Fwd: [initiative-india] Chalo Narmada Ghati: Adivasi Holi..Rangoli..March 7th to 10th

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From: NAPM India <napmindia@napm-india.org>
Date: Fri, Feb 24, 2012 at 7:09 PM
Subject: [initiative-india] Chalo Narmada Ghati: Adivasi Holi..Rangoli..March 7th to 10th
To:

Holi….Holi…. Adivasi Rangoli:

Chalo Narmada Ghati…3 days & 3 nights 

Join the delight of drums and dance

Amidst struggle against displacement,  adivasis celebrate life and culture

 

March 7th: night Vadchil, Maharashtra

March 9th: night Danel, Narmada Bank

March 10th: night Jobat Satyagraha, M.P.

Holi is at our door step again..A colourful festival propitiating the Goddess of FIRE…..Holi is a unique occasion to be with nature …its power! It's a festival which links people with nature and symbolizes victory of good over evil…a festival wherein Agni, one of the panchmahabhutas is prayed to for a life as bright as fire itself. In the life of adivasis, this festival brings in hope as well re-affirms faith in the generations-old tribal culture. Adivasis celebrate Holi with their music, their Dhols; their art of dancing, their resources i.e. land, forest, water and certainly their unity beyond caste and creed…

No doubt, there is an aspect of some faith, reflected in the Manata [offering to the Goddess 'Holika'] but there is certainly, no pomp and show and no human, in the name of Bhagwan or his Prophet! No doubt, the dry wood is sacrificed for lighting of fire but only those who have not sold out or clear felled their forests, the adivasis, can claim the right to do so. In the Satpuda and Vindhya mountain ranges, Holi is observed, year after year, not as a one day or one night festival but is celebrated across five days & nights, with all fun, frolic and fanfare, kindling people's spirits….All through the night, hundreds of adivasis; men and women, young and old, with intricately and colourfully decorated bodies, big ghungroos, natural and metal bells would sway in a riot of colour, amidst ceremonial songs and rhythmic dances with brisk and perfectly harmonious foot-steps, the constant ringing of bells and jingles, playing of flutes, conches and collective beats of a hundred drums, filling the moonlit night atmosphere with an ethereal ecstasy… 

The adivasi Hoil this year, as well, will bring in thousands of adivasis together at each place, on the bank of the Narmada, at the resettlement site in Vadchil and this time, at the place of the Satyagraha itself at Jobat in M.P, where the adivasis have held government land in their occupation for almost 100 days. After a nightful of jubilation, the huge Holi bonfire will be lit aglow in the wee hours, reaching towards the sky, taking people's aspirations as high..awakening the faith and collective strength of people of Narmada valley and all our comrades, supporters, well wishers…taking a few steps together at the Satpudas and the Satyagraha, in this shared journey towards justice…

The whole atmosphere, charged with mesmerizing songs, sounds and slogans will charge you too…So do join us…for the Andolan's Holi …Andolankari Holi….Satyagraha Holi…you too can be one of those…singing… dancing…swaying… in mythical merriment beneath the sky on a full- moon night…Please do come in solidarity with the struggling people of Narmada valley, who are still alive and still fighting for a sustainable, eco friendly, just world since 26 years, raising hope and light, amidst darkness and doom. This year, the Jobat dam-affected adivasis will also join the revelry at the satyagraha sthal.. Join the adivasis; children and adults as they shall proclaim unity and sovereignty through slogans of 'Aamu akkha ek se' (We all are one) and 'Jal, Jangal, Zameen Kuneen se? Amri se Amri se' (Whom do forests, rivers and lands belong to? To us! To us!). This Holi …..let us march ahead towards a better community, better India, better world… 

 

 

March 7th : Vadchil Vasahat, 15 kms from Shahada, [Dist. Nandurbar] Vadchil, Maharashtra

March 9th: Danel Village in submergence, Narmada River bank, Maharashtra

March 10th: Zameen Haq Satyagraha, at Jobat, Dist. Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh

   

                                                                              With warm regards and wishes,

On behalf of the Narmada valley adivasis ,

Keshavbhau	Keval Singh Vasave	Narpat Padvi	Vijay  Valvi	Medha Patkar	Shrikanth
Noorji Padvi	Kailash Awasya	Ratan Naik Punya Padvi	Yogini Kamla Yadav	Khema Vestha Siyaram Padvi	Jankibai Orsing Guruji

Narmada Adivasi Holi: Celebrating the colours of struggle and reconstruction….

HOW TO REACH:

Train / Road Route: 

From Bombay: Take Dadar-Amritsar Train (No. 1616, departs at 11:45 p.m.) to reach Dhule & travel with our supporters ……. Dhule to Vadchil is about  2 ½  hours journey by road.

From Baroda: Take a bus till Shahada [5 hrs] & then auto /motor transport to Vadchil. We will help you reach Vadchil, once you come to Shahada.

From Delhi/Indore: Take Nizamuddin-Indore Intercity Train, which departs Delhi at 10:15 p.m. every night and reaches Indore at 11:30 a.m. the next day.  You can then take a bus to Badwani and Shahada from there..

Arrival and onward programme: Those friends coming via Khandwa and Indore should reach NBA, Badwani office by 7^th morning. Those coming via Mumbai or Dhule may reach Shahada (Nandurbar) by 7^th evening.

Programme Details: From both sides, we will meet at Vadchil by 7^th  late evening/night where we will be greeted by the spirited Jeevanshala students and adivasis to celebrate Holi till 8^th early morning. We will then spend some time interacting with the community and proceed towards Dhadgaon to spend the day in adivasi villages and with activists. Halting there, we will proceed on the 9^th morning to the hilly village Danel, which is in the submergence area, encircled by the huge reservoir …We will spend the 9^th night at Danel, celebrating Holi and then move on by boat and road to reach the Zameen Haq Satyagraha, Jobat, Dist. Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh on 10^th morning for a day full of interaction with the satyagrahis, who have stayed put for 100 days at the govt. land occupied and cultivated by them and then have a night full of Holi merriment.

Return: On 11^th morning, you can head home, via Badwani/Julwania/ Indore/Baroda towards Delhi, or to Pune or Mumbai. Each of this place is 4 hrs from Jobat Satyagraha. Those who wish to catch a train from Baroda/Indore in the evening can do so.  

Our friends and supporters at various places will be happy to give you more details:

Keshabhavau Vasave, Vadchil: 09423902000

Pervin Jehangir, Mumbai- 09820636335	Madhuri Variyath, Mumbai- 09820619174
Suniti S.R. Pune – 09423571784	Shyam Patil, Dhule- 09423496020
Madhuresh, Delhi- 09818905316;	Philip, Kerala – 0944645661
Chinmay Mishra, Indore- 09893278855

 Do contact us in case of you need more information:

NBA Office, Badwani: 07290-291464                NBA Office, Dhadgaon: 02595-220620/212045

Shrikanth, 09179148973                                        Yogini Khanolkar, 09423944390

Requirements: Please bring your warm clothes, light bedding and torch along with medicines. You may also keep snacks and dry food for yourself and others.

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Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/