Happy Nuakhai !
bimal pandia
Dear elders, friends and relatives,
‘Nuakhai’ greetings!
Another year has gone by… and farming community’s menacing downward slid has continued.
On the eve of the Nuakhai, I tried to have a re-read of what I had exactly said on the Nuakhai eve in the previous two years (Please read what I had said in the previous two years – below the text of this message). Ironically, every year has been further bad than the preceding year. While I did mention about woeful farming conditions in the previous years, this year has been far worse. In my 22 years of active farming memory, I have never witnessed this kind of dryness in the peak of a monsoon. Rain God has been just too unkind. Fields lie dry… so is the eyes of the farmers and farm dependents. Tears have almost stopped flowing… for they have already exhausted all tears.
I do not know how to encounter my friends, fellow villagers and people of the region when I shall be there during the Nuakhai. For I have few more choices to earn than them. Thus the shock of a drought will be less on me. I do not even know how this Nuakhai will be - whether people will truly celebrate this or it will be limited to a mere ritual.
Still, I wish you a very happy Nuakhai. Because Nuakhai, in addition to celebrating new harvest, also gives the energy to look at the future with confidence, hope and belief. The farming community has not lost its belief and confidence in agriculture yet ! Its resolve to stand tall amidst all adversity will again be proved this Nuakhai.
Happy Nuakhai…
Regards
Bimal
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Nuakhai wish made on 11.09.2010
Dear elders, friends and relatives,
NUAKHAI greetings !
A year has passed by.... I tried to retrieve what I had said last year on the eve of Nuakhai....
"In Sambalpuri, there is a term 'shenrra'. I can not exactly translate that to other language but roughly that means one who has habituated to all odds. The farmers have now become 'shenrra'. While the rain god has not been too kind, pests have menacingly eaten all hopes. Lands are still lying barren, crops have dried, plants have been reduced to their roots. More tears flowing off the farmer's eyes than rainfall dropping on the earth. But still, we the 'shenrras' are going to celebrate the Nuakhai on the 24th. For a day at least, we will not think of our crop and how ours families will survive the year and years to come."
Ironically enough, our skins have become thicker and we have become more 'shenrra'. As we go to celebrate 'Nuakhai' tomorrow, we will at least for half a day forget that many of our crop lands have stayed barren, the cultivated crops are parching. The situation this year has been worse than last year.
Still we the farmers will continue to thank our god for helping us with a 'grand crop'.
Of course, irrespective of the status of our crops we eagerly wait for 'Nuakhai' for other reasons as well. This is one day when all family members try their best to converge at place.. all villagers/habitants will great each other. At least for a day we will try our best to make merry... our weakening digestive system will try to eat all delicacies that we can afford; and our ageing legs will try to play youthful sports. Yes, we will also bow our heads to each and every elder (even to whom we have long-standing enemity; or even to whom we do not otherwise consider as worthy of our respect). Nuakhai teaches us that all elders have to be respected, for they definitely know something more than us and take care of us.
So, HAPPY NUAKHAI...! Come join the celebration - On this day nothing comes first than our respect to our gods, elders and our farming.
Regards
Bimal
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Nuakhai wish made on 24.08.2009
Happy Nuakhai!
In Sambalpuri, there is a term 'shenrra'. I can not exactly translate that to other language but roughly that means one who has habituated to all odds.
The same is the case with farmers of Western Orissa and other parts. While the rain god has not been too kind, pests have menacingly eaten all hopes. Lands are still lying barren, crops have dried, plants have been reduced to their roots. More tears flowing off the eyes than rainfall dropping on the earth.
But still, we the 'shenrras' are going to celebrate the Nuakhai on the 24th. For a day at least, we will not think of our crop and how ours families will survive the year and years to come. We still will thank our god for having given us new food and new harvest (it is a different matter that cultivation has not taken place in most rain-fed lands and thus new harvest does not arise). At least for a day we will try our best to make merry - our weakening digestive system will try to eat all delicacies that we can afford; and our ageing legs will try to play youthful sports. Yes, we will also bow our heads to each and every elder (even to whom we have long-standing quarrels; or even to whom we do not otherwise consider as worthy of our respect). Nuakhai teaches us that all elders have to be respected, for they definitely know something more than us and take care of us.
Once again.. Happy Nuakhai - from this apprehensive farmer who is fearing huge losses but who still will not miss his date with Nuakhai.
Come join the celebration - On this day nothing comes first than our respect to our gods and elders.
Regards
Bimal Prasad Pandia
Farming the way...
pradeep mohapatra
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Pranab Choudhury
Thanks Bimal!
I also wish you a Happy Nuakhai while sharing equally your concerns regarding our increasing vulnerability to climate aberrations.
This is also a challenge for all of us who are trying to engage with development processes, to explore strategies for our communities to help them address these threats. Let us recommit ourselves.
Best Regards,
Pranab