Adivasi spirit, - India
By Etan Doronne
10 Nov 2011
One day my friend, Dr. Kale, asked me if I'd like to see a school for those who couldn't sit still. Those children to tribal people migrate with whatever seasonal work their parents can get.
We drove up from the fishermen town where he lives and I stay, to the rocky plane overlooking the ocean.
There, opposite the polytech college known in the district, lay the makeshift camp of "tents" they had improvised from whatever is freely available around (which is not much).
The Adivasi one-room school was started by my friend in attempt for the children to acquire the focus needed to enroll in a public school later. Children of all ages, about 25 of them, sat together in the well day-lit white walled room, a stand-alone little cube in the midst of traditionally looking tents and red stone/mud/hey farmer houses.
I could see the free roaming spirit in their eyes, although for this period they sat and followed some songs and activities by the patient and loving female teacher. This girl in orange captured my attention and I could see the Kali in her, the fiery energy of the goddess painted on the wall just behind her.
After the short class in that single room school, we stayed for a few minutes in which the kids wasted no time. They ran out bare feet as they are since birth and rushed to create their own world, as children naturally know all too well. We too went out. My friends who brought me there were ready to leave, but I was even more curious to see the Adivasi "street" wisdom. I guess my self still a child in heart, I love to go back to basics. And here, not only the children build from scratch free of standard and status concerns, but the adults too!
The makeshift camps were only differing in scale. Family 'residences' were bigger tents made of recycled leftovers and dead branches while the children built their own hideaways in same tradition only in smaller, their size proportions. They were jumping joyfully as I found interest and crawled into the family tents as well as peeped into the "barbie houses".
In India girls are usually shy, men shy, camera-shy, foreigner shy but here this glittery eyed pretty girl was all welcoming of my visit to her hideaway. Seems she had combined both the construction skills as well as the 'nurturing mother' to a doll. An all-rounder spirit I am quite sure she had learned by watching and helping her mom.
She and the sunlit morning had given this tent a cozy feeling I would love to immerse in.
More about this documentary project and public program on My India: Where every village is home - Experience !
Post publishing note: My friend, Dr. Kale, asked to correct the title from Adivasi, which he claims are 'jungle tribals' to 'Vanvasi' which he says are 'rural tribals'. I was curious to research these terms before editing and found these definitions to be quite religiously/politically charged. Here is the article: Adivasi vs Vanvasi: The Hinduization of Tribals in India and please suit for yourself.
2 responses
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The Man Who Isn't There (Deleted) gave props (10 Nov 2011):
Very good essay. Voted!
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je suis moi gave props (10 Nov 2011):
Voted. Well done. The Indians are wonderful people.
