I was in a small hamlet named Bidpi Tolee, part of village Itki, just about 20 kilometers from Ranchi, the Capital of Jharkhand. Here I was, amongst women and children of Sarna tribe, who speak ‘Kurukh’ language. Later after internet search I realized that ‘Sarna’ is a religion practiced by Santhal tribes. (For further information visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribes_of_Jharkhand).
Half an hour ago, prior to this meeting, I had learnt from Mantoran ( a local woman, who is working with us as Extension Worker, her life story is really inspiring) how to ask ‘what is your name?’ in Kurukh language. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurukh) I had just asked “ninghaya naame enther heke?” to a child and that brought so much laughter to the whole gathering. Obviously, I had asked it all wrong, once again!
I met about 20 women and few children. The children attended a local school, which was a school for ‘school dropouts’. Most of the adult women had very small land, and after paddy cultivation work as laborers. They earn only twenty rupees as farm wage and 80 rupees if they are on a construction work – a lot of construction work is going on around the area. Women showed me a place about 2 kilometers away where there was a forest ten years ago and now not a single tree! For a hamlet of 50 families there is only one handpump.
All the families are poor. They are not able to speak Hindi, but understand my questions very well. They have a hard time while explaining their daily diet to me. They insisted that I should stay with them for couple of days, then they would be able to demonstrate me what they eat. Women were very happy to interact with me. They told me, that it was for the first time they were interacting with some outsider. They interact with relatives coming from outside, but it was their first interaction with a non-Sarna person. They have formed couple of Self Help Groups and we discussed that. I gave them information about bank linkage and government schemes. But more than that I wish they could spend some time together and learn few new thoughts and ideas. They like this idea of learning together.
I request the women to sing. They start discussing amongst themselves. It seems that their ‘star’ singer is not there. They are taking time. The girls who are at the sideline of the conversation till then decide to become proactive. They want to sing and without waiting for anyone’s permission they start singing. They sing a song about ‘Chala’ God. Their voice is beautiful, it resonates. The song is something like this: I go to East and I go to West, but I do not find Chala. I go to North and I go to South but I do not find Chala. I eat and sleep but I do not find Chala. I sing and dance, but I do not find Chala. The people try to find God, but they never find it, we are born, enjoy, live and die without understanding God… what a nice song!
It is time to leave. The women want me to spend some more time with them. But there is another meeting at Chund, a place 25 kilometers away. I have to, knowing that I may never meet these women again. I know I have learnt a lot from them but have not given them anything in return. I just take their group photo so as to remind me that such people and such life exists around me.
I approach Ranchi in the evening thinking about those simple women and kids. We are separated not just by twenty kilometers. We are separated by history, tradition, religion, education, opportunity, freedom. The life is not only different apparently but inherently.
There is a CAPITAL difference between the lives of people like us and the tribal people. Who is responsible for this might be a difficult question to ask. However, it is certain that it is our responsibility to bridge the gap by making everyone part of the development process.
