Askot-Arakot-Abhiyan-2004:Experience

[This report was sent by Chandan Dangi on 02.06.2004]

The 4th Askot-Arakot Abhiyan (1974-84-94-2004) expedition by PAHAR, which began on May 25 from PANGU has covered over 60 villages of district Pithoragarh. The group is trekking 20-25Kms per day. Today, it has reached KEEMU in Bageshwar district. Over 1,000Kms long distance will be covered before July 10.It was quite interesting, listening to the coverage of this ABHIYAN by Shri Rajesh Joshi of the BBC London on the Radios.

Here is an update and comments made by the villagers:

1. Bhim Singh Dhami of GHATTABAGARH said” Nothing has changed here in the last 50 years. The villagers are backward and no one comes forward. This is really a ‘Silent Valley’, except for a KACHI road, no change has taken place”

2. In GARJIYA DHAR area, there are no basic health services, no schools, no electricity, said the Ward member Sarswati. “We want our children to be educated, but for fear of wild animals and difficult terrain, we send them to a school, you can see the condition” The school has hardly any structure, just a common meeting place.

3. The villagers of MADKOT are living a stressful life. Most of the cultivatable land has fallen barren by regular landslides. Dan Singh Dhanik told the trekkers that their village of 150 plus habitats faces a new challenge of VARUNAWAT kind.

4. The nationwide Pulse Polio campaign of the Govt. looks like a media hype here as it has yet reach these villages.

5. NGOs are scared of entering these villages as there are hardly any facilities available for them to stay. Basically, they are the people who need NGOs to work. However, Foundation for Ecological Securities has begun good work with the help of villagers.

Experience of an Yatri -Chandan Dangi

Its been a great week long experience joining the Team at Pipalkoti in Chamoli and leaving them at Makku in Rudraprayag before physically getting into the survey of the last border village – MANA of district Chamoli. My trek from Bairangana near Mondal to Chopta via BHAINS KHARAK and KANCHULA KHARAK (Musk dear farm) through the dense jungle on a rainy day was the most memorable one.

The YATRIs have surveyed over 160 villages in the last 28 days. The single days longest trek being 38 Kms was crossing of KUNWARIKHAL by 22 members including the students of Class. 8-12. This ABHIYAN will reach Arakot on the evening of July 7th and conclude on July 8. Though, surveys on various different routes like Curzon Route by KU, Hardwar-Mana by the HNBGU teachers/students will be conducted. This campaign is entirely dependent on villagers for food and shelters. The team members take shelter for the night stay at primary schools, Panchayat GHARs, KHARAKs etc.

Prof. Sekhar Pathak is leading the ABHIYAN from the front, as he has the distinction of taking part in all the 3 previous ABHIYANs in 1974, 1984 and 1994. There are 5 other regular members trekking from May 25 till now – Dan Jantzen of the Future Generations USA, Niranjan Suyal from DDN, Neeraj Pant from Lucknow and Roop Singh Dhami – Dharchula. I salute these gentlemen for taking up the very challenging task and hats off to these trekkers.

The situation of villages, status of basis infrastructure, health, education, and communication etc. has not reached most of the remote villages. Condition of women and elders is pitiable in all the villages that have been surveyed so far. The self-help groups in a number of villages have shown to the Admn. That they can bring in the change by solidarity and associating the entire village as an entity. The women of village BEMARU in Chamoli have come forward to save their forests. They have volunteered to start a high school for the girls as no girl could afford to continue schooling after 8th standard earlier.