Each evening, at 630, time to take the milk

There is an unarguable innocence in the villages that we have visited so far ( please let me clarify, the meaning of innocence: I do not believe that anyone is completely innocent,  here i mean the preservation of values and purity).

My observation is that their innocence is tied to their very simple life style (i.e., no house doors), their focus on maintaining their basic needs (food, shelter, simple clothing). They grow their own vegetables, they get their water from the well and they get the milk from their own cow. Of course, tribal villages a deprived from important needs, such adequate access to water, transportation, healthcare centers and schools but, in comparison to more developed areas, there is a common sense of accepting things “as they are” and appreciating the value and beauty of what they already have.

I must also mention the importance and beauty of their community strength, unity and their willingness to work together to improve the issues that impact their lives (access to water, healthcare centers, electricity, education, roads). For instance, parents, with growing importance of education, formed a committee to create “after school tuition classes”. Each family puts 10 rupees per month towards these tuition classes. Parents also unite to encourage teachers to do a better job in educating their children. Education is gaining importance and parents do come together to address the issues that negatively impact the current education status.

Tribal villages also work together to empower themselves, mostly concentrating on protecting their rights, values and original customs as “Adivasis” (Adivasi is an umbrella term for a heterogeneous set of ethnic and tribal groups claimed to be the aboriginal population of India). I admire their dedication to protect their purity and simplicity. They live one with nature, and united with their family and they are secure and isolated from the world. For example, unlike the Muslim population living in the slums of Ahmedabad, they had no knowledge of the 2002 Hindu-Muslim violence as they didn’t have television at the time of this brutal incidence. Part of me thinks “how mice it must be to be unaware of these violence and the negativity as it keeps them at peace, without tension and helps them reserve their innocence”. However, I can’t help but question “what would have happened if they were to be informed about it?” Would it have brought tension to their community affected their inner peace?

Adivasies also work together to protect their rights to access to water and electricity. For instance, when a dam was built they formed a committee to make sure that their village and the surrounding villages benefitted from the electricity and water. They went from village to village, mobilizing people, creating awareness about the water and electricity reaching to the local people. As a result, the government ensured that their village and the surrounding villages received water and electricity. Today, they have 2700 members who mobilizes people to protect their rights.

So, as the wise man in the village told to us: ” you have to come together and fight for your rights. Hope starts with solidarity”.