My First acquaintance with Pelicans &Tribals at Barachaka:1 Nov.2012
( the matter was earlier posted in Development blog)
Yesterday, I came back from mynative village-Chhatna. Every year I useto visit my beloved home during DurgaPuja festival. I repeated the same thisyear also. However, this trip is one of the rarest events in my life. It’s aspecial –a very special trip. Whenever I go to Chhatna I try to understand mynative place and its surroundings. Atthe time of DurgaPuja I could meet different people of different places. Ifrequently enquire how tribal are going in the area. I also owe to my students,particularly Bishnu Mahato, Arun, Sekhar and others who are the son of Redlateriate areas. They always feed back me with interesting materials. This timeI owe my gratitude to Swaraj Mitra for his new searched materials. Basically heis a young promising poet and having bohemian nature. Day before yesterday he requested me to visitBarachaka to see thousands and thousands migratory birds at the village. Sooner,I showed my interest in it and started to reach there.
At around 2.00 p.m. we startedfrom home. I was passing through my known places and came to Sarberia village.After a long gap I was moving on the route. There have been changes. The roadis now fine. Only the thing I missed isthe greens of fields. The wave of conversion of agricultural land to domesticuses is on – big trees are no where on the road sides. Susuniahill which wastransparent from Sarberia is not sovisible with natural outlook. There hasbeen Hospital, Schools, shops .markets at Sarberia. It is competing with Chatna in terms oftrade, business and other matters. How time sets a change I could understandwhile I pass through Sarberia-a small village five k.m. far from Chhatna town.The metallic road ended. We crossed Sarberia. I got the zig-zag kuccha road. The iron-colored road has its ownbeauty. We moved and moved. Thanks toGod. Nature has not been lost. Bushes are there. Mahua trees are in theirerect position. I plucked jungle-berryafter a four decades. The land was steep and undulating. Big chunks of rocksare here and there. Nature has made the place most scenic . At the end we came to Barachaka- my dreamedplace from the first hearing.
Barachaka is the mouza having twoadjoining villages. Kuchlaghuta and Khajara are two components of it. Tribal (Santhals) are living here from timeimmemorial. They are living amidstforests- trees represent their life. Kuchlaghutu is a mini-reservoir ofbio-diversity. I learnt how they lovetrees-forests and nature. They do not cut trees. Mahua trees are never cut downby their custom. A sanctuary coveredwith different trees is maintained. They worship the place and feel Marang Buru(God). Many kinds of medicinal plantsare there.
Look- look shouted by Sawaraj. I was astonished to seeducks of exotic are at the top of trees. I forgot to bring camera. I could notphotographed the scene. Prankrishna Tudu-a tribal youth cordially called us. Swaraj is visiting the place formore than three years. He is well known to all of them. Tudus home is adjacentto the mini-forest. We sat on a cot. Then his father joined he is a old fellow of eighty years but active.Then his wife came and chatted.
I came to know that for than fourdecades these exotic birds are coming here. Without any break the birds arrivehere at the onset of monsoon. Thousandsand thousands come and take shelters in tameric (Tetul), Charra, Pua, kusum,Akhura and Dhagach trees. The old fellow was recollecting the first arrival ofthose birds. At that time tribalexperienced consecutive droughts. However, after their arrival they got goodrains. They thought these birds are ambassador of God. At the first arrival, birds snatched theirheart. They began to refer them as friends. This belief is still in their heart.
The old lady of seventies said’ we wait eagerly for them. If they come we prepare forsowing. If they are late monsoon is alsolate’.
“ How long do they stay”?
-“ They stay till the air becomes cold. If they go we get the on-set of winter”
They have traditionally built up a nature based sensor.Scientists will explain this.
Swaraj was telling about theircomfort with those beloved birds. They never kill them. No poacher can enter inthe village. In recent past they chased a few unknowns seemed to catch them.According to Swaraj, every villager be old or child takes care of them. For sixmonths these birds are their honored guests. These birds make their nests intrees, lay eggs and care new babies till they become independent. At least four months required from to egg toadult form. Till babies are fully grownup mothers take rigorous care for their food etc.
I asked them what local name ofthese migratory birds is. The old fellow replied” we used to call them Saras-intially.However we call them GHUGAN”.
There are big tanks, bunds aroundthe village. Adult birds use to come in those water bodies; they usually catchfish and snails. I am surprised to know that villagers do not catch fish in thetanks so that remain unfed. A strongbondage between nature and human being can only make such sense.
I salute to Barchaka-tribal.
The place can be a tourist spotfor nature lessons.
Pelicans at Barachaka
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