Decolonising Our Roads (Alternately titled: One evening in Coimbatore...)

Early evening inching towards late evening, Coimbatore, India. The road is mad, the traffic madder, and those creating the traffic, the maddest. 

A and P are part of the madding crowd (Not Hardy's or Gray's or even Spencer's). They are part of this very Indian madding crowd this early evening inching towards late evening. A starts the car, P sitting beside her on the front seat, and thinking "Here we go!" She thinks of A as a slightly crazy driver. And now, given that A has settled down in a farm in the Nilgiri hills, a couple of hours from Coimbatore, she simply wants OUT, of any traffic, and back IN her quaint, quiet nestle in the hills. According to P this shows up in her driving. A, might roll her eyes, lower her eyebrows into a frown, wave both her arms about (letting go of the wheel, but just for a moment ok?) and work her mouth into a diatribe, all simultaneously, were she to hear P's opinion of the matter. 

The guy in the car from the opposite side chugs right into P's pleasant thoughts. On the wrong side, no less. Right into A's path. She screeches more than her tyres. "What is this? Is this the way to drive? Coming on the wrong side in such a small lane, now where is the place for me to go, just look at that side, there are already vehicles there, I am stuck now." 
Wow, this woman can pack a sizeable amount in her suitcase! 

The two men in the offending car enjoy the show, their jaws slack, sporting tentative, foolish grins. After squeezing their way out, A stepped on it the moment her car found breathing space. Wow, this woman packs some speed in her engine! And then she says, "What are we talking about decolonising these people. Can they even be colonised in the first place? How he was driving! Was that a colonised mind really? Can they actually be taught anything?" 

It got P wondering about decolonising Indian roads. How can our roads be decolonised? 
- Are they not a product of colonisation in the first place? 

- Can they be transformed back into their mud-track versions, with depressed designs of footprints, hooves and paws? 

- Can we have cycles and carts again that rotate their wheels to natural rhythms and elegant heartbeats? 

- Can we again enjoy soothing dusky light turning to mysterious shades of grey unhindered by blinding and blazing headlights?  

- Can eyes look into eyes rather than at a dusty speck of the destination that they are not even sure of arriving at, at this speed? 

- Can we have questions over a sudden leisurely cup of chai or chukku kapi at the popular tea joint, "oh, what happened at your niece's wedding, did you find some suitable boys for your girl?" or "son, what are you planning on doing after your 12th exams?" (Oops! desperate escape attempts called for)

- Can we have gentle souls chewing harmless cud and in no danger of speeding harm? 

"OH! No, no, no, no!" You would say. "How is all this possible today? The cows must be in their sheds, dogs in kennels, the sparrows god knows where and people safely boxed into their cars and cubicles. No mixing of sides and spaces.  There are neat, modular spaces with doors, and the right side and the wrong side. And let me ask you this: Isn't your cup of chai colonised?" 
Nope. Tea originated in China perhaps. There is also the record of the Indian Assam tea. 
So? We are looking at what it is today. Where does all the premium, organic, bio-dynamic and fair-trade tea from India go?  

Then, one more question but not the last one surely, for decolonising our roads would be: 

- Can we have questions without easy answers, but ones for which we may have to take our right hand all around the back of our head to touch the left side of the nose, to even begin to understand them? 

Perhaps A is right - people who come on the wrong side of the road are either already decolonised or were never colonised in the first place. 

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Claimer - At least one of the persons is caricatured for effect. Creative license I think it is called. But not too much!

About Giving, Taking and Transactions

For about a year and half since we moved to Tiruvannamalai, I experimented with offering my service (yoga therapy sessions primarily) on a gift economy model, wherein what we offer and receive are gifts and hence without any sort of a predetermination or limitation of how much is offered and received.  This experiment had been a revelation for me in terms of my relationship with money / earning, and my expectations from whom I seek to serve.  I had also felt that this model hinges on a relationship of trust.

I came to a conclusion that every engagement in the world is a transaction, and I don’t mean that in a cynical or negative way. I believed that even a mother wants something from her child; it may not necessarily be in a cut-and-dried way of “I give you this, in return you give me that” however there is an expectation of something.  I may have glimpses of unconditional giving in myself and others now and then, but I question that it is an uninterrupted flow. The ‘I’ does interrupt.  I felt that I could keep this (unconditional giving) as a signpost of growth, act such that at the very least my transactions are not exploitative, practice in this direction.           

   

A recent conversation with a friend lighted up and brought in deeper meaning into this matter of transaction for me.  She was speaking about how difficult it is for her to ‘take’ from others, and some of the ways in which this plays out in her life. I realised that I was looking into a mirror!  While it has manifested differently in my life, I could have said those very same words and it would have been true for me.  As I listened to her and said some things in response to her questions, I felt I was saying those things to myself as well. 

Swami Vivekananda is a personal Hero, and I have known the following aspect of his personality and what he has said about this, for quite long.  However it took this conversation with my friend to truly personalise what he had said. Paraphrasing what he had said in different contexts to different people: that he doesn’t see himself as a ‘giver’, there is a problem in seeing oneself as a giver or receiver. I have no problems receiving gifts from all you people who come to me. In giving, I may receive and in taking, I may give.”  

As I said to her that somehow this is what I am reminded of, it occurred to me that I have always identified myself with ‘giver’ and ‘giving’, with the primary cultural conditioning and assumption being, ‘giving is good’ and a consequent injunction, ‘I should give’ and somehow the automatic negation of ‘taking’.  All that I have perceived as ‘taking’ from others, I have been carrying on me a like a heavy sack of rocks. And every time I ‘take’ without ‘giving’ something, I have put a stamp of ‘exploiter’ on myself.  And if I ‘give’ without taking anything, then I am some great saint or some such!! What a drama.

As I continued walking around the mountain with her and left my drama behind, I remembered the often-discussed idea that every engagement is an exchange of prAna, and in that current exchange of prAna that was happening between my friend and me (as much in silence as during the conversations), I did not (and I feel neither did she) perceive either of us as giver or taker. We were with each other for that period of time for a purpose, which held our complete attention, as much as each other, and the path and what it brought to us. From a point of examination, it could be said that in a gross way, we gave each other many things, and even looking at it more subtly we each took from the other a whole lot. And yet there were no expectations and agendas. There was no give and take.  There actually was no transaction. There are I believe, no residues. Perhaps.  It was a spontaneous, innocent connection / exchange. 

While returning, a few non-transactional processes and exchanges that I have experienced came to mind.  Examining them I find that a non-transactional exchange takes place as a consequence of some spontaneous, empathetic connection. I want to call it love. A deeper sense of losing / reaching across one’s usual boundaries of ‘I’? Maybe.  A space where and when, notions of giver and receiver lose their meaning?  

Yet, one category of people I see who are involved in this kind of a prAna exchange have their role boundaries very clear – my elders. And it struck me that this is something special about how some of my elders love, and seek to serve the people they love.  They are able to hold the transactional and non-transactional together seamlessly without any apparent conflict between the two.  This is what gives me the sense of wonder and joy when I watch them doing what they do. 

My domestic helper transacts with me every day and yet there is an underlying sense of non-transaction about it all.  She and I are much more than each of those transactions that we engage in, and yet it is not just this. There is something else, something more, that is feeding the human process here?  

My great grandfather at 104 does not expect much from the world around him except the vadas that he relishes, to watch his beloved tennis, and someone to bless with a good and prosperous life through a 10 or 50 rupee note, each day. He gives and takes with childlike abandon and yet there is nothing transactional about it. Oh, he was a banker.  

My mother-in-law’s purpose of living seems to be to support everyone in her immediate and extended family.  She also gently and consistently demands role appropriate values and behaviours from her family.  Her every exchange seems to be a transaction and yet absolutely non-transactional at the same time.  Just how is this happening?

I now feel that it is a secondary matter whether I am working with a gift economy model or not.  This would depend on the context and what is necessary.  I stay with my questions, what makes me (us) give and what makes me (us) take, when do I (we) not feel any difference between the two, and so, to look at those times when transactions are taking place and yet the meta process is non-transactional. 

  

x

The Story of an Unforgettable Day

We were asked to write and share about the most unforgettable day of our lives in a writing forum.  Not the most, but one of the "most unforgettable days" of my life came to mind.  But then, once it came, no other day seems to surpass it in un-forgettability.  I can’t even think of any other day.  So I am going to take Rumi’s words to heart “Run from what’s comfortable.  Forget safety.  Live where you fear to live.  Destroy your reputation.  Be notorious.” and go forth. 

Remembering this day of my life is a bittersweet experience for me.  Most people would recall their wedding day with joy and nostalgia.  Even those who are separated or divorced may still have fond memories of this particular day and hark back to it with a smile.  I however remember it with huge lumps of regret.  Of course there is much nostalgia around many aspects of it, one being my great grandmother (who is so much a part of me, in me). There is a deeper joy in some sense – this is the ‘sweet’ in the bittersweetness of the experience, which comes out of the present reality and strength of the relationship.  But remembering that particular day is an exercise of pain and regret.

Imagine a young man of 27 years and a young woman of 24 years, in love and about to get married.

Imagine a man, giving and caring, looking out for every need of his partner. He is so taken, that during the Kasi Yatra ceremony, said, “Look, hurry up and take me to the girl, will you? I don’t want to go to Kasi!”  (For the uninitiated, the Kasi Yatra is one of the traditional rituals, especially in a Brahmin wedding ceremony.  The story goes that in the “olden days” Brahmin boys go away to their Guru’s house at a very young age, to stay and study the Vedas and scriptures.  This would typically be in Benares (Kasi).  So the brother of the girl promised to him, would approach the boy and ask him to stay back and marry the girl and they would ‘take care’ of him, and to not go to Kasi now.  Perhaps they undertake to sponsor him, but I am not sure about this part.)  But here was a man, refusing to take the few ritualistic steps in the direction of Kasi in order to be called back to wed.  Instead, he kept turning towards the stage saying “But I don’t want to go to Kasi. Enough already!”

I was recounted this later.  The girl is at this point usually putting on her all her armour and war-paint to welcome her groom and look suitably inviting while doing so.  So imagine a woman now, who refused to wear 99% of the war-paint, refused to put on more than basic wedding gear (definitely no silk which is the traditional thing to do), and said, “I am inviting as I am to my groom. I don’t need any of this.” Imagine her confidence in him.  And it all sounds really noble and courageous, right?  It would to the environmentalists, and the naturalists and the minimalists.  Or they would at the very least, they might say, “Good. That’s the way to go.” 

Oh, Woe! Imagine now, how you would feel if you take down the wedding album to pass a rainy day or show your daughter how it all happened, and the first things that jump out at you is how sweat is pouring down your face and neck, and you look absolutely ragged and nothing like a fresh and glowing bride that you have seen in many wedding albums.  It seems that one’s friends, sister, and miscellaneous well-wishers were right.  It’s the time of eating crow.  “It’s just one day. A few hours.  Wear some make-up, you will be sitting in front of that fire. Some of this gloop will keep your face from pouring out…”  All entreaties were in vain.  And perhaps, you will call me vain to be thinking of my appearance when deeper stuff about the day should be moving me.  I would have called me vain.  At that time.  Not today.  Even if I did momentarily, all I have to do is take a look at the photos, to recognise that appropriateness is the key word that determines many things.  Sigh!

Imagine now, many of the in-laws looking at this girl that their boy has chosen and wanting to get to know her.  Imagine her trepidation at feeling like being evaluated by strangers and having to accept them as family.  And imagine her out-lawing them in all parts of her head.  And this playing out right there.  The sister-in-law (one of them) might or might not remember but the girl remembers, that when the former came forward to help her with an intricate drape of the sari (the 9-yards drape), she was snubbed by the latter.  If first impressions make lasting ones, then Ouch! Especially when now, imagine that it turns out that the sister-in-law is not only actually human but someone to be admired.  For many things including her parenting and her smart ways and her unique idiom.  Imagine that she seems to have gotten over being outlawed initially and comes forward with affection and dignity.  Double Ouch!

Imagine then, a young woman so threatened and so much in guard that there she stood (or sat), swords unsheathed, ready to attack anyone who came near her fort.  Imagine her baring- oops, smiling at unsuspecting guests who came to greet / congratulate the happy couple.  Happy couple?!

Imagine his consternation and concern, and his efforts to right his tilted universe (for she had been that).  Imagine her perceiving a boyfriend as suddenly become a part of an outlaw family completely alien to her, calling her to join the alienness.  Especially when now, there can be no one less alien to her, than him (except herself).  Another Ouch! is in order.

And so the day passed, as all things must, and do.  An unforgettable day of my life, when I made an utter cake of myself. 

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PS – I celebrate my marriage to this boy every single day now, however, another wedding day is very welcome.  With war-paint.  What say you, husband?  (Ummm, maybe minus the war-paint).

A Story around Tiruvannamalai's Trees

I am sort of fuzzy about what exactly I am looking or appealing for, or what I found, (missing) that this story emerged.  Am I asking for media and public communication to look for truths / actualities? Am I asking consumers to open their eyes and really look at media what news and how it is fed to them? Is it a politics of inclusion that I want as a native? A little human kindness maybe (from whom however)? Do I want to prescribe everyone a dose (or more) of pantheism?  Or could it be that I want a giant sci-fi lever / button that mutes or extinguishes altogether, all partisan agendas [except mine of course! ;)]?

The Scene

There is a crisis brewing in Tiruvannamalai around the issue of razing down stretches of forest trees to make way for a wider Girivalam road. When this matter first raised its head around a month back, it became known that authorities were simply planning on wiping away a tract of land - trees, insects, worms, birds, snakes, mongooses, civets and all, without any citizens' forums participation, any consultation etc.  Concerned people got together and the information was passed around overnight.  A group of us came together to form a human chain and protest this arbitrary action (although I am certain that each of us had our own agendas of protest - against the arbitrariness or against the actual action or for protecting the ecological and / or spiritual-cultural heritage or plain against the pro-Development attitude of authorities...).

Plot Development
I had been kicked to see that quite some people gathered on that day to form the human chain. There may have been 80 people or so. Perhaps.  A minuscule fragment of the population of Tiruvannamalai, yes, however, that this crowd was possible overnight was heartening for me. Many in the crowd, including me, were taking part in a protest of this sort for the first time.  During the informal eve of the human chain formation, the trees smiled down gently at comradely introductions (but of course, pun intended), information and assumption bullets and bombs, warrior announcements of intent, hesitant appeals, and the like, and some miscellaneous gossip.  Nevertheless, spirits were steady.  The early morning ambience of this town, and the trees, and oh! the mountain, facilitate a steady heartbeat. Or so I like to imagine!

I perceived the usual shrinking violets, the c----e (aspirants?), rebels, the wise ones, dreamers, the organisers, the public speakers, private speakers, and the parents and their children.  Many different types and stereo-types had turned up.  The monkeys and the sadhus were missing.  A sudden bubble call-out from my head with a human chain, complete with Rhesus macaques and the lion-tailed macaques and peacocks along with the humans, gave me a secret thrill.

A couple of the representative voices (leadership qualities and all) gathered the group together in order for individuals to make statements of protest (say their piece basically).  At around this time the media people came in, complete with their weaponry and artillery.  And just like that, the mood of the crowd changed.  Introductions became emphatic identities, announcements of intent became swords of ultimatums, and appeals became demands. Heartbeats quickened. High spirits abound in a matter of minutes.

Then we formed the human chain (complete with the macaques in my bubble). And someone suggested silence. The mountain and the trees and the temple town persist. Or so I like to imagine! Blessed, blissful silence.  For a few minutes.

As we broke apart, still in the stillness, there was a commotion down the road, and many things started happening at once. Some of the organisers were running towards the commotion and some others away from it, and a lone bulldozer was coming down the road and grinding to a halt by the side of the road beside the precious trees, the media people started running to the scene of action / crime.  Of course, high spirits had to take over, town and trees and mountain be damned.

Climax?
What followed can be called ignominy or a mini revolution or achievement / success or disaster averted (for the time being), or a comedy show, or cheap thrills or all of this, depending on how one is looking at it.

Seeing a large crowd advancing towards it, the driver of the bulldozer, the solitary enemy, quickly got down from the large machine and scooted away to some spot where he could be far away from the high spirits and yet close to his responsibility.

High spirits then proceeded to take over the machine, conquered it by sitting on its hood and gathering around it and making fierce and brave statements, and shouting slogans to the camera.  Reassured that he will come to no harm (I dont know how), the driver came back to his machine, and started it.  Spirits got down and stood in front of it, facing the front, and the camera captured a sensational sequence wherein we were saying, "we will not let them take over the trees, our land, our rights" (or some such) and in the background the bulldozer can be seen backing up all the way to the curve in the road at a safe distance.

Spirits descended slowly.  We were all told that we have been able to buy some time.  Some background work had been happening in the meanwhile and a meeting had been fixed further in the day with the Officials to discuss this and appeal for proper proceedings.  A show of hands went up to join this meeting and we started dispersing.

The Real Story according to me
As the morning faded away, I had a conversation in the sidelines with one of the people behind the scenes.  Paraphrasing what this person told a couple of us:  You know, the driver was so sweet. I was talking to him after he ran away there (pointing), and he was telling me, "what can I do, tell me! I was one of the people who planted some of these trees in the periphery and I have seen these trees and this forest all my life.  I don't want to do this.  But this is my job and my responsibility and the sole income for my family.  So I have to do this also.  But it is not my fault, is it?"

Plot Resolution re-titled The Dream | Cynic's Title: Utopia | Working Title: Siddhanta
The yoga practitioner and teacher in me was quietly insisting that all it needed was for us to pause. In between breaths. P A U S E.  And when we start cultivating Pause, we would stop to consider, listen to the other, widen space for conscious choices, perceive the inter-relatedness and connections between people and people, people and nature, between one tree and the other, between the worms and the plants, between children and mud, between human and divine, between you and me, and see one as the other.  Then we would take into account everything that there is to take into account, be alive and awake to the dharmasankatas created therein.  Like the dharmasankata of the driver.  He had to do what he had to do through the internal conflict that he was going through.  What would I have done had I been in his place? What would he have done had he been in my place? Could we have highlighted his story as a way of opening dialogue around this issue (and others)? Can politics expand to include all kinds of developments? Can we pause to look at and listen to those trees that we claim to protect? Can we inhale their energy and learn from them? Is that possible? What are they whispering? Could we include monkeys and sadhus and the local women and their children in the conversation?  How can we remain alive to everyone's truths at the same time?

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PS - We have a stay order on the cutting of the trees. They are hanging in the air at present.  I also dont mean to offend any individual in my story.  Much of it is in humour with a dollop of sarcasm to spice it up, while asking some questions. 

How can the Ordinary be Extraordinary?

How can the ordinary be extraordinary as well? Simply by the quality of one's attention.  I tried to immerse myself in it, when I encountered such an attentive quality recently. 

Scene: A moderately-big^ photocopying / DTP works-binding-printing establishment in the city.

At the outset, he was yet another young guy from a small town, come to the city for work. He looked it.  I waited for a while by the photocopier machine before he came to attend to me.  I had two entire books to be photocopied and he finished with two others before he came to me, although I had come earlier.  Some typical leg-tapping had begun at my end.  I had also by then slotted him, "he attended to the men first; he is so young, looks barely 20, he's going to mess up my photocopies; he's got a cell phone that he is constantly checking on, how usual!"  I realised later that although my initial impression of him being from a small town was correct, that was also a stereotyping that I'd indulged in.  

So initially when he started the machine for my work, I kept shifting from one foot to the other and checking my phone (to look at the time of course!). After about less than a minute of this, he turned to me and smiled and said (in Tamil*), "those two people had only a couple of papers each and so I finished theirs first."  

I was arrested by two things.  First, I was ashamed that I hadn't noticed this myself because I had been too caught up in my own typecasting.  Second, his eyes.  He looked right into my eyes, directly and openly.  He had such clear eyes, such depth and stillness in them. By this time, he had already tuned into his task again, and I tuned into him.  Really looked at him. And was thoroughly mesmerised by how he was doing what he was doing. He had in the beginning itself punched some keys on the keypad to indicate standard number of copies and page dimensions and so on.  (And I realised at this point that I had been watching all this like a hawk for any mistakes!).  Now I just started to simply watch. 

Since it was not a completely automated process, he had to key in something after the machine spit out the required number of copies of each page.  He had to turn to the next page, put it face down on the fibreglass top, and adjust its orientation before closing the lid and punching the keypad. This went on continuously.  After every few pages that were copied, the screen would have moved and changed angle because of the way he was tapping the keypad (on the touch-screen), and he would move the screen back to its original position.  In a while I saw that it was exactly after 10 pages that he did this.  (I dont know whether he kept count)  Every 2-3 pages, he would check the page number of the photocopies that had just come out and the page number on the original before flipping to the next page.  Open-flip-place-adjust-close-punch, Open-flip-place-adjust-close-punch, Check-Open-flip-place-adjust-close-punch... If ever I've seen mechanical work done in style, it was this instance.  He executed that whole sequence so gracefully, that the yoga practitioner in me saw a perfect, smooth, seamless and flowing vinyasa krama** in action.  It was utterly rhythmic and hypnotic. 

This was not all.

The pictures have been taken and put up here
with his consent

In the middle of this steady pulse, there was a stream of phone calls that he attended to.  I realised by and by that he was in charge of the shop's cell phone and he was handling enquiries!  He answered an irate caller who didn't know the location of the shop; I could hear the irritated voice asking for directions, standing more than 2 feet away.  He gave some rates and tariffs to another person. and so on.  Without missing a beat - in his hands, or his eyes or his voice and smile.  I mean, he was obviously not in the middle of a toothpaste commercial - he was not smiling actively, and yet his face was a restful smile.  

This was not all.  

He also seemed to be in charge of other things in the shop. He seemed to have in his purview, two new boys handling other machines in the shop, and he was instructing someone else to go and check up on one of them who has not had the requisite training yet.  He also at some point, asked the person at the neighbouring machine, to go sit on some computer and handle work there since that person had taken leave today.  I have no clue how he knew what was happening right behind him (maybe he was listening to everything happening around him), but just as a customer was going to go to that empty computer station, asking for some particular service, he turned and redirected her to someone else.  He was also completely aware of what was happening at the delivery counter and the finished jobs that were coming there to be stapled and handed over to the right person, after the payment was made. (The payment counter was exactly behind him and I was also sort of standing there). 

Some things that came to me later: I believe now that his eyes and how he looked at me the first time changed the quality of attention I was giving to the present moment, the task at hand and the people in the present moment (because of his own attentive quality). I also realised that early on, he had pointed out the obvious without any judgement of me, or any resentment, or chip-on-the-shoulder attitude; just a clear, non-attached statement. 

I had to take his autograph

His attention was everywhere in the shop I realised, and yet his attention was also on the minutest detail of the task in his hand.  How did he catch it otherwise - that one time when he flipped two pages together, he paused and corrected it. He continued his open-flip rhythm through to the end without losing himself to any one task or phone call or person.  He attended to all of it with a quiet confidence. What is yoga if not this? 

An ordinary day turned extraordinary for me, gave me a demonstration of Attention that I will carry with me for a long time to come, if not always. And transformed me in some inexplicable way. 

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* Our conversation happened in Tamil 

** Vinyasa krama in asana-pranayama practice is an intelligent, step by step progression / sequence, with synchronising breath and movement, towards a particular goal

^ What is moderately-big though? Beats me. 

Three Little Words

Well, maybe not so little. There were these three words that I remember my mother saying to me all the time when I was young.  Like way back, even when I was in 3rd standard; I say 3rd standard because I remember hearing these words from then.  I dont remember earlier.  And no, they are not " I love you"!

They are "Use your discretion"!  I thank her from the bottom of my heart today, for saying them to me as often as she did.  Although I don't know where she came from (from what perspective or why) when she replied with this phrase to my questions, but  I realise how much it had empowered me and in such a dignified way.  Even as all my friends save one, were being given step by step instructions on every action of theirs, even as they had to obey commands and strategise persuasion before asking permissions, here I was, being given "use your discretion".

Discretion, I find, is quite the word.  While it means the freedom to decide what should be done in a particular situation, it also means behaving or conducting oneself in such a manner so as not to cause hurt.  This does pack a punch for me.  It seems to be holding two states of being that could come in conflict with each other.  And somehow, even as my mother said her trademark phrase to me, she conveyed the nature of this being to me.  I dont know how though, but I do know that whenever she told me to use my discretion, while she communicated to me "freedom of choice", she also communicated, "Right Action".  I remember this as one of the highlights of my student years.

And today, I realised that in all my actions I unconsciously have this phrase with me.  Even when I make a mistake, many times when I have been too hasty to stop and consider and the mistake is done, even then, somewhere inside, this phrase "use your discretion" would be flashing a signal. I want to ask my mother today how she managed to communicate this, especially now when I am with my 3 and 1/2 year old daughter, and stopping myself from giving instructions time and again, and trying to allow her to find her space of discretion.  This space carries for me, what we call "Dharmasankata" in Yoga.  Wherein the choice is not between 'right' and 'wrong'.  Discretion is a space that has two equally determining forces pulling me.  One is to manifest one's uniqueness, individuality, what one believes / knows to be true, follow one's heart - all of this is in the realm of one force. The other is to do the right thing - in my head, I would like to say it is the Buddhist right action.  And 'using my discretion' can happen when these two statements are true at the same time.

I somehow got up this morning with this phrase and it has been a constant channel of reflection since then.  It may and may not be coincidental that today is being celebrated as Mother's Day.   I decided I have to write about it when I realised what was today, and in this small way celebrate my mother and motherhood. 

Meeting Bombay Jayashree and Nataraja on Thiruvathirai Morning

Romance and motherliness. Do they seem irreconcilable concepts? Not to the author of this piece.

Romance is that space and journey in a nuanced dimension, where each moment is a koan, and every action is a search for truth. Motherliness is that state of being where every koan is realised and there is only truth, nothing else. There is no 'I' in either.

She is Music's consort as well as it's mother. Listening to Bombay Jayashree is an experience of devotion and divinity. Especially in a "Prabhata Sangeetam" environment (similar to chamber music, but particularly in the morning - dawn). A Shringeri Mutt devotee-family organises Prabhata Sangeetam in their house every December season, and BJ transported her listeners to a realm of Bhakthi and I-lessness, this morning. All the musicians (BJ, the violinist and percussionist/mridangam) as well as the accompanying girls on the tamburas performed in muted tones, perfectly resonating with the time and ambience. We were about 40 - 50 people sitting in the hall (drawing room) of the house, lighted only by about 60 - 65 குத்து விளக்குs (oil lamps - oil fired floor lamps) made of brass, in the presence of Venkateswara, Shiva, Sharada and Krishna.. The unwavering flames found an answering stillness from within. Her voice and singing has that unnameable quality that turns the attention inward - the yoga sutra prescribes the path in painstaking stages to reach 'pratyahara' - a withdrawal of the senses from the external world to move on to dhyana and samadhi thereon. Here, we were all immersed in one sense (of hearing), but even that was only an instrument for something deeper. It was only when the electric light was switched on that I felt my painful knee and that the mosquitoes were making a meal out of me!

She sang songs on Sharada and Shiva (today is Thiruvathirai, a day special to Lord Nataraja - Rudra). Her planned last rendering was Sarvam Brahmamayam ('everything is Brahmam'), but on a request followed it with a தாலாட்டு (lullaby) for the Bala Tripurasundari invoked in her image there ('bala' in sanskrit means child, 9-year old child goddess). If ever surrender to the lord (wherein there are two) and the sense of oneness of creation (where there is only One) felt but one and the same, it was during those moments.

The blessing of those moments continued into the morning. Lord Shiva, whose special day it is today (one of the legends has it that Sage Patanjali and Vyagrapada prayed to Lord Nataraja and he danced the Tandava-cosmic dance for them on this day) decided that I should visit him. I met my mother while returning from the concert, and since she was going to the Appar Swamy Koil (temple), suggested that I accompany her. Though not much of a temple-goer, I went along with her. In the temple, she jogged my memory about today's speciality and told me a couple of stories including the one above - my satsanga for the day! (As children we have listened to several stories from Hindu mythology and culture including those of every festival in the year). She also got me mouth watering prasad from the temple, then gave me களி that she'd made and sent me on my way.

A morning of worship, food for the stomach and food for the soul. I am complete.

Curd!

You can take the brahmin out of the curd, but not the curd out of the brahmin!!!

Something that came to me today while having lunch. Ayurvedically and yogically speaking, I have sinned. But what joy! And I consoled myself saying, rather than eating any of the junk food ridden with chemicals, it is alright to go ahead and lick curd off my plate once in a blue while...

An Ode

This is a poem I wrote for someone:

Just as water flows,
Untiringly, relentlessly, to it's end
Ceasing not for celebration or sorrow.
Sometimes a comfortable gurgle,
Gently drenching souls in its path-
Sometimes an unstoppable force,
Sweeping empires into it's tiny drops.
Neither seeking favours nor giving aught;
Filling all emptiness.
Clear, transparent, beyond shape,
Assuming colour and dimension-
Taking, or giving Beauty?
Life-giving,
Almost unnoticeable in it's simplicity.
My song to the idea of <>

Shodh Yatra 2003

Republished from www.samanvaya.com

The sun is scorching; the road stretches ahead apparently unending, throats are parched and the world around is at a standstill. Then who are these 40 odd people walking on heated chappals, in animated groups and / or solitary contemplation, asking for directions to the next village? People stop them once in a while to ask them in amazed tones, what they were up to in such harsh weather; and then listen to their explanations, some with scepticism and others with wonder and dawning comprehension. Welcome to the 11th Shodh Yatra (Journey of Exploration) organised by the Honey bee Network. - Priya

The Honey bee Network is an extensive group of innovators, policy makers, scientists, technologists, students and teachers, entrepreneurs and other like-minded individuals and organisations, committed to discover, document and support innovations, traditional practices and knowledge at the grassroots level. The network calls itself Honey bee, it's philosophy derived from the behaviour of the bee, which is to collect honey from the flowers without weakening them as well as connecting flower to flower through pollination. Similarly, when we collect the knowledge of people we make sure that they are not depleted by the sharing, and also that we link innovators and inventors. Other ventures and organisations have been created to support the network and its activities, namely SRISTI, NIF and GIAN (please scroll to the end of the article for details of the organisations).

The Shodh Yatra

(shodh: search and yatra: journey), is an expedition on foot, to discover those creative and innovative people in our villages, who have found / invented / built solutions to the local problems using their ingenuity and resourcefulness. The outcome of the Yatra would go beyond discovery to documentation, compilation of such knowledge and facilitation of communication between innovators from different regions. The first shodh yatra was conducted in March 1998, and since then the yatra has been to all parts of Gujarat, some parts of Maharashtra and Rajasthan, parts of Tamilnadu, and now, in the most recent one to Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttaranchal State. Shodh Yatris (Search Travellers) have seen and contributed to many ways and practices of organic farming and sustainable agriculture, animal husbandry, rural technologies, forest farming, methods of preserving and augmenting biodiversity, ways of combating short supply of water and also helped in rebuilding the process of education in Gujarat just after the earthquake, during the course of their travels.

There is an internal yatra, "the yatra to one's self", as Prof. Gupta, the founder of Honey bee network and SRISTI would say, that happens simultaneously with the external one. In his words, this is one yatra which each one of us has got to be aware of, observe, explore, question and share with the other yatris our findings and insights; the experiences of the external yatra would shape the internal one; and unlike the external, here we do not know where we are going to be led, but go we must. Accordingly, every yatra would have it's share of review and learning sessions among the 'explorers', and as I've been told, even the most shy and reticent person would come forward with his contribution to the discussion.

The 11th Shodh Yatra, from May 26^th to June 4^th, saw us traversing Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttaranchal, a stronghold of the exceptionally hospitable Sikh community, and slowly becoming the stronghold of organic farming too. We also crossed over the borders of Uttaranchal and visited Uttar Pradesh a couple of times.

Udham Singh Nagar District - A brief description
Udham Singh Nagar District in the Terai region was originally a part of Nainital district, and became a separate district in the mid 90s, getting it's name after freedom fighter Sri. Udham Singh, who killed General Dyer. (General Dyer was responsible for the Jalian Wala Bagh massacre) The district has both industry and agriculture flourishing. It has very many sugar, flour, and rice mills besides agriculture-related manufacturing units. Rice, wheat, and sugarcane are the major crops. Potato is also grown on a large scale. This district houses the famous G.B. Pantnagar Agricultural and Technology University, which has tourists visiting it's beautiful and verdant campus. Some other places to visit are Kashipur, Attariya temple near Haldwani town, Nanak Sagar Dam on the river Saryu and Nanak matta - one of the places of pilgrimage of the sikhs. Though the majority of the population are Sikhs, the district also has families from Bengal, Nepal, Haryana, Orissa settled here for many generations. The women of the region are very hard working and resourceful, taking care of most of the farming and support activities too. The prosperity in the area is attributed to them by all without exception.

Today, the farmers with sizeable land holdings in the region have converted from chemical to organic farming, and are planning to gradually bring in the smaller farms so as to minimise the risks that the latter might face during the conversion process. The Yatra's chief focus was organic farming, meeting farmers (both chemical and organic) in the district, listening to their problems and looking for solutions, and elucidating the advantages of organic farming and the only long term solution available.

The major local organisations of the honey bee network aiding in this attempt were Sristi Gian Kendra, an off shoot of SRISTI, working with the honey bee philosophy towards the documentation and dissemination of traditional knowledge and innovations, TOFA (Terai Organic Farmers' Association), an association of organic farmers who are making major efforts to spread awareness in the area, network with organic farmers of other regions and looking to new ideas and ventures like solar power, rain water harvesting and seed production, and Kumaon Seva Samithi, working majorly in areas of women and child development, organic farming and health, hygiene and sanitation for an all-round development based on Gandhian philosophy.

Village Visits, Gatherings and Other Yatra Do's

We started from Rudrapur, the district headquarters and walked westward stopping and/or passing through many places including Gokulnagri where the official inaugural ceremony was held, Bilaspur, Shantinagar, Rameshwarpur which was our first experience of staying in a Gurudwara, Anantpur, Indrapur, Nagla, Avantika Dairy Farm, Dhaura Dam the first of our no-electricity-&-sleeping-under-the-stars nights, Thiliyapur where we found an abundance of talent - a young self-taught medicine man, an old woman who had learnt to treat any kinds of burn from her mother, a self-taught herbs-veterinarian, a sculptor and an old man who could tell us the quantity of water under the ground with the help of a simple twig, and all services offered free! Devnagar, Shakthi Farm, Rekhal Katha at a slight elevation entailing a walk through the jungles to get to it, Chorgaliyan, Nakuliya, Gauri Kheda where we had 2 women 118 and 125 years of age sharing their knowledge of plants and recipes with us, Kargatiya, Bidouri wherein we were welcomed with a very beautiful lamp dance performance by some equally beautiful women in fading twilight, Goosra, Sisaikheda, Biriya, Sunkhadikhala, Nanak Matta the beautiful pilgrim centre of the Sikhs, Sadaasadiya, Khatima just 4-5 kms from the Nepal border and finally turning back through Bagga, consisting of people belonging to the pahadi (hills) culture, and Chowdhry farm near Pilibith, ending our yatra with a local meeting as well as a preparatory / planning session for the next one.

In this planning session, several issues, ideas, thoughts were discussed in preparation for the next shodh yatra; and the following points were put down as the things that should be done:
-Each yatri is to record his experiences / observations of the yatra and share it with everyone.
-He is also to gather information about his own surroundings and neighbourhood with regard to the purpose of the yatra so as to exchange this with the others during the yatra.
-Each one has to do continuous evaluation, and find out from people who have come already what has been happening, what are the changes, and what they think has improved, what needs to be improved etc.
-SRISTI has to build a database with the experiences of the shodh yatris
-A compiled report of all the 11 shodh yatras is to be prepared in both english and hindi.
-During the next yatra, there must be arrangements for the yatris to stay some of the nights with different households so that they all have different experiences, which they would share and the information and learning this way is immense.

As in every yatra, all the villagers gathered for a meeting with the travellers at each village that we went to. There ensued a discussion on the purpose of the yatra, the innovators and innovations of that particular village, how can there be a mutual sharing of knowledge, and the support that the yatris can give them. Most discussions led on to the many problems faced by that particular village and their attempts at overcoming these, going back full circle to the idea that it was their own capacity and presence of mind that did (or) might save the day. Prof. Gupta also specifically spoke to them about how their innovation can bring them revenue, and more importantly, (since there were questions about it) how they can protect their innovation during this process of getting revenue - the prior informed consent form offered by the Honey bee group asking them for their 'informed' consent before sharing the innovation or traditional knowledge with anybody "to balance the twin goal of dissemination and promotion of innovation, but protect from potential commercialisation". In several places there were also projector displays of the numerous innovations collected over the years and stored in the Honey bee database.

Biodiversity, recipe and local talent contests were held and the winning entries were given prizes during these meetings. Many times the results of the recipe contests were laid out in an enticing display for the yatris to taste, and once, at Shakthi Farm, a couple of us skipped lunch and made a meal of the displays! One of the prize-winning natural, medicinal (herbs) treatments was for joint pain given by a woman in Anantpur: to boil leaves of semulina with turmeric, garlic and bhang in equal quantities in sarson (mustard) oil and apply on the joints.

Finally, the innovators were honoured with certificates and given a resource kit containing copies of the Honey bee newsletters in Hindi. Some of the interesting innovators / innovations that we came across were Indraasan Singh, who discovered the Indraasan variety of paddy in 1972, a tube light device that made use of sawdust to show sound waves, a farmer able to grow 21 feet long sugarcane simply by tieing the leaves of the cane around the cane itself at equal gaps, and a tile-making machine.

A few villages had also organised cultural programmes that continued late into the night. Impromptu night discussion gatherings with the locals that similarly winded down quite late also happened a couple of times.

Highlights

All of us would have experienced our own high spots during the course of the yatra. Some might be common to all or many, and others of a more individual / personal nature. Following are some of them, both mutual and individual.

Guha, The Snake Man
On the first day of our yatra, we met Sri. Niranjan Guha, who we started calling the 'snake man', at Shantinagar. Half-closed, blood shot eyes with a drawl in his voice, many of us wondered whether it was an act when he made an appearance. Guha has been treating snake bites for many years now, by sucking and swallowing the poison from the bite! He could identify the kind of snake which had bitten the person by looking at his condition and the nature of the bite mark; and treat the person if he is still breathing. After treating him in his unique way, he also gave the patient herbs according to the bite. He said that he would be able to identify the herbs by sight only and not by name; they grew wild in the hills and around the villages. He also could not say clearly how and why he was able to swallow the poison and treat the bites. Because of this rare gift of his, no snake bite would ever kill him is his conviction. He has treated more than a 40 people till date, and does not take money for administering his treatment.

Mufth (free) Tea
On the first day, a couple of us left far behind the others in the long highway-road walk to Rameshwarpur, stopped at a typical roadside Punjabi Dhaba for tea. And the husband and wife managing the place plied us with curious questions as she made tea for us. They had seen others like us walking by, and were just waiting to ask someone who we were and what were we doing in their town. We explained to her the purpose of our shodh yatra, and that we were searching for traditional knowledge that is with the people; the innovative, ingenious solutions that people have come up with to overcome the problems of their neighbourhood. To our amazement, after the tea, she refused to take money from us! Any amount of persuasion did not move her. All we had, to offer her was our bewildered thanks before we moved on, with the realisation that people valued such initiatives enough to respond spontaneously with whatever support that they can offer.

Kabir - The Hero
Bright, intelligent, curious, imaginative, impish, stubborn and happy- our 3-year-old hero - the youngest shodh yatri charmed everyone with his wide, open and twinkling smile. Quite interested in everything and everybody around him, (when he was not going into the sulks) he incessantly questioned his mother about the people and their actions, events and things that he saw; his favourite question was why something was the way it was! He also picked up conversations and held his own with just about everybody. His imagination knew no bounds; he talked about lions on trees and flowers eating up birds, talked to the stones while playing with them, and made up new songs with lines from different current popular film songs. He also entertained himself by making up stories and giving foolish answers knowingly if the 'elders' caste asked him too many questions! He had an eye for beauty - he was forever making gifts of flowers, beautifully shaped twigs or smooth stones that he found on the way, to people. Showing a rare precociousness, when someone once greeted him after not seeing him for the entire day with "Hi! Kabir", he returned her greeting - "Hi, Sweetie!" to his mother's utter astonishment! We all will take his quick smile and happy gurgle of a laugh a long way.

An Indian Cocktail
Panna - is the magic refreshing cocktail, that I had for the first time on the first day of our tour, and many times after. The juice from mango is extracted and a combination of spices like pepper, black salt and chaat masala is added to it to get the slightly sweet and slightly tart taste that panna has. The practice of giving such a drink with salts and spices added to its inherent sweetness, to help the body weather the day's heat during summer is popular all over India - Panna or a similar drink in the North, and inji or adrak (ginger) added to a sweet drink in the South.

Water Divination - Mewa Singh
At Thiliyapur -the talents galore town, we had the elderly Dadhji Mewa Singh talking to us about his life and gift to be able to predict water. He uses a simple V-shaped twig and walks around holding it over the ground, and is able to foretell the quantity of water and the height at which it will be found below the ground based on the behaviour of the twig. He said that if the water content is high, the pressure of the twig in his hand increases accordingly, and now, because of continuous practice he is also able to predict the quantity of water by the pressure and the way it moves. Dadhji also mentioned of a pain in his ribs if he continued with the divination after the first couple of times at one go, and feels that this is because while he divines the water quantity, he unconsciously or involuntarily holds his breath. He has now been doing this for several decades, and has not once given an inaccurate prediction. On being asked whether he took money for predictions, he smiled quite indulgently, and said that he does not take money. He also added that the others, practicing medicine and treating men and animals also did not take money for it.

The same Dadhji could also correctly tell the speed of the vehicle in which he was travelling by checking the wind pressure on his hand! He narrated an incident related to this, that happened when he was in the army - his superior once challenged him to tell the speed of the vehicle which he (dadhji) was driving without looking at the speedometre! He simply put his hand out, checked the wind pressure, and gave an accurate answer - cool as you please!

Independent and Enigmatic - Manjula Behn (sister)
She came because her son, a farmer from Gujarat associated with SRISTI, could not participate in the yatra, and wanted someone to represent him. More than 60 years old, she was one of the elderly participants of the yatra. Determinedly walking on, most times ahead of others, Manjula kaki (aunt) never once asked to sit on the two-wheeler or the tractor that was coming along with us, while even some of the youngsters went on them a couple of times. A couple of times, because someone insisted that she sit on the tractor, and not walk in this heat, she got on very reluctantly. The wonder was neither did she even once verbally complain about the heat, or the blisters under her feet or the pain in her calves, nor did it show on her face or body language. But it was obvious that she was not superwoman who did not feel any pain. She had an array of home-made ointments that she carried all the time with her and used. At one of our lunch-stops, in the forest department guest house, there was a tall machan, which many of us climbed huffing and puffing, and some with a lot of trepidation, watching, and step by careful step. She came along and almost sprinted up and came down the very steep metal rods, smiling with almost child-like glee while we watched open-mouthed. She did not allow anyone to carry her bag and never took massages from any of the youngsters. (one giving another a massage is a common sight during the yatra) she did her own massage! She took careful, detailed notes of everything that took place and all the people that we met, and did not hesitate to ask if she did not understand something. She was very observant, and had a ready smile and a relevant concerned question for all of us every time that she spoke to us. Her keen observation noted the differences between the women in Gujarat and women here and she said wistfully during our review session about how bold the women are here, and that in Gujarat the women are seldom allowed to come outside the house and take initiative to do things. But at age 60, she has come! Her strength came from somewhere deep inside her; perhaps she got it from the japa that she did diligently facing the sun every morning, with the help of her japmala (beads).

Water, Water! - Artisan Springs
An amazing sight, especially for the few of us from drought-struck Tamilnadu were the artisan springs that were visible in considerable number within a certain circumference in the yatra route. Water simply gushed out straight from the bowels of Mother Earth without a pump, motor or any kind of pressure whatsoever. These artisan springs were strewn all over the area, with a tank or pond like structure built around them, for all to use.

The Biriya Wait
Biriya was our night stop on the 6th day of our yatra. Women self help groups were very active here and about 200 women from villages around this area gathered that night. We reached very late and as a result, most yatris dropped off to sleep after dinner. There were a only a few trying to talk to the women. Because of unforeseen circumstances, the cultural programme that was arranged could also not happen. These 200 or more women, after having been thwarted, sat on the grounds that day till about 1 in the night, putting up an unspoken determined front, almost as if they had expected a meeting and wanted something to happen, and so by sheer force of collective will would be able to make it happen. They left only after a projector display of innovations from across the country. The episode had many lessons for us, beginning from the importance of being punctual, to the spirit and determination that the women showed and what mass or collective force can achieve.

Anantpur - A Collective Strength
The meeting at Anantpur showed an exceptional community spirit with all the villagers present sticking together both in their doubt, as well as later with their convinced resolution.

In this village a novel idea has been executed successfully: libraries run by children. All over the village and neighbouring areas, there are several small libraries that are run by children themselves for other children. The children who manage these libraries came forward shyly to speak of their experiences. Their main trouble now is that most of them have completed reading most of what the libraries have to offer, and now they need more books. They were given the honey bee resource kit to begin with and the villagers decided that they would all pool in to get more books. The gathering also discussed how they (children) could themselves earn revenue, by getting members and lending out books.

Chemical farming is being practiced in this village and they reacted with doubt and hostility when we, and even the farmers from TOFA talked about organic farming. Their response was that organic farming does not give quick and enough yields to sustain them; where will they go for money and food if they start saving the planet? Ensued a long and detailed discussion on how organic farming is not simply saving the planet but saving themselves in the long run. The slow transformation to a stand in favour of organic farming was obvious to see, and even if some were doubtful, they were ready to go with what their neighbours and friends were saying. The discussion ended with them making a resolution that they will start organic farming from then on.

Sonia - The Rebel
Sonia was with the yatra only in the last 2 days but like kabir, left an impact that we will carry a long way. Very intelligent, sensitive, creative with an artistic bent of mind, eccentric and stubborn, always speaking her mind, fighting all authority and systems; questioning everything including herself, yet full of love and compassion, parts child and parts grand mother; at 20, she was an outright rebel. She paints very well, is very good at making things with her hands and an excellent cook. She chafes at all conventions in society and fights injustice fiercely. Her one big dream is to run a home for orphaned kids and talked of it all the time. The idea called Sonia even now is immediately followed by the idea of Intense Energy.

Open Jail - A New Idea
We heard of an open jail system, a few kilometres from Kishenpur as we sat down to lunch there. And argued the whole way there about how can there be an open jail, (it beats the purpose) and how would it all be organised. It was an eye-opening and a somewhat sad experience for many. We met a large group of the inmates of the 'house' and they were no different from ordinary householders with dreams, aspirations, disappointments, wants and needs. A couple of them, fathers, had their children with them at the meeting. (Their families are allowed to visit them and stay there for a few days) It was a revelation to look at them performing roles beyond that of 'jail inmates' - father, uncle, husband, son, friend. Many of them had businesses back home, and one of them said he had been building a new kind of metal shelf that has now stopped half way. He also said if given the resources, he could pursue it here and plans were made to do just that. The police official in charge of the place said that two of them had been framed wrongly because of petty fights and/or political skirmishes and have been in now for more than a decade. A few others whose terms had ended, but due to changes in laws and rules, had their term extended now. There was one who said that he came back in the second time, quite happily! (The implication was clear: he at least got food and shelter here)

The philosophy of the open jail was of course that Man is essentially honest and good, and will respond similarly if treated like he is so. Following this, there is no gate to the jail that is closed all the time, the men are given work to do, and are allowed to go out if their job requires them to do so. It is also another matter that we were told there are police employees positioned in different points around the area.

Young Fervour
We met a group of dynamic teenagers in the pahadi region of Rekhal Khatta, who have been trying in many ways to better the conditions of their villages and society. The people in the hills are without any land or voting rights, and are not part of any gram sabha. They only shepherd cattle, which brings them little money, and have no other occupation. Having attempted to get help from many government officials and offices and also making an effort to do something themselves, without any tangible results, when they came to meet us late in the night, it was with disillusionment and questions like "why are you here?" and "what can you do to help us?"

A lengthy discussion about their problems, and the creativity and strength needed to combat them followed. What we saw clearly through it all was their fire and the need to help themselves. In the end when they were ready to leave, though their initial hostility had vanished and they looked thoughtful with all that they had heard, somehow they also looked like that fire has been diminished. Perhaps, all that they need is support, in terms of ideas, opportunity, resources, and maybe a shoulder to lean on and talk to from time to time.

Encounter with a Religious Leader
On the morning of 2^nd june, at Nanak matta, Sri. Bapu Maan Singh, head of the Gurudwara there held us all spellbound in a charged session, wherein he spoke to us of knowledge, religion, history and politics of this country. He challenged us, "why are you searching for Gyan (knowledge)?, instead, search for the Self. That is today's problem, that we are not connected to the Self and God." His conviction is that Hindustan was always the first in Dharma and Religion, and again challenged us, "Why, instead of Dharma are we running behind the computer?" "What is the computer but an imitation of the human brain!" He also said that in this pursuit of Dharma and the Self, a teacher is very important, and also added that the greatest teacher for one is his Mother. "If you are unable to learn from your mother, you cannot learn from anybody!" And that like one's mother, one's mother tongue is also very important. "It is part of his identity, if you want to make a nation a slave forever, take away her language." Then he turned to our search for Gyan - "How can we connect it to money?, The Goddesses of Gyan and money are Saraswathi and Lakshmi respectively; and their vaahans (vehicles) are swan and owl. When do these birds come out? The swan during the day, and the owl during the night. There is no meeting point." He ended on a powerful yet romantic note: "Why is Man there if not to take his fellow-man's sorrow?"

The Institution of Langar
Food is so important a part in an Indian's life, that we worship food as God, and different cultures have different values and customs revolving around food. The Sikh community hold the practice of feeding people so sacred that they have institutionalised it, and call it - Langar (Prasad). The Langar is a part of Gurudwaras, where they have a separate langar hall, and food is given to anyone who walks in. They are also proud of the fact no questions are asked of the people who come for food. People are not asked where they are coming from, or what caste, sect, religion, group they belong to.

Nanak Matta runs an impressive langar system, entirely run by devotees as well as visitors (tourists, pilgrims) who come there. The food hall can seat more than 500 people for a meal at one go, and it is open for most of the day offering breakfast, lunch and dinner to everyone. What's more, the hall is full most of the time, and especially so during lunch. The administration, maintenance, cooking, serving and anything else that is needed to be done is taken care of by volunteers.

Internal Yatra Exchange
The exchange and sharing of our internal shodh yatras took place in small spurts through out the yatra, leading to one extended, detailed sitting on one of the last days. And it is true that even in the most diffident or timid person, the wanting to share an insight is so high that he overcomes his reserve at this stage of the yatra. Also, as Prof. Gupta put it, the "intimacy quotient" is so high and intense during these travels that people don't think twice about sharing very deep thoughts that they wouldn't otherwise.

Each one of our thoughts, ideas, criticisms, reservations and relevations; our learning basically was discussed. Many spoke about the high of meeting people from different backgrounds, from all over the country and getting to know about their culture, society and understanding them. Other also felt the added pleasure of being close to nature, and living a much simpler life than in their routine life. In this regard most people came to the conclusion that the quality of life in the village is higher, life simpler, the people very hard working, resilient and able to endure much more than the urbanites. Siddharth from SRISTI, "I have now seen the sheer hard work and suffering in rural India, which I had only read about. Coming across it for the first time, it has had a high impact on me." Several also said that they have learnt much about organic farming and would talk about it to many more people. Other personal insights were also shared: the shy ones said with some surprise that they have overcome their shyness to talk to everyone, some one else said that he has learnt to be accommodating, and yet another that she has learnt to listen to what people have to say before speaking.

The shortcomings of the yatra and how to resolve these issues the next time the yatra is being planned were also discussed. Some of these issues were that the distances were too much and had not been planned well, the participants not told of daily plans, and even that the days did not start with a collective prayer.

Of Hospitality, Generosity and Warmth,
Of the Sikh community. There were numerous instances of the service and generous spirit of the Sikhs. They consider it holy to feed people and take care of them and this perception is reflected in their dealings with all. One major example of this is their langar system of free food in the Gurudwaras. There were drink stalls all through the sikh community routes, manned by the Sardars. Besides this, even as we were passing by, women who were cooking offered us food and drink, readily able to put other work aside to cater to us. And most times, we were in groups of 10 or so, and more crowded in gradually to see what was going on.

How they served drinks and eats is also interesting - they perhaps have never heard of self-serving! However big the crowd of people, they always made it a point to serve them. Whenever Angad or Paramjeet, the 2 boys who joined us at Rudrapur since it was the vacation time, served me, I got the impression that serving me that piece of chapathi is the most important thing in his life at that moment! These 2 young sardars were simply available every time there was trouble and a pair of strong hands was needed, whenever work needed to be done. They never needed to be asked to do things, they always took it on, and endeared themselves to everyone.

Another example of this welcome and warmth that we encountered everywhere was the soft-spoken Dr. Salooja, whom we met at Rameshwarpur - yet another sardarji who was simply available with ready help when it was needed. There was only one bathroom at the Gurudwara we stayed in; there wasn't anybody around to ask for help, and the good doctor was quick to come up to us and offer his house for use for the ladies. He then fussed around us, saw to it that we were comfortable, telling us to feel free and make tea or anything else that we wanted, and then settled down to show us photographs of his wife and family, and their vacations.

Conclusion
The singular conviction that stands above all else after the yatra and the immense energy, talent, creativity, tolerance that was evident with the people, is about the ability, resourcefulness of the people of this land, their enduring capacity and the power of people force. The idea that people have it in them to be innovative and creative to be able to solve their problems and run their lives. Like any institution, community, society, this land is not without her problems and shortcomings, but the value systems and the unspoken, unwritten laws of society that are her own are very well able to also take care of the problems that will crop up, and restore order. What has happened is that people have lost the confidence that they are able to take control of their lives. What has also happened is that they have been given new value systems to replace their own, which does not work for them, and we have in our hands a fractured society. A group of women in Sisaikheda were talking to some of us about their life, problems, and society. One of the women, Sushmadevi spoke a long while about her life, daily routine, all the work that her friends and she have to do: her day, as other women's', starts very early and ends very late, since she has to finish her morning chores at home like cleaning and cooking, then go to the fields for work, come back and again take care of cooking and cleaning. They also have to seasonally take care of crushing grains, visiting the mills and the market. Now they have also taken on the SHG work and are involved in the process of understanding finance and loans and working as a group. She does not get much support from her husband for all this work that she does. In the midst of all this, she has managed to save enough money to send her daughter to a boarding school in town. And so life continues. After telling all that, she added in the same breath, that we (shodh yatris) have come here to meet them, we only have to teach them things since they don't know anything, "we women from the villages are no good, we don't even have the time to keep ourselves beautiful, we work the whole day and by the end of many a day have neither the time nor the energy to bother about our appearance." When she said that she did not realise that they have spruced up the place and themselves for us, the guests! All that people need is for their confidence and faith in themselves to be restored, their collective force will conquer the world. It is of course another matter that it is not in their spirit to want to conquer the world, as it is meant today. They would build their own brand of globalisation, that of endurance, an empathetic understanding of the world and how it works and happiness. Anything else that we think they might need is secondary.

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A brief description of the support organisations
SRISTI (The Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions) is a non-government organisation working towards strengthening the ingenuity and resourcefulness of grassroots entrepreneurs, engaged in innovating, inventing and building solutions to local problems, and sustaining them.

NIF, the National Innovation Foundation was created in support of grassroots innovators - for the "evolution and diffusion, support and sustenance of grassroots innovations, linking innovation, enterprise and investment" and exploring commercial and non-commercial application of innovations.

GIAN (Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network) also works towards strengthening and supporting innovation and creativity at the grassroots level by endeavouring to transform innovation into product, and aid the dissemination of innovations.

The Honey bee Network has also initiated other ventures like the Honey bee Newsletters - different journals carrying news and information related to agriculture, biodiversity and traditional knowledge in english as well as other local languages including hindi, gujarati and tamil; and it's bi-annual Shodh Yatra, conducted every year during the summer (Ma-June) and winter (December-January) seasons.

The other organisations associated with conducting this Yatra were:
-Uttaranchal DASP (Diversified Agriculture and Sustainable Development Project): who promote organic farming and foods, and involved in dairy farming, compost and bio-manure marketing.
-Krishi Grameen Seva Samithi: working with women self help groups in marketing organic food preparations, organic agriculture and horticulture promotion.
-Gayathri Seva Sanstha: working with women and child groups in and around Pantnagar.
-Vivekanand Educational Society: who run a school in Shakthi Farm based on the philosophy and teachings of Swami Vivekananda.
-Aditya Krishi Vikas Samithi: involved in organic farming promotion, animal husbandry and traditional knowledge documentation as part of the honey bee network.
-Bhagawathi Mahila Samithi: working with women self help groups promoting small scale industries
-Adarsh Yuvak Mangal Dal: works with Yuvak Dals (Youth Groups), functioning as pressure groups working with development issues in their neighbourhood.
-Tarai Yuva Sangh: is an organisation focused on conducting and coordination of blood donation camps in the area and campaigning for people's basic rights.
-Creation for a Creative Society: working for rural development in 13 districts of Nepal, in association with World Food Program
-EcoIndia: channelises and coordinates student groups so that they can work for farmers through and for the Honey bee concept
-Innovators Club: scouting for innovators and innovations in and around Uttaranchal as part of the honey bee network
-Sri Sangam Dairy: maintaining dairy farms, marketing dairy products.
-Mahila Mangal Dal: working with women pressure groups in the villages for development related issues.
-Adhar: working with women and collection of traditional knowledge with them
-Avantika Dairy Farm: managing dairy farm and dairy training institute
-Adarsh Haryana Krishi Farm: Managing extensive Sugarcane farms and research into organic method and practices of sugarcane farming
-Rupa Seed Farm: experts in seed production
-Samaj Sudhar Sabha: is an association of retired government employees honouring and awarding those government servants who promote good work culture in all government departments, especially in education, and
-SRISTI