Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Destination



Anjanna was waiting for the bus  since 2 hours. He had got two bags with him. The bus would be late today. He was worried and nervous about his void future. He touched his children's heads gently and warmly.  While he was bargaining to buy two bananas for his children, the bus came and  nearly 100 people thronged onto the 52 seater bus through windows, much before it could reach the bus platform. He rushed towards the bus door only to find a suitable place to stand. He looked around for am empty seat. All the 3 seater and 2 seater were already filled with extra persons. He confirmed with his children whether they have money for seven seater auto to get back to their village. The bus started . His children bid him good bye, but not cheerfully. Of course, they were eager to have the bananas(after months). The bus moved at increasing pace and he waved to his children until the bus took the main route, diagonally. When the bus crossed the town's outskirts and about to reach the Krishna river bridge, he lost into thoughts  of the events happened in the last two days of his life.........
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As like any other farmer in the developing India, it was tough time for him. The draught hit the land of Krishna river for the 4th consecutive year. He could not repay the loan taken to invest in bore wells that do not work because the water table and the power voltage was always  low. He was left with no other option than selling his two bulls. He loved them a lot. They were part of his family. He was reluctant to sell them and tried many ways to convince his landlord regarding the debt. His starving children, ailing wife and mounted debt made him to succumb to the pressure . His prayers and rituals to God didn't turn into miracles and, finally, he sold them at a nominal price. The parting was tough. He took the money from the buyer and left the place with a feeling of guilty and despair. He had never imagined and could not digest the fact that his bulls would be butchered at a slaughter house. He had never experienced such kind of emotional pain in his entire life. It was more than a sin for him.
After walking few steps he turned around. He came back to the bulls and touched their feet with reverence and submission. He left for ever  and never turned back.....
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He is still standing in the bus. He came back to the senses when the bus conductor shouted at him for ticket and asked him wryly, "Where?". He said dryly, "Mumbai". He was prepared to stand for 18 more hours in the "Bus to Mumbai", the route to survival.  He had two choices, one the Mumbai Call and the other, the Suicide call. Of course, it's quite common trivial to mention that his bag contained a pesticide bottle too. Anyway, he was destined to join the infamous, unknown and much neglected social group, "The Palamoor Coolies", informally labelled as 'Palamoor Labour'.
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Anjanna returned home from Mumbai for Sankranthi festival, not to celebrate, but to repay only small portion of the loan. The drought intensity and the threats from the local money-lender added to his misery, forcing him to take his life, leaving his wife and two children. Thanks to the pesticides manufacturer, it worked.

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PS : 
1. Palamoor is the original name of Mahabubnagar district of AP which is notorious for mass migrations(10-15 lakh) and suicides of farmers (in-spite of Krishna river flowing through its heart). It is the largest migration in the world, from a district, in search of work and survival.
2. Palamoor has the record for having 53 buses, weekly, to Mumbai to accommodate the increasing migrations.
3. Nearly, 1/3 rd of the district's population is in migration and the irony is that two rivers Krishna and Tungabhadra along with 12 other rivulets are just mere spectators.
4. Most  Mahabubnagar politicians began life as labour contractors and were involved in labour export.
5. Villages of Mahabubnagar are just show pieces to exhibit in front of World Bank Officers to get  World Bank loans for Andhra Pradesh
6.  Solution?. No no no.....dont say that. We are not suppose to complain or urge for justice. The slogans 'One nation, one state, brotherhood, blah blah......' will fill our drying empty stomachs.
7. I am a native of Mahabubnagar district  :(

21 comments:

Lakshmi Rajan said...

Thats a hard fact. But why with all the rivers and rivulets such a dark scenario? The footnote information is really sad... I wonder what the politicians of the state are doing? Ofcourse what else? must be fishing in the muddled water...

Lakshmi Rajan
-GingerChai.com

Kena said...

Mahesh,

Do you know any NGOs working there, I want to work with them. I don't encourage any one to blame govt and forget. Can we identify the root of the problem, water is one, but do we have anything to do?

Please reply, with info, if you say some thanks and just blame someone, I don't want it, come with a solution to help atleast few.

Narsing

BK Chowla, said...

I would say that it has been a complete failure of governance, lack of concern with ground relities.

Kena said...

Yes Its Govt.

But what is the point here? is there no water in Krishna or the water is there but the govt don't to give. If there is water and govt don't want to give, then it is govt.

See the paper http://mahabubnagar.tripod.com/paper_on_contract_labour_AP.htm#Case%20Study%20of%20Palamuuru%20Contract%20Labour in it says 'Cultivation is possible only for three to four months in kharif season (August to December), leaving a slack season of over eight months.'; I don't know the ground realities but neither I am against the Telangana nor interested in blaming govt. My point is as human being can we dig through reality and find the real solution. Labour migration is happenning from early nineties.

We need to know more, to make a first step.

-Narsing

Kena said...

This link was found while trying to dig into details - http://www.crida.ernet.in/NAIP/Clusters/Mahabubnagar.pdf

-Narsing

Kena said...

One thing I found that we can do is educate people, as there is literacy percentage is 40%. This may help the district in the long run.

-Narsing

Mahesh Aadhya Kalal said...

@ Narsing...

You raised the questions and the obvious doubts ..... and it is quite commendable that you did try to rake up some data, information and statistics.....
Before i respond with some restraint, i would like to quote...

"No citizen is apolitical; as a citizen, by definition, has to take interest in public affairs."

1.But what is the point here? is there no water in Krishna or the water is there but the govt don't to give. If there is water and govt don't want to give, then it is govt.

--> There is water in Krishna and the govt don't want to give.... YES, that is true. It is impossible to store water at Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar without the water in Krishna of Mahabubnagar. To regulate water flow of these two major dams, Jurala dam has been constructed in Mahabubnagar(but why migrations ???)


2. Cultivation is possible only for three to four months in kharif season
--> Thanks to the drops of jurala dam, villages nearer to the canal produce 3 crops a year in the same drought affected Mahabubnagar. Now, tell me isn't it possible if we are being provided with adequate irrigational facilities. Yes, it is all about water and irrigation.

3.I don't know the ground realities but I am against the Telangana
--> This post is not about separate state. I guess the statement "'One nation, one state, brotherhood, blah blah......'" made you to assume in that way.
My intention is to say that we need to include the much neglected social groups in order to substantiate the nationalisms. Palamoors are happening across India. My concern in this post is about farmers and their indelible dependence on water.

4. If you say some thanks and just blame someone, I don't want it, come with a solution to help atleast few.
--> Again, few restraints :)
--> Wisdomism is not just writing this blog for the sake of few armchair blames or ostentatious thanks. If it is is the case, i could have written dozens of posts in a day. Wisdomism works first and then writes. Wisdomism has already stepped into the field work.

--> The solution, as you suggested, in the field of education...... We are into educating children from marginalised sections, orphans and semi orphans.
Our team at
1. http://www.hope4needy.blogspot.com/ is sponsoring education for few children (we are still lagging behind 1 lakh rupess to meet the requirements).

2.Our hope team is contributing to the New life children Home in MBNR which is primarily supported by First Ray Foundation (http://firstrayfoundation.org/work.html)

*** There is no NGO which works towards the root cause of the issue. We have small ones which cater very few people(20-30). We need a NGO like Aruna Roy's " Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathana", which can impact Governments policies and programmes which can impact the 1 million destitute migrations and survival

*** A private organisation "Satya Sai Foundation" is providing water from Krishna for drinking purpose to some parts of Mahabubnagar. If a private organisation can do what a govt had not done in 60 years, I will ask the govt. It is not blaming. It is questioning the accountability and responsibility of the govt.

*** I would prefer people lives should be in their own constitutional rights and natural justice than at the mercy of few NGOs.

*** We should not give them fish, we should make them to learn how to catch fish. If you agree with this, then please welcome to the team of "Embrace".

** To make the real difference in their lives we need stern commitment and stringent dedication for years together, sometimes at the cost of personal lives and careers.
..............
.............
WHAT SAY???
Are you ready buddy???


PS:
1. You can join HOPE4NEEDY to make the difference you want.
2. I went through the links and the books mentioned there, quite long back and hence the anguish :)

Mahesh Aadhya Kalal said...

@ Chowlaji...
I just totally agree with you.

Mahesh Aadhya Kalal said...

@ Lakshmi Rajan...

The reason is tilted governance and biased administration in favour of certain regions of the state. Hence, the cry for Telangana.
You can read in detail in my earlier post 'Telangana'(http://maheshisms.blogspot.com/2009/12/telangaana.html)

Thanks :))

Chatterbox said...

It's my first visit to your blog and am deeply touched by the sad scenario you've portrayed in the post.Be it cause of negligence on part of government or lack of concern by others, the overall state of affairs is very heart-wrenching.

Keep writing :)

Cheers!!

Mahesh Aadhya Kalal said...

@ Chatterbox..
Welcome to Wisdomism....
Thanks for the reponse and it takes more than a post to spill the beans...And also we need actions along with writings. You can help us in ur possible way.
Anyways, thankx again :)

Nethra said...

Its a hard reality but we can't do anything but complain. The only thing that is in our hands is to choose a right leader who will solve the problem.
Very nice concept. I liked the message it conveyed. :)

Mural! said...

I am happy that you are already doing something. I am waiting just to get out of my univ to do something worthwhile.

@Nethra I don't agree completely with you, normally our duty would have ended with us electing good leaders but in a country like ours with such stark disparities, we also need to help, those who need help, in understanding the importance of their choice for a leader and also to make a wise and informed decision.

@Mahesh I am itching to do anything, do mail me if at all you need any help (I might not be present there physically but in this fast globalizing world, probably I can be if only but still a little help to you guys)

Kena said...

Those who want to help they can go through - http://www.hope-forneedy.org and the link 'You can sponsor' (http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tyvqtQAZvp4c6Fm3OJY3EYQ&output=html).

Mahesh, we can also try to register the HopeForNeedy as an NGO and try ECS(Electronic clearance) on monthly basis for donations for the school for the donations.

-Narsing

geeta said...

Yes,Sitting here,fetching out the data and discussing will not make any difference.
You are doing a commendable job through Hope4needy.
Let me know if I could do anything without being physically present.I know it would be just a pinch of salt in the flour but still...

Kena said...

I am ready to take the responsibility to update the site with the events and the activities, donations on which the money is spent. I am ready to work on site www.hope-forneedy.com, and we need donations online. Mahesh can send the personal account number for now. This can be for temporary only, until we make an account for hopeforneedy.

Mahesh, we need to update the excel with photos of the children also.

-Narsing

santosh said...

Thank you very much to each and every person who wants to support our HOPE4needy team.
I am santosh and I am a member of it.
Actually I have started our org in Feb, 2008 long with some of my friends.
But we got registered in Sept, 2009 as a society(NGO).
Till now we have done a few number of programs like visiting orphanages, blind schools, old age homes and did our part.
We even went to Rajapur village in Mahbubnagar dist for helping flood victims and distributed HOPE's relief package.
Now, we have adopted ten children who are poor and in need for education purpose.
We have applied for bank a/c and I am sure that we get it in one week.
For more details about our HOPE- for needy
Please do visit:
www.hope-forneedy.org
www.hope4needy.blogspot.com


Thank you.
Santosh

Rachana Shakyawar said...

@ Mahesh

I wanted to the first one but became the lat one to comment...perhaps all I wnated to tell you that this post of yours has been one of my very fav. post and you have used just the best words and apt expression to put the true feelings and pure emotion about a vital rule!

Somehow...the line "Pesticide manufacture"...reminds me of one of very old post..yet one the first post I read on your blog...the 55fiction on Diwali..where the Rocket does not fly...!

You have a great power..dont know how to define that..but yeah..you inspire a lot :) And yet the best part make us all think..definitely and atleast for awhile..which in today's era is necessary for the Change!

~Keep the Spark Alive..

Naresh Chiliveri said...

Yes I believe that it is a fault of Govt,and esecially the politicians of Mahabu nagar district.

See,Most of the politicians ( Govt & Oposition parties ) from Mahbubnagar are once labour exports,they know all the problems..but they will not help.

I think, our greatest govt devides the funds to districts according to lobbies but not according to needy,Thats what we are still in one state ruled by political brains.

What is the soluton:
Need Change in political Govt, OR Mindset Of 'Palamoor labours'?

NareshChiliveri
WWW.HOPE-FORNEEDY.ORG
WWW.CHILIVERI.INFO

Kena said...

Mahesh,

Register HopeForNeedy at http://www.giveindia.org/, you can receive funds from icici bank, as the organization is associated with the bank. And any one from the post can share information on how to receive funds for Hopeforneedy can share here.

-Narsing

Mahesh Aadhya Kalal said...

@ Kena...

Thanks a lot for the valuable information and feedback ...
Plz do keep updating us with any such more info u come across in this domain ...