IMPRESSIONS / Sharat Mangalapally

 

The experience of a Chinna Shodha Yatra is something beyond words. Having attended the 19th Yatra I was fully aware of what it means to a Yatri. Every time I see the email for the next Yatra there is a fond memory that I cherish only to be carried away by the daily routine that prevents me from making the plan to attend. This time I didn't have many excuses to give myself so I decided to experience a whole new journey in the land that belongs to my ancestors but yet hardly traversed by me to this date. Telangana, Brigadier and the group of strangers I was about to meet were all good enough reasons to overcome my self inflicted lethargy and indifference. 

Impressions galore, memories unimaginable, learnings unrestricted. This is what I would call in short the things I obtained from the yatra. I have tried to put these intangible rewards I gathered through my Yatra in a refined manner.

 

I was coming from the most far off place among all the attendees which was also a reason why I joined the group late by a couple of hours. I missed the unlearning session but knew what to focus in the Yatra that is always so eloquently explained by Brigadier in every journey. The 4 gurus  who will teach us and impart knowledge: Nature, Villagers, Fellow Yatris and Oneself. No one guru is greater than the other. All of them need your inquisitiveness and humility to surrender in front of them and be exposed to their wisdom. 

 

Vittal Patel was having a usual day like any other. A tall man of over 6 ft he took long, brisk and confident strides towards his daughter’s home accompanied by his young grand daughter who was frantically trying to keep up pace with him. It didn't bother him that he was watched eagerly by an amused set of youngsters looking alien on that road leading to his hamlet. Finally one youngster had enough of his bemusement and mustered courage to stop the elderly man and meekly ask his age. What followed was something that he would have hardly imagined. The yatris had amongst them a bunch of B.Tech students in early 20s who would have mostly associated slowness with old age. They could not believe someone looking so old yet so fit and fast. After some initial conversations they led him to Brigadier who was deep in some discussions with the other Yatris walking a few feet ahead of the entourage. It took a few questions back and forth for us to realise that Vittal Patel is indeed a rarity. 

 

He has a simple daily diet of millets and locally grown cereals and has lived his life in a honest and honourable manner. He was a revenue collection representative working for the government and reminisced how people used to diligently pay their dues to him without fail. He was the face of the government in those remote regions whom they respected and paid their taxes without fail. He felt that as long as people served him tea out of respect for him wherever he goes, he is sure that his life meant something worthwhile for him to be content. He did not heed much of the praise we showered about his fitness and rightly pointed out that this is how he has been the whole of his life, just that the life he lived was more than seven decades long in which he has maintained similar intensity towards life. Someone right pointed that if we had an olympics for senior citizens he would be our representative for speed walking from India. The Yatra is always on the lookout for spotting living super humans residing in these remote areas to learn from their achievements and honouring their life. We were fortunate to find him in this village and followed him to his village and honoured him with a shawl and the modern ritual of respectful selfies. His life had a message to us: what we eat decides how we live. 

 

In a close by village, part of one of the scheduled stops for the day, Brigadier was deep in his discourse on the innovations from rural citizens that Palle Srujana has painstakingly identified, supported and mentored through out his long association with grassroots creativity. We didn't see any woman in the small crowd that gathered around the posters we had tied to the poles outside of the Panchayat office of Bidekanne. We were soon to realise that these regions are not the most encouraging towards the women in the society in general. Not surprisingly there was no representation of an entire gender amongst what we wanted to interact with: a village and its residents. But this crowd had a lone woman standing quietly and keenly observing all that was being explained by Brigadier. She looked “ordinary” speaking as a conditioned, prejudiced, city bred, un-cultured and un-opened mind of mine that was so often shaken by Brigadier through out the Yatra. Needless to say most of our group did not even notice her or even made much of her presence if we happened to notice her at all. 

 

I was meanwhile interacting with a gentleman seated in the panchayat office busy distributing packets of sarees to a few women. He was the govt personnel in charge of distributing bathkamma sarees as part of the new social initiative by the state CM. The sarees were sourced from Surat, Maharashtra I got to know and were being distributed here in Telangana as part of their outreach to the downtrodden. The govt recently had called for all people involved with govt machinery to wear locally sourced apparel for one day in the week to promote traditional handloom industry. What about sarees being sourced from outside the state to be used in the pet scheme of the government, would that count as encouragement for handlooms of the state, I wondered. I also noticed that all packets seemed to have same coloured saree or rather the same saree itself. Whatever happened to celebrating the festival of bathkamma that represents colourful flowers surrounded by colourfully dressed women singing in unison about the colourful life that is part of Telangana, but that idea is not to be endorsed by the govt. scheme I gathered. Ironical indeed. 

 

After Brigadier was done with the interactions with the villagers we set off for the next destination and the lone lady from the crowd came smiling to Brigadier. “Tuljamma! You are here, I didn't notice you all this time” - exclaimed Brigadier. He stopped some of us, summoned a few of the laggards dragging their feet to come soon. We understood that this is not an ordinary lady as being revealed by Brigadier’s acquaintance to her. It is very typical of Brig when he spots a fellow human being full of wisdom and knowledge. He becomes a snail and vanishes inside the shell as if dwarfed by their presence and surrenders to their radiance. Humility was being preached silently to those who cared to listen. 

 

Tuljamma, an inspiration to the village, to the women, to the world. Coming from humble background this lady today is a world renowned expert in perma culture. She is a certified gynaecologist. A successful organic farming practitioner. A visionary. She explains how she believes organic farming is the need of the hour and why we should all subscribe to it. She rattles off the names of the countries that she has visited traveling and lecturing on the safe and proven practices in this novel method of agriculture - Perma Culture. 20 nations in all is what she travelled to. Countless babies in the surrounding villages spanning 2 full generations have been ushered into the world through natural delivery in a safe, healthy and affordable atmosphere working out of the very modest homes that these babies are born into. In today’s age of commercially motivated caesarian deliveries, Tuljamma has the rare distinction of accomplishing all natural deliveries with an impeccable success record. She bade us good bye by giving a simple advice on food and farms. Invest in a piece of farm land, she said, because a job might disown you but soil will never abandon you. “Raise some crops in the farm and reap the riches that nature will reward you with. Soil will be yours till you die and will serve you well, there is nothing like eating the food you grow.” 

 

From there we headed to our next destination, little did we know what was awaiting us over there. As we walked past long rows of eucalyptus trees it was a mesmerising sight with the trunks resembling an army formation in a battlefield. As soon as we came out of this blanket of trees we were hauled at by a few vociferous kennels. The gentleman accompanying us to our next stop informed that these are “Aranya Kukkalu”. I promptly warned the folks behind me that there are some wild dogs around us as I translated the term into English. In reality, these were actually the pets of the organisation Aranya which we were headed towards and not Aranya (forest in Telugu) dogs. 

 

Aranya - a one of its kind ecosystem built to promote permanent agriculture or Perma Culture as it is widely known. Under the aegis of its founder, Prof Narasanna, the organisation has created a delightful world, a world which stands as a testimony to life on this planet as was seen ages back - a harmonious and equitable way of living “with” each other and “for” each other on mother earth. Driven by the philosophy that has three ethics - earth care, people care and fair share, the residents source all that they need for a simple living from within the sprawling campus of Aranya spread over 20 acres. In fact other than soap and salt they pretty much get everything they need to survive from within their site. It was a pleasant surprise to spot a few foreigners who had come here for a short term stay to learn the practices involved in this method of “sustainable livelihood without disturbing the ecological balance”. We were taken on a short tour with trees of all different kinds juxtaposed next to each other as per their conceptual method of agriculture. Even crops were sowed with a mixed variety of grains that will coexist and get harvested together. This was followed by a strangely tasting spiced tea served over the discourse by the founder couple. Their commitment towards their beliefs and their efforts to spread this philosophy to the wider world was commendable. We left the place quite late with our hearts filled with amazement by the journey shared by the creators of such a wonderful world. Some of us made a promise to return for their 2 day course to learn first hand their unique style of livelihood so that we can imbibe a few of those concepts in our own way of life. 

 

Right before we left the Aranya campus, we got our instructions from Brig for crossing through the forest region in the darkness that had engulfed by then. True to his origins from Army we were given specific set of rules to follow. The walk was long with just the stars and a young crescent moon to give us company. What a lovely sky to walk under, a rare spectacle coming from the cities covered in thick haze of smoke and greed. Here the night seemed selfless spreading its arms to welcome all under its wings, a million stars shining in peace. Night halt was to be at a village called Jharasangham. We all reached safely, tired from the long and eventful day with many wondering if we will survive the night hale and healthy to see the dawn. As is the ritual with the Yatra, Brig did not let us sleep before we narrated our impressions of the day. The initial reluctance from the group who were raring to hit the sack was soon overcome by the steady excitement building up among the team relishing and relieving their favourite moments in the day.

 

Day broke open with my most forgettable part of the Yatra as has always been. The time for morning ablutions. The sun comes out early or so it feels like in these places where there is a natural alarm clock fitted into the roosters. The temporary stay we had was at a girls primary school in the village and we were all huddled up in a single classroom. The bathrooms were non existent to say the least as there was neither an inlet of water nor a working outlet for sewer. Toilets were functioning as they had an outlet at least but had to be supplemented with water brought from outside. With no water supply we had to dig our paint cans serving as buckets into the sump outside the school and carry it till the toilets. I felt that the stay at a convenient place within these remote regions with simple toilets is one thing we can improve upon in the Yatra for a better experience. Our stays are usually schools, community rooms and panchayat offices. Of these the schools ought to have a good bathroom since girls drop off early from education due to this very reason. It is a sad state to see the absence of government promised toilets inspite of being asked to pay a cess specifically for a clean nation in the name of swatch bharat. Interestingly we all were over this inconvenience soon and were looking forward to the day’s events. It is this resilience and an extreme knack of adjustment that we as a nation have always shown which has been incorrectly abused by the rulers to force us to accept government controlled facilities and services less than what we deserve. Maybe one day this is not to be seen in our country.

 

The first stop for the second day was outside the panchayat office of the same village. There was a RO water treatment plant delivering water at an affordable price right outside the office. People were regularly coming with empty cans and collecting potable water. On first look it looks like a much needed service to the village folks. But Brig brought my attention to the fact that 65% of the water from an RO plant goes waste. We could see a constant flow of water from the plant getting into the open drain. If only the output water which is rich in minerals is properly diverted to better use, the same solution becomes a holistically viewed, efficiently delivered answer to the issues of the villages. We need to inculcate this eye for looking at an all round solution that is equitable to all sections of society and is balanced to all inhabitants of the nature. 

 

While the discourse was going on in the village, I had wandered off a bit into the town and was chatting to a few local people where in I came to know about an innovator in the vicinity. A mechanic by profession, he is supposed to have converted an unused engine of Chetak scooter into a weeder machine for cotton farms. Cotton is one of the most high risk and high stakes crop thanks to BT cotton seeds and enormous input costs involved. Such a device would surely relieve some pain of these hard working farmers. After persisting with the local people I managed to get hold of the person and took him to Brig. We then charted on a separate path just 3 of us in the team along with the guy to see his innovation. Brig again surprised me with his knowledge on the mechanical components of the machine. He was rattling different suggestions based on the acumen he developed supporting innovations on 4 other weeders that he helped earlier. It was disheartening to learn though that the innovator was not passionate enough to improve it further and only came up with excuses for each suggestion given to him. He also said that he did this because someone else had asked him for their own farm. His commitment was limited to just being an accidental creator but not a real futuristic innovator. Brig read this soon enough and we left him with contact details in case he wishes to pursue this innovation to logical conclusion. Important learning here is that grassroots innovators are personally impacted by the problems and they have the magnanimity to think of the solution as a panacea to an entire community rather than for personal benefits. They come with an altruistic heart within and don't take any excuse to get to the bottom of the solution. Especially since these innovators are in the informal sector of the society the challenges are many more and also bigger in proportion, but the will power to succeed is what makes them cross the finish line.

 

We had resumed our yatra after a hearty breakfast of idlis amidst the banana plantations to reach the next village. As it was a noon time, we could not spot many people at the meeting point. Most of them were busy in the fields at that time. Brig being his usual self did not lose the occasion to chat with the few college students in the group. Another grassroots story, another thought to ponder upon, another debate to open up the small cracks that were already formed in those young minds. Along the long walk through some giant wind turbines placed on the vast landscapes we travelled on, we spotted a small nest hanging on the fag end of a branch of a road side tree. On one side rests the turbines, a symbol of creativity of man in all its majestic glory and on the other side is a small labour of love showcasing a different symbol of creativity of mother nature. The hanging nest is built to act as a natural barrier for snakes and big birds preventing them to reach the nest as it is at the end of a delicate branch. It is strong enough just for the bird itself to rest on and not for other predators. Such deep thought in designing a safe home which can make any architect smile with sheer admiration. It is these subtle moments that we take back after the Yatra and which make it so difficult for the participants to be able to express to others when queried about the trip. 

 

The evening halt was at another nondescript village. The highlight for me here was the young kid of 7 yrs whom I was chatting with for a long time. Cuteness abound Arun was happy to tell me about his village and his friends. He was curious if he should call the young boy in our group also as Sir since he looked very small compared to rest of us. Such innocence! He introduced his other friends and we all were happily laughing at our own jokes. I learnt later in the night that this village was affected by liquor problem a lot. Many of the older kids were informing the team, inspite of being stark strangers, their plight at the hands of their fathers who are drunk most of the time and resort to beating their family. It was a poignant moment to realise that Arun too would loose his innocence soon to become a victim of this hateful, greedy and selfish society. 

 

We made it to our night destination repeating the night walk like before but only this time with a silent walk introduced along with it. I volunteered to be the back end sergeant walking at the end of the group like I did the day before. I had to ensure everyone is ahead of me and all are walking within the group’s pace. Silently we walked for about 20 minutes just our footfalls and nature’s moans as the only noises to disturb our march. This is a social experiment that Brig loves to conduct in all his yatras. In this loud world many of us would have hardly kept ourselves silent amongst our fellow beings for a few minutes long. It was a first for some in the team and they were pleasantly surprised with what went through their mind in that short time. A quick round up of everyone’s thoughts bought the basic essence of maintaining silent walk outside versus remaining silent inside. A unique experiment that makes us ponder about issues which we would have missed out otherwise - a meditation of its own kind.

 

Night halt was at a small Panchayat office. Food was prepared like at all previous halts by someone from the resident village. This time it was the Sarpanch himself who cooked a sumptuous meal of potato and Rasam. After knowing about the elderly gentleman’s efforts in safeguarding the rights of the villagers, as a village head, in a land acquisition battle with the government we could sense the constant fight these marginalised sections have to go through day in and out. We presented a shawl for his efforts and retired for the night after a quick round of impressions. 

 

Morning brought some fresh air and thoughts with it. The night stay was just next to a buffalo shed so we had to bear some smell all through the night if we were not knocked off by the tiredness already. The bathing facility was at a farm tubewell close by and we ensured some timely manure to the crop in return. After a brief knowledge session to the villagers we set out for the remainder of the scheduled route for the day. The main highlight in the few hours left for the last leg was meeting Mr.Pandurangarao, a grassroots innovator who is another proud finding of Palle Srujana. Sitting by the road side waiting for our lunch to arrive, we were all spellbound to hear his journey right from the point of germination to the final execution. Today he has been able to successfully manufacture and market his product in 4 states, earning well deserved income not just for himself but along with him jobs for 5 other people in his village. His product is a fool proof method of preventing tire punctures with a custom made tire tube filled with a gel. 

 

It has since been a hit amongst the masses because of a simple reason - there is no available product in the market being offered that can solve this particular problem of villagers. A problem that can cause immense suffering for the marginal sections but not for the consumerism driven city dwellers. The tires of vehicles run in these remote regions get punctured way too frequently due to the bad roads and the forest thorns all around. No MNC or for that matter even Indian tire manufacturer found it worthwhile to cater to this issue as there isn't any fat profit margins when it comes to delivering to the rural residents. It is coincidental that for these type of issues and challenges the silver lining will also come from within the region to be created by one amongst those on the margins. After a fateful night when he had to drag his wife and kids along with the punctured bike at night for 10 KM through a forest, he had found his calling to put an end to this suffering. His perseverance was tested for 7 long yrs during which he was chastised and called deranged for pursuing such a flawed dream. He did not give up and had not only found the chemical composition of the gel that is most suitable for patching such punctures, but has also designed a mechanical equipment that can fill desired quantity of that gel into the tube for mass production of the “gel filled tubes”. No wonder then that his efforts have been rewarded by the highest authority of our nation, the President of India himself. Such humble backgrounds and such great heights of achievement. The entire group was wonderstruck by his inspiring story which took us all on a motivational trip. I was honoured to be asked by Brig to present a shawl to Mr.Pandurangarao on behalf of the whole team which I consider as a privilege. 

 

As they say all good things have to come to an end. We had the most cherished time of the whole yatra coming at the very end when we listened to the impressions from one and all. Each one of us narrated his or her own learnings and realisations. Thoughts that are personal yet applicable to some and provoking the others. It’s as if in case we forgot to pick some flower from a beautiful garden while on a stroll, our friends made sure to pick those and present it to us. The end result being a wonderful bouquet that we can take home and cherish for lifetime. Such a delightful and thoughtful collection of memories and wisdom that is very emotional and valuable for each one of us. We have to thank the mastermind creator behind this epic journey Brigadier Ganesham for giving us this blessing. 

 

It’s fascinating how this is a journey and not a trip. Yatra is the right word for this experience because all through the 3 days we are constantly moving, travelling and experiencing so much that when we reach the destination we are done with the journey itself. Whatever happens is in between the start and the end. What better way to live the ideal of looking at life as a journey rather than a destination - one of the many takeaways that I realised through this Yatra and definitely not the last one. 

 

With Regards
Sharat Mangalapally