Harmony:

The first thing that will strike you here is that people are happy and well off. Like that in neighboring Goa, the pace is unhurried and balmy. I was traveling to the interiors of Sindhudurg, a perfect green corner of the earth. Thankfully or not, its still hasn’t caught the fancy of travelers. The more I talked to people and observed around, the more I believed that it was utopia.

It’s a region where people love their land, forests and all living being in it. They don’t cut down trees, not even to create land for agriculture. They only farm on flat land near water sources which even now is crystal clear and sweet. They have separate areas for grazing cattle in different seasons which does put pressure on the forest. Their main income comes from cashew nut plantation. Most villagers joke that apart from tea and sugar, they do not need to buy any thing. All children go to school. Most villages have women as Sarpanch and are given equal status or more. As a woman, I have never felt so safe anywhere else in the country.

Each village has their own sacred groves called devrai with its own god or goddess. One village had a god made of stone…which meant that no villager could make a house out of stone. Another village worshipped the tiger, hence nobody killed any animal there. Another village had an ancient custom of not letting any outsider come in without first taking a bath…to keep it clean.

Despite being in touch with the urban world, they have retained their simplicity. Except one or two black sheep, nobody has succumbed to greed and all are happy with what they have got.

Utopia as it seems does not last for long. There are 56 mining leases sanctioned in the area. If the ministry changes after the Budget this year, most of them might get a green nod and those beautiful hills will be razed forever.

My city friends often ask me how they can help from so far away. To them I continue to say…there are ways. One simple way is not to investment in any way in such companies. That might not stop these people, but you can be sure you have not added to the destruction.