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Padayatra 19th Feb - 25th Feb

The Padayatra begins on the 1st day of the new year, 2006. We are attempting to log the progress of the Padayatra everyday. There are, however,some difficulties in connecting due to some remote locations, as well as the 12 hr powercuts in the rural areas. We will be documenting various experiences and stories as we go along, in an attempt to create awareness amongst ourselves. If you would like to reach us, please write to grnearth@vsnl.com or if you want to reach Ranjit in the field, write to ranjitster@gmail.com

19Feb'06 - Farmers' suicides in Vidarbha

It's all over the newspapers. Farmers are committing suicides in Vidarbha. So far, over three hundred suicide cases have been registered. What could be the reason for these suicides? What could be so compelling that drags the farmer to take his own life?
One main reason for this is debt. Today's farmer is being crushed from all sides. He is left with little land due to division after division between sons in a family. Chemical fertilizers gave huge yields initially, but have destroyed the natural fertility of the soil and yields have gone down. The farmer has become dependant on hybrid and genetically modified seeds that need to be bought every year. Pesticides need to be used to protect these foreign varieties. The cost of these seeds going up year after year, and the yields going down, leaves the farmer with little or no profit. One bad monsoon buries the farmer under a mound of debt. Many times, the seeds are a bad lot and there is no compensation for the lost season. In the cotton belt of Vidarbha, hybrid cotton varieties like BT cotton have high input costs. In many cases, the yield was not as promised and there were huge loses. Farmers don't get payments on time from the government federation. They get paid over three months if they are lucky, while the interest mounts. The farmer takes a loan from the bank and defaults, from the society and defaults, and finally has to turn to the local moneylender who charges heavy interest rates. Defaulting with the moneylender sometimes makes him lose his land, because that's the condition for the loan. Then there are the daughters to be married and dowry to be paid. That means more loans. Almost every farmer is in debt in Marathwada and Vidarbha.
But then, why are there suicides only in Vidarbha? There are farmers in debt in other parts of Maharashtra, who don't commit suicide. Then, why Vidarbha? Is it because of the culture or attitude of the farmer here? Is it because the farmer here was not used to being in debt? Is it because the people here act on the spur of the moment? Is it because there is compensation for their families from the government? Is it because they just don't see any other way out?

21Feb'06 - Kolam adivasi tribe, A diminishing culture and oppressed community

Kolam is an adivasi tribe. This community is primarily found in the Yavatmal district in Maharashtra. A Kolam settlement is called a "Pod". This is usually cordoned off by a fence. There are four corners (corner as figurative, a Pod is not square) called "Shivs" where the Kolam Gods are installed. These Gods protect their village from ills and evils. There is a mother Goddess, they call "Aai" who resides under a tree. Kolams celebrate several festivals during the year and worship their Gods.
Kolams lived in forests and believe that all land belongs to God. They strongly believe in their Gods and often turn to them in crisis or illnesses. They are a content people and are not interested in wealth accumulation. This is very typical of all adivasi tribes.
However, the Kolam culture is being heavily influenced by the mainstream or dominant community cultures, more so for "Pods" close to bigger villages. Children go to schools where the medium of teaching is Marathi. They are losing their touch of the Kolami language, and in some cases, cannot even speak it. Children and youth think of the Kolami customs as superstitions.
Being hunters and gatherers originally, the Kolams have little or no land. They used to work on huge farms of landlords ("Irajdars) as laborers. They got some land under the Land Ceiling Act. But this land was not more than 5 acres and most of it is on slopes with little or no good soil. This was because the landlords decided what land to give them or sell them. Since agriculture is not their forte, many do not have the know how to farm. They invest money in fertilizers and pesticides, and work hard in their fields but never get a good yield. It is as if they are laborers in their own farms. Most of the Kolams still work as laborers.
Kolams traditionally have the "Jaat Panchayat" that manages the village. Even today there are "Jaat Panchayats". However, its influence is diminishing. Many times, the "Pod" is under a common Gram Panchayat of a bigger village. In that case, the "Pod" is completely run by the bigger village
Most of the Kolams consume alcohol derived from the flowers of the "Mahua" tree. It is supposed to be healthy. Unfortunately, being in contact with other villages, the Kolams are addicted to other country liquors. Hence, alcoholism is rampant.
There are several schemes for adivasis and Kolams. However, the information about these schemes never reaches the community and the benefits are reaped by other people through corruption.
Some say the culture will die in 25-30 years, a sad but possible future. (in picture: a Kolam senior and youth)

23Feb'06 - Mendha Lekha, Our government in our village

Mendha Lekha is a tribal adivasi village in the district of Gadchiroli. The adivasi tribe is Gond. Some twenty years back, a process of transformation started in this village. One man behind this was Devaji Tofa (in the picture). He would never say that he was behind this movement. The whole village was behind this movement. And he led it. Devaji joined the Padayatra for a day and it was a joy to listen to this fantastic speaker and fascinating thinker.
Mendha Lekha was the first village that said "Amcha Gaav, Amcha Sarkar", our government in our village. The process of transformation began by getting the whole village together and acting as a unit. In Mendha Lekha, every decision is taken in the gram sabha, with everyone's consent. They decide what is good for their village, what schemes do they want to implement and what direction they want to take. They live by the true tribal spirit of community, yet communicate and work with the outside world. They consider all land belongs to God and strive to protect it. They have fought for their forest rights and work towards conserving the forest. The village works to develop employment opportunities and has profitable sustainable ventures. The philosophy of living in the now, living close to the land and coexisting with nature runs through this village.
I have not visited the village yet (I will be very soon), so I cannot give many more details. But I highly recommend a visit to Mendha Lekha. It is definitely a bright spot, a direction towards a sustainable world.

24Feb'06 - Satellite Padayatra through Kolam tribal belt, joins in Raveri village

"Nisarg Mitra" or Friends of Nature is a network of organizations working in the Yavatmal district. A satellite Padayatra of about 5-15 people of Nisarg Mitra cover over 160km through the Kolam tribal belt of Yavatmal. Only 35kms of this Padayatra was on a tar road. The rest was through hills and forests and back country. It commenced on 13th Feb from Ganeshpu village in Zhari taluka and joined the main Padayatra on 24th Feb in Raveri village (in the picture). 42 villages were covered and meetings with villagers were facilitated in 31 of them. People from some of the villages, including a Sarpanch joined the yatra.
This Padayatra was organized in the same line as the main Padayatra, with an assessment team studying the village or "Pod" (Kolam settlement) for 2-3 days before the Padayatra arrived. There were three such teams. In addition to the usual criteria, they added tribal specific issues of forest rights, "Jaat Panchayat" and diminishing culture.
They received tremendous support from the people and a grand welcome wherever they went. Nisarg Mitra had already started working in these villages. The Padayatra has given a big boost to the process and we are sure that their work will go a long way.

25Feb'06 - Many join the Padayatra on its final leg

"Dushkal Hatawu, Manus Jagawu" Padayatra is on its final leg. It has covered 9 districts the last one being Wardha. Many people were involved in organizing the Padayatra, many walked, many took part in the assessment teams. All these are joining the Padayatra to walk in this last leg. Many learnt about the Padayatra from friends, networks, the internet, newspaper articles and are joining to learn, support and experience this cause. An all woman team (Women's Collective) from Tamil Nadu joined us and participated in a village assessment. Representatives from a couple of organizations from Madhya Pradesh have joined as well. So have many people from all over Maharashtra.
We invite all our readers to join us and we thank everyone for their support.