Love..

A four letter word, yet very powerful. My friend today asked me with confusion, why no one really see the true love in you. I smiled at her and said 'may be they are not true enough to see the true love'. I was pretty much sure of what I was saying, yes the love which I feel as pure, dutiful, true, honest, warm, caring, sacrifice, selfless .. My eyes closed with thoughts, how beautiful love is. The fact is Love has many forms. One can't certainly see it but feels it...
 
                                 
                                 Love someone without fear of losing him/her
                                 Love someone selflessly, honestly, dutifully
                                 Love so much that departing from him/her brings no tears
                                 Love stays in your heart its just the body departing, the soul remain with you
                                 Love so much to sacrifice for his/her peace and happiness
                                 Love so much that distance never counts, you feel his/her care, warmth every sec
                                 Love so much that you heal his/her pain despite of being miles apart
                                 Love so much that you give him/her world in one touch and kiss
                                 Love so much that your smile takes away all his/ her worries
                                 Love so much that your hug brings back the lost ones
                                 See around, open your eyes to Love....
                                

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw3RzucI6Ag

Protecting Simlipal indigenous people

Core are village in Simlipal

The news on eviction of core area villagers from Simlipal Sanctuary upset me a lot the other day http://cmsenvis.cmsindia.org/newsletter/enews/NewsDetails.asp?id=65528, my heart aches thinking of, how can all that efforts to bring justice to them go waste?? The work in chilling winter and heavy rain, harassment from government officers, resistance from the indigenous people (who tend not to trust us initially) was constantly hitting my mind. After spending months together with them we gain the villagers trust to empower them for their rights. We could also convince the government officers to think of coexistence than relocating these tribal communities who have been part and parcel of the forest.

The work we did was not restricted in Odisha; we used our pen to let the whole world know about the issue. The message indeed reaches the Survival International, an international organization working on protecting the rights of indigenous people around the world. The issue did made them to visit Simlipal to raise the campaign against the issue. I am glad they have started a campaign now under the banner 'Park Needs People' http://www.survivalinternational.org/parks . It further gives me utter satisfaction to receive email from them reacting upon the issue of evicting people from the sanctuary and brining further campaign to refrain the eviction in other sanctuary.

Dear Madhulika, 

Thanks for writing. It is very good to hear from you. I hope all is well with you. 

We are closely following the situation in Similipal still and are very concerned about what is going on there. As you say, there is a claim that consent has been given by the villagers of Jamunagarh, but we have strong interviews to the contrary: some people felt harassed and pressured and did not understand the document that they were told to sign. We will endeavour to make it known to the authorities that this is NOT consent. We are lobbying the MOEF and the Human Rights Commission. 

On your advice, Madhulika, we’ve been working with Sankar Pani, who seems very committed and capable and maintain strong contact with BijayLal ji - thank you so much for putting us in touch with him. 

We have launched our ‘Parks Need Peoples’ campaign and will be launching a further focus on evictions from Similipal and Kanha tiger reserves shortly. 

I’d welcome any thoughts you have on how we can best stop this wave of further evictions from tiger reserves nationally, which seem mostly to be illegal as per the Wildlife Protection Act and the FRA. 

I would be very interested connect up with you on this issue, Sudhansu. Please get in touch and let us know about your work on this. 

I’m copying my college Sophie Grig, who is working closely on this issue. 

With best wishes to you 

Jo, Survival International.

 I will be continuing to be the support system on whatever capacity to help my fellow tribals.

 

My loving Odisha....

Do I have words to describe my beautiful place Ódisha' the place that is full with love and affection. The place that greet people all around the world by folding their hands saying 'Namaskar'. The place where women drape saree on their head to pay respect to the elders. The place that has thirteen festivals in twelve months. The food and culture that always takes the breath away of many people around the world.  The place that has most ancient history and archaeology engraved within. The place full with beautiful landscapes, beaches, paddy fields, forest...where live the most indigenous population of the country.
My travel all around Odisha  not only made me realize who I am but where I really belong to. It certainly has made my soul and heart devoted to the place and people. Nothing can truly lure me other than the..
                   'The smell of burnt wooden of mud chula in the villages
                    The green paddy fields of farmers
                    The yellow oil seeds plants covering the field
                    The scream of necked children in the pond
                    The morning alpna drawn by the women
                    The 'Pakhal bhat' and the traditional food
                    The festivals that brings many untied hearts together
                    The traditional song, dance, culture, colourful saris that echo the love
                    The place that is endowed with temples and purity chants the blessing
                    The people, language, tradition nothing can be compare with
     All that my heart says 'Proud to be Odia girl' that belong to the most beautiful place of the world!!
                                 
                              

Existence....



I felt existence in their smile

Last night I was asked what existence is.

I slept off with confusion; I woke up with a smiling face..

My heart ponders with thoughts saying how beautiful existence is

Existence is in the lap of my mother

Existence is in the smile of a child





I felt existence holding the newly born calf

Existence is in the touch of a wrinkled hand of elderly

Existence is in holding a new born baby

Existence is in holding a newly born calf

Existence is in smelling the earth as the first rain drench it

Existence is in walking bare feet on the dew drops inside the forest

Existence is in the touch of your lover after meeting years together

Existence is within us, it is everywhere…

Siddhartha once said 'Stop searching, Stop worrying, Everything returns!!!Give Love....'

I felt existence in her wrinkled touch and smile

 

Love for the nature...

The journey to the deep forest areas of Simlipal, green mountains of Niyamgiri, water falls of Tamia, the feel of freshly dew drops in the morning forest of Bisipada. The untouched stream water of Banspal and the godly freshness of beach water of Kovalam. The more I try to interact with the nature, the more I get deeper insight of it. The peacefulness of the forest, the soothing sound of water fall, the waves of sea water makes me realize how divine each of them are.  My heart ponder with thoughts how can we human being could ever destroy these godly gifted shelter for our own shelfish desire?
My eyes goes tearful thinking of the the Niyamgiri mountain protectors, the deep green forest of Simlipal revealed many untold stories of the tribals. They say beauty lies in the eyes of beholder, how can I stop myself getting indulge with the beauty of the nature. So sacred so beautiful was it feeling, each time my heart remind of the experience it start singing...

                  'O green Niyamgiri mountain your purity is so divine,
                   You provide life to your people who have selfish motive to demolish you
                   The deep forest of Simlipal, godly Atharadeula you protect the living being
                   You provide shelter to those who are conspiring to kill you
                   Yes I have tasted your divine amrit, the relish of purity
                    I long for it again and again, I have deep love for you inside
                    I have learn to understand the vibration you send with the green trees
                    I have felt the current you send with the sea water
                    I have smell the freshness you save for me inside the forest
                    I have walked on the love you shower through dew drops on grass
                    The feel of your touch has remain unshared and unexpressed
                    I long for your virgin beauty...
                    Take me away and embrace with your sacredness'

 

Joy of being born as a tribe...

The dance in parab

The word tribe has always been narrated as downtrodden, the group of captive who are less civilized, old fashioned and underdeveloped. As I travel across the tribal villages for my research, the so called definition of tribe proved me wrong. The clean floor of the houses, the well organized and planned kitchen, the well placed sacred places provoked me to intriguing more into the life of the tribe. They do not need soap and purified water to clean their body. Little fresh mud and cool stream water enough to splash their skin. For me coming from city and having constant cosmopolitan thoughts, how can people live without entertainment? I found myself trapped in fallacy, seeing them singing, drinking and dancing to their tribal tunes and beats. The music was far better than I have heard in English pubs and clubs. The dance was mesmerising me and my feet was dragging to dance with them. The colourful beads and metal ornaments hanging on women body was dazzling with the sun rays. The life full of natural self, nothing stops them from falling in love with. The women seen happily fagging and boozing with their mates giggling and enjoying the chats with their love ones. No set rules for them to get indulge with their partners. They are more modernized and open than the so called civilized communities. The experience was overwhelming me. I was enlighten with the offer for a country liquor made up of from a very indigenous techniques. The cashew nuts fruits boiled to collect the vapour. It taste like improvised beer. Clinging on to the urban lifestyle, I started strolling around to check out the shopping mall. They had the best market area, open space and naturally made, male and female sitting on line selling all traditional eatables, liquors, freshly grown vegetables and fruits as if pluck straight from their kitchen garden. I could smell the freshly heaven in the market. Far better than the Oxford street posh shopping area of London and the MG road shopping complex of metro Indian cities. The cool breeze were natural AC they need not need a four walled room to set their commodities. Every stuff was arranged very nicely, they were seen laughing and giggling enjoying selling, having no monopoly among them  and no competition to have the best product in the market. Simply love the friendly and homely market atmosphere.

The Market area

Each social organization I tries to explore wonder me with amazingly beautiful thoughts, how accomplish these people are. The festivals, marriage ceremonies, the christening of babies and many more things made me joyful and never hesitate to say blissful to be born as a tribe!!!

Making of country liquor

 

Women are the back bone of the scoiety...

' Being a women born in a Oriya family, I was always bounded with social customs and tradition. The word shy, sober, talk slow... constantly remind me of a female child' Its been a journey of 30 years now. The experience of gender segregation exists not only at home but at every sphere of life. The women in rural villages of Odisha has more to follow than the women in urban Odisha. But the charismatic appearance of the women in Bisipada village was a breath taking experience. The women who hardly could step there feet outside the houses were seen sitting in a meeting, working in different sector, they were seen running small shops in the village. As I start interacting with them on the revolution that has occurred and the change they have felt after getting the freedom of stepping out of the village. I was astonished of the kind of remarks I heard form them, the involvement themselves in SHG groups, the running of small business, the participation in the village meeting and many more activities has brought a sign of empowerment in the women of Bisipada. The more I start enquiring the more they were open to me, I could not believe my eyes this were the women of rural village of Odisha ' who are always tagged as shy and less empower'.

 

I would certainly not agree to all those sociological or anthropological text on women as less empowered. Here is the remark cited by a women in the village 'we are more informed and feel financially independent. Our decisions are also considered in the family now, earlier we were under too many restrictions to go out of the family. At present we are fearless to go to any meeting at the Government office, the family members as well as husband are supportive for the SHG’ said a 30 year old married women. The myth of pointing women as less empowered and weaker section of the society are vanishing now. A feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft says 'Let us bring up women, not to aspire to advantages which the Constitution denies them, but to know and appreciate those which it guarantees them . . . Men are destined to live on the stage of the world. A public education suits them: it early places before their eyes all the scenes of life: only the proportions are different. The paternal home is better for the education of women; they have less need to learn to deal with the interests of others, than to accustom themselves to a calm and secluded life' (Vindication of rights of women). The women should rather be termed as the 'back bone of the society'

 

 

 

The roar of wounded displaced person...

The morning was quite, birds were chirping on the trees

Sun was bright, stream water trying to break the paths to hose the dry roots

Women getting ready to go for the daily forest produce collections,

Men ready for the months harvests,

With the sound of bulldozer the birds stopped chirping

The roof, the walls, the windows of the mud houses got dismantled

The trees got uprooted, the streams got dried

The sobs of children, women & the old

Screams to leave the remains of the dead buried underneath

The wounds so painful, the scars so deep

The morning was quite, birds were chirping on the trees

There used to be a beautiful village here…

 

Love for Niyamraja...

The unending love for Niyam raja, the affection for their forest and all natural things that was surrounding them was nothing but so pure, so natural and divine. My heart pondered with thoughts, how self reliant they are staying far away from urban life!! The feeling of coexistence was felt the very moment. The green natural fragrance of dense forest, the godly still mountain, the domestic animals were pouring blessing on them. They are so content of their life, they do not need the materialistic life of having TV, motor vehicle, electricity, shopping mall.... For them the sun light is the only source of light, the chirping of birds and sound of stream are the only source of music, the forest only source of livelihood. Deep voice keep murmuring inside my ear 'see our god,  Niyamgiri, nature is our religion'
 The word 'we want nothing, but our own niyam raja' was constantly tearing my heart apart, the green landscape and the cool breeze was the witness of their love, the Dongria Khond of Niyamgiri..