On the third day of the ICC field camp I had an opportunity to be at the media presentation by Dr Tarun Chabhra of Toda Nalavalvu Sangam, briefing about various aspects of conservations mechanisms that are entwined in the Toda culture & knowledge base, on the discourse he coined a phrase which compelled me to write this post “the mono culturing the cultural diversity of this world”
Across various civilizations and communities there are intricate practices, accrued knowledge base which has helped them adapt to certain kind of environment and livelihood needs which is inculcated in their cultural fabric as well, thus bringing about the uniqueness among various communities, in the current scenarios the free market driven conglomerates are clinically modifying the social & cultural fabric (even more so the demographic landscape) of every country, if this is the age of global villages with multi faceted culture dotted with Cokes, MacDonald & Pizza Huts fine but these are the prime indicators of mono culturing of our cultural diversity. This macro cultural engineering will lead to broad based dilution of culture in turn gradually affecting the knowledge base and indigenous practices which where organic and sustainable.
A classic example of how the mono culture has intruded in to our system can be seen in the rural farmlands, the farmers where encouraged to use the big conglomerates inorganic chemical fertilizers, pesticides and growth inducers. Conditioning them to move away from traditional farming methods that suited the particular environment (the knowledge base) now the same farmer is reluctant to go back to organic ways.
PS – after giving makeover to my blog I am some how got hooked on to posting black & white images, will last for awhile I guess.
This is reported to have happened on 9th Monday nite, we got to hear about it on Wednesday – a small portion of the Coonoor Kotagiri road above Naduhatty caved in triggering a landslide gathering mass on due course, it had strangely detoured on its path as it forged down creating drag corridor thru the village around 4 to 5 house and a public toilet have been completely washed away with on aged women as causality by the look of it – the village appears more ravaged and gorily inflicted upon. The far flung theories going around varies from a cloud bursts, ground water currents of Rallia Dam gushing out to mild tremors, though there is a general grimness and qualm in the face of the villagers I was over awed by the indomitable spirit of the Badugahospitality even in this times of distress the old Ayya (elderly men) of the village took to a total stranger of me around and insisted in having tea, describing of the freak rains that he hasn’t seen in all of his age (75) managing with out power water for more then a week now, it was heartening sight. The community kitchen was serving hot teas and food solely for visitors, volunteers from the neighboring villages.
In the age where it is a compulsive fad, too glam and to too hepp to profuse of tiger conservation... in this very world lives these men scoffing of poachers gun powders, braving forest fire and occasional wild life aggression there is no protagonist hep conservation theory here- just commitment and the livelihood strands that they cling on to for nothing more then mare pittance doled out by the forest department – the arrival of even that pay packs has no fixed date either- waiting for more then three months or even six months before the lay their hands on the pay register. They are the first in line ears eyes and defense in the forest management, toiling beyond their primary duties, life of an Anti Poaching Watcher (APW) is a wrenching tirade and dribbling sweat shop treatments on a normal day they trudge minimum of around 20 km to mind their beats ( forest tracts divided into small areas for easy managements) apart from monitoring the beats they double up as fire watchers, on occasion of fire flares up they have to dig trenches and fire lines to contain the fire from spreading. The APW force is drawn mostly from the indigenous native menfolk who are well versed with the terrain and surroundings more over the department leverages the local knowledge base and intelligence in turn providing them small employment window (mostly on Temporary roles) for these predominant herders and farm hands.
Featured here:
Bhojan crossing the stream near Shanda Mattam Anaikatti ~ a 46 year native Irulan is father of three and belongs the the Segur Division Forest Circle on the Temporary roles for more then 12 years now (finally got inducted). Attacked by Sloth Bear once – escaped with a ripped shoulders bones and broken arm was in the Gudalur Government Hospital for more then three months. Snarled by Tigers, Chased by Elephants umpteen number of times. “He has chased wild Elephants” at least once, as far as I have seen with my own eyes. Believe me. Waiting to see his daughter graduate from the College in Coimbatore.
The Todas have been unique, like the Nilgiris they have always been in the media glare, i had always wanted to write about them because i have been associated with them since my teens and have grown hearing about their folklore and legends. It did strike me if i had to draw equals or measure them with other similar indigenous tribes, it would be hard to draw parallel hence the uniqueness and i can elaborate many such uniqueness of the Todas of one being of Vegetarian in eating habits of unique dialect with phonetics that have any inkling with the Dravidian or Sanskrit lineages. They have been the most written about most mentioned about indigenous people of the Nilgiris. Which makes me the question about - other equally or more precarious native communities that inhabit the Nilgiri Biosphere, pretty much unknown much to the outside world. The Todas have been in the limelight as a flagship community in the Nilgiris - when you mention about Nilgiris the thoughts that linger would obviously will include that of Todas as well. In the broader spectrum it is immaterial of who hogs the limelight until at least they get the exposure which would be of immense help in the upliftment of these communities, having said that the Todas are relatively on a better wicket, Then the Cholanaikens and Paniyas.
It is time we threw some light on these people as well.
Shot on Pothili son's marriage Filming session by A Belgian Film Crew with Vasamalli
It is an introspective
journey,
blossomed thru my iris
that filled
Nilgiris of every nook
and corners I roamed,
a metamorphosis that
made me feel for
the every feeble grass
blades that vanished
from the rolling meadows
that made of
my Nilgiris,
grandeurs of it is ranges,
the blue plumage of their
mountains
defaced in reckless irony
now where will my Thar go?
a humble yearning that made
me divulge in climate change,
conservation et al
thus
bringing forth a desire,
A burning desire! asking ME
and every one of
YOU?
WHY
WHY shouldn’t
NILGIRIS be SAVED?
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