Quest for truth...or self

AS THE only child of my parents, I was dragged to every environment-concern meeting, midnight turtle walks were a regular feature and I was made aware of every eco-movement in detail. Eating off banana leaves and using recycled paper was not a momentary fascination but an established norm in our household.

My college years were spent campaigning for one environmental cause after another. From putting an end to the use of plastic cutlery and cups in the cafeteria, to adopting a more liberal architectural design without felling the old banyan trees to put up an administration building were a few things I vehemently fought for.

As a person who strongly believes that humans are a 'phase' in this universe and have no right to upset the balance of the eco- system, it was only natural to get together with like-minded eco- mavericks and trek the whole length of the proposed Narmada Valley Project, traversing through the three states of Madhya Pradesh , Maharashtra and Gujarat. I wanted to get a first hand experience of the lives of the tribes whose existence meant so little to the outside world and so an all-women team set out on this ambitious quest for the truth.

One thing we had overlooked was the extremity in climate, which ranged from burning hot days to chilling nights. We had to travel the allotted miles each day so as to reach the next village before nightfall, which was our only source of food and sometimes water too. There were many hardships to dare along the way.

Walking for miles together with our guide, conversing for hours, gave me an in depth understanding of the enormity of the project and the scale of destruction that would be caused in the name of progress. Not only would hundreds of villages be inundated and the people rendered homeless but the wild life therein too would be destroyed. The only free-ranging tiger habitat in the country and the home of the endangered varanus salvator would be gone forever.

Living with the already impoverished villagers made us aware of the hardships they had to face each day and the impending threat of the probable annihilation heading their way if the authorities decided to turn a blind eye to the situation and continue with the gigantic project. This would effectively drive them to a semi-urban or urban area to join the unorganised labour sector in order to eke out their livelihood.Even while facing near extinction of their way of life, the villagers welcomed us and did not hesitate to share with us the little of what they had to offer. Their ability to withstand the pressure of such an enormous threat made us go back and fight for their cause.

All of us have this period in our lives, which will endure and go on to define the whole course of our journey.

When I was looking into the smiling face of the little tribal girl in my arms whose future was so uncertain, I knew just what I had to do.

GEETA BHATLA