A tribal village

A tribal village

P. K. Routray
Edited by P Gaan

Many villages are found on our mother earth
Each has its share of wealth with features of home and hearth.
There exists a tribal village in india, in the sate of Odisha and district Koraput.
In a mountain valley with creeks and forests where the trees bear fruit.
The village dwellers have their culture, age old practices and tradition
In this age of ecological imbalance they may teach us a lesson.
The goal of all knowledge and all our endeavors is ultimate happiness in life and after,
Our desperate chase after this adds to miseries and grief without trace of laughter.

In the small tribal village known as Mastiput lived about two hundred families.
Who drank water from the flowing streams natural medicinal properties which it carries,
They get light and heat from seeds and fallen leaves; never rob mother earth of its treasure,
Do not spoil the environment for their whim and pleasure.
They never need a doctor’s service,
Diseases are cured by their age old practice.
This leaf for this ailment and that fruit for that disease, roots are used in plenty
Sickness and diseases are managed and cured nature provides in bounty
Their profound faith in their village deity cures diseases many
Looks funny but fact, Psychologist may look for the theory if any.
Always there prevails the peace, hardly any skirmish or quarrel
God fearing being they, love and respect others any dispute remains but small
They go to distant market place twice a week to buy their need on barter system basis,
They enjoy their local fairs to their hearts’ content and not a single occasion they miss.
In the fete and fair, they choose their life’s partner in a unique manner
The boy snatches the girl from her group their society approves later.
To maintain the dignity of their social tradition and culture,
The groom’s father pays the bride’s family for her up bringing and nurture.
Their child birth takes place generally in their huts, in the field or under a tree,
Affectionate delivery care by elderly women brings relief for the mother free.
Till their fore fathers’ time, they did not have roads any
Their only means of transport were their legs, with which they crossed mountains many.
Their grandmothers wore leaves and barks of trees and did not use any cloth,
But now, with a single cloth they happily manage, even during their open bath.
The change of end of sari living with only one is really a skillful art.
The oil from the forest seeds gives luster to their hair helping them look smart.
“Look at their loving expression and joy in cooperation during combing and hair dressings,
Hey men from towns and cities follow them and learn from their techniques and teachings”.
They enjoy a unique dance, Dhemsa being its nomenclature,
With hands on each other’s waists, in a chain, boys and girls both dance going round a path circular.
The number can be any, from two to many,
One may join or leave the group it does not affect the rhythm look somehow funny.
They have superstitions about deities and gods,
Which come to their aid during adversities and odds.
The elders tell about their good days with their fore fathers
Who had not seen towns or cities with corrupting cultures?
Hence they were stronger and happier and lived life longer,
enjoying their fight to snatch prey from the grip of lion and tiger.
Present day’s youth get tempted to go to cities and towns
Instead of nature’s nectar, to drink foreign liquor and wear trousers and gowns.
To teach them civility we define what they need,
We forget that our concept of need is based on our greed.
If they are in bliss in their world natural,
Why do we invade them and spoil their society to satisfy our whims after all.
Let us learn from them to live with nature
Let us not destroy environment and disturb earth’s ecology to promote the so called civilized culture.
Where youths are being spoiled by mobile phone and computer
The products from our scientific knowledge and invention are for our greed satisfaction, nor as per the wish of the creator.
This tribal village and its villagers with their age old tradition and culture
In this age of artificiality and destruction of nature may serve as the ideal social structure.