Picture this: Holi here goes on for almost a week. On one particular day, it is unanimously agreed that the tribals can block the roads and ask for money from motorists. Refusal can lead to jeering/colours being thrown at you/sometimes, physical abuse. This day is called Dhulandi.
It is amazing to watch the fashion in which little kids, a lot of whom are not more than 15 years old, block the road and demand money in order to let go. I encountered 10 such blocks en-route the 30 long journey. While all of the kids allowed us to pass by without causing any trouble, i did get to see a few kids who seemed to be intoxicated by the power they yielded over others. Some stood on the road with seemingly cold determination to not let anyone pass without taking money. "Humlo kuchch nahi pata; hume bas paisa chahiye," was what one kid told me. Some looked embarrassed when i looked straight into their eyes. What made me feel the burning anger surge through my body was that, these were the very kids for whom i have been fighting for the last 6 months. In schools, they are so docile, suppressed and yet, here they are, with raw animal kind of behaviour, not thinking twice before making obscene gestures at the motorists. Also, Dhulandi, as a practice is only among the tribals and not the other castes (upper castes?). So, when an old man comes and tells me, "ye aadvivasi log hi aisa karte hai, saala," i am not able to defend the people for whose rights i am here, in the village, because, after all, the old man is right! Stupid kids, i had thought.
But when i got home and allowed myself to cool down, i kinda saw something interesting in this thing that happens on one day, every year. Most of the motorists pay measly 5-10 rupees, and this happens for only half a day. Also. there are at least 10-15 kids. So, after the distribution, each kid might be taking home a very small amount of money. So, its not that profitable to stand in the scorching sun and open and close the makeshift barricades. No. However, what might make it profitable is the pleasure in yielding power. The power structure of tribals being the victims is toppled and for once, they are the ones that decide. The kids who are, as i mentioned, so meek and so docile in schools, get to be powerful. At a couple of blocks, it was the women who took charge ( the kids were okay, but honestly, i had not expected women at the barricades, because here, the women are rarely ever seen without their ghungats, leave alone extorting money from random motorists!). The women, who, while walking along the roadside, have to hide their face if a man is passing by, get a day of freedom.
PS- i may be completely wrong about the power structure, but this is my opinion.
It is amazing to watch the fashion in which little kids, a lot of whom are not more than 15 years old, block the road and demand money in order to let go. I encountered 10 such blocks en-route the 30 long journey. While all of the kids allowed us to pass by without causing any trouble, i did get to see a few kids who seemed to be intoxicated by the power they yielded over others. Some stood on the road with seemingly cold determination to not let anyone pass without taking money. "Humlo kuchch nahi pata; hume bas paisa chahiye," was what one kid told me. Some looked embarrassed when i looked straight into their eyes. What made me feel the burning anger surge through my body was that, these were the very kids for whom i have been fighting for the last 6 months. In schools, they are so docile, suppressed and yet, here they are, with raw animal kind of behaviour, not thinking twice before making obscene gestures at the motorists. Also, Dhulandi, as a practice is only among the tribals and not the other castes (upper castes?). So, when an old man comes and tells me, "ye aadvivasi log hi aisa karte hai, saala," i am not able to defend the people for whose rights i am here, in the village, because, after all, the old man is right! Stupid kids, i had thought.
But when i got home and allowed myself to cool down, i kinda saw something interesting in this thing that happens on one day, every year. Most of the motorists pay measly 5-10 rupees, and this happens for only half a day. Also. there are at least 10-15 kids. So, after the distribution, each kid might be taking home a very small amount of money. So, its not that profitable to stand in the scorching sun and open and close the makeshift barricades. No. However, what might make it profitable is the pleasure in yielding power. The power structure of tribals being the victims is toppled and for once, they are the ones that decide. The kids who are, as i mentioned, so meek and so docile in schools, get to be powerful. At a couple of blocks, it was the women who took charge ( the kids were okay, but honestly, i had not expected women at the barricades, because here, the women are rarely ever seen without their ghungats, leave alone extorting money from random motorists!). The women, who, while walking along the roadside, have to hide their face if a man is passing by, get a day of freedom.
PS- i may be completely wrong about the power structure, but this is my opinion.
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