Monday, June 12, 2006
Settlement on the South side of the River Paat.
Ever since settlements began on the other side of the river leaving behind the old village claiming land to build on (granted by the then Rao of the region). One can see nothing, but progress of a hard working community. Times were very hard for these hardy people, tilling land owned by the land barons, the produce of their sweat divided in five equal heaps, four of which only to be taken away by the Raj, the Banias , the Landlords and other leaches of the times.
This poor farming community were living a hand to mouth existence for the most part of the first quarter and later part of the twentieth century. Resilience, honesty, dexterity and their faith in their religion was to their side against all other odds. They tilled the land they did not own from early morning until late after sunset. The women folk would start their day at around 3.00 am fetching water from the village well, brass pots two or three balanced on their heads, a journey or two depending on the needs of a household. Daily ritual turning of the stone mill to make millet flour was not the job for weaklings. Churning butter milk and separating makhan(butter)singing along religious hymns and then washing up all the equipment ready for the next day. Next item of daily chores would be rotlas(roties) made from bajra(millet)baked on a clay tava with plenty of ghee(clarified butter). Every household, farmers or not had a cow or two for the daily supply of milk and butter through out the year were well kept and fed. Ladies would finish all the chores connected to the cows and go to temple for prayers, come back and prepare a bhat(a large basket to take rotlas, buttermilk and gur(a kind of sugar made from cane), to be taken to the farm for lunch, this was a staple for all in those days. Feeding all the farm animals, extracting water from the well with the help of oxen pulling a Kosh(a large bellows like sack made from hide) to irrigate the field was back breaking work.
Late in the evening women folk would arrive first to start cooking, a large pot of khichadi with ghee and occasionally curried buttermilk thickened with millet flour or vegetables to go with it was an every day supper. Very rarely on festive days sweet rice or sukhdi made from wheat ghee and gur would be a treat. Wheat came into their lives very late, well after the independence of India.
It’s very difficult to put a date on the very first men folk who ventured outside and abroad to make a living, but that would have been in the beginning of the 1900s to etch a living as bonded labourers laying railways for the British in East Africa. Equipped with some working tools related to masonry, some clothing, half a dabba of sukhdi, enough pickle usually made from mangos or carrots to last them during the difficult voyage on small trading sea faring boats that would take more than a month along the coast of Arabia and Africa. Most important of all the belongings they took with them was the Pooja pack (a prayer book, gopi chand for tillak and their personal deity). It must have been the most heart wrecking experience for these young men to leave their wives and families or for the unmarried their parents to a future and lands unknown to them. Frequent draughts and sheer hardship must have forced these hardy men to leave for better pastures beyond the horizons never knowing when their next journey back home would be, some never to return, some after many years.
Living in harsh conditions, accommodated 8 to10 in a small shack and years of hard labour in the distant land had paid dividends and savings began to trickle down to the mother land. Very few women folk began to go and join their men in early or late 1930s most were still separated from their wives some never joined them; some joined them while returning for a very brief period of time and back again after a stay of few months by the returning boats.
As time ticked they began to prosper (prosperity compared to what they could never earn from their own small holdings) and monies sent home had begun to change lives of families back home. New houses began to mushroom; small holdings which were watered with the help of oxen were being replaced by oil engines, oil lamps or lanterns were replaced by electricity, bicycles began to appear in the village (were all items of luxury in them days).Old gramophones had a place in some homes too. All benefited somewhat from these earnings sent from abroad directly or indirectly. The shopkeepers, the gorvas (traditional tailors), the mochis (cobblers), the carpenters, the dye and block print makers, the Brahmins (without whom these pious people would not attain nirvana) the rabaris who would collect all the cattle for grazing out in the countryside and back by sunset and many others who benefited on the financial well being of this community directly or indirectly. After independence during 50s and 60s onwards this village on the South of the river truly began metamorphosis, it had a primary school a hospital and a secondary school in the late 60s, most homes had electric connections and running water in the 70s, the first village to do so in the district. It had a beautiful crematorium built on the outskirts of the village south side of the river (most months of the year remained dry, tasting water only when it rained enough).
Honour goes to all the mothers who brought up children in the absence of their bread winners. There was a generation of children, who had not seen their fathers for many years; some never, had only their name attached after theirs. Life for them was complete incomplete and yet a happy one, just as children any where in the world. Playing in the streets their favourite games, both boys and girls had their respective games like gully danda, kabbadi, kho kho, kathi, spin tops, nargel, ghodi, marbles, games played with cowry shells, kite flying and few others. Not forgetting the most enjoyable of times, during all festivals like the Holi, Janmastmi, The Diwali and the melas in the rainy seasons. Education in those days was good enough for these children up to the seventh standard if they were lucky, or else only up to first or second year; education of girls had been discouraged due to social taboos, never the less improved living standards were to change all that for ever. In general all those hard times had for the mothers; there was a sign of good omen to be for the future generations.
The late 60s had seen another change in the circumstances of these people from this village (story of this village relates to some 24 other villages home to the same community and progressed equally well), the British had opened their doors to thousands of people registered as citizens began to settle in England to take jobs in factories and other labour related industries. Political situations of the free and independent East African nations had forced many Asians to leave the land for good to settle in new lands again. Hundreds of thousands began their new life all over again in America, Canada, parts of Europe, Australia and many other lands very strange to them. Sheer hard work and habitual savers made them prosper all over again. The new generation did well educationally in all fields and industry. These are one of the most industrious people of a hard working community and will remain so for generations to come. Every member of this community is part and parcel of success and can hold their heads high in the development on their respective little villages.
This village, (although in no way resemble a village in today’s times) south of the all year round dry river, boasts of all the major Indian Banks has one of India’s highest savings. It has some of the most modern and well furnished residential developments, shops equipped with every modern day need, from grocery to clothing to jewellery, hardware stores, you name it its there.
This is a very brief tale of a village (not so much of a village any more) hardly 150 years old is worthy of saluting, is non other than “MADHAPAR”, in the District of Kutch bordering south west of Bhuj (suffered utter devastation during the 2000 earth quake) where Indian Prime Ministers and top Indian Brass have insisted to come and pay tribute to the people for their contribution towards their share of national patriotism.
This poor farming community were living a hand to mouth existence for the most part of the first quarter and later part of the twentieth century. Resilience, honesty, dexterity and their faith in their religion was to their side against all other odds. They tilled the land they did not own from early morning until late after sunset. The women folk would start their day at around 3.00 am fetching water from the village well, brass pots two or three balanced on their heads, a journey or two depending on the needs of a household. Daily ritual turning of the stone mill to make millet flour was not the job for weaklings. Churning butter milk and separating makhan(butter)singing along religious hymns and then washing up all the equipment ready for the next day. Next item of daily chores would be rotlas(roties) made from bajra(millet)baked on a clay tava with plenty of ghee(clarified butter). Every household, farmers or not had a cow or two for the daily supply of milk and butter through out the year were well kept and fed. Ladies would finish all the chores connected to the cows and go to temple for prayers, come back and prepare a bhat(a large basket to take rotlas, buttermilk and gur(a kind of sugar made from cane), to be taken to the farm for lunch, this was a staple for all in those days. Feeding all the farm animals, extracting water from the well with the help of oxen pulling a Kosh(a large bellows like sack made from hide) to irrigate the field was back breaking work.
Late in the evening women folk would arrive first to start cooking, a large pot of khichadi with ghee and occasionally curried buttermilk thickened with millet flour or vegetables to go with it was an every day supper. Very rarely on festive days sweet rice or sukhdi made from wheat ghee and gur would be a treat. Wheat came into their lives very late, well after the independence of India.
It’s very difficult to put a date on the very first men folk who ventured outside and abroad to make a living, but that would have been in the beginning of the 1900s to etch a living as bonded labourers laying railways for the British in East Africa. Equipped with some working tools related to masonry, some clothing, half a dabba of sukhdi, enough pickle usually made from mangos or carrots to last them during the difficult voyage on small trading sea faring boats that would take more than a month along the coast of Arabia and Africa. Most important of all the belongings they took with them was the Pooja pack (a prayer book, gopi chand for tillak and their personal deity). It must have been the most heart wrecking experience for these young men to leave their wives and families or for the unmarried their parents to a future and lands unknown to them. Frequent draughts and sheer hardship must have forced these hardy men to leave for better pastures beyond the horizons never knowing when their next journey back home would be, some never to return, some after many years.
Living in harsh conditions, accommodated 8 to10 in a small shack and years of hard labour in the distant land had paid dividends and savings began to trickle down to the mother land. Very few women folk began to go and join their men in early or late 1930s most were still separated from their wives some never joined them; some joined them while returning for a very brief period of time and back again after a stay of few months by the returning boats.
As time ticked they began to prosper (prosperity compared to what they could never earn from their own small holdings) and monies sent home had begun to change lives of families back home. New houses began to mushroom; small holdings which were watered with the help of oxen were being replaced by oil engines, oil lamps or lanterns were replaced by electricity, bicycles began to appear in the village (were all items of luxury in them days).Old gramophones had a place in some homes too. All benefited somewhat from these earnings sent from abroad directly or indirectly. The shopkeepers, the gorvas (traditional tailors), the mochis (cobblers), the carpenters, the dye and block print makers, the Brahmins (without whom these pious people would not attain nirvana) the rabaris who would collect all the cattle for grazing out in the countryside and back by sunset and many others who benefited on the financial well being of this community directly or indirectly. After independence during 50s and 60s onwards this village on the South of the river truly began metamorphosis, it had a primary school a hospital and a secondary school in the late 60s, most homes had electric connections and running water in the 70s, the first village to do so in the district. It had a beautiful crematorium built on the outskirts of the village south side of the river (most months of the year remained dry, tasting water only when it rained enough).
Honour goes to all the mothers who brought up children in the absence of their bread winners. There was a generation of children, who had not seen their fathers for many years; some never, had only their name attached after theirs. Life for them was complete incomplete and yet a happy one, just as children any where in the world. Playing in the streets their favourite games, both boys and girls had their respective games like gully danda, kabbadi, kho kho, kathi, spin tops, nargel, ghodi, marbles, games played with cowry shells, kite flying and few others. Not forgetting the most enjoyable of times, during all festivals like the Holi, Janmastmi, The Diwali and the melas in the rainy seasons. Education in those days was good enough for these children up to the seventh standard if they were lucky, or else only up to first or second year; education of girls had been discouraged due to social taboos, never the less improved living standards were to change all that for ever. In general all those hard times had for the mothers; there was a sign of good omen to be for the future generations.
The late 60s had seen another change in the circumstances of these people from this village (story of this village relates to some 24 other villages home to the same community and progressed equally well), the British had opened their doors to thousands of people registered as citizens began to settle in England to take jobs in factories and other labour related industries. Political situations of the free and independent East African nations had forced many Asians to leave the land for good to settle in new lands again. Hundreds of thousands began their new life all over again in America, Canada, parts of Europe, Australia and many other lands very strange to them. Sheer hard work and habitual savers made them prosper all over again. The new generation did well educationally in all fields and industry. These are one of the most industrious people of a hard working community and will remain so for generations to come. Every member of this community is part and parcel of success and can hold their heads high in the development on their respective little villages.
This village, (although in no way resemble a village in today’s times) south of the all year round dry river, boasts of all the major Indian Banks has one of India’s highest savings. It has some of the most modern and well furnished residential developments, shops equipped with every modern day need, from grocery to clothing to jewellery, hardware stores, you name it its there.
This is a very brief tale of a village (not so much of a village any more) hardly 150 years old is worthy of saluting, is non other than “MADHAPAR”, in the District of Kutch bordering south west of Bhuj (suffered utter devastation during the 2000 earth quake) where Indian Prime Ministers and top Indian Brass have insisted to come and pay tribute to the people for their contribution towards their share of national patriotism.
