Bastar – At the Crossroads

Intervening in any community with the intention of helping tribals is a delicate, sensitive and continuous process of preserving life-enriching traditional practices while introducing ‘modern’ development activities

B aldev Mandavi, a quintessential Koya, is a happy young man today. After all, he is returning to Pandupara to attend the pendul (marriage) of his beloved friend, Mahadev. He has been toiling hard in the stone quarries of Tirupati for three long months. These months have been difficult for him—away from home, away from his folks, cut off from his roots. His dreams of making it big, a quest for good things in life—a bike, a mobile, a stable income— by starting a business had proven to be an El Dorado. He was duped of his savings; three acres of his lowlands had to be mortgaged; and migration for six months a year to the stone quarries in Andhra Pradesh was the only way to pay off his debts.

One comes across many such Baldevs in Bastar where, for tribals, the notion of development is synonymous with a ‘modern’ lifestyle and material wealth. After spending the last three-and-a-half years working in the Darbha block of Bastar and many interactions and conversations with the people, I find that Bastar seems to be at the crossroads today, with tribal communities trying hard to preserve their identity and, at the same time, keeping pace with the changes taking place around them. It is a continuous struggle and a lot is at stake.