marriage, manual labor work, change in dressing, cultivation. However, the age old practice of collecting Siali bark for making tupa (small basket) & eating monkey still persist amongst the Mankirdia people. 

We all waited for the villagers to come back from the forest but due to late hour we started to make our way back to the town, on our way we could see few Mankirdia tribals returning back from the forest, on their hand we saw a sack carrying dead monkey's for the night feast. The net which they use for catching monkey's were seen used & hanging on their arms. Although they were hesitating to reveal the fact that they have hunted animals but we could easily guess from their tired eyes & sweating body. The experience I had spending few hours in the Mankirdia colony was noteworthy. The innovative way of living & making best use of the available resources for generating livelihood  by the Mankirdia's should be acknowledged by Anthropologist and social scientist in the course of their research

Story of Mankirdia primitive tribal group..

Mankedia colony at Kendumundi

To explore the impact of the provision of rights under various Government schemes to the villagers, it was decided to visit Kendumundi Mankedia settlement colony at Karanjia block of Mayurbhanj district. The colony is located 10-15km from the Karanjia town. The Mankedia community people were brought to the Kendumundi colony 20-25 years back. The Mankedia colony has total 31 households, along with 3 khadia household who had built their own houses in the colony. The colony is provided with 31 cemented houses, school building, aganwadi, tube well,  Job & BPL card to each Mankedia family.

Social & cultural system & traditional practices

Though the Mankedia people have started living in the cemented houses provided by Government under Mon Kudia scheme but the pity condition of the houses has compel the Mankedia to construct Khumba next to each houses, many villagers confessed that the modern houses do not give enough shelter to the family during summer they prefer to sleep inside the Khumba. To many women Khumba has still remained a sacred sign of giving birth to the baby inside it. At the time of labour pain the women is taken to Khumba for the delivery, once the baby is born the umbilical cord is cut with sharp snail. The Khumba where the umbilical cord is cut is then burn, a stone with a long thread is tied in front of the new born baby house which symbolizes the outsiders are barred from visiting the house due to some rituals. The ritual last for months, it is believe that a couple having children enjoy a higher status than a childless counterpart in the Brihor society. The Mankedia believe that when a baby is born in a household one of the ancestors has taken rebirth and therefore the family fortune and well-being have come back with greater potency and vitality (Patnaik, 2005)

The Mankedia people are spiritual in nature, they believe in various god & goddess. According to them malevolent who create trouble and cause illness and death. The practice is such that at the time of catching the monkey the Mankedias do some sort of rituals inside the forest, where the monkey’s come automatically to the net trap for the sacrifice as narrated by the Mankedia tribes at Kendumundi. The net trap to catch the money was woven with jute or Siali creepers by the Mankedia’s. The practice of collecting Siali bark still persist somewhere amongst the mankedia community, the Siali bark is used to make ‘Tupa’ a small basket used for pressing oil seeds. Except the baskets and the ropes used for tying the buffaloes which cannot be prepared by women, all other types of rope are made by both men & women.

Government intervention

It appears that the Government has put every small effort to provide livelihood options to the Mankedia people that will enable the tribals from nomadic to settlement life; the concept might be appearing splendid but the evolution for such kind of nomadic people was not an easy state of affairs. Although the Government took initiative to provide livelihood training on honey brewing, jute rope making, leaf plate stitching, poultry farm, goats for gotary but putting it into practice by the nomadic people like Mankedia have never had happened till yet. The villagers seems not using the skills been provided to them, the poultry farm has remained unused, the honey brewing boxes were rolling empty on the floor at the Mankedia colony. The young women appears to be less nostalgic, however, the older people still catch monkey as their dietary habit. The young boys prefer to work on the field to earn their livelihood for which they demanded plough & bullock to be provided by the Government. One can say that the settled life amongst the Mankedia has started prevailing, the crave for land for agriculture purpose, plough for cultivation, pond for fishing, electricity for the houses was insisted by the villagers in the meeting. Although inter community conflict with the Santals is present, where the Santal in the Kendumundi and Durdura are creating disturbances but the Mankedia are strong enough to tolerate them & trying their best for peaceful life, the Government also trying to bring harmony in those villages.

FRA in Mankedia colony

FRA in Mankedia has been a tragic, many are not aware of the provision getting rights under FRA. Because the Mankedia’s are nomadic in nature they can not avail individual rights under FRA. However, the community rights claim has remained a pathetic. Apparently the Mankedia tribes were called in a meeting at SCSTRI institute, Bhubaneswar in 2008 after few hours of discussion with the Mankedia’s it was revealed that they had not applied for the community rights. To this the officers at SCSTRI tried to fill the claim forms hurriedly without following the proper process as narrated by the Hemram Mankedia. Not all the villagers had given their consent for the claim, the CFR title under Gosti jungle adhikar section it says ‘hemram makedia & Kendumundi grama basi’ which is wrong as per the act. Hemram Mankedia is graduate and a local representative of men group in the Kendumundi colony. The amount of land given under FRA is 42.76 HA in CFR. Many villagers are not aware of the CFR title given to them.

It is revealed that about 7 villages i.e. 182 individual rights covering have been given where total 200.83 Ac land has been allotted. However, 18 villages have received the CFR rights. The process follow obtaining the rights was pretty much same as the process followed in Kendumundi. In most Khadia & Mankedia villages the development agency has facilitated the process to obtain the rights where people are less oriented on FRA & its process.

Conclusion

The Brihor (Mankedia’s) might have stepped to modern civilization but they still long for their traditional practices somewhere within their heart. The freedom of free access to the forest to collect Siali bark, catching monkey for food & leading a nomadic life has always given them immense pleasure. The life in Kendumundi colony is literally suffocating the older Mankedia’s who always desire to go to the forest. Although the government has injected settled life but due for the sake of livelihood many young boys & girls are becoming seasonal migrants to travel to the nearby city in search of work. The Government should provide such livelihood options which will suit their existing skills and reciprocating to their culture & traditional practices.

Due to lack of awareness on FRA many Mankedia’s are unable to have access to the CFR title given to them. Initiative to educate and creating awareness on Government provisions has to be taken by the existing worker like Multi Purpose Coordinator popularly known as MPC in each Mankedia resettlement colony. Although some try their best to equip the villagers & train them but a constant effort & cooperation from the line department along with the existing civil society will bring some changes in the colonies.

life inside the forest: experience from the tribal women, Odisha

Life inside forest: experience from the tribal women, Odisha please click the link to watch the video in youtube..

Forest dwellers of Odisha..

Please click Forest dwellers of Odisha to watch in youtube

Forest dwellers of Odisha

Life is like blossoms..

Far away from my mother land, my heart was beating than its normal beats when I boarded into the British airways on 11th of September 2006 preparing myself for a new life ahead in the United Kingdom. I could see blurred face of my mom & dad waving hands and saying good bye to me at Delhi airport. The pretty air-hostess guided me to my sit. After 10 hours journey reached the city of spark, fashion and heritage. London a five letter word but the city wasn’t as small as its word. The Heathrow airport was too big to accumulate myself at a corner waiting for my university people to escort me to the campus,. Stranded for 1 hour at the airport met new friends from France, Germnay, India, US.

University of East London, always wonder how it would be studying with the different races. The 10 days induction was helpful to understand the rules and regulation of the place. Initial days of meeting people from all over the world were quite amazing; experiencing different culture, language & food was a mixed feeling. Day’s passes by life became full of activities with university curriculum, part time job and research. The constant struggle started giving me a nostalgic feeling being far away from the home. The climate itself was  depressing dark and cold throughout the year. I could not imagine living without sun, the only time my bone would receive some sun rays was sometime during the month of July and August. Darwin’s theory 'Struggle for existence' became my favourite quote to take life as easy I could. People with racist feeling, hypocrites, and druggist were all around in the East London. The vicinity dominated of South Asian and African people, being of my own was a adventurous experience all through. With the pace of time the place became my second home the Sudanees, Gambian, Kenayn, Ghanian families who always greet me with African food & culture. English families giving constant comfort and strength, friend’s emotional and moral support to move on and concentrate on University curriculum always praise within my heart. How can I overlook the constant prayers & wishes of my co-workers and fellow travellers? Because of whom I endure to be the person I am at present.

‘Yellow, blue, green, red, orange..

  Colours of life are beautiful

Ohh my bewilder heart let us cherish

The beauty all around us..

The colours might faded away

 Might appears blurred

But the essence will remain unchanged

Yellow, blue, green red, orange..

Let us celebrate this colourful life!’

With little angel (Adil and Nilofer) who brought constant smile on my face during the most toughest time of my life!!

Keonjhar the land of rich…

The word rich might be sounding too big for miniature town like Keonjhar, by rich I mean the land of natural resources enriched with greeneries, natural streams, green hills & its traditional protectors-the Juangs, who posses tremendous indigenous knowledge.

The rain was not willing to stop that day when we reached the Kendujhargarh station at 1:30pm; I was horrified of flood situation in Keonjhar from people talking about it in the group at the station. But soon we reached the place I was happy to see the town safe & sound, people seems to be having a normal day going to the daily market, having lunch at the local hotels, kids clinging to their parent for shopping etc. The next day we went to the Kadalibadi village of Gonasika GP. Journey to Kadlibadi remained a memorable one, on the way I could hear the flow of streams, birds chirping, branches swinging in the air showing us the direction to the village. The meeting was organized at Kadalibadi village where many researchers had already been visited in the past. I was more or less aware of the issues related to land alienation due to  compensatory afforestation plantation.

Reaching Kadalibadi

The village appears to be silent, kids popping from the broken widow of their houses, women folk whispering among them & men folk waiting for the announcement for the meeting. As the villagers assembled at the dormitory called ‘Dhangdi ghar’ by the Juangs, a Dhangdi ghar is a large room where young boys take rest during the festive time or sometime used as guest room for the visitors, provided by the JDA in the village centre. The village has set of people who play key roles in various occasions such as ‘Padhan’ Srikant Juang who take responsibility in resolving village level conflicts. ‘Dakua’ Subarana Juang who takes responsibility in passing the information to the villagers in case a meeting is called in the village or block level. ‘Boieta’ Srabania Juang who offers prayer to the village deities, ‘Nayak’ who organize any event in the village, such kind of social hierarchy is practice in all Juang villages in Juang Pidha.

A sign of silent remark was seen on the villager’s faces those who assembled for the meeting. There were 7-8 men between the age group of 20-50 years who came for the meeting; women were showing hesitation to come to the meeting. After having little interaction with the women group it was realized that the women were not shy to approach to the outsiders, it is the recognition they need from the outsiders & the men folk to participate in the meeting.
Kadalibadi village is the typical Juang dominated tribal habitat situated in Gonasika GP of Banspal block, Keonjhar, consisted of 44 household, 244 total populations (2001 census). The village is believed to be more than 100 years old settled in Gonasika GP. The Kadalibadi villagers migrated from Katakada area before settling in the Kadalibadi, in last few years time there has been 4 Guada families immigrated to the village. Total 689.22 ac village areas land available in Kadalibadi. 

Are we really getting the education? A day at Kanya ashram

The kanya ashram

“An ancient Sanskrit saying says, woman is the home and the home is the basis of society. It is as we build our homes that we can build our country. If the home is inadequate, either inadequate in material goods and necessities or inadequate in the sort of friendly, loving atmosphere that every child needs to grow and develop; then that country cannot have harmony and no country which does not have harmony can grow in any direction at all” these are the words from one of our eminent women leader late Mrs. Indira Gandhi addressed in her speech ‘What educated women can do’ at the Golden Jubilee Celebrations Of The Indra prastha College For Women New Delhi, India November 23, 1974. Its 65 years now since India has got its independence, if we look back into women achievements there are women who are now coming up in flying colors in businesses, academics, politics, media etc, women have created there space in society now, having an identity not only at home but also outside the home. But the general question is how far the marginalized group has able to reach the main stream of the society? By marginalized I mean the tribal women group here. The women in tribal society are less literate to reach to the chord of the main stream today, whereas it is less hassle for urban women. This is because she is avail with well equipped resources & massive awareness where gates are open for her to fly & get her an identity. The tribal women are less oriented & lack of resources to reach to the level where she should have been today. I was illusioned by this thought when I saw the ‘Kanya Ashram’ at Gonasika G.P of Keonjhar district. Gonasika G.P is tribal dominated vicinity where ITDA (Integrated Tribal Development Agency) does most of the developmental activities. One of the contemporary initiatives by the ITDA is the preface of Kanya ashram (a residential school for girl child) in Juang Primitive tribal areas.

I was fortunate to visit the Kanya ashram on one of my field visit. The moment we reached there, the entire place was appearing muted. It must be the rain drizzle which was obstructing the children to enjoy the huge play ground in front of the school premises says my conscious mind. As we walked through the school premises large crowd ran towards me. I was stunned by seeing the small girls running towards me to touch the feet. The more I wanted to stop them all they were all seems to be in competition to touch my feet. Was it a way to welcome us? I asked the Juang special development officer, yes madam says the head master of the school. The officer was sitting in a room (a very Bureaucracy manner!!) having two people standing next him, carrying the attendance file & other project related files. He appears to be patronizing in character talking in a very admonishment & horrified manner to the people there. The scene went on for nearly 5-6min till he realized that some visitors are waiting to talk to him. ‘Yes sir how can I help’ says the Juang special development officer to us. As the conversation went further on issues related to forest right & the development in juang pidha, he gave a very sarcastic remark about the Juang tribes ‘no matter how much we make them educate & create development, they will remain addicted to alcohol’ says the officer raising his eyebrow. I was not much convinced to such kind of statement about the Juangs, because to me the development & education programs are not implemented in correct procedure by the JDA for the empowerment of the Juangs. As we walked through the class rooms, I saw a dark room containing 15-20 children sitting three each on the bunk-bed, children half bend & the teacher teaching them. This was something unusual to me I felt so uncomfortable seeing the children studying in such atmosphere. All most all the room was appearing dark having no current and some girls were seen taking rest. When we walk towards the toilet area there were 4-5 toilets having no water facilities. ‘The children here are too stubborn, they don’t listine to us & try to run away from the school when they get angry’ says the care taker. I was not surprise to the care taker reply because I could see the sign of distress on children faces staying away from their community. Our visit to the ashram was coming to the end, when we were about to leave; the children came to wish us back. I felt there is a vacuum in the residential school, with lack of lively & friendly upbringing. While coming back the cheerless faces of the small girls were trying to tell me ‘Ohh stranger take us along with you, so that we could able to enjoy the fresh air, the wet mud, & the rain outside, Ohh Stanger listen to our suffocation inside the dark room & the cemented walls, make us free to breath, take us to our village, yes  the village where we have the hut, manda ghar, grama debi, pet animals, we miss our family & the shouting neighbors.’

The way the children were kept in the residential school was not appreciable; my heart was pondering why the school is situated far from their own community? Why they have to live in this manner? What will be the future of these girls? Will they be able to get good education in such circumstances? 

We don't need more..

A day at Jamungarh village, Simlipal

It was mid afternoon when four vehicles full with people from Jashipur town smartly dress, bag full with files & camera ,reached the green lane of Jamunagarh village in Simlipal core area, Mayurbhanj. Kids with locally made flower/orchids bouquet & cheer full face welcomed us. The place looked all the more green and stunningly beautiful than my last visit. Women, kids and old men are ready to express themselves to us. The green branches, fresh air, the maize field were busy singing their daily songs & try saying something in my ear. My bewilder mind was trying to figure it out what is that I keep getting attracted to the place & the people living here? My heart was half empty listening to the people plight, which was not many “all that we want little peace give us our right in our ancestral place, we do not want to leave our father & mother buried deep under the ground here” says the voices…

The old women gleefully took me around to demonstrate her beautiful kitchen garden, maize field, the tall Sal trees, which were waiting to serve us food on its green leafs. The smell of cooked lentils, mash potato & mushroom curry made me mesmerized. Come sit here madam! says the old men with a very warm voice serving me hand full of warm cooked rice, lentils, mushroom curry, and mash potato all collected from forest & cultivated in their land. With pinch of salt, half cut onion, lemon & green chili... towards the end while finishing the food all I could hear one voice 'WE DON’T NEED MORE….'

This mountain is our home..

“Aie Dongor ta amor ghar”

(This mountain is our home)

It was day light in the month of July five people in a car left from Kenojhar town went towards ‘Juang Pidha’ the homeland of Juang Primitive tribes of Odisha. The hilly tracks were shining with the fresh rain drops. The entire district could be visible from the road, the view was breathtakingly beautiful. The green mountain appears to be like a crown jotted with diamond & gems, green trees all over, while the natural stream quenches the thirst of the soil. I could able to connect my soul with the nature which was so refreshing & limpidness in itself. As the wheel rolled by we reached the lonely lane called ‘Juang Pidha’. A cluster of 5-4 villages coming in one region traditionally termed as Pidha by the Juangs.

The lane was pucca road with few houses in distance, the car stopped next to the sacred tree calledgrama debi in the middle of a village. Voices of people could be heard from little distance, saying welcome to our Guptaganga village says the Sardar (headman) of the Pidha. It was the community hall sometime treated as sacred place during festival time of the village, where 4-5 people were sitting close to the fire burning perpetually in the middle. The room appeared to be spacious, well kept traditional musical instruments made up of deer skins. The instruments were hanged on the wild animal horns attached to the wall of the hall. The instruments were looking reasonably old and unclean; the drums were appearing as though they are ready to play their traditional music. The room was dark and the people were looking less active due to constant rain and cold. About two people came forward to talk to us they called us to sit inside the community hall. As I sat along with them they offered me a handmade wooden stool. It was like as though I was one of them dressed little differently, spoke different language migrated from a different community. The room itself was depicting many folk tales about their life. The utensils lay on the floor, the ropes for daily usage and the hunting & gathering weapons gave me the impression it had many hidden stories embedded in it.

As the time passed by, men folks who appeared to be of age between 60-70 years old communicating in Junag language which was interpreted frequently by the key informant (Bihra bhai). The old men came with traditional cigar in her mouth, fagging with smoke, narrated about their god and goddess, number of Pidha, the type of jungle, forest produces they rely upon, the stream, the mountain that was in use since childhood. I was deeply touched seeing them getting nostalgic, lost in their old memory, as though they were in their youth again and enjoying their freedom to access their own place. The memory captured the mind of the old people where they used to live like king inside the forest where no forest officer to punish them, no one to restrict them to use their own forest produces. Voices came from the group “ame agaru bhal re thilu sakrar asiki amaku alga kari dayechi” the infest of the mining crusher & restricting the Juang from their customary rights on forest are like violating their human rights. The expressions of the people as though they are living like birds caged inside the closed room with no freedom. The hall remained quite towards the end speechless & soundless, but there was silence remark on each one’s wrinkled faces & gloomy eyes. It was trying to convey me a message that ‘aie dongar ta amor ghar, amor janam bhumi’ (this mountain is our home, this is our mother land) …