Are they man-eaters?

Lord Rama and Lakshman

“…aha..ha..la la laa..” – humming as usual and riding my bike I noticed from a distance four young, almost naked men walking like cops. It was 6 am. I could not decide whether I should slow down or speed-up. “They must be the Maoists” – I said to myself as I prayed to God to protect me. After a while, when I got closer to them, my big eyes could see bow and arrows in their hands. “Oh, my God! They are man-eaters...” – I murmured. I was nervous (say afraid) to see that sight. I was sure that they are man-eaters and I am going to die today. Ironically though, had it been Treta Yuga, I may have believed to have seen Ram and Lakshman, but it is Kalyuga to my misfortune!

I slowed down my bike but quickly it came close to them and they also noticed me. Now, I was almost decided that I am going to stop and talk something to them, so that, they should know the purpose of my pres­ence and may grant me leave. Though, not very willfully yet, I struck a conversation for few minutes. Will my children or even my parents believe when I tell them that I saw such people and talked to them? I do not believe myself that I talked to the wild tribals… what should be right word…I don’t know. May be they are just hunters or they are like an early man. I always vexed my friends from Jharkhand with stories of people with bow and arrows. Today, I saw them, sat near them and talked to them They are harmless. They are poor. They are mad or no-mads for the (so-called) mainstream. They don’t know what they are doing and what it means to the outside world. They don’t know better ways either.

  

Our tribal brothers

This is an account of my encounter with four tribal hunters in deep forest of a (popularly called) backward district of Mayurbhanj, Orissa. I could not believe that such communities still exist in our country when we claim India Shining and double-digit economic growth. Like all of us, they also buy groceries and provisions and thus contribute to the revenue of the State. At the same time, what share of the State's expenditures do they receive? The answer is easy - it is negligible. To remember, Indian Constitution guarantees Right to Equality as a Fundamental Right (Article 15 - 18, Part III). What does it mean to their empty stomachs?

Before writing this blog, I questioned myself that when the Parliament, the media and the nation, in general is discussing the 3G scam and Commonwealth Games scam (to the tunes of billion of Rupees), what sense does it make to talk about those people who have to hunt squirrels, pigeons and other petty animals in order to feed their families?

I could not answer myself before writing this blog, however, the readers may do...

Note: Images have been taken from 'here' and 'here'.