25th January 2023 – 1 February 2023
25th January 2023
Raipur
A day before the republic day – 11 yatris meet together at a hostel in IGKV, Raipur only knowing that they are part of a social journey. Each one is unique and open to discoveries. The 25th of January marked the first step towards the beginning of the journey with skilling up, knowing each other, and sharing thoughts and experiences. The orientation started at Nukkad, Jal Vihar with a welcome from the cafe staff. The day saw training sessions on building a sense of spirit, asking insightful questions, knowing about the state and people who have contributed to building the state, the team behind the journey, setting up goals, the dos and don’ts, and getting to know the aspirations of everyone. Our day ended with dinner, a few more folks we got to know, and excitement about what the journey holds in the coming days.
26th January 2023
Raipur. Ganiyari.
The journey started with Jan Swasthya Sahyog – a social health institution set up by a group of passionate AIIMS doctors who work in the remotest areas for the tribals. The tribals did not have adequate knowledge, and access to affordable healthcare. The villagers were dominated by the conventional medication system which believed in magic and old ineffective techniques. Over the years, the group of doctors has built a sense of trust and confidence within the community and worked hard to ensure a good healthcare ecosystem and not just treatment.
They are venturing into organic farming and reaching out to the villagers (outside the hospital premises as well). They are not a registered hospital but provide services no less. As per the doctors, attrition forms a major challenge they are trying to address. The model built by them is a result of years of experiments, failures, successes, discoveries, and collaborations. They built a relationship with the community and people who had not seen a digital device, were reliant on conventional medication, and were not open to health discussions. However, their decentralised model (and the interesting “Gaon Ghumarrah Kitab”), involvement of the local community members, industrial collaborations, innovative approach, never give up mindset and most importantly, grassroot execution led to a healthy and impactful approach.
“Small places do not have small (health) problems and hence, require sharper skills”
– Jan Swasthya Sahyog
I also got to meet the didis, at the remote health center who were working with the organisation, to provide immediate healthcare to the villagers through the decentralised model. The organisation also started a childcare home – phulwari – in the village which was decorated well to create a safe environment for babies.
The place showed the power of will, community, and continuous innovation at every step.
26th January 2023
Shivtarai
Amidst the dense jungle of Achanakmar, a coach trains his students to target the bull’s eye everyday. An archery coach, Itwari Raj, has dreams of bagging archery medals in the Olympics for India by his students in the village, Shivtarai.
For over a decade, he has trained hundreds of students and bagged over 500 medals at the state level and 186+ at the national level. Today, with limited financial support, subpar sports infrastructure, and variable faith of his fellow villagers, he is displaying the sportsmanship spirit and leadership keeping the tradition of archery alive. The man is living his passion and facing turbulence with dedication and commitment. No wonder, setting an example of leading such an initiative for the tribals, as an individual, when many organisations and communities think twice before getting their hands dirty.
He idolizes Major Dhyan Chand, who is one of the greatest hockey players, and mentioned
“Dhyan Chand sirf ek khiladi nahi tha, desh ke prati samarpit tha”
– Itwari Raj
The day ended with bitterness in minds of everyone, seeing the struggles of the coach but with prayers and a spark to make a helping move. The night witnessed camping on an organic farm nearby with a sumptuous organic dinner.
27th January 2023
Jagannathpur.
The Chaupal Gramin Vikas Prashikshan Evam Shodh Sansthan (or ‘Chaupal’ in short as it is known) is a grassroots community protecting the interests of the tribes in Chhattisgarh. The community comprising primarily of ‘Pahari Korwas’ is led by Gangaram Paikra and has resulted in PVTGs receiving their land rights. A community-driven approach that has made ‘Jal, Jungle, Jameen’ its motto has earned the trust of the villagers for Gangaram as their leader.
Today, they work actively on the implementation of public policies at the grassroots, forest rights of the villagers, and ensure the well-being of the tribes in the region. For over a decade, Gangaram’s family has stood with the villagers to support them when they are devoid of justice, to generate employment for labours, to ensure the effectiveness of public policy, and above all, to ensure that the voices of the tribals are not unheard. He wants to work for the tribals and ensure that they get the identity that they deserve for the effective implementation of policies and programmes, a recognition of the indigenous race, and an identity for the tribals.
“In forms for government jobs, there are options to classify the area of residence as urban or rural. Why isn’t there an option for tribals?”
– Gangaram Paikra
The ‘chaupal’ which is organised to hear the complains of the villagers, is a platform for communication and collaboration between villagers, people representatives, and any external agent. This ensures to safeguard the interests of the villagers. The villagers in turn, over the ages, have bestowed their trust on Gangaram and he is seen as a leader of the tribals.
A meet with Dr. Yogesh Jain
Late that evening, we got an opportunity to meet Dr. Yogesh Jain who runs a non-profit health organisation, ‘Sangwari‘, in Surguja in Chhattisgarh, the central part of India. Sangwari, literally a ‘partner’, is a group of health professionals bringing in equity and better health for people.
Though in the early phases, Sangwari, is earning the trust of the people with its affordable treatment and setting up a decentralised model in the healthcare space.
27th January 2023
Puhuputra.
The Rajwar community is known for its connection with clay and colours. Deeper in the maps of the Chhattisgarh state, 2 individuals, Pandit Ram and Daroga Ram have kept the life of clay artforms alive, where they give shape to their imagination with the help of colours and clay.
“Kala se bhaari prem hai”
– Daroga Ram
The house is considered to be one of the most beautiful house in the world which is decorated by Sona Bai. Daroga Ram, learnt the skill of the art from his mother. She used basic materials – clay, hay, ropes, and created natural colours to give shape to her creations. Perhaps, a sustainable form of art. Today, her son, Daroga Ram is carrying the legacy and spends his time satisfying his passion. He has exhibited his work in different parts of the world and received appreciation for his contributions. His house decorated with different figures shared the story of how the legacy continued over the generation. With no intention to commercialize or scale, he does his work in silence, enjoying the journey to create beautiful articles and reminiscing the learnings from his mother.
His love for art is an example of undying passion, a cherished gift from another generation, and a continuous effort to keep the tradition alive with all selflessness.
27th January 2023
Puhuputra.
The next visit was to Pandit Ram, who had commercialised his art form to ensure reach far and wide. The art looked vibrant with colours and was appreciated by villagers and communities alike. As an artist, Pandit Ram is well-celebrated in the state and is known for his work. He transformed his love for art to make it a profession and keep the spirit alive.
Pandit Ram’s house was decorated with art as well (see images above). And a few other villagers utilized the same opportunity to learn and create similar artifacts which would then, be sold at fairs and festivals in towns nearby. He boasted of his art form and creations and shared the winning award from the State for his contribution.
Passion Vs Profits? Times have covered the originality of work and beaten them to commercialize for sustainability, for Pandit Ram. The 2 visits made me understand the value of pure passion and the hardships that come along with the importance to commercialize for earning a living.
Both artists, with a love for their work, earned huge respect in society. Their creativity and passion led them to a level of satisfaction for the mind, which they generously shared with their audience and buyers.
28th January 2023
Mainpat.
Chhattisgarh, located in the central part of the country, witnesses temperatures as high as 50°c. However, the state is also a home to newcomers from neighbouring country who have brought their culture of spirituality, religion, language, festival, and food. The place, known as Mainpat, witnesses temperatures less than 10°c.
The story of the newcomers echoes the struggles of the people who became strangers in their own homes due to war conflict between nations. The migration resulted in travel of 100s of kilometers on foot, through the rough Himalayan terrain, and uneasy temperature conditions. The community found its way through unexpected difficulties to become one of the most prosperous in the region gaining social acceptance and harmony with the locals.
Government support, hardworking nature, and conditionless love for their culture and land makes them recognised for their survival in adversity.
29th January 2023
Batauli.
A young entrepreneur sets up of bringing his skills and experience from the world to the remote area of Batauli, a small village located at the convergence of 2 rivers and amidst mountains.
The goal of his entrepreneurship journey has been simple – a self-sustaining, eco-friendly, remote tourist house that will provide shelter to tourists and provide means of livelihood to the local villagers and education for children.
The village hut is designed in a way to be zero-waste generating with waste decomposition, a natural fridge, and access to all the gifts of nature. The journey witnessed a story-sharing session with the founder of the Batauli ghar and his educational initiative. The evening saw the bonfire lit and the morning was filled with the yatris cooking up breakfast, as a team.
30th January 2023
Ambikapur.
The waste management model of Ambikapur is famous worldwide. The key features are wide and include public participation, promotion of reducing and reusing waste, vermicomposting, and several other innovative steps.
The entire model is decentralised and relies heavily on didis who collect garbage door-to-door and deposit the waste for further processing. The waste is then segregated into many categories to devise the right form of reuse, reduction, and recycling. A garbage cafe in the city rewards the rag pickers with food for a minimum amount of garbage collected. The programme is aimed at achieving a self-sustaining model with monetization of the compost created from organic waste, eco-friendly bricks for cremation, and wall paints created from cow dung.
31st January 2023
Hariharpur.
Sitting amidst a protest to protect the forest under the tree shade, I looked behind as a school bus, owned by miners, passed through the unmetallic road. The students in the bus were the children of the villagers, who were offered compensation of relocation, education, and work in return for the land which possess the minerals.
The Hasdeo Bachao Andolan has been one of the longest fights of the village communities for their forest rights against the industrialisation. The mining project intended to convert the villagers into migrants to another location has been seeing protests worldwide and mass participation from the villagers. The villagers claim to be the rightful owners of the land. However, numerous judgements have only spent time on this issue with limited outcome over the years. The protests continue today and, is the only hope of villagers living there. It is also criticized by the villagers that the hospitals offered in compensation have an absence of doctors and that the rehabilitation settlement is inadequate for their families. While many villagers have accepted the compensation offered by the industrialists, many await the helping hand of the government.
31st January 2023
Ratanpur.
The evening saw a folk play from artists performing Nacha gammat at Ratanpur. The play performed as a storytelling technique with music and acts is widely liked by the local community and villagers. Generally, used as a mode to promote messages and create awareness against social taboos in society.
31st January 2023
Raipur.
The trip concluded with a convocation but with the beginning of a new journey, in each of the yatris – aware, and awakened.
