Uttara Kannada’s tribals preserving forest traditions by embracing changing world
In Short
But going beyond the adjectives, these forests and its dwellers mainly tribal communities are transforming socially, educationally and also economically.
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Uttara Kannada’s tribals preserving forest traditions by embracing changing world
Yellapura(Uttara Kannada): The Uttara Kannada district is known for its forests, rivers and wildlife. So much so far that the central government Ministry of Forests and Ecology considers it one of the gems of India’s environmental reserves. But going beyond the adjectives, these forests and its dwellers mainly tribal communities are transforming socially, educationally and also economically.
These tribal areas mainly in three thickly wooded districts of Yellapura, Ankola and Joida taluks, where four major tribal communities live including Halakki, Kudbi, Siddi and Gowlis are now looking up towards the outside world for help to improve their skills, educational status and also grow financially to be relevant to the outside world in their own way but all these while they still live inside their own biosphere of thick forests, with foliage and wildlife. Thanks to the green activist Dinesh Holla, who was earlier a trekking expert and an international kiter and a commercial artist has turned his discerning attention towards the tribal people, particularly the school going children. For the last 18 years he has been spending his birthdays (June 15) with the children of these tribal areas. But in the recent years has been spending more than 15 days amongst the tribal people. “It has become a mission of my life to help the children of the tribal children to help theselves in acquiring various skills of life not by going out but while they still they continue to stay inside deep forests, their parents are also taught to be supportive of their children in achieving this” Holla told Hans India.
The tribal leaders are supremely happy that got a linkage from the outside world right into their original habitats and their children in over their new energy levels and dreams. “We have never heard of ‘Talent search’ such interest in singing our tribal lore, discovering the latent talents in our youngsters in drawing, painting and singing. Some of them also have learnt dancing for the tribal beats and also in enacting the forest life, they have found new ways of communicating with teachers, friends and elders. It is a refreshing change” A parent of Achave village in Ankola.
The social transformation does not stop there “The Vana Chetana programme of Sahyadri Sanchaya’ headed by Dinesh Holla and other like-minded people have donated various things like computers, school furnitures, solar lighting systems and even laptops to the schools, and bags, rain coats, stationery, umbrellas to the children. But the most important part is the youth in these tribals villages are motivated to learn and educate themselves. Some of them have been also got admissions in colleges in towns around the taluk” said a Siddi leader in Arabail village.
Most of Children now can make decent art of various tribal themes, make masks of wildlife and also craft their own kites. “During the various visits we have enthused the children and youth to learn to sing the songs of forest dwellers composed by Padmashree awardee late Sukri Bommagowda, whom we revere as ‘Ajji’ (Grandmother) of our forests and tribes. Her entire life story has been opened before us and she is our role model,” say a group of children from Bhavikeri village a Halakki community.
