Nagada Night in January 2004.
Nagada is in news for wrong reason since a year. The scattered patches of small valleys, over the hilly terrain are Tumuni, UparaNagada, MajhiNagada, TalaNagada, Naliadabu and the most famous amongst them Guiashal. Excluding Naliadabu where inhabited a family of Milkman, cultivating a good area of land and happily keeping cattle, the rest of the hamlets are native to one of the most primitive tribes, the Juangas. Guiashal being the most populated village and hence more important so far government services at doorstep are considered, Nagada was rarely discussed.
At the foot hill are two villages from which people climb up, one Deogan, from where one goes through Tumuni, Nagada, Naliadabu Guiashal and returns to Ashokjhar the other village. Ashokjhar and Deogan too have many number of Juanga families but they are a little generalised. I was the Incharge Medical Officer of Sukinda CHC in Jaipur district. Honourable Sri PC Ghadai in his capacity of Cabinet minister of Health upgraded the PHC to CHC on 21st Jan 2004 in a mega function attended by leaders, officials and cinema stars. People's hope multiplied. I was sure the news did not reach the people of Guiashal and Nagada. I still feel thankful to Dr KC Nayak, then MO Kuhika PHC new(now ADMO), our supervisor Manmath Murmu(now retired), the TATA TSRDS headed by Dr I Vinod and then Sarapancha of Chingudipal Madam exchairman Bhagabati Mohanta who always helped the health programs of these areas with personal care. Two gentlemen from Deogan(names forgotten) regularly accompanied and guided any team visiting the areas. NRHM did not dawn by that time, there were no ASHA the current backbone of health care. The Awnganbadi worker of Guiashal occasionally climbed the area who besides her ICDS work also helped our program. It is true health department the one that is most criticized very often is the only department which always reaches the inaccessible areas anywhere in the state and this area was no exception. In fact they did not know any other officials other than health.
I wanted to see the condition of our people there. We planned that year's Pulse Polio immunization in these villages in such a way that if I visited the area it won't hamper the program of the block. TSRDS carried us from Kaliapani to Deogan and helped with food and logistic. We must not forget that before NRHM we always depended on some help by some agencies and Dr I Vinod always cooperated.
Although people told it to be a difficult climb, I experienced it to be very easy for two reasons. One that I had experience of climbing to Sunabeda in Komna, Nuapada twice. Second reason, the seasoned Murmu babu was there who with his hypertension also always loved going Guiashal and we ensured his rest in quick successions that ensured others too got the secretly desired rest. The two gentleman of Deogan were very sportive and people of humor.
We reached Tumuni a small hamlet, did our program and general treatment there. Next we went directly to Tala Nagada the place of our night halt after informing the people of the other two Nagadas to remain in home next morning when we returned from Tala Nagada.
As we reached the place late in the afternoon, the hamlet has returned to life. People were back after their routine expedition to the inside of jungle to collect minor products, Kanda the edible roots of shrubs and if possible a small meat yielding animal.
The jungle and the animals, even in these areas had become scanty, not because of the native but by timber collectors who cut the trees and dragged them down by buffaloes.
I got astonished to see the ever ready guest house called Kothaghara, a hall with thatched roof that stored all logistics, like utensils, a sack full of rice, mats, central fire place with remnants of burning charcoals, wooden platform to keep the baggage and there music instruments hanging from uluguni(a bamboo hung horizontally).
Our team members were familiar with the village heads. The elderly population a few in number gathered there to interact and help us.
Murmu babu told me, "Sir, these are the only people whom you can say old, see, they look like forty-five yrs old but actually may be of less than fifty."
A very meaningful statement.
Soon our team started cooking in front of the guest house and me with Murmu babu strolled inside and at the outskirt of the village, interacted with people. Although they had their own Juanga language they understood and spoke Odia. We went to the fountain to clean us from the dirt, sweat and exhaustion of the day. We saw the patches of cultivation and raised platform at heights safe from animals, on which a man would be sitting the entire harvesting season to guard his crop. I instantly thought what must be the yield compared to the labour.
But they being immune to these calculations of life were so happy.
We saw their goats and sheeps kept in two storied shed, the animals occupied the first floor and their excreta in the ground floor. But this was primarily for protection against wild. It too kept them clean. The young women were busy to dehusk rice to separate the bran that seemed to be their daily job. They did it with a hand operated Dhinki in a very artistic way and their bangles, too many in numbers made sound with each jerk.
I took some snaps. I begged permission to snap a young couple whose combined age must be less than 30.
They did not count age. Once the parents built a room for the growing up they finalised marriage or he brought his bride.
I asked where then the grown up children sleep. Wonderful answer came. The boys slept in the guest house and the girls very soon were tying the knots. They did not save rice, money, living rooms for tomorrow.
"Who has seen tomorrow, in long run everyone is dead, should they prepare for cremation beforehand if death is the only meaningful conclusion of life, if not why they shouldn't sleep tonight happily not worrying for tomorrow. They know there will be a sunrise, the fountain will not dry up, the jungle will yield, animals will not be eaten by wild."
Very important news for me was that they didn't consume milk of cattle or goat, they considered it as a sin to devoid the calf form it's right.
It was difficult to think them as stupid but equally difficult to understand their logic of keeping cattle only for cultivation yield.
We finished our dinner at the dusk.
Soon the bachelor guys started reaching the guest house as my chat turned more youth oriented. I asked about their education, aspirations, the music, dance and the process of finding a bride, the marriage ceremony, health aspects and about rituals at death.
They were generous in communication once the icing got melted. Many things they explained in words and what they explained in action, let me describe afterwards.
The discussions were elaborate and educative I do keep it for some other day.
Two three guys went to school climbing down a hill to a village in Dhenkanal district.
Nagada is nearer to the point where the districts of Jaipur, Dhenkanal and Keonjhar meet. They used to do an annual 'meet festival' there to have communication between the Juangas of these districts.
When I insisted to know the reason they should stay in difficulties, the literate guys defended their logic.
If I translate the whole debate in one sentence I may like to put their defense that is philosophical.
"So many accidents happened on the highways, did you people stop traveling, why we should bother if a malaria patient or a labouring woman died on the hand carried Dola, before reaching hospita?"
Even after fourteen years I am thinking over it.
After much familiarity around the 'in house fireplace', I insisted to the young men to play those musical instruments called Changu. Changu had become a known to all instrument, thanks for Ex CM Giridhara Gamango's effortless mastery and popularization of the flat top percussion instrument.
I did not know what it meant to play that.
They were reluctant. Then they started to tighten the leather strings and warmed those up on the fire. With reluctance, their fingers examined the perfection of the notes. Non of them had taken liquor. Soon the rhythm started and it built up. We did understand now that no one called the dhangidies, the music was the message. Girls started coming in. They replied with the sound of their bangles. The boys came out of the house and the bonfire in front of the guest house was into flames within no times.
The lyrics was in Odia that we understood.
The lyrics if was, "Oh amateur dancers of today, Oh amateur dancers of tomorrow, Come to the dance floor now, The music awaited long, You are responsible, you can't deny, you can't cheat, I promise you to take to the Siva temple of Sukinda on the night of Jaggara, we shall dance there until the sunrise, I promise again, I owe to your happiness and come on to the dance floor."
Soon the girls without any inhibition started dancing in group, holding each other with one hand at waist and bending down, the other hand pointing the ground moved up and down and the bangles made sound of perfection to answer the Changu. The boys drove them back some steps and they tried the reverse. The whole meaning of dance steps were we are better dancers than you guys.
Probably they danced for more than one and half hours.
We slept around the fireplace on the mats.
As we were tired we quickly enjoyed our rest to wake up early next morning.
After finishing our bath in the water flow, broke our fast. We did our main job of treating their ailments and immunizing with Polio vaccine drops. Then we proceeded to next hamlet.
It was very much a disheartening moment to leave the most innocent people who entertained us free of cost.
We did our work at the other two Nagadas and then reached Naliadabu to drink thick sweetened curd in the milkman's house. He kept many buffaloes and cows, also did cultivation. He used to take his products down to Kaliapani mines, weekly market on every Saturday.
We then moved to our main destination, ie Guiashal.
Mr Mahakud of Naliadabu cautioned us to go carefully as the wild elephant was seen for last one week on that route. We saw it's fresh dung as we travelled through the forest road. The forest had bamboo bushes.
We reached Guiashal when the villagers were about to move inside the forest.
There the village head's name was Odia. Odia greeted us in Odia and soon he instructed all to stay back for the health program.
I beg to stop here and keep Guiashal for another day.
Almost fourteen years have passed, I once again stayed a night there in 2009. I left Sukinda in 2015.
When Nagada came in news in 2016 courtesy our friend, journalist Rabinarayan Kar it generated strong empthy. The government machinery was forced to act in war like emergency Now a motorable road is constructed, people of health department are going almost every week. I wish to go there once again to stay in their Kothaghara for another cold night to sleep on the mat, besides the fire.
Always I exclaimed, is there a free guest house in my village or in yours, oh we are civilized and need not one.
The solution to their health or any other issue is education and employment. Emloy them in govt posts even if they are illiterate, train them and extract work. Reforest their habitat and give them land right.
Please don't blame the health department, the only department that works in difficult area.
Nagada is in news for wrong reason since a year. The scattered patches of small valleys, over the hilly terrain are Tumuni, UparaNagada, MajhiNagada, TalaNagada, Naliadabu and the most famous amongst them Guiashal. Excluding Naliadabu where inhabited a family of Milkman, cultivating a good area of land and happily keeping cattle, the rest of the hamlets are native to one of the most primitive tribes, the Juangas. Guiashal being the most populated village and hence more important so far government services at doorstep are considered, Nagada was rarely discussed.
At the foot hill are two villages from which people climb up, one Deogan, from where one goes through Tumuni, Nagada, Naliadabu Guiashal and returns to Ashokjhar the other village. Ashokjhar and Deogan too have many number of Juanga families but they are a little generalised. I was the Incharge Medical Officer of Sukinda CHC in Jaipur district. Honourable Sri PC Ghadai in his capacity of Cabinet minister of Health upgraded the PHC to CHC on 21st Jan 2004 in a mega function attended by leaders, officials and cinema stars. People's hope multiplied. I was sure the news did not reach the people of Guiashal and Nagada. I still feel thankful to Dr KC Nayak, then MO Kuhika PHC new(now ADMO), our supervisor Manmath Murmu(now retired), the TATA TSRDS headed by Dr I Vinod and then Sarapancha of Chingudipal Madam exchairman Bhagabati Mohanta who always helped the health programs of these areas with personal care. Two gentlemen from Deogan(names forgotten) regularly accompanied and guided any team visiting the areas. NRHM did not dawn by that time, there were no ASHA the current backbone of health care. The Awnganbadi worker of Guiashal occasionally climbed the area who besides her ICDS work also helped our program. It is true health department the one that is most criticized very often is the only department which always reaches the inaccessible areas anywhere in the state and this area was no exception. In fact they did not know any other officials other than health.
I wanted to see the condition of our people there. We planned that year's Pulse Polio immunization in these villages in such a way that if I visited the area it won't hamper the program of the block. TSRDS carried us from Kaliapani to Deogan and helped with food and logistic. We must not forget that before NRHM we always depended on some help by some agencies and Dr I Vinod always cooperated.
Although people told it to be a difficult climb, I experienced it to be very easy for two reasons. One that I had experience of climbing to Sunabeda in Komna, Nuapada twice. Second reason, the seasoned Murmu babu was there who with his hypertension also always loved going Guiashal and we ensured his rest in quick successions that ensured others too got the secretly desired rest. The two gentleman of Deogan were very sportive and people of humor.
We reached Tumuni a small hamlet, did our program and general treatment there. Next we went directly to Tala Nagada the place of our night halt after informing the people of the other two Nagadas to remain in home next morning when we returned from Tala Nagada.
As we reached the place late in the afternoon, the hamlet has returned to life. People were back after their routine expedition to the inside of jungle to collect minor products, Kanda the edible roots of shrubs and if possible a small meat yielding animal.
The jungle and the animals, even in these areas had become scanty, not because of the native but by timber collectors who cut the trees and dragged them down by buffaloes.
I got astonished to see the ever ready guest house called Kothaghara, a hall with thatched roof that stored all logistics, like utensils, a sack full of rice, mats, central fire place with remnants of burning charcoals, wooden platform to keep the baggage and there music instruments hanging from uluguni(a bamboo hung horizontally).
Our team members were familiar with the village heads. The elderly population a few in number gathered there to interact and help us.
Murmu babu told me, "Sir, these are the only people whom you can say old, see, they look like forty-five yrs old but actually may be of less than fifty."
A very meaningful statement.
Soon our team started cooking in front of the guest house and me with Murmu babu strolled inside and at the outskirt of the village, interacted with people. Although they had their own Juanga language they understood and spoke Odia. We went to the fountain to clean us from the dirt, sweat and exhaustion of the day. We saw the patches of cultivation and raised platform at heights safe from animals, on which a man would be sitting the entire harvesting season to guard his crop. I instantly thought what must be the yield compared to the labour.
But they being immune to these calculations of life were so happy.
We saw their goats and sheeps kept in two storied shed, the animals occupied the first floor and their excreta in the ground floor. But this was primarily for protection against wild. It too kept them clean. The young women were busy to dehusk rice to separate the bran that seemed to be their daily job. They did it with a hand operated Dhinki in a very artistic way and their bangles, too many in numbers made sound with each jerk.
I took some snaps. I begged permission to snap a young couple whose combined age must be less than 30.
They did not count age. Once the parents built a room for the growing up they finalised marriage or he brought his bride.
I asked where then the grown up children sleep. Wonderful answer came. The boys slept in the guest house and the girls very soon were tying the knots. They did not save rice, money, living rooms for tomorrow.
"Who has seen tomorrow, in long run everyone is dead, should they prepare for cremation beforehand if death is the only meaningful conclusion of life, if not why they shouldn't sleep tonight happily not worrying for tomorrow. They know there will be a sunrise, the fountain will not dry up, the jungle will yield, animals will not be eaten by wild."
Very important news for me was that they didn't consume milk of cattle or goat, they considered it as a sin to devoid the calf form it's right.
It was difficult to think them as stupid but equally difficult to understand their logic of keeping cattle only for cultivation yield.
We finished our dinner at the dusk.
Soon the bachelor guys started reaching the guest house as my chat turned more youth oriented. I asked about their education, aspirations, the music, dance and the process of finding a bride, the marriage ceremony, health aspects and about rituals at death.
They were generous in communication once the icing got melted. Many things they explained in words and what they explained in action, let me describe afterwards.
The discussions were elaborate and educative I do keep it for some other day.
Two three guys went to school climbing down a hill to a village in Dhenkanal district.
Nagada is nearer to the point where the districts of Jaipur, Dhenkanal and Keonjhar meet. They used to do an annual 'meet festival' there to have communication between the Juangas of these districts.
When I insisted to know the reason they should stay in difficulties, the literate guys defended their logic.
If I translate the whole debate in one sentence I may like to put their defense that is philosophical.
"So many accidents happened on the highways, did you people stop traveling, why we should bother if a malaria patient or a labouring woman died on the hand carried Dola, before reaching hospita?"
Even after fourteen years I am thinking over it.
After much familiarity around the 'in house fireplace', I insisted to the young men to play those musical instruments called Changu. Changu had become a known to all instrument, thanks for Ex CM Giridhara Gamango's effortless mastery and popularization of the flat top percussion instrument.
I did not know what it meant to play that.
They were reluctant. Then they started to tighten the leather strings and warmed those up on the fire. With reluctance, their fingers examined the perfection of the notes. Non of them had taken liquor. Soon the rhythm started and it built up. We did understand now that no one called the dhangidies, the music was the message. Girls started coming in. They replied with the sound of their bangles. The boys came out of the house and the bonfire in front of the guest house was into flames within no times.
The lyrics was in Odia that we understood.
The lyrics if was, "Oh amateur dancers of today, Oh amateur dancers of tomorrow, Come to the dance floor now, The music awaited long, You are responsible, you can't deny, you can't cheat, I promise you to take to the Siva temple of Sukinda on the night of Jaggara, we shall dance there until the sunrise, I promise again, I owe to your happiness and come on to the dance floor."
Soon the girls without any inhibition started dancing in group, holding each other with one hand at waist and bending down, the other hand pointing the ground moved up and down and the bangles made sound of perfection to answer the Changu. The boys drove them back some steps and they tried the reverse. The whole meaning of dance steps were we are better dancers than you guys.
Probably they danced for more than one and half hours.
We slept around the fireplace on the mats.
As we were tired we quickly enjoyed our rest to wake up early next morning.
After finishing our bath in the water flow, broke our fast. We did our main job of treating their ailments and immunizing with Polio vaccine drops. Then we proceeded to next hamlet.
It was very much a disheartening moment to leave the most innocent people who entertained us free of cost.
We did our work at the other two Nagadas and then reached Naliadabu to drink thick sweetened curd in the milkman's house. He kept many buffaloes and cows, also did cultivation. He used to take his products down to Kaliapani mines, weekly market on every Saturday.
We then moved to our main destination, ie Guiashal.
Mr Mahakud of Naliadabu cautioned us to go carefully as the wild elephant was seen for last one week on that route. We saw it's fresh dung as we travelled through the forest road. The forest had bamboo bushes.
We reached Guiashal when the villagers were about to move inside the forest.
There the village head's name was Odia. Odia greeted us in Odia and soon he instructed all to stay back for the health program.
I beg to stop here and keep Guiashal for another day.
Almost fourteen years have passed, I once again stayed a night there in 2009. I left Sukinda in 2015.
When Nagada came in news in 2016 courtesy our friend, journalist Rabinarayan Kar it generated strong empthy. The government machinery was forced to act in war like emergency Now a motorable road is constructed, people of health department are going almost every week. I wish to go there once again to stay in their Kothaghara for another cold night to sleep on the mat, besides the fire.
Always I exclaimed, is there a free guest house in my village or in yours, oh we are civilized and need not one.
The solution to their health or any other issue is education and employment. Emloy them in govt posts even if they are illiterate, train them and extract work. Reforest their habitat and give them land right.
Please don't blame the health department, the only department that works in difficult area.
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