Report of the Nav-Nirman Sangarsh Workshop (Dec 30 - Jan 2)
We spent our new years at the Narmada valley along with some NBA, NAPM
karyakartas, AID volunteers from India and US, Reva Yuvas, Nav Nirman team,
village people, Jeevanshala children and friends from various groups and
organizations.
In the shade of a tree Vimal Bhai from NAPM who wears only
what he spins (therefore Only Vimal!) had set up 5 portable carkas. While
all those who were curious got a chance to do some spinning, 5 jeevanshala
children dedicated themselves to serious learning. By Jan 1st they were
able to spin without needing any further guidance and their yarn garlanded
the photograph of Mahatma Gandhi. Dedicating themselves to more spinning
the 5 jeevanshala children are aiming to produce enough yarn for their
clothes in 6 months. Vimal said that bringing the carka to the Narmada
valley was something he wanted to do for a long time, and he said the
children picked up everything in a day and were very interested. He will
followup by having these children train five more children so as to have a
dedicated batch of 10 carka spinners in the Nimgavhan jeevanshala.
A wonder tree that grows easily, Bamboo is strong
and flexible and its products can outdo plastic and make the environment
cleaner and enterprises more rural. Peter Bakos from Australia showed us
samples of vegetable dyed Bamboo and Sivaram, a tribal craftsperson from
ADS in Karjat gave hands-on training in making gift items out of bamboo.
By Jan 1st the learners had made bamboo fish that chased each other round
and round on catching a little breeze. One can learn to make things out of
Bamboo very easily. Peter and Sivaram invited the valley people including
some already skilled bamboo workers to ADS for a follow-up workshop that
will include vegetable dyeing. They are also ready to spend more time in
the valley giving further training if that's more suitable.
After enquiring about the credit needs in the
Narmada valley Balaji Sampath of AID and TNSF explained in detail how to
start savings and loans groups there. Vishram, Pravin and Shoba from the
Nav-Nirman team and Dedly Bai and other village leaders exchanged queries
during the session. 15-20 women who meet weekly and save Rs 5-10 per week
are important elements. In the weekly meetings, not just savings but also
other important topics get introduced. There are no outside grants or funds
required for this program since the money saved itself is rotated as loans
by the women's group to needy women. The experience of the Srikakulam
groups also helped explain that some innovations have to be made depending
on the field conditions. At the end of the talk Vishram said that this was
most useful and he thinks he can start 5 groups immediately in the village
he works in.
Ashok from Vidnyan Vahini
had shown science experiments in several jeevanshalas in March. He came
back with his supplies, and this time, Ashok said, the children were able
to do some of the experiments themselves rather than just see in the
demonstration mode. Simultaneously Mora and Bhaskar from AID along with
Suhas and Jeevanshala teachers were introducing the children to new toys.
The telescope helped us catch the sight of saturn and jupiter though the
moon rose too late -- we looked at the moon in the morning! A Pedal power
pump that pumps water at 40 litres per minute to a height of 25 mts was
installed on the banks of the Narmada by Venkatesh and Peter. After
consulting with Keshav Bhai and other village workers it was decided to set
this pump in Domkhedi since the slope is much more gradual there and it can
be more effectively used to water the fields. Ravi of the Nav Nirman team
took the responsibility of utilizing the pump. Sanjay Sangvai led a
discussion on sustainable development and the history of the Andolan with
some of the first time visitors to the valley.
Keval Singh Guruji led a dozen curious folks into the forest
to identify medicinal herbs. Like many sessions this deserved at least a
day to itself, but we just had time to see the local "herbal coffee" bean,
remedies for stomach upset, skin problems, scorpion bites, and drink
delicious water directly from a spring.
On the evening of 31st Dec, AID volunteers sat with people of many
villages to discuss the vision of development for the future. City folks
described the widely publicized "celebrations" which tended to destroy all
natural areas either by direct invasion or extravagant consumption of
resources, and cited the pledge by MP Uma Bharathi to market tourist
resorts to NRIs to raise funds for "development." Noorji bhai said that he
had no comment on these city celebrations, but he knew that nature is not
something we can make, it has come only with God and when it is gone, it is
gone. No amount of development can bring it back.
We found time to hear of the 100 block plan from Balaji where
the idea is to use the village volunteer base of the literacy movements for
health and savings activities. Suryanarayana updated us on the 5 new
savings groups he started in Srikakulam and his plans to further this
effort. Bhaskar told us about the progress of the Rajahmundry school on
the Godavari islands where now a hut has been constructed for the children.
We visited the
village of Mokhdi, just a stone's throw from the damsite and the first
village to be submerged by SSP. We talked to the people who have returned
to Mokhdi after years of trying to survive in resettlement sites. We
proceeded from there to two R&R sites -- Vasana and Pancholi. In Vasana the
families had no land for cultivation (because the land they were given is
in another rehab site in another location that they have left as the
quality of land is poor). On being asked about the Desai committee there
were no good comments -- people felt extremely let down -- it was just
another committee for eye-wash. Actually the committee member was not able
to reach the site due to monsoon so these people had walked all the way to
the main road to meet him. Some of the families are thinking of returning
back to the Narmada valley.
We went along with bright red flowers of the gongura plant to Dhirendra
Bhai's organic farm where we saw how much one can do in just 2 acres with
no fertilizers and chemicals. There were planst and trees in every inch of
the land along with solar cooker, wind-mill, solar dryer, bio gas plant and
other energy saving devices. They gave us a very refreshing pink drink
made of these flowers from Narmada that they powdered and packaged.
Everybody bought more packets for Rs 20 that makes about 50-60 glasses as
this was a natural tasty drink.
On New years eve, there was singing, dancing and
skits that sketched the events of the year that was. A lovely desktop
calendar for 2000 that contains a song, slogan and the photographic memory
of a crucial Narmada event of every month was released by AID-India just
before midnight. It is bilingual and is available for sale. Amidst
solidarity of various groups and continuation of Nirman and struggle, the
new year zeroed in on us. While some people rang in the new year by seeing
their dreams, others were singing around an open fire till 2 AM.... Medha
didi of course was having round-the-clock meetings...between friendly
appearances! On New Year's Day jeevanshala children released small leaf
oil lamps into the Narmada and through binoculars saw the lights sail into
the distance. Together we declared, "NAVI VARHA DUI HAZAAR, AMRA GAON ME
AMRA SARKAR!"
We thank Suhas, Medha, Geetha, Keval Singh and other Jeevanshala teachers
and workers, people from Nimad who made sure we weren't hungry, for the
excellent arrangements in the valley, the NBA Baroda office for the
coordination in Baroda and arranging the bus through a tough terrain and
AID volunteers and various groups who participated and planned this to make
it a very special dawn of a new era.
Aravinda Pillalamarri Ravi Kuchimanchi