Dear friends
I believe and experienced in the same way in Orissa, Jharkhand,Chhatisgarh,
Madhya Pradesh , Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Karnatak and Keral as Venkat. Hats
off to Venkat for discussing his own experience and life with tribal
communities.
Should not we think to create better opportunities for the poor ( tribal and
non tribal) to have the access to healthy food and nutrition than brewed
liquor? Should not we revitalise and reinforce healthy culture what they
practice and stop the superstitous way of living? Should not we work for their
education? Should not we respect them for their traditonal knowledge of
agriculture, plants, animals, nature and healing? If you all agree to do all
this , then there will be some confusions too. It is a naturla fact that when
we wish a change there will confusion and ultimately conflict. But solution to
the conflict is the victory over ignorance.We have to attain the victory.
Culture gets enriched with the adoption of changes. I hope you will agree with
me. This enrichment may discard some of the old practices. Thereofre nothing
wrong in restricting people of using (produce, sale and drink) unhealthy
materials like handia, mahuli and other brewed unhealthy materials. Is it a
part of good culture to take liquor? If it is a good culture why then people in
the mainstrrream and people with wisdom go against this? Are they stupids?
Those who are not able to identify what are the best or worst practices in
tribal communities they can not be good friends of tribes. In the name of
supporting tribal culture we can neither accept nor adopt the wrong practices
that brings disaster in family and society. So called social thinkers should
refrain themselves from thinking and acting in favor of tribal practices which
have unhealthy social, health and economical consequences. We the lovers of
tribal culture wish them to be happy
prosperous and rich with knowledge, love and best practices of management of
natural and man made resources. Their warmth and simplicity is their wealth. We
have to enrich those human virtues with more love and knowledge. let them
experience the world of harmony. Let them be more loving and teach us how to
love this world.
We appeal the readers and thinkers not to make them endangered species in
forest and try not to make them zoo animals. Please allow them to be liberated
from old sackles of ignorance and age old unhealthy life style and livelihood
practices. For your kind information many of the age old practices by tribes
are very scientific but lost the relevance for many reasons. Most important is
that the practices those are no more required are still under rituals or
practices. People may be practising something from time immemorial as tradition
but they are not aware of the science and spirit involve in that. We should
help them to realise those. Instead of discussing here and there or writting
papers we should act in that direction which will enrich their life. That will
help all to judge what pratice should continue and which should be discarded or
eliminated from culture. This is the time of knowledge, analysis and judgement.
These three components will enrich
wisdom and culture. I hope all will agree with me.
Thanks with love
Bibhu Prasad Mohanty
