An epic

based on one of the greatest cultures of the world

Yermihtna
A great Gotul

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2
 Yermihtna
A great Gotul

writer
Harsh Markam

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 Yermihtna
A great Gotul
This is an introduction to those people of the world that are
living in truthfulness, far from man-made artificiality, and the
explanation for it is – Yermihtna. Its sacrifice, bravery, love,
ease, simplicity, sympathy incorporated it among the greatest
Gotuls and emerged as such a grand epic, which touching upon
human life, annulling the infinite hypocrisy hidden in it,
revolutionizes it to rebuild itself. Forcing to redefine love,
compassion, sympathy and truth, it introduces life to a new path
and brings out the world from the intoxication of that delusion
which is most powerful, invading, unnatural, unjust, destructive,
violent and dangerous above them as well because, it has spread
such a delusion to fight them, that the whole of humanity,
becoming its mental slave, has queued up to fight for it.
Yermihtna is a friend of those warriors who fight against this
delusion and is also something greater.

Publisher:
Native indian Publishers

Dedicated to My parents
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 and
native

Yermihtna – A great Gotul

Publisher – Native indian Publishers
All rights reserved@Author2018
Cover – John Photography
Contact – harshmarkam@gmail.com
ISBN – 978-93-88333-26-9
Note - This book is being sold on the condition that it cannot be
used commercially or in any other form without the written
permission of the owner of the copyright protection. It cannot be
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republished, sold or leased, and it cannot be operated between
readers in any form. All these terms also apply to the buyers of
this book. All the publications in this context are safe. All
bookings reserved for the use of this book in a rehearsing or re-
publishing of this book in an impersonal form, keeping it in its
record, adopting it again, preparing its translated form or using
electronic, mechanical, photocopying and recording. Various
decisions of the Indian Constitution and Honorable Supreme
Court have been written for the scheduled area under this title
(the Indian Constitution for the Scheduled Areas and the
Honorable Supreme Court has given the following decisions).
For the clear interpretation of it, the court's decision, reading of
the Indian Constitution and the counsel of Advocates is
suggested. This book does not claim its interpretation. The rest
is the author’s own creation. For any judicial case, the
Jurisdiction of High Court Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, India will
prevail.

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 1
Gotul House

With an orange hue in the sky, the sun is going to set.

Seeing this, Belosa lights that one lamp from among hundreds
which is also called the “first diya.” This lamp is kept in front of
the pillar which is an emblem of the power of nature. The
styling of this diya is exclusive and enchanting, and it has made
a prominent identity for itself here. After which, lighting the
other diyas from the flame of this diya, the members of Gotul
are keeping them on the sills of carved stone and small pillars,
made of wood and iron, on its huge walls. According to the
rules, everyday at the hour of dusk, Belosa only lights the ‘first
diya’ of Gotul.
It seems as if, this light which is emanating from these
diyas is fighting the darkness, which is befalling after the setting
of the sun, for radiance. It is that special day of the year when,
from about a dozen nearby villages, hundreds of children are
going to get membership of this Gotul. Having crossed the age
of seven years, the list of the names of these children has been
sent by their villages to the Gotul’s administration, hence the
festive mood which is filled with joy and exuberance. After a
while, the Mukwan is going to address the Gotul. Mukwan is
the highest post in the unwritten constitution of Gotul, while its
female head is called Belosa. The female members of Gotul are
called “Gotullaya” and the male members are called
“Gotullayor.” They are also known as Motiyari and Chelik
respectively.

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 As the number of diyas burning in the Gotul is
increasing, the beauty of the traditional artworks on its walls
along with the inner hustle-bustle is increasing too.
There are mainly three chambers in this Gotul. In the
middle is the entertainment chamber on either side of which is
the assembly hall and the weapon’s chamber. Apart from the
walls of these huge chambers, which have been made by cutting
stones, its doors and windows are also carved.
The walls of the assembly hall, located on the right,
makes one undergo a lively experience of its ancientness, on
which are painted the allocated natural signs of all the Gotras
(clans, families) of Koyavansh such as tortoise, peacock, goat,
ox, rabbit, birds, owl, fish, mongoose, snake etc. Hundreds of
crowns are also hanging from its ceiling, which are the masks
those Cheliks are made to wear in their marriages, who were
once members of this Gotul. These crowns are the last tokens of
remembrance of those Cheliks in Gotul.
On the walls of the assembly hall are also imprinted the
palm prints of all the appointed Mukwans of this Gotul till date.
According to an estimate, till now, there have been about three
hundred Mukwans already appointed, but this estimate is
undocumented.
The noise from the open ground is, slowly and
gradually, reaching the assembly hall now, where standing in
front of his own palm prints on the rear wall, the present
Mukwan is analysing today’s program with the other male
functionaries. Mukwan is wearing a shirt embedded with
colourful cowry shells. His white turban is box shaped, which

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he has tied from right to left. He is wearing armlets in both his
arms and has also tucked a fretted knife on his waist and turban.
Around his neck, a garland made from fibers of various trees is
hanging. The functionaries standing to the right of the Mukwan
are addressed as Devan, Chalan and Likhen, whereas, the rest of
the functionaries standing to his left are refered as Kotwar,
Maaji, Siledaar and Jodiya. All of them are holding a straight
face.
“The list from all twelve villages has arrived Mukwan,”
informs Maaji, the wall behind who has a painting of a tortoise,
peacock and mango tree. He further informs, “Two hundered
and fifty Cheliks and almost the same number of Motiyaris have
requested for the membership of this Gotul. This list has come
from all the twelve villages, Mukwan.”
Actually, tortoise, peacock and mango tree are the Kul
Gand signs (totem) of that Maaji. When natural signs were
allotted to Gotras (clans, families), then for each gotra three
natural signs: a living being, a bird and a plant was distributed.
The clan of this maaji might have been allocated these signs
then, thus he was given the right to stand in front of these signs
in the assembly hall. This certifies that in this Gotul, he is the
representative of that respective clan.
“Tell me the number of mohats,” Mukwan asks.
“We have sufficient number of mohats. We had started
preparing for it a week ago only.”
“And paniya?”

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 “Paniyas are sufficient too. All paniyas have been sent to
Belosa, who is distributing work in the playground outside.”
Maaji assures him.
Mohat is a semi circular nail in which a plow is trapped,
whereas paniya is a comb made from wood. Whenever a new
member ask for membership of Gotul, then in acceptance of
their membership, the Mukwan gifts mohat to the Cheliks and
Belosa gifts paniya to the Motiyaris. This is the last rite of
taking the membership of the Gotul, after which, the member
accepts it like a part of his/her body and it itself becomes the
centre of their life.
“Devan, take some Cheliks with you,” Mukwan now says
turning right towards the devan, who is standing in front of the
signs eagle, Monitor Lizard and char tree, made on the rear wall,
“and spread all the weapons kept in the weapon’s cell on the
playground. We will start teaching the new Cheliks from today
itself.”
“As you say, Mukwan.” Devan nods his head in
affirmation.
The impatience of the noise outside the assembly hall is
increasing now, hearing which, the Mukwan says, “This noise is
a witness for us to that great time, when one more generation of
us is going to become a part of this Gotul, who, along with
being its genetic carriers, will also be its new energy infusion.”
Mukwan is overwhelmed with emotion while saying this. All
the functionaries are listening to this in such a way as if being a
part of this moment is filling them with pride, “For this very
purpose, our master who founded Gotul and who is the regulator

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of its musical instruments, Kupar Lingo had established this
great learning centre, in which we lay down a strong foundation
of our life. We are proud that Gotul has bestowed us with this
responsibility. Special emphasis should be laid on the fact that
this whole process under our supervision must go as disciplined
as it has been happening since generations. This only will be
paying true respect to the emotional energy of our forefathers.”
On the walls of the entertainment cell, there is a colourful
portraiture of various dance forms. It is widely said that these
pictures were made by this Gotul’s first Belosa. Often, on these
walls only, hang all the eighteen musical instruments described
in Lingo’s saga.
Here, walking on the numerous self -made zig - zag
pathways, which connect Gotul to the villages, Koyaturs, who
are to get membership of the Gotul today are constantly
arriving. Behind the Gotul house, at the same level of the wall, a
river flows, which is commonly known as ‘Aamdaayi.’ This
river is the oldest friend of this ancient structure. The reflection
of the diyas, kept on the high walls of the Gotul, seem to be
dancing to the tunes of the musical instruments coming from the
entertainment cell, while the babbling sound of the flow of the
river is under its own struggle to become a part of these tunes.
From the other three sides it has been surrounded by strong
walls of stone, the height of which has been kept so high that
unless someone gains entry, the activities going on inside can
neither be deciphered nor guessed; therefore, the activities
inside the Gotul remain a secret always. No outsider gets even a

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hint about it and this is also its secrecy’s rule; Gotul’s unwritten
but first rule.
Today, as soon as Belosa lit the first diya, the Cheliks
started lighting bonfires at dozens of places in the open ground,
which is at the center of the outer wall and the cells, which is
mainly a playground. Now, around these bonfires only, making
young Cheliks sit in groups, officers are teaching them various
subjects. To some groups, saga of Lingo is being told, some are
being taught dance, while some are being allotted work too.
Many other groups are being perfected in playing musical
instruments. In this very playground, competitions of archery
and fencing are also organized and their education is also
imparted in this playground only. As and when needed, an
assembly in remembrance of the ancestors is also organized
here. Everyday, under the supervision of a female staff, it is
cleaned, and if there is any slack in doing so, Belosa punishes
the Motiyaris responsible, whereas the responsibility of fetching
wood for bonfires is of the Cheliks. After Belosa lights the
‘first’ diya, along with the torches fixed on the walls, lighting
the bonfires on the playground begins.
On the left of this very playground, numerous small cells
have been constructed which belong to the Motiyaris, while to
the right are cells of the same size, in which the Cheliks have
permission to live. These cells have been decorated by the
leaves of saagotaad (palm tree) today.
Evening has fallen. In front of her own cell, Belosa is
having a discussion with other female staff. Standing in a circle,
these staffs are called Dulosa, Alosa, Tiloka, Suloka, Nilosa,

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Jalko and Malko. Since Belosa is the highest order among the
women, she is distributing work to the remaining staff.
“Kotwar has informed me that about two hundred and fifty
Motiyaris are to be given membership,” Dulosa informs Belosa
and pointing towards the lot of paniyas says, “We have received
sufficient number of paniyas also, total two hundred and fifty.”
“Preparations for tattooing have also been completed,”
Nirosa explicates about her work, “which are to be completed
by trained female tattooers only.”
After which Alosa says, “I have also received around two
hundred and fifty bells. Kotwar has said that he will be ready
with the same number of waist bands at the entry gate.”
After listening to everyone, Belosa, seeing the anxiety of
the crowd at the entry gate says, “We should begin the process
of giving memberships now.” After saying this she starts
looking with such intent towards the assembly hall as if
probably, very soon, someone will give her the affirmation
message of Mukwan after with the process of giving
membership will begin. Then, turning back towards the female
tattooers she starts saying, “The entire responsibility of tattooing
is on the female tattooers and, if needed, then dulosa and alosa
will also help in this.” Pointing towards the other direction she
says, “Today will be their first entry in the Gotul; therefore
tattoo shapes of their choice on their body so that these shapes
remind them of their first day in Gotul lifelong.” Her face
blossoms while saying the last sentence and she starts looking at
the tattooes made on her body in such a way as if they were
reminding her of her first day in this Gotul.

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 Just like a ‘mother’ has a role in a house, absolutely the
same way Belosa has a role in Gotul, who imparts education to
these new Motiyaris on many aspects of life. When the Motiyari
appointed to the post of Belosa takes leave forever from Gotul,
the female members trained by her get so distraught at the
separation, feeling as if their own mother has passed away
leaving them behind. Alongwith Mukwan and Belosa, the rest
of the officers are chosen by the members of the Gotul from
among themselves, which is a democratic process. Neither any
person nor any organisation of an outside village can meddle in
their election or in their decisions. Gotul can consult them as
and when needed. This is the most powerful youth organization
of Koyaturs’ social arrangement, upon which the entire future of
the community is dependent. Therefore, it has got so much
power that Mukwan and Belosa can punish the other remaining
staff and members on their mistakes; also seeing the nature of
their crime, they are even capable of terminating their
membership from the Gotul. Whereas, if situation such arises,
then proceedings against them can also take place, the decision
of which is taken by the entire village in its traditional village
meeting (Bumkaal), under the surveillance of which stands the
whole of Gotul, the whole village and its cultural-social
philosophy.
Like always, equipped with all the weapons, a guard
stands in front of the cells, at the sole entry door made on the
outer wall, who is allowing entry to the new members after
verifying their name from the list, which has come from the
villages. This guard is very agile and attentive, to whom the new

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members are giving stems of rice plant and after checking their
name on the list, he is permitting them to stand in the queue.
This is the reason why, just moments after sunset, two long
queues of Cheliks and motiyars form at the main door.
“Tell me your name?” The guard hollers at a Chelik who
is putting forward the stems of rice, so that he is able to put
across his voice to the Chelik from amidst the noise
accumulating there.
“Jima....” The Chelik tells his name.
The guard is not able to hear the name due to the noise
coming from the bells hanging off the hips of the Cheliks
standing in the queue and shouts again, “What?”
This time the Chelik also shouts with his full strength,
“Jima.”
“Manda’s name?”
“Dorpa.”
“Born of which womb?”
“Parsa.” With this he completes his introduction, after
which it is clear to the guard that the Gotra (lineage) of Jima’s
father is Dorpa and he is born of the womb of a mother, who
carries the Gotra of Parsa.
The introduction of the Koyaturs is considered
incomplete without their mother’s, so whenever one is asked for
an introduction, then after telling one’s name and Gotra, one
definitely tells the name of the mother’s Gotra, the Gotra of the
womb which has given one the foundation for one’s life.

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 “Jima...Dorpa...Parsa....” Looking for these in the list that
he is holding, the guard repeats it two to three times, whose
voice is subdued by the noise of the bells.
Meanwhile, that Chelik is anxiously waiting for the
guard to find his name on the list at the earliest so that he gets
the permission to stand in the queue. That is why his eyes are
glued on the guard, holding towards whom the stems of rice, he
is standing.
It is mandatory for these new members to bring stems of
rice plant from their homes, which are hung at the entry gate.
Often made on the eve of occasions, these stems of rice are
either already available in their homes or their parents send it by
making it themselves. Actually, having had been members of
the Gotul once upon a time, these are symbolic messages sent
by those parents who had promised at the time of leaving it that
they would definitely send their future generation here. The
Stems of rice indicate that they have fulfilled their promise by
sending their seed, meaning children. Whichever Chelik’s
stems of rice the guard is going on accepting, immediately bells
are tied on his waist. Due to this, the bells hanging from the hips
have created great noise there and, to win over this noise, the
guard has to shout whatever he wants to say, “Yes, got it. Go
stand in the queue.” Saying this, the guard hangs those stems of
rice at the entry gate, which itself has become a decorated
reception gate for today.
As soon as the permission is granted, Jima runs and
stands at the very end of the queue, which has formed at the

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entry gate and, parallel to which, there is another hanging queue
of Motiyaris of his own age.
After the entry gate, now inside the Gotul too, the noise
of the bells hanging from the hips of the Cheliks is going on
increasing, which is adamant on taking the leadership of the rest
of the hustle-bustle happening there.
The Jodiya, standing inside, is trying to attract attention
of the new members standing in the queue towards his warning
by repeatedly thumping the long stick, held in his hand, on the
ground, “Everyone remain in the queue or else they will be sent
behind again.” In the ensuing time, the ones who had broken the
discipline ignoring his warnings have already had to face this
punishment. He is doing so, to make them realise the strict
rules of the Gotul.
These long queues at the entry gate are ending at the
pillar, which is situated in between the gate and the
entertainment hall. This tall and broad pillar, made of stone, is
the symbol of the ‘power of nature’, on which symbols similar
to the sun and the moon are crafted, highlighting the power of
parents, reflecting on the complete cycle of nature, whereas the
number of documented gotras is 750. It is said that this was the
first step in the making of Gotul. It was only after the setting up
of the pillar that the construction work of the Gotul began, and
this is why it also believed that the entire energy of the emotions
of this Gotul is centered on this pillar. Just after a while,
standing next to this pillar only, today the present Mukwan will
address the Gotul for the first time in this year. While
addressing, the Mukwan stands beside the pillar in such a

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manner that the shadow of the pillar formed due to the light
emanating from the diyas definitely falls on some or other part
of his body, and that is why this address is considered in
accordance with entire of Gotul’s emotional energy. Meanwhile
here, the Mukwan along with Belosa, by gifting mohat and
paniya to these queues is accepting their membership, and this is
the last ritual in providing the membership by the Gotul
administration.
Jima, slowly and gradually, moves ahead in the line and
the moment he crosses the entry gate, he keeps turning his head,
staring at the activities going on in the playground with such
excitement as if after a while he is going to reach that height
from where it can be possible to view the entire world at once.
Everyone standing in the queue is in more or less the same
situation as Jima’s, who want to get done with this process as
soon as possible and become an active participant in all the
activities going on in the Gotul. Just then, Jima’s gaze falls on a
young swordswan who is tutoring a group of Cheliks in fencing,
and unexpectedly, he utters, “Dada,” which means elder brother.
Of an average height and a stout body, that swordsman
is looking like a warrior. His wheatish body has taken a
yellowish colour. His face is round and hair long and winding,
while the folds under his eyes are thick. In the piercing of his
right ear he is wearing a small piece of mango wood. There is
also a fine line of some injury on his chin. Many such lines are
visible on many parts of his bare body, which are probably
made by the opposing swords. Twenty four years old, this
swordsman appears to be serious and patient by nature. At the

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first glance, his valour and firmness are clearly reflecting on his
bold and introverted face. This swordsman, with complete
pensiveness, is swinging his sword in different directions,
seeing which the dexterity of his swordsmanship can be
inferred. The group of young Cheliks standing in front of him,
whom he tutors in fencing in this Gotul, is watching him with
concentration as if they are counting the minutest detail of his
skill.
Swinging his sword, he says, “Our eyes should be on
the eyes of the opponent, whose direct relation is with his brain.
which tells us where he is preparing to strike next.”
Saying this, he expands his large arms due to which the
thread tied on his right arm starts getting stretched. This thread
is enmeshed with the fibers of mahua tree. It is said that when,
after his birth, he was unable to breathe, when only his heart
was thumping loud, then his “yaya”, which means mother, had
tied the flowers of mahua with this thread on his right arm and,
since then, this thread remains tied to his arm always. This is his
yaya’s unshakeable wanting, who probably thinks that his son
Beer’s life is tied to this thread.
Yes, Beer: adeptly training the young members of the
Gotul in swordsmanship, this young swordsman’s name is Beer.
Beer is the only child of the ‘Gayata,’ the social and
cultural head of this village. Except swordfighting, Beer has
little interest in rest of the activities of the Gotul. It is well
known in the whole of Gotul that, when he had gotten his
membership, then after taking mohat from the Mukwan, he had
straightaway come and stood in this very arena of sword

19
fighting, where he is standing now, but at that time, he was mere
part of the group of Cheliks just like the one he is teaching now.
Showing on his arms, these marks of swords show his
perseverance which has not only given him this chance by
making him stand out of the crowd, but also made him the
winner of this Gotul.
After entering the Gotul, Beer directly takes his sword
from the weapon cell and begins training the Cheliks in the
playground. who like always, had been eagerly waiting for their
favourite swordsman. Only at times, upon being called by the
Mukwan, does he go to the assembly hall, only when some
matter is related to him. Due to his valor, officers often propose
his name in the list of Cheliks who guard the borders of the
village at night.
Beer is his name inside the Gotul whereas outside it he
is known as Irpa. Irpa means that child who was born in that
season, when flowers of mahua had started blooming. This
name has been given to him by his yaya.
Jima is Beer’s cousin brother. Only recently, he has
turned seven. Last day only, the ritual of piercing his ear has
commemorated when by the village mothers, after piercing his
ears, he was made to wear ludking (tribal earring). Only after
this ritual is the memebership of Gotul possible, therefore, his
name is included in the memerbership list sent by the village.
He was only three years old, when his parents died. Since then
he has been living in his elder brother Beer’s house and this is
why, when he sees Beer on the open ground, his eyes fixate on
him with feelings of familiarity.

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 Meanwhile, the process of giving membership is going
on in full swing. After receiving paniya from Belosa, new
Motiyaris are going on sitting on the round, rough stones kept
on the open ground where female tattooers are tattooing them
on their necks, arms, foreheads, chins, backs and calves of their
legs. While tattooing, these female tattooers are also narrating
them a folklore, “When we will leave Gotul, we will only be
able to take this tattoo with us the beauty of which, connecting
us to this Gotul, will always remind us of the lessons we learnt
here.” While saying this, these female tattooers are dipping a
piece of wood, on which a fine needle of brass is attached, in the
admixture made of tarcoal and are poking the new Motiyaris.
And recognizing the pain caused by doing so they further say,
“You have grown up now. You have become Gotullaya now.
You have now gained the capability of withstanding the pain.
The way you are tolerating the pain with happiness now, in the
same way, tolerate the pain caused in odd situations because,
just like these shapes of tattooes, they will also emerge as
beautiful pictures in the future.”
Wandering his eyes all over the playground, Jima,
eventually, reaches the Mukwan who, accepting his
membership, gifts him mohat after taking which, he joins the
coeval group of Cheliks and Motiyaris. This group, just a little
farther from the pillar, is in the control of the Jodiya who is
appealing in his stern voice, “Everyone maintain silence and
discipline in the group, which is Gotul’s first rule. After some
time Mukwan will address the Gotul after which we will have to
reassemble again here itself. On the first day in Gotul,

21
information about its history and rules is given, which we will
begin shortly.” He further says, “After a month, everyone’s
naming ceremony will be organized, where everyone will be
given their Gotul names. Only Gotul name is used inside the
Gotul. Here, those who use names of their homes or clans are
strictly punished and also it is strictly prohibited to reveal these
names outside. We do not make our parents or other members
of family use these names the same way we do not use our
home names in Gotul. Till the naming ceremony, all Cheliks
will come to Gotul with their bells tied on their waists. After
getting Gotul names only the restraint on using bells will be
revoked, and then they have to be returned to Gotul.”
But Jima’s attention is not in whatever jodiya is saying.
His curious eyes are gazing the whole of Gotul which do not
want to stop anywhere. But, in the end, those high walls are
able to attract his attention towards them when he recalls that
the previous day, while the piercing of his ear, Beer, sensing his
fear, had told him that the Mukwan, when impressed by the
good work of the new members, gives them their favourite
ghosla (small home, literarily: nest). Related to these nests only,
the layas and layors of Gotul often sing a song during a duel,
which is not only famous in the Gotul but also in the entire
village:
Laya: The tall tree on the top of the mountain behind the Gotul,
in it whose nest is it, Jodiya tell us…
Layor: Listen, the tall tree which is on the top of the mountain
behind the Gotul, has the nest of a parrot; listen...

22
Laya: Who climbed on that tall tree, which is on top of the
mountain behind the Gotul? Jodiya, tell us...
Layor: Listen, on that tall tree, on top of the hill, behind the
Gotul, maaji climbed; listen...
Laya: Why did maaji climb that hill? Jodiya, tell us...
Layor: Listen, maaji climbed the hill to bring down the nest,
listen...
Laya: When Maaji brought down the nest, who held it down
there? Jodiya, tell us...
Layor: Once down, that nest was held by Belosa listen... Our
Belosa, listen...
Laya: Where is that nest now? Kotwar, tell us...
Layor: Listen, it is among the nests hanging on these walls of
Gotul listen, now you will have to find that nest on these walls
only, listen…

This is why, Jima starts looking for his favourite nest on

those walls. Actually, near the windows made on these outer
walls, which are enclosing the Gotul from all three sides,
different weapons and other traditional weapons hang. Their
purpose is to protect their culture by answering to any external
attack from these windows only, for doing which, today again
they will give their word to this Gotul, like they have been every
new year. In between these windows only, a dozen nests of
different species of birds and honeycombs have been hanged,
which are given as awards to the winners or to small members
in recognition of happiness from any of their work. Often,
Mukwan gifts these to members who are taking leave from
Gotul, who then hang them in their homes.
23
 Jodiya is now saying, “Everyday, we should come to
Gotul which explaining to us the importance of life, will master
us in various teachings; which will teach us to stay strong in
adverse situations; will give us purpose of living.” After this, he
orders, “Every Motiyari tuck the paniya received from Belosa in
their hair. This gift signifies the Gotul’s and Belosa’s love
towards you.”
Upon receiving the command, Motiyaris tuck the
paniyas in their hair, and after tattooing, they feel this once
again, “We have now grown up, we have become Gotullayas
now.”
After some time both the queues end, and Mukwan
and Belosa stop distributing the gifts. Just then an
announcement is made from the pillar, “All the members
assemble near the pillar; our Mukwan is going to address the
Gotul.”
The voice of the announcer is so loud that it is
reaching every corner of this Gotul. After this announcement,
all the programmes happening in the entertainment cell and the
playground are stopped, and in just a while the whole of Gotul
assembles near the pillar in which the group formed under the
direction of Jodiya is also included.
Mukwan and Belosa are standing at the base of the
pillar. Right in front of them, forming a semi-circle group, the
rest of the member’s stand, in which the new members are
standing at the forefront. Half of the semicircle is of Gotullayas
and the other half of Gotullayors, whose whispers have spread a
mild hullabaloo there.

24
 First and foremost, Mukwan prays to the energy of
nature, and smears turmeric and rice grains on the pillar. The
mahua flower, which had been dipped in water, is also offered
to the pillar by him after which one of the functionaries starts
sprinkling that water all around and silence befalls there.
Mukwan begins the address, “Sewa - Johaar.”
All the members respond to the greeting together,
“Sewa - Johaar.”
Shadow of the pillar, which has been formed due to the
lit diyas on the high walls of Gotul, has already covered half of
Mukwan’s body and due to the force of the wind, sometimes it
swings too. He further says, “This Yermihtna welcomes you
all.”
‘Yermihtna is the name of this Gotul. After birth, the
first bath given by the mother is called as ‘Yermihtna.’ It is said
that this first bath given by the mother fuels energy for the
whole life and, if the first bath of the child is not given properly,
then it might become weak in the life ahead. When someone is
unsuccessful in doing some work or fulfilling a responsibility
then, in discontent, he is often asked, “Your ‘yermhitna’ wasn’t
done properly or what?” and this is why in his speech the
Mukwan is saying, “The way, from the first bath given by the
mother, energy is accumulated in the new born similarly, this
Gotul Yermihtna will accumulate energy in us. That knowledge-
clad energy which makes us cognizant of our social system,
values of our life, life struggles, our duties, our history; makes
us cognizant of our culture, and making us adept in war skills,
tells us the true definition of valour. That energy which,

25
teaching us to reason makes us complete and enriches a positive
outlook towards life. This only is Lingo’s philosophy of Gotul
who established it for the expansion of its social system and
philosophy of life. We are committed to the protection of our
society, and that is why we become accomplished in war skills
here. The responsibilities which are on us today, in the future
will be on these little ones who have gained citizenship today,
which Gotul will only make them aware of. Some time back
our parents were members of this Gotul, today we are and in the
future our coming generations will be. Gotul’s rules are
unwritten but strict.” He speaks the last line with extra firmness,
as if suggesting to never forgetting it. “Take note of this. It is
crime of the highest order to break the trust of the ancestors
because it is a betrayal of their emotions. Here, we will only
give punishment for crimes, whereas they themselves give
punishment for insult to their emotions, the anticipation of
which is impossible. Today we are beginning a new term,
therefore completing the last ritual in giving memberships, I
Mukwan, with all the unbounded emotional energy transmitted
by generations of this Gotul, praying and requesting to nature,
today make the new members, who are taking their first step,
take the oath that, “We will never allow ourselves to go beyond
the rules of Gotul.”
Mukwan says in a loud voice while making them take
the oath, which all the new members repeat together and
immature voices start echoing there, “We will never allow
ourselves to go beyond the rules of Gotul.”

26
 Mukwan further says, “As long as nature has given us
life energy, till then, we, sons of nature, will follow its rules.”
Immature voices repeat it again, “As long as nature has
given us life energy, till then, we sons of nature, will follow its
rules.”
Now, Mukwan strectches both his hands towards the
sky and says, “Seva - Seva”. (“Service - Service.”)
“Seva - Seva.... Seva - Seva.... Seva - Seva....” The
whole of Gotul raises both their hands towards the sky, whose
fists just like Mukwan’s, is clasped the same way a newborn’s
fists are after its birth, which is a manifestation of nature’s given
natural behavior. This is a gesture towards nature that even
today we are like that newborn baby in front of you who,
without any training, starts breastfeeding from its yaya. We are
still living that natural behaviour. We have not constructed any
other artificial system willfully. Our life is centered on the spirit
of service. Service is the basic spirit of the ‘weltanschauung’
(philosophy of life, jeevan darshan) of Koyaturs; service of
nature, service of our ancestors, service of human beings, which
is why this word echoes there many times, in which there is a
mixture of immature and mature voices.
After this address of Mukwan, all the senior members
surround the new members and start greeting them. At this time
only, Beer meets Jima inside the Gotul, who is happy to find
him in Gotul. He is hopeful that Jima will be successful in
getting his favourite nest.
In a few seconds only, the whole of Yermihtna echoes
with the traditional tunes of its musical instruments, which are

27
being played by Gotul’s music group on today’s festive
occasion. In no time, dozens of dance groups of the member’s
form, who, keeping their hands on each other’s back like
bumblebees are going on making a ring like shape.
Bumblebees are the most disciplined dancers of the
world. The way in which, concentrated on a centre, they form a
ring like shape, in the same way, holding each other’s hands,
this dance group centering themselves on the pillar, which
signifies power of nature, start dancing as if the pillar is infusing
energy in them. They are taught and trained in Gotul, who,
dancing by moving their feet rhythmically back and forth, start
moving round and round. Among them many have also tied
ghungrus, which are round and not empty from inside, on their
right feet, which they are rhythmically banging and lifting to
and from the ground. Its sweet echo is reaching outside the
Gotul towards the sky, and just like the humming of
bumblebees, the echo of the lyrics, “Re Re Lo Yo! Re La! Re
Re La! Re La! Re Re Lo Yo! Re La! Re Re La...,” is
reverberating.
Lingo had interviewed this dance form (Rela-Pata) from
that humming of bumblebees. This dance song is not only an
integral part of every festival of Gotul but also its Koyaturs’
lives. From birth till death, they express their philosophy of life
using this dance form, just like today when they are expressing
their evolution in which mother’s womb, which is known as
‘koya,’ is the foundation of life. Lakhs of years ago, their
forefathers were born on this earth of this very Koya. In those
days, having had no options of shelter, to protect themselves

28
from vagaries of nature, they took shelter in caves and when the
time came to select options for food, they consumed mahua
flowers, which have hundreds of qualities being the top most
natural food. This mahua flower was not only their diet but it
had protected them from serious diseases too. It was the most
easily available medicine provided by nature.
Just like a mother keeps her child protected in her
womb, in the same way these caves had protected them, which
is why they named it ‘Koya.’ Then, their first diet source,
flowers of mahua, which hold the same status as that of a
mother’s womb, were also named ‘Koya,’ and in the end,
paying respect to mother’s womb, along with the caves and
mahua who had played an important role in their evolution, they
defined themselves as ‘Koyaturs,’ the primary meaning of
which is ‘born of the womb.’ Even today while commemorating
their ancestors, mahua flowers is only offered in oblation,
which they do not pluck from the trees, but keep the fallen
flowers preserved for years, which has been bestowed by nature
with an astounding capability of reviving their original form
when dipped in water.
Now, the commotion inside the Gotul reaches its height.
In welcoming of its new members, today this Gotul will be busy
with music the whole night that will bear witness to various
dance forms and be a part of it.
No one knows how many generations’ hard work has
gone into the making of this huge Gotul, which has, together
with its hundreds of new members, started its new beginning
again. It is the keeper of memories of many past generations of

29
these Koyaturs. Those generations which, even though living a
life of hardships, embellished this lively structure, laid its
foundations, transferred it securely to the new generations,
which is the symbol of world’s most ancient and developed
civilization, is its torch bearer, its elucidation.

2
Kaatikaar

30
 Having lost patience, the crowd, like some war zone, is
standing forming a circle. The crowd’s energy is at its peak.
There’s a sort of a tussle to reach inside the zone and to gaze at
it, among which many have increased their height, standing on
tiptoe, while some, without calculating the success or failure of
their effort are trying to push themselves in. It appears as if
indiscipline is only the discipline of this impatient crowd.
This uncontrollable scene is of the cock market which is
captive inside the enclosure made of bamboo, where the cock
fighters are tubthumping their cocks by cheering them up. It is
apparent that the crowd is divided into two groups. One group is
on the side of the cock that has a hot red crest on his head and is
covered with red and black feathers, while the other group is on
the side of that cock who is of a variegated colour and whose
neck is long. The cock fighters of both the cocks, making varied
and strange sounds, are inciting their cocks to strike, as if these
strange sounds was the language of the cocks and they
themselves well articutated in it. On the feet of these cocks is
tied, to give a deathly blow to the opponent, thin and
excessively sharp knife which is called Kaati and the person
who has tied it is called Kaatikaar. Whenever a cock strikes a
deathly blow on the other with this Kaati, the anxiety of the
crowd doubles.
Along with the fight, the euphoria of the crowd is also at
its peak. Both the cocks are looking determined to win. The
experienced ones in the crowd are betting on their favourite
cock, who they expect has a better chance at winning. These
cocks have been trained for a week. They have been made

31
strong by giving them nutritious food. Probably in the dark, they
have been kept away from the females because of which they
have become aggressive. Most of the people are betting on the
red cock, while many have changed their bet too. Those who
were betting on the spotted cock earlier have sided with the red
cock now because, standing behind this stout and more
powerful looking cock, its owner is the best ‘Kaatikaar’ of this
market.
Suddenly, a blow of the red cock meets the neck of the
spotted one, and before he could calm down after fluttering his
wings anxiously, drops of blood can be seen on the ground.
Seeing this, a large section of the excited crowd which had bid
on the red cock, lift the winning cock fighter on their shoulders.
“It is impossible to defeat Juko.”
“Juko has mastery in tying kaati.”
“There is no other Kaatikaar like Juko.”
“Juko is a great Kaatikaar.”
“Juko is invincible.”
Juko, surrounded by the crowd, is that illustrious cock
fighter whose name has reverberated in the whole ground. Juko
is that Kaatikaar who is obsessive about cock fighting and has
got mastery in tying Kaati, as if he has gained this mastery in
his mother’s womb only. Today, it was his third successive win
in cock fighting, which is nothing new for this exhuberant
crowd and the powerful ground which has wrapped it.
Juko is Gotul’s twenty four year old Chelik with an
insignificant height, muscular body and eyes as if looking for
some invisible aim. Outside this cock market, the colour of his

32
face is always red, eyebrows raised, trembling lips appearing in
an angry countenance. If anyone wants to see even a slight
smile on his face, then he will have to compulsively come inside
this cock market within whose bounds he has defeated even
defeat. On his bare body, in the form of an exception, is a knot
of flesh in his navel. Maybe, after birth, the village mothers did
not cut the umbilical cord connected to his abdomen
completely, which is present in his navel even today. It is said
that right after his birth his yaya had passed away, when the
newborn Juko had come out of the womb leaving his placenta
there, which had caused excessive bleeding becoming the cause
of her death. If he has any guilt of this fact, it is difficult to
comprehend, because he has never mentioned it from his own
mouth and reading emotions from his face is difficult in its own
right. His aunt had fed him milk, but he would always be treated
differently. His aunt fed milk to her kids first while Juko would
keep crying for hours. Few consider him the reason for his
mother’s death, while in childhood his friends teased him by
calling him ‘moynor’ which means ‘someone who kills his
mother.’
Once, upon being called ‘moynor’ by his opponent, an
angry Juko drew a long line on his forehead with the kati, which
was tied on his cock’s leg. The seriousness of this incidence can
be gauged from the fact that the village administration
(Bumkaal) had to intervene and then Juko was sent away from
this ground for six months, within whose boundaries he had
become synonymous to success.

33
 He is like an unsolved puzzle for Gotul, who
participates very little in its special assemblies; neither Gotul
bestows him with any significant responsibility. He likes cock
fighting in the village, while sword fighting in the Gotul.
In cock fighting, his cocks remain the centre of
attraction. He has achieved mastery in tying kaati. There are
many other kaatikaars in this cock market too, who in exchange
for money tie kaati for other cock fighters, but Juko is the best
among them and he never ties kaati to any other cock fighter’s
cock, even if he is proposed twice the amount. That is why, in
this ground, his kaati is also famous with the name ‘Juko’ which
means an ‘unmissed shot.’ People fear to bet against him.
Juko, inside the Gotul, is the competitor of Beer in
sword fighting. He is the only Chelik in Gotul who is
considered equal to Beer. Both of them had taken membership
of the Gotul on the same day too. Just like Beer, he too had
turned towards the ring of sword fighting after receiving the
mohat from the Mukwan and he too was a part of that group,
which Beer was a part of. Since childhood, his dream has been
to be the winner of Gotul. He wants to make the echo of his
name from the cock fighting ground to reach the Gotul, but, till
now, he has not been able to defeat Beer. He has always been
remorseful of that and awaits that day, when defeating Beer, he
will make the echo of his name reach Gotul. Except the ring of
sword fighting, he has never come face to face with Beer nor
had a conversation with him because Juko sees Beer only as a
competitor. That competitor who, blocking his dream, is

34
preventing his name from echoing in the Gotul, that is why,
outside the ring of sword fighting they always ignore each other.
Coincidentally, at present he is the sole Chelik of the
Gotul, whose name, ‘Juko,’ is the same inside and outside the
Gotul, who like always, even today, along with his Gotul friends
Kosha and Kame, will feast on the money from the win of the
cockfights and the betted money.

3
35
 Confluence Fair of the Pens

According to the philosophy of life of Koyaturs, as long

as energy is stored in the living body, it is called ‘Ven’ form and
after death it called ‘Pen’ form.
Today, when Belosa lit the first diya of the Gotul, there
began a contestation among its new members to light the diyas.
There was such a lack of patience in that contest that, Jodiya
had to make strict appeals to maintain discipline numerous
times. He also punished many of them to do squats, this is why,
along with the number of diyas burning in the Gotul, the effect
of its lights is also double and the reflection of the diyas is not
only dancing in the Aamdayi river but their shine, crossing the
other bank of the river, is knocking at that valley in whose folds
the river herself flows. This valley, which is known as “Uttong
valley,” is the oldest witness of the friendship of this river and
the Gotul. “Utna” means ‘to stretch’ or ‘to attract’ and “Uttong”
means attractive.
The first reason for the attractiveness of this valley is it’s
that rich history, which makes it the elucidator of history. It is
said that, hundreds of years ago, the flow of the Aamdayi River
had stopped between the two peaks of this valley, because these
two peaks had been working together as a natural dam, due to
which the level of water of the river was rising constantly. If
this had continued ceaselessly, then it would have been
impossible for the present Maad to have settled. All the villages,
clans and sections of the Maad would have drowned in this
river. Taking cognizance of this problem, the best of all Pens,

36
‘Paat Raajpaal,’ alongwith the commander of his army ‘Useh
Mudyal,’ invokes all the Pens of the Maad to the peak of the
valley. All of them were then alive in the Ven form. Receiving
the calling from their king, all the Pen powers, upon reaching
there without any delay, start planning to stop the river from
flowing towards the present Maad and to move its course
towards the east.
The main role in this work was of ‘Useh Mudyal’ who
was the most reliable military commander of the Paat Raajaal.
This courageous, tall and broad chested Pen stood guarding the
very front row like some warrior. The arrow which was present
with him during this work is kept on the peak of Juwada valley
even today. In the form of a huge rock, Useh Mudyaal’s seat is
still secure in the Uttong valley.
Everyone was busy making the river deeper so that by
cutting the peak, its eastward course could be determined. And
then suddenly, ‘Irush Mura’ arrives there, and before anyone
could fathom the intentions of his arrival, he breaks the natural
dam formed on the peak of the valley, due to which, the
obstruction of the river ends and it automatically starts to flow
eastwards.
According to legends, Irush Mura had done it with the
intention of protecting the Maad only. He was an orphan and
was very poor, but in spite of that he was extremely powerful
and courageous. Since childhood he was considered a truant
because he had an utter lack of patience, the instances of which
he had exhibited many a times apart from this incident.

37
 Doing so, he starts running towards the east, the same
direction in which Aamdayi is flowing today. Upon the
command of Paat Raajaal, all the Pen energies present at the
peak of the valley try to catch him and, like always, in front of
his swiftness, all meet failure.
After this incident, the Paat Raajpaal had established
Gotul, which is today known as ‘Pen Gotul,’ on the peak of this
valley having historical importance. This is why, every year, a
confluence fair (jatra) of the Pen’s is held here. During this
confluence, the emblems of those entire Pen energies are
assembled together who, having controlled the course of the
river, had played an important role in protecting the Maad.
This emblem is made of Sal tree, in which two round
and thick wood splinters are connected parallely the same way
two poles of a stair are connected together with the footboard,
made to keep one’s feet. Peacock’s feathers and bells are tied to
it. On its front end, a tongue, resembling some snake’s hood, is
also made. This emblem is called ‘Aanga’ which is carried by
four people on their shoulders together with ease. After carrying
it, they automatically start manifesting the emotions of that
Aanga. ‘Aanga’ is the symbol of paternal energy, whereas for
maternal energies, ‘Doli’ (a small carriage in which brides are
ushered down the aisle on her wedding day) is made.
Actually, calculating the emotional energy of those
ancestors, who had made an important contribution towards the
building of their society, custom and history, in the form of
Aanga or Doli, lifelong guidance is taken from them, which is
why, in the confluence fair of the Pens, this valley gets filled

38
with hundreds of Aangas and Dolis which are the emblems of
the ancestors of the whole Mad.
This way, one bank of the Aamdayi River touches the
Ven Gotul, while the other bank touches the Pen Gotul as if it is
a connecting cord between the two.
Just a few months after the harvest of paddy crop,
‘Karsaad’ is organized in the village. Karsaad means to play, to
dance, to have entertainment, to express feelings, the confluence
of emotions, the thanking of emotions, and the freeing of
emotions completely.
To thank the ancestors for their year-long guidance, on a
special date every year, Karsaad is celebrated, in which one’s
emotions are made to reach them through different mediums.
The ancestors are entertained, made to dance, made to listen to
songs, are played with, and are presented with gifts; there is a
give and take of unlimited emotions with them in which Aanga
and Doli start dancing with joy. This festival only is called
Karsaad or Jatra.
The practice of Karsaad songs has started in the Gotul
from today itself, which will continue the entire month. That is
why, after a short while only along with its radiance, these
Karsaad songs also start knocking at the Uttong valley, which
this valley has been listening to since generations. These songs
are the cultural inheritance of the Maad, the natural expression
of history, also the meeting point of the Pens, and probably due
to this only, in the form of an award, this valley has been
confered upon immense wealth by nature. Spread in about
seventeen kilometers, this valley has kept priceless iron ore

39
safely in its womb, which is the second most important aspect
of its attractiveness.

40
 4
Trail

Jima has gotten the membership of the Gotul two days

back only. Today is the ninth death anniversary of his parents,
which is why he has come to the memorial ground with Beer.
This memorial ground is located in the east of the village.
Burying the dead body in this ground which is set exclusively
for the dead, at some places, five to ten feet tall, broad and thick
stones, while at other places, poles of wood are dug in the
ground in commemoration of the ancestors, which are called
‘kamk.’ According to the fictional stories of grandmothers, if
the ancestors are happy, the length of these stones start
increasing and if they are disappointed, then they either fall or
bend. According to these stories only, it is also an indicator of
the approaching misfortune. The road running parallel to this
open ground connects this village to the city. Whenever
someone comes from the city, his/her eyes fall on this deserted
ground first, which is kind of in ruins. Often, in the still of the
afternoon or night no one comes here. Among the stones lined
up in many queues stand bamboo columns intermittently.
Spread in front of the stones on this ground is scattered
belongings of the dead: mats, children’s toys, bamboo bundles,
clothes, broken pots, baskets and utensils. On every ocassion
celebrated in the village, it is here that the forefathers are
offered gifts. Once every year the whole village assembles here
in remembrance of their forefathers, and they are presented with
their favourite food, clothes and other gifts.

41
 Actually, in the nature-centric philosophy of life, death is a
celebration, as a result of which, the human body, which is
made up of the five elements of nature: water, fire, sky, air and
soil, once again merges with its fundamental energy source i.e.
nature.
According to this philosophy of life, billions of years ago
after the origin of the world, when Earth originated, then
foremost the element of soil came into existence, which this
Earth is made of. After which, on this very Earth, other energies
originated, which is why this Earth is the mother of all energies.
When the other four elements originated after soil, then life
originated, and when death comes, then water, fire, sky and air
once again merge in nature and only soil remains, which is why
there is a tradition of burying the dead and hence, koyatur’s
never break a promise made in the name of soil.
Jima’s father was once a guard of the Gotul, but saying
only this is not sufficient in his introduction. It is important to
say that he was also the best dancer of the Gotul. He had not
only led his Gotul into many competitions but had also made his
team win in that wonderful dance form, which is known as
‘Gedi’ in the whole of Bastar.
This Gedi is a long and strong stick made of bamboo, on
which a footboard, made of wood to keep the legs, is also
attached. On important occasions, standing on this gedi only,
dance is perfomed in Gotul. Adorning colourful costumes, these
dancers stick peocock’s feathers in their turbans. They are
trained and represent their respective Gotuls in the competitions.
From their dance expertise, it seems as if it is not a wooden gedi

42
but a part of their feet only, which has doubled their height.
Sometimes, they make sounds by clashing each other’s gedi,
while sometimes by hitting it rhythmically on the ground.
While his father was a dancer, his mother was an ‘Alosa’
of the Gotul. They had accepted each other as life partners in the
Gotul itself, which is why, among the hundreds of crowns
hanging from the ceiling of the assembly hall, his father’s
marriage’s crown is also hanging. Even today, that crown
reminds Gotul of that evening, when in front of the entire Gotul,
Jima’s father had asked for leave by tucking a paniya in his
mother’s bun, after which, Gotul got busy in celebrating the last
ritual of their leave taking.
Actually, other than giving it as a gift, paniya has
another important role. Whenever any Chelik accepts a Motiyari
as his life partner, then to express his love, in a symbolic form
gifts a paniya made by him. If that Motiyari comes tucking the
paniya in her bun the next evening, then it is a sign of
acceptance of the proposal. This happens in a very personal
way, except for a few close friends in the Gotul, no one else
knows which Chelik has gifted paniya to which Motiyari.
When parents realize that their children have completed
their education in the Gotul and he or she is capable of
managing a household now, then they start preparing to settle
them down by marrying them off and mention it to their
children.
The Chelik, recognizing his responsibility, according to
the wishes of his parents, starts preparing to take leave from the

43
Gotul and gifts paniya to that Laya of the Gotul, whom he wants
to make his lifelong companion.
Then, when they select each other as their lifelong
companions, they inform the Gotul administration about their
decision, which in turn, after detailed discussions with their
parents and traditional village council (village Bumkaal), gives
them permission to fill water in the seven kulhads (small
terracotta cups) kept in front of the pillar. Parents and the
village Bumkaal give Gotul this permission only in accordance
with the social-cultural manuals. The day which they see
appropriate for their leave taking, on that day by filling those
seven kulhads they send message to the Gotul administration
that they want to take leave today.
Almost nine years ago, Jima’s parents, Jayman and Joni,
had asked farewell from the Gotul in this very way.
Evening had fallen and Jaanko was waiting eagerly for
Belosa near the pillar. From her gestures it is apparent that she
is impatient to deliver some good news to Belosa, which she has
come to know at this very instance from in front of the pillar.
After a while, when she sees Belosa coming inside from the
entry gate, she is not able to wait for her to reach the pillar and
starts walking speedily towards her instead. Seeing her beaming
face, Belosa has already had an inclination as to why she is so
happy.
“There is good news, all the kulhads are full of water
today,” Jaanko tells Belosa after reaching her and once again
starts walking with Belosa towards the pillar, whose pace has
now increased.

44
 Reaching the pillar in just a few seconds, Belosa picks
up the seventh kulhad kept there, which is really filled with
water. Seeing this, she says to Jaanko, “Go, inform Mukwan
about it. Today Gotul will have to fulfill the leave taking
ceremony.” After lighting the first diya of the Gotul, she too
goes to her cell for preparations.
After a while, on the water of the kulhads kept in front
of the pillar, the place of the sun is taken by the light of the
diyas, the open ground becomes crowded with members and
Gotul, like always, comes in motion.
When the Gotul administration completes all its
preparations for the leave taking, then drum beats start
reverberating in the whole of Gotul. Listening to which, the
attention of its members turn towards the pillar habitually
because all the announcements in the Gotul take place from the
pillar only, where an official, wearing gaursingh on his head
(horns of wild buffalo), is beating a drum, which is hanging
from his neck, rhythmically. Looking at the scene, at an instant
all the members understand that today someone’s farewell
ceremony has been fixed. The crowd, whose curiosity has now
increased manifolds, assembles near the pillar, to find out the
identity of the people, who have chosen each other as their life
partners.
Finishing their preparations, all the officials come out of
the assembly hall, after which the faint clamour which had
originated there ends and then Belosa gives this important
notice, “This was not a normal evening for both me and Jaanko,
because both of us found all the kulhads filled with water today.

45
Now, with the permission of their yaya-baba (mother-father)
and Bumkaal, I give them the opportunity to apprise the Gotul
of their decision, who some days ago, had seeked the
permission to fill water in these seven kulhads, and now asking
leave from this Gotul, have already decided to move ahead in
life.”
Now Joni comes near the pillar and stands with the
Gotul administration and, after receiving permission from
Belosa once again, takes out that paniya from her bun, which
Jayman had given to her only a few days back. On one end of
that paniya a moon is made and on the other end a sun is made.
The teeth of this yellow coloured paniya is pink, taking which
she starts moving towards the group of Cheliks, who, after the
speech of Belosa, are standing in a circle holding each other’s
hands. Now all the eyes of the Gotul are fixed on Joni with this
curiosity that ‘afterall to which Chelik is she going to give the
paniya to’. After completing a round around the circle made by
the Cheliks, she enters the circle from there where Jayman is
standing for which she takes his permission; he not only permits
her but himself goes to the center of the circle alongwith her.
Now, Joni gives him the paniya, which he again tucks in her
bun.
After this all the Motiyaris enter the circle and such a
noise echoes in the Gotul the nature of which is happiness and
festivity. The whole of Gotul starts congratulating them.
Both of them are brought before the pillar. Now
Belosa and other women officials start adorning Joni with
natural ornaments in front of the pillar. On her head, on both

46
sides of the parting of her hair, like a chain, sheeshphul (flower
which is put on head) is donned in the middle of which there are
bells too, which is hanging from her head. Tilosa makes Joni
wear ‘rupiya’ on her neck, which is the most famous ornament
of Gotul made by threading gold and silver coins in a black
thread. Nirosa makes her wear a garland made of grass seeds,
while Jaanko, a garland made of cowries. A cowrie embedded
band is tied on her head; a heavy waist belt made of silver is
tied on her waist. An armlet made of silver is tied on her left
arm. She is also made to wear a garland made of colourful
ghungchis (seed of a vegetable) on her neck. Toe ring is put on
her toes. On her feet is tied a round and hollowed from inside,
‘katrah,’ made of ghungroos, which starts jiggling when she
walks. Now, she starts to look as if nature herself has done her
make up.
Meanwhile, Jayman’s friends make him wear a garland
of Mungo (red coral gemstone) and Manko (ruby gemstone).
His turban is tied. A shirt made of colourful cowries is put on
him. Around the neck, he is made to wear a garland of fibers,
which are of different trees and plants. Peacock’s feather is also
tucked in his turban.
Receiving permission from the Mukwan, this couple
decorated with natural make up, pouring water from those seven
kulhars near the pillar, prays to the energy of nature, while the
whole of Gotul is praying for their bright future.
Now, their farewell from the Gotul begins. Gotul’s music group
starts playing the musical instruments. They are being escorted
slowly and gradually towards the entry gate from the pillar,

47
amidst folk songs and folk dances, which takes hours. In these
songs there is a description of the journey starting from the
Gotul’s membership to the farewell. It is summarising their
lives in the Gotul and telling them about the different facets of
relationship between them and Gotul -
We stayed together like pigeons,
Our life was like melody of flute,
We danced like bumblebees,
If you had never come to Gotul,
Then, we used to ask each other reasons for this,
Now that time has passed,
You will enter a new life,
Take care of all the responsibilities of new life,
Whatever you learnt in Gotul, apply that in your life,
Never get disappointed, never look back,
This Gotul will remember you always,
You remember Gotul always,
We will never be able to forget those moments,
When right after gaining consciousness we stepped into Gotul
together,
Your Gotul name will always be remembered,
Don’t forget my Gotul name,
Seva-Johar, Seva-Johar...
The whole of the Gotul overwhelms with emotion.
When they reach the entry gate, they are made to stand by
holding each other’s waist, their back now facing the Gotul and
their eyes towards those trails through which they used to come
to Gotul.

48
 Belosa draws a line of flour on the entry gate. In a short
while, Mukwan is going to give them the permission to cross
the line by closing their eyes. This will be the last ritual of
taking leave from the Gotul as their membership will end
forever after crossing the line, which neither they will be able to
achieve again in this life, nor can anyone else do so. Now, in
this last ritual of leave taking, the whole of Gotul has become
gloomy. There are tears in Jayman and Joni’s eyes too. Before
Mukwan tells them to cross the line, Joni’s female friends start
tucking paniya in her bun as their last tokens. Each one of them
is taking out the paniya from her bun and is tucking it in Joni’s
bun, as if it were some sort of a competition because of which in
a short while only, innumerable paniyas get tucked in her bun.
This is a symbol of their love towards Joni, which she will keep
with herself forever.
Joni was an officer of the Gotul. She was in the post of
Alosa, which is why Belosa tells her, “Alosa, Gotul takes back
all your responsibilities from you.” Hearing this, Joni’s eyes get
filled with tears.
Now, Mukwan, on behalf of the Gotul, takes the last
promises from them, “Promise that you will send your future
generations to the Gotul too, you will make them a part of it
too.” After the Mukwan, the rest of the members present there
also start repeating it, until Joni and Jayman do not say, “Yes,
we promise, like us, our future generations will also become a
part of the Gotul, which will be the centre of their lives.” After
this, Mukwan, on behalf of the Gotul presents them a

49
honeycomb and a nest. On receiving this last souvenir from the
Gotul, their overwhelmedness reaches its height.
Now, making his last announcement, Mukwan says,
“May the power of nature give you a bright future. Gotul bids
you farewell.”
Listening to this announcement of Mukwan, both of
them, turning for the last time, gaze at Gotul with emotion filled
eyes, which had been the centre of their lives since gaining
consciousness uptill now, which had made both of them meet
and had advised them to stay together forever.
Now, they close their eyes and, crossing the line made
by Belosa, take leave from the Gotul forever. A group of
Cheliks and Motiyaris leave with them to drop them to the tribe
while singing the songs of farewell, and just after a few days,
they get married in the village. Because they had won dozens of
prizes for the Gotul, in the form of rice and other food items
stored alongwith it, all the expenses for their marriage was
borne by the Gotul.
Actually, in the chamber of Gotul, food products
produced by the farmers or the forest and other important items
are stored, which is the public property of the entire village. In
this storage, prized crops earned through excellence in dance are
also included. Whenever any family or village needs it, then
with the approval of the village Bumkaal it is given to the
needy. Gotul is the most secure place for its storage.
After about nine years of that farewell, in this memorial
ground, far from other line ups, isolated, they are established as
just two stones. on which Jima and Beer are pouring water as if

50
bathing them. After smearing turmeric and rice grains, they
offer mahua flowers to them too and, in memorial stand there
silent for a while. At this very time, Jima starts thinking by
seeing the gedi and jewelleries laying before the stones that,
“This gedi was of my baba (father), standing on which he used
to dance in the Gotul and these jewelleries are of my yaya
(mother), which Belosa must have made her wear when she was
taking leave from the Gotul.” Thinking this, he starts staring at
them. It is always difficult to say what his next step birthing out
of his playful mind would be, but this time it is revealed early,
when after gathering a lot of courage, he steps ahead trying to
pick up the gedi probably with the intention that he will also
stand on it and dance. But Beer stops him from doing so, “This
is of our forefathers. We never separate these from them as they
are dear to them.” On being stopped by Beer, Jima reluctantly
comes and stands in his original place again. His attention is
now taken up by those hundreds of stones which are farther
from them, and are organized orderly in a queue while his yaya
- baba’s memorial is kept separate. Why is it so? Jima had just
started finding an answer to it, when Beer tells him that they
should go back. Even after walking a few miles, this question is
still there on his mind which is why, habitually, he asks Beer,
“Dada (brother), why are yaya - baba kept separate?” Listening
to the question, Beer’s face fills with overwhelmedness, the
reason for which is the answer to this question. Actually, Jima’s
parents were murdered by the Naxalites in suspicion of being
informants of the police, but, Beer finds himself incapable of
using such a strong word as ‘‘murder’ in front of Jima so that a

51
heavy load like a rock’s may not fall on his tender heart.
Looking for easy and mild words for his answer, he says after
going some distance, “Their death did not happen with the
permission of nature; that is why they are farther from those
queues.”
Apart from this, he had no other words to say to Jima.
He just has emotions, which are pouring out from his eyes, but
immature Jima is incapable of reading them at present.
As a matter of fact, those whose deaths are unnatural or
doubtful, their memorials are kept separate.
Jima begins to unsuccessfully try to comprehend the
difficult answer given by Beer, and, while walking, turns back
again and sees the memorials of his mother-father, which still
appear to him isolated from the rest. Definitely, this answer is
unclear to him, but before he spends more time in understanding
this, his attention is attracted by that trail on which he himself is
walking now. Now, walking a little farther by fixedly gazing on
that trail, he arrives at a different conclusion and starts walking
by rubbing his tender feet on that trail in such a way as if
thanking this helper who had taken him towards his parents.
Doing so, he is also securing these trails, probably fearing that
these trails might get rubbed off. Beer’s answer might not have
been clear to him but he wants to see this trail clearly always.
Probably he is afraid of it becoming unclear too. Doing so, he
turns back and sees the memorials of his parents a number of
times, which still appear to him isolated from the rest. After
this, his want to secure these trails increase even more. Was

52
there clarity in Beer’s unclear answer? Can an answer which
leads to a conclusion be unclear?

53
 5
Red corridor

These Koyaturs, Gotul and their life connected to it is as

free, as the life outside it is full of trials and tribulations today.
The proof of which is this reality or a real world full of fictive
mystery.
It is a world of questions. It is a world of rebellion. It is a
world of weapons. It is a world of violence. It is a world of that
angry mountain, which is surrounded by dense forests, which is
called contrary to its nature, ‘Tangri Dongri’ which means ‘Bald
Mountain.’ This very Bald Mountain has hidden innumerable
mysteries inside itself, having sheltered these mysterious beings.
The mystery is not of any ghost or magic. The mystery is of
thought, of idea, of the way of revolution, of the thought of
change, because in the peaks of this very mountain, covered by
huge stones, in a narrow, destitute cave, live those mysterious
beings who are called ‘Maoists’ by the whole world. It is as if a
dictatorial king taking a position at the greatest height in his
court, were surveilling all.
No trail or path can be seen that can reach there. No
one knows about them but they know about the whole world.
How? From whom? From where? No one knows. It is quite
impossible to reach that remote place, which is why even the
police or security forces are not able to reach there, because they
have surrounded themselves with land mines, have dug
poisonous nails, and on each step, have hidden tiffin bombs.
They also change their address from time to time; these

54
naxalites keep news of every inch of this jungle, they are trained
to live under difficult circumstances, and are capable of walking
for miles everyday. Even if the police came to know about their
hideouts, they can only think of going there but cannot actually
go or can send a warning letter through a trained bird. Many
policemen know the truth of these mysteries but they find it
more judicious to ignore them because it is impossible to even
come back, let alone arresting them. Some villagers also know
about this hideout but they never open their mouths, because the
police would do its work and leave, but who would rescue them
from the anger of this Bald mountain thereafter. So, whenever
someone asks about this mysterious mountain, then the villagers
often add ‘may be’ before their answers: “Yes.... May be it
could happen. Yes.... May be this happens. Yes.... May be this is
possible.” It is as if it were not reality but mere imagination, and
the one who forgets to add this ‘may be’ or try to find the reality
by stepping ahead of these imaginations, then the wrath of this
angry Bald Mountain befalls on that person. It was in
committing such a mistake that Jima’s yaya - baba were killed,
when a policeman luring them, giving his word to protect them,
made them vomit out some secrets of this mountain and then
himself fled away. It is said that during digging of hole for
water in the sand by the village women, they are often spotted
on the banks of the river as if reminding them that they are alive
but also disappear in a second.
If the fate of those whom they kill is good, only then do
they die peacefully, otherwise, they crush the head with stone,
slit the throat or leave after slitting the neck, but never leave a

55
work incomplete, as if they have some principle. They have one
more principle: they warn before killing, not once but twice or
thrice, but that third warning is like a fine line between life and
death, that is why their area of influence is called laal galiyara
meaning ‘red corridor’ and they often greet each other by saying
laal salam (red salute) too. The colour red is clear, visible from
a distance; red colour full of warning and red colour of blood.
Probably they consider this red colour as the symbol of
revolution.
This real corridor of imaginations is situated near the
Uttong valley only or, it can be said, it is surrounding it from all
sides as if it were guarding this valley, which has cherished
priceless natural resources in its womb, from such an enemy
who had ages ago only sent a letter filled with threats of attack
to the fictional address of these Maoists. That enemy who wants
to steal the priceless natural resources contained in its womb by
some excuse, regardless of the fact that this valley is the cultural
inheritance of Maad, is the natural expression of history and is
the meeting point of Pens.

56
 6
The winner of Gotul

At the centre of the six kulhads kept on the

circumference of a circle is kept a kulhad which is carved,
attractive and of the most different making, which is also larger
than the rest. They are those kulhads only which are always kept
in front of the pillar. The kulhad kept in the center is also kept in
the center in front of the pillar, in which today mahua flower is
dipped after filling water. This scene is of the playground
located in front of the weapons cell where the Gotul
administration, even before dusk, has made such an
arrangement of the kulhads, which is a symbolic announcement
of the sword fighting competition which is to take place today.
On seeing this, the whole Gotul starts talking about it.
“I think, this time too, Beer will be the winner.” Some
Chelik from among the group of Cheliks who are standing
outside the entertainment cell speaks.
“No.... No.... This time Juko will win. Defeating Beer,
he will definitely answer the last defeat.” Another expresses his
disagreement.
“Yes.... Yes.... Even I think that Juko will win. I have
seen the restlessness for victory in him.”
“No matter who the winner is, one thing is for sure that
there will be an incredible fight to see today in Gotul.”
In the same manner, the same discussion is going on in
another group which is sitting around a bonfire in the
playground.

57
 “Will Beer choose any Motiyari after winning this
time?”
“I don’t think so. Even now, he does not seem to be
friends with any Motiyari.”
“But, I think that this time he will definitely choose
one because last time, not having done so, he was blamed for
disrespecting the Gotul.
“Yes.... He will definitely want to prove the allegation
wrong this time.”
“If this happens, it will be very interesting to see that
after all which Motiyari gets to honour the winner and gets the
great chance to light the first diya of the Gotul.”
The entire Gotul holds considerable amount of
interest in both these topics. First, who will be the winner after
all? Second, if Beer becomes the winner again, then will he
choose any Motiyari or, like the previous year this time also he
will refuse to take this authority only? Actually, Gotul gives the
authority to the winner of this competition to chose that one
Motiyari, who gets the opportunity to honour the winner by
making him drink the ritual water and for the next three days
receiving the post of Belosa, gets to light the first diya of Gotul
along with the winner. In Gotul, endowing this right is
considered an honour to the winner. It is considered that in the
winner and that Motiyari there is also a possibility that they will
choose each other as life partners in the future, which is why
the Gotul provides them with the opportunity to light the diya
together for three days, so that, during those days, if there is any
such possibility then they can make a decision understanding

58
each other. It is considered a matter of pride for the Motiyaris,
but the last time when Beer had become the winner, he had
refused to take this right. A lot of them had speculated his
introverted nature to be its reason, while some members
consider it a dishonour of the Gotul, which is why this time
there is a vigorous discussion going on about this in the Gotul,
regarding which what decision Beer has made, no one knows till
now. Last night when Liti, who often guards the boundary of the
village along with him, had asked him, then he had said, “I
don’t know what will happen. I have not reached any conclusion
yet but I want to end this accusation of having disrespected the
Gotul.” He says it in a manner, as if he himself wants an answer
to the question that, “What is to be done and what should I do?”
Amid all this, there is another important issue too on
which discussion is going on in the assembly hall. That issue is
of the name of the Gotul. Actually, whenever some swordsman
becomes winner more than once, then the Gotul is renamed for
some months on his nature or on some important facet of his
life. The name remains unchanged till the Gotul administration
wants it to. If it feels that the winner and the name associated
with him is successful in providing a positive inspiration to the
youth, then it can be made permanent too, till the time another
winner who wins more than once is found. There have been
very few opportunities in Yermihtna’s history, when its name
has been changed and from among them it has only been one
time, when for a long period of almost thirty years, it was
known by some other name and that name was ‘Unrja Matta,’
the meaning of which is ‘to fill the mouth of any cave or burrow

59
with smoke so as to compel the being hiding inside to come
out.’ And, this name wasn’t sanctioned by the Gotul but by the
highest organisation of the village, village Bumkaal (village
council).
Actually, this naming was done in honour of that one
dance group, whose members had died of suffocation from
smoke inside a cave, who had once upon a time come to the
village to perform a famous dance form, which is famous by the
name, ‘Hulki.’ With Beej Neng (Before the paddy sowing in the
field, the festival or process of offering paddy seeds to village
deities in the village) in Baishakh Punni (lunar fortnight in the
month of April), and the start of the agricultural workshops,
training and weaving, the cultural act of the ‘Hulki’ dance also
start in the Gotuls; and in the Ashadh Amawasya (lunar phase of
the new moon of the month June-July), with the new Bhaji Parv
(vegetable festival), ‘Hareli’ and the storing of herbs, the dance
also begins. After this, training of the new members in this
dance form begins in the Gotuls. The leader of this dance group
is called ‘Mudia’ (the leader/ one who begins) and the stick kept
beside him is called ‘Gut Bedga’ (Bedga means stick), which
the cultural-social head of the village, Gaayta, hands over to the
‘Mudiya’ after cutting it. Then, in Bhado Punni (lunar fortnight
of the month August-September), on the coming of the new
crop, ‘Navakhani festival’ (an agricultural festival observed to
welcome the new rice of the season) and, after the collection of
crops, this dance group of the Gotul sets out for the approved
village, to spread the message of communality. There, at first,
they go to the Gaayata’s house of the said village, who

60
welcomes them traditionally after which, the host village
Bumkaal gives them the permission to stay in the Gotul and
once again they are welcomed in the Gotul in a grand way.
Decades ago, one such dance group had come to the
village. After dinner, they had just begun dancing when, a group
of merciless invaders attacked the Gotul, whose purpose was to
loot the rice grains and other food items stored there. Saving
their lives from hundreds of invaders, the dance group went
inside a nearby cave but, for the fear of getting identified, the
group of invaders kindled such a fire at the mouth of the cave
because of which the entire cave got filled with smoke and, due
to suffocation all the dancers died. In the memory of these
dancers only, the name “Unrja Matta” came up.
There’s another story related to the dance too, which
gave this Gotul the inspiration of gallantry and, for almost
twenty years, the name prevailed. Decades ago, an extremely
courageous swordsman was a member of this Gotul. He guarded
the village borders mostly at night. Not only was he a
swordsman, but also a wonderful dancer. The dance form, in
which he was the Mudiya (head) of his fifteen member group, is
called ‘Sertaang’ in which every dancer of the dance group has
a stick in hand and the stick of the group’s head is called
‘Jerraal Bedgaa.’ On the occasion of Pausha Purnima (lunar
fortnight of the month December-January), for the happiness of
grains reaching the houses, along with the new khichdi (a native
dish made from rice and lentils) festival, ‘Diyaari,’ this dance is
started. From Koyaanaar, a dance group had left for the
proposed village. In the dense jungle, an unknown invading

61
gang attacked the dance group; that gang had sharp weapons
with them. When all the dancers started running away out of
fear, then the group leader ‘Mudiya’ started fighting with his
stick ‘Jerraal Bedgaa.’ Seeing his courage, other dancers of the
group too started to fight with their own sticks. The outcome
was that, the attackers themselves ran away out of fear. In
honour of that group leader ‘Mudiyaa,’ for many years, this
Gotul was known as ‘Jerraal Bedga.’
That is why, Mukwan is discussing on some important
facets, related to Beer’s life with the Gotul administration, so
that if he becomes the winner again, then Mukwan can
announce this new name. But will this be possible? Because
most of them think that Juko will try to take revenge of his last
defeat with full force. Among his friends, he also says that one
day it will be with his skill only with which the whole world
will know this Gotul and will call it “Kaatikaar.”
The competition is going to start in just a while, and the
rounds of these discussions are on their peak.
The bald mountain’s anger has increased in the past
few months; hence the Red Corridor has increased its activity
too. Only a few days back, the Naxalites had killed an inspector
of an outpost, while he was coming from the city to the outpost.
This incident happened in the middle of the jungle. At first, the
police department thought him to be missing, but after three
days when his corpse was found near the jungle, then the reality
was revealed. From the stench spread in the jungle was the body
found; the killers had crushed the head with stone. Along with
it, taking responsibility of the killing, the Maoists had left their

62
Naxal literature and a warning letter for the police and security
forces. The corpse had decayed completely; it was difficult to
identify and the identification had only been possible when a
team of doctors, who had come from the city, examined the
corpse and submitted its report. It was a dreadful sight. The
dead inspector had come here just six months back in place of
someone who was killed by these very Maoists, but he was not
able to live here for six months but only two weeks. These
incidents had taken place because both of them had taken an
interest in the mysteries of the bald mountain and wanted to go
inside the red corridor. Now, once again a new inspector, Rajesh
Singh has been posted in the outpost, who has taken charge
today only.
At the first glance itself, this inspector appears to be of a
suspicious nature, after talking for a few seconds only his
eccentric nature comes to light. Smoking is like a part of his
habits, of which he has become habituated. It seems as if for
breathing, more than air, he needs ciggerete smoke, without
which he cannot live, and this is why he takes a great deal of
time completing whatever he is saying, because taking puffs of
smoke in between two sentences is as if considered mandatory
by him. His eyes are red and scary. He considers the village just
a tribe of uneducated people. Probably, he had to come here
because of some compulsion. He says, “Let me see how it is to
live in jungles for a few days too and when I will get bored after
two-three months, I will get myself transferred back to the city.”
But, the truth is that because of his indisciplined behaviour, as a

63
punishment, he has been sent by the department to this remote
sensitive zone.
In the morning, constable Jeevanlaal had briefed all the
information about the happenings in the tribe and its nearabouts
to the new inspector. The special thing in it was that he did not
even mention about the red corridor and due to his this
cleverness he has worked safely for years in this outpost.
Jeevanlaal himself is a sycophant and timid, the balls of whose
eyes are always squinting, one eyeball towards the right while
the other towards the left, sometimes one down while the other
up. Sometimes it seems as if both will pop out any time now.
Together with his face, his whole body is puffed up, as if he
were awarded with liquour. Because of his squint eyes it is often
difficult to decide whom he is talking to. His right eye is whiter
in comparison to the left.
The sun has set. Like always, after the formal welcome,
the inspector along with Jeevanlaal goes for a patrol of the tribe,
when spotting the light of the diyas of the Gotul coming from
the jungle, the inspector suddenly stops the vehicle.
“What happened Sir?” asks the constable.
Pointing towards the Gotul, the inspector asks, “Why is
so much light coming from the jungle?”
“Sir, it is Gotul, the training centre of the youth. The
light is coming from there.”
“Ok! What kind of a training centre is it that operates at
night?” asks the inspector cunningly, as if he knows that some
illegal work is going on there. “Let me also see afterall which

64
professor teaches them.” Saying this, the inspector starts turning
his vehicle towards the Gotul.
“Sir, stop. No outsider has permission to go there. It is
only for these villagers, it is their own culture Sir.”
“I do not require permission from anyone to go
anywhere, constable.”
“It is against their rules. They will never allow us to
enter.”
“Come and sit quietly in the vehicle. Let me see who
stops me,” says the inspector threateningly to the constable,
whose complete attention now is only driving towards the Gotul
“Let’s go Sir. As you wish.”
The constable compulsively sits in the vehicle.
Meanwhile, in the Gotul, drum beats start echoing after
which, in a short while, the whole Gotul assembles near the
kulhads kept in a circle. Everyone starts discussing their
individual curiosities related to the competition among
themselves. The mob is impatient to watch the duel. Mukwan
enters inside the circle, seeing which silence befalls there. From
the centre of the circle, he starts addressing the Gotul, “Like
every year, Gotul will once again watch the presentation of its
brave today. The sole purpose of this competition is to attract
the future protectors of our civilisation towards the art of
fighting with weapons and to teach them the first lesson of
bravery. I request both the fighters to come in the arena.”
Hearing this, Beer and Juko, standing on opposite sides
of the arena, enter inside the circle holding their swords, who
are being cheered by their friends. Both of them, keeping their

65
swords on the ground, kneel down and bow their heads before
the kulhad kept in the centre, after which the Mukwan lifts the
kulhad with both his hands respectfully and says, “May the
energy of nature honour the true fighter.” After saying this he
goes outside the circle, and as he crosses the circle, both the
swordsmen become ready to duel.
From the very beginning, Juko seems eager to strike, as
if he were hungry to win and he were incapable of withstanding
any delay in it, whereas there is stability on Beer’s face. Juko is
wielding his sword in different directions, whereas Beer’s sword
is stable, only his feet are moving. Meanwhile, both of them
move in a circle once sticking to the circumference of the circle
and in a few moments the sound of swords striking each other
echoes in the Gotul. Moving in a circle, Juko now reaches
Beer’s place while Beer reaches Juko’s place. Juko moves
ahead one step while Beer moves back one step. Juko once
again moves ahead one step and strikes due to which a narrow,
sharp line of wound forms on Beer’s right arm, which starts
bleeding too. Duel has started in which Beer seems completely
defensive whereas Juko seems overtly offensive.
After some time, Juko increases his offenses, sometimes
moving his sword from one hand to another, then again holding
it in his earlier hand and striking. Probably he is doing so to
confuse Beer. This time Juko moves ahead three steps and again
makes a fine line on Beer’s right arm, which is right below the
thread tied on it. Seeing this, everyone is astonished thinking,
“What’s wrong with Beer, why is he playing defensive, is it a
sign towards a new winner?” Juko’s offences are increasing; in

66
a short while only, he makes numerous such lines on Beer’s
both arms with his sword.
Gradually, Juko’s this attack reaches its extreme. This
time, his one blow passes by touching Beer’s chin on the exact
same place where a fine line of some prior injury is present;
seeing this, the whole Gotul shrinks in fear. Now this doubt
germinates that, with the careless blows of Juko, Beer does not
end up getting wounded. Just when Juko reaches the extreme of
his attack, the duel gets saturated.
Juko has used up his greatest force but, having received
no results, he once again starts giving careless blows. He has
overpowered Beer. It has been a while since the fighting started.
In it, using all his strategies, Juko has already given several
injuries to Beer, but, he is still incapable of giving that definitive
blow, which will be able to declare him the winner, in search of
which he has become careless and, having not received the
results, his desperation is increasing. After fighting for some
time, he starts looking exhausted whereas in spite of many lines
of wounds, the energy which was on Beer’s face in the
beginning still prevails. Seeing Juko tired, Beer takes it as a
suitable opportunity to attack. He moves forward his right thigh
and then changes it to the left. After this, he moves back five
steps whereas Juko, trying to understand his plan, starts
tightening his fingers on the sword, which he is just going to
draw up for a powerful blow. Like Beer, he moves back a few
steps too; both of them are standing apart from each other at the
maximum length of the circle. The whole Gotul has freezed to
see what will happen next. Juko readies a plan, “I will not give

67
him a chance to attack only. Before he starts, I will attack when
he will be a short distance away while running.” Both of them
challenge each other only with their eyes, who have never
talked to each other verbally till now, neither inside the Gotul
nor outside, as if there was an unwritten deal between them.
Whenever it was possible, this ring only had given them the
chance to confront each other. Juko’s eyes have become red
which are saying, “You are the biggest block in my way, which
has never let my name echo in the Gotul. Both of us had taken
the membership of the Gotul on the same day together, had
learnt to hold the sword in this ground together, but today, this
ground only recognises you, your name echoes in the whole of
Gotul. Today, I will change this. Now, this ground will also be
mine and the echo in it will also be of me, and this will be a new
history. Gotul will not be known by your skill but mine starting
today, and the next time I will transform it into reality.” His
whole body is bathed in sweat whereas Beer, like wounded
warriors, is trying to read Juko’s eyes with concentration, whose
direct relation is with his brain. For a while their eyes fight with
each other and then all of a sudden a sound starts echoing in the
whole of Gotul, “Seva - Seva.”
There was an expression of bravery in this acclaim of
‘seva’, after which both of them run towards each other.
Unexpectedly, Juko turns his sword even before coming to
Beer, but Beer, sliding on his knees, moves unhurt from the left
side of Juko. Juko’s sword succeeds only touching the hair on
Beer’s head, while he himself is left with a whirl in the air and
this scene remains kind of frozen.

68
 Beer reaches the circumference of the circle sliding on
his knees and before Juko could turn back completely, turning
back from the end point of the boundary suddenly, while
running he strikes at that portion of Juko’s sword, which is just
above his palm. From this powerful attack there is such an
energetic vibration in Juko’s hand that compels his clenched fist
to open and the sword, leaving the accompaniment of its master,
falls on the ground. Before Juko could stabilise, the whole Gotul
sees that Beer has balanced his sword on Juko’s neck.
For a few seconds, silence spreads in the Gotul. From
their open eyes everyone replay this unique moment in which
Beer has repeated history and now he answers Juko with his
patient eyes, “I love this ground, which is why it recognises me.
This sword is my friend, that is why it never betrays me and this
Gotul is in the seat of my heart, which is why my name beats
here.” And then in the Gotul, “Beer.... Beer.... Our winner
Beer....” starts echoing.
Beer has once again become the winner, whom the
whole Gotul has surrounded. Mukwan enters the circle with the
kulhad, with whom other officials enter too.
Standing in the centre once again, he says, “There have
been very few moments in the history of this Gotul, when a
warrior has won more than once and whenever this has
happened, Gotul has gotten a new inspiration, a new example, a
new name, which is why, to honour our new winner, we will
know this Gotul by the name of ‘Kahpol Pedmo’ from now on.”
After Mukwan’s announcement the sound of, “Kahpol
Pedmo, Kahpol Pedmo” starts echoing there. Kahpol Pedmo

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means mother’s first child or that child who has been born of his
mother’s first pregnancy. The winner of the Gotul, Beer, is the
first child of his mother, which is why Yermihtna will now be
known as Kahpol Pedmo.
Now, Mukwan, standing in front of Beer, gives him the
right, “The Gotul, honouring its winner, gives him the right to
select a Motiyari, who he feels is able enough to light the first
diya of the Gotul, to honour himself, and choosing her, make
the Gotul proud.”
The whole Gotul has set its eyes on Beer and has
become impatient for his decision. After Mukwan gives him the
rights, Beer, in dilemma, starts looking here and there at the
crowd; doing so he is increasing the impatience there manifold.
No one wants to remove their eyes from Beer, because unlike
the last time he has not refused to take the rights this time;
probably he is going to select a Motiyari. He now turns his eyes
towards the pillar as if asking help from it.
After keeping his eyes closed for a few seconds, he
once again turns from the pillar towards the Motiyaris standing
in the circle of the crowd. Now, everyone starts trying to read
his eyes, “After all, Beer has reached on what conclusion? Will
he choose any Motiyari or will he repeat his last decision?” Just
then, raising his sword slowly, he points towards a Motiyari
standing aloof from the crowd, on whom all eyes rest now. Most
of the members are unfamiliar with that Motiyari. She is a
nineteen year old Motiyari towards whom Beer’s sword is
pointing. There is an attractive tattoo made on her forehead, in
the centre of that tattoo there is a half moon, on both side of the

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half moon there are three points like the three ends of a triangle
which is tapering towards the corners, after which there are two
parallel lines and in the end there is also a small line. She is
wearing a band on her head on which cowries are embedded.
Ears and nose are bejeweled. A necklace made of sikkas,
‘Rupiya’ (coins) – is hanging from her neck. On both her arms
she is wearing armlets made of silver. The neck is full of
necklaces of grass, Mungo (red coral gemstones) and beads.
Apart from the forehead, there are tattooes on her arms and chin
too. Her facial features are excellent. Probably she has got
membership of the Gotul this New Year, may be she is from
another tribe, which is why she is still unknown to most of the
members. So, as soon as Beer points towards her, all the
members with their infinite curiosity start looking at her
intently. This curiosity has started making noise there.
Motiyaris consider it a matter of pride for them to be
chosen by the winner, but she seems to be very uncomfortable
and in an irresolute condition. She is probably hesitating to enter
inside the circle too or maybe is unable to muster up the
courage. When Belosa says to her, “Koyna, come, you have got
this great opportunity to honour the winner.” It is then that the
whole Gotul comes to know that her name is Koyna.
Murmuring of “Koyna....Koyna....” begins there and every one
start gathering extra information about her from each other.
“Go didi (elder sister),” seeing Koyna uncomfortable,
Mritula says who is standing beside her. Mritula is the fourteen
year old Motiyari of this Gotul, who is the daughter of Koyna’s

71
maternal uncle and in whose house Koyna is a guest. Till now,
she is the sole acquaintance of Koyna in this Gotul.
Hearing this, the uncomfortable Koyna enters the circle
to who the Mukwan hands the kulhad. Taking the kulhad, she
stands in front of Beer. Seeing this, Beer pitches the sword into
the ground and brings both his palms together on which Koyna
pours the water of the kulhad and Beer starts drinking this ritual
water, which is also honouring his wounds while flowing over
them, the wounds being the summary of this competition. There
is happiness and joy all over Gotul but Koyna is still
uncomfortable, as if she has just come out of some deep shock,
which is still following her, which is so powerful that ignorant
of the present, she is still grappling with it.
Meanwhile, some commotion happens towards the
entry gate. One official informs something in the ears of the
Mukwan after which the Mukwan goes towards the entry gate
with other officials.
At the entry gate, the inspector is arguing with the
guard there who has prevented him from entering inside, “You
don’t know that I am the new inspector here. Let me come
inside, I have to see whether some illegal work happens here or
not.”
“We cannot allow any outsider. This is against the
rules here,” answers the guard.
“See, you are taking the law in your hands,” says the
inspector warning him once again.
It was then that Mukwan and other officials reach
there.

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 “What happened?” Mukwan asks the inspector.
“I want to come inside and see whether some illegal
work happens here or not.”
“We cannot allow you inside. It is against the rules of
Gotul.” Mukwan tries to make him understand respectfully,
“Please talk to the village Bumkaal in this regard.”
“Look, I am the new inspector here,” inspector warns
the Mukwan by pointing his finger at him, “You are not doing it
right by stopping me. You are obstructing the way of law; let
me inside otherwise you will have to pay a high price for it.”
Seeing the insult of Mukwan, Beer comes ahead. He has
a sword in his hand and there are many fine lines of wound on
his arms with clots of blood on them. The hair on his head is
dishevelled, as if he were a warrior who has come from a
battlefield. Beer stands in front of the inspector and looking into
his eyes says clearly, “Inside the perimeters of this Gotul we do
not accept any other law. Except the bumkaal there is no person
or system which can interfere in it. Those who violate it, we
sever their head from their neck or while protecting it, let our
heads get severed, but we cannot take its insult, this is what we
have learnt from our ancestors and this is the last decision of the
Bumkaal.” There is suggestion as well as warning in Beer’s
response.
Seeing Beer’s fearlessness and the sword in his hand,
the constable becomes afraid and starts imploring the inspector
to come back, “Come Sir, they have now started talking of death
and dying. I know them; they will die but will never allow

73
anything against the rules to happen here. I had told you
beforehand.”
Inspector’s anger increases, “You are telling me the law
of this jungle. You don’t know inspector Rajesh Singh. When
the time will come, I will let you know my rules. Remember
these words of mine.” Inspector, who is feeling humiliated upon
not getting entry in the Gotul, warns them.
“Now come, inspector sir, before the matter worsens.”
The constable starts imploring again.
After this the constable takes away the inspector who,
while leaving, pointing a finger at Beer repeats again,
“Remember these words of mine.”
After they leave, the Gotul starts bustling again.
After the honour of the winner, it was now time for the
historical compilation of this day, the aim of which was found
with the honour of the winning sword, which has helped the
winner reach this aim. In fact, it is the philosophy of Koyaturs
to respect those other inanimate things which have played an
important part in their evolution, like the axe which helps in
cutting wood, the knife which helps in cutting vegetables, plow
which helps in agriculture, stones which helped to discover fire.
Their merit can be gauged from the fact that often they are
installed as emblems of the dead and the ancestors in the village
and the homes. This may be possible that Beer’s sword gets
installed by his future generations in their houses in
commemoration of Beer. The philosophy hidden behind this
says that emotions, whether associated with history or any
person or the whole community, its boundaries are infinite. Till

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humans are alive, only till then it seems limited in this nature
given form, but after its death, giving his/her emotion that same
form or any other form will amount to limiting it to any form,
colour, caste, region, time, language, thought or even human
being, and in which there always will be a tendency to increase
the limits of these boundaries. The statue which has taken the
form of a face is the symbol of narrow mindedness, is the reason
of narrow mindedness, and also the protector of it. That is why,
to compile this whole history, the sword along with the winner
is also honoured so that this history does not remain confined to
the winner but becomes independent. The Gotul honours it by
giving it the title of ‘Vidvad.’ Vidvad means invincible. Vidvad
has got the right that it remains the closest to the pillar, which is
the symbol of all the accumulated emotional energies because of
which the winning sword has got the capacity to compile all the
emotional energies of this Gotul. That is why it is pitched into
the ground near the pillar around which the emotions of all
those associated with the historical sequence of events of today
center, and the sword becomes the historian of unwritten
history, becomes its proof, becomes its protective shield. It
makes a place for itself in the songs of Gotul, and from
generation to generation, hands over history. This is unwritten
history, this is the unwritten philosophy of nature, and this is the
philosophy of Lingo, who, through the medium of these dance
songs (Rela-Patas), transferred this philosophy and history
safely and freely in spite of uncountable invasions. It is far from
the narrow mindedness of statues infinitely, nature is infinite.

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 Only the winner has the permission to take out this sword
according to his need.
While the Gotullayors got busy in compiling their history
by honouring the Vidvad, at the same time the Gotullayas are
asking Koyna about her after congratulating her. They are
telling her that alongwith getting the opportunity to honour the
winner, she has got the opportunity to light the first diya of the
Gotul too.
Belosa says to her, “Koyna, you are to be congratulated.
For the next three days you will light the first diya of the Gotul
in my place.”
“The winner has chosen you, you are definitely great,”
Jaanko, who has caught both her hands, congratulates her.
Koyna, who was unknown to everyone in the Gotul till
a few seconds back, is now surrounded by Motiyaris and has
become the center of discussion, but even amid all this, she is
lost in the thoughts of that one event which has changed her life
completely.
Today, when she was coming to Gotul with Mritula, she
had said that, “There is a sword fighting competition in Gotul
and whichever Motiyari the winner will select will get to be the
Belosa for three days and will get to light the first diya of the
Gotul. Along with it, the selected Motiyari will get to honour
him by giving him the ritual water to drink.” At that time Koyna
had not even thought that that Motiyari would be she herself.
Mritula had told her, “Beer, who was the winner last time, had
refused to accept this right. Then many had blamed him of
disrespecting the Gotul.” Listening to which Koyna had then

76
said, “I don’t think so. Not taking the right can not only mean to
disrespect.” But, now she starts thinking that Beer did not even
know her, probably he might have seen her for the first time,
still, why did he choose her. Koyna’s mind is clouded by many
such questions. Then, when she recalls that there was blame on
Beer of disrespecting the Gotul when he had refused to take the
right, she feels, “Yes.... Probably he wanted to refute the blame
against him of disrespecting the Gotul. Yes.... That is why he
chose me. So was I just a medium? Else, why would he choose
a stranger like me!” When she thinks this way, her discontent
increases, “Yes, I was just an excuse! I am not great!”
At last, Koyna comes to this conclusion that the reason
behind choosing her without even knowing her was just to
refute the blame upon him and this conclusion increases that
sadness on her face, which had borne out of her compulsion to
leave the village. And she is still lost in the memories of that
cruel origin, who is the benefactor of that compulsion, which
was like a shock, such a shock that had sent her away from her
village, away from her yaya-baba. Due to which, this
opportunity, which is being described as great by the Gotullayas
surrounding her, is neither capable of dispelling the sadness on
her face, nor is capable of bringing a smile to her face. That
shock was so cruel; it is so powerful.

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 7
Pre-religious
(Punem)

Koyna is a resident of Raynar, which is 25 miles away.

She used to be the Alosa of that Gotul once upon a time, whose
work was to gather combs for the Layas of the Gotul and to see
whether every one had equal number of combs in their share or
not.
In addition to fulfilling this small responsibility in Gotul,
she was known for her chirpy behavior in the village. She was
friends with kids’ way younger her age. She still remembers that
it was she who had bounced the stone the most number of times,
which was 12 times, on the surface of the pond last time. She
clearly remembers this figure also because, the same moment
her goat had fallen into a well because of which her yaya had
gotten very mad at her back at home, but as always her father,
who loved his only daughter very dearly, had come to her
rescue. He only had named her ‘Koyna,’ which means the seed
of the Mahua plant. He had also kept 20 salfi trees, securely, for
his daughter's marriage.
Salfi is the flowery tree of sagotaad (palm tree) which
had sprouted on the land where Gotul's first seven female
officers namely, Belosa, Dulosa, Alosa, Tiloka, Sulako, Jalko
and Malko had come to dance; the Gotul which was founded by
Lingo himself. Actually, these salfi trees are the same shells
which were fixed in the hair of these women functionaries, and
had fallen on the ground while dancing. Then, for the first time,

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seven salfi trees had grown, extracting juice from which, they
had made Gotul happy. Out of the many fictional stories famous
about the origin of salfi, this one is the most interesting, one
which grandmothers often narrate in their stories.
The newly appointed Mukwan of Gotul is made to wear
a garland made up of the fibers of Salfi, its leaves are also
plucked into the bun of the new Belosa, and in a New Year on
the day the new members get the membership of Gotul the
gateway is decorated with its leaves. Outside the village many
salfi trees are planted across several acres of land, which is the
public property of the village. This minx drink is not only sold
in the market but is also drank on weddings and various
festivals, which is why the prosperity of any family in the
village is calculated by the number of salfi trees they possess,
which happens often.
But in the present times, in Raynar, neither has those
salfi tress survived nor the easy chirpiness of Koyna or their
Gotul, which was once known as 'Gondola'. Gondola means
rope or clusters of fibers. When the culture and civilization of
the Koytoors debuted in the Kul Gund Arrangement (Totem),
which is the integrated community system, then this system was
called 'Gondola'. All the groups governed by this life system
based on the Gund arrangement (Totem) are called Gonds and
the natural name of these very Gond’s motherland is
‘Gondwana.’ With these five words, namely Gund, Gondola,
Gond, Gondi, Gotul, Gondwana, it can be entirely defined that
Gond is not a caste, but an arrangement.
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 Now, Raynar has completely forgotten about it and it all
happened suddenly in such a manner, as if during a long trip
you suddenly take a little nap, and when you wake up, you find
that you have come a lot ahead of your destination. Then, the
ground beneath your feet slips, when you come to know that
there is no alternative to return; this entire journey was only one
way. What will happen then? Where you have reached, you
would have to stay there only, whether you like living there or
not, but now you will have to live the same way that people
already living there have already designed.
A similar trip like this had forced that Gotul of Raynar
to shut down, which was about seven years ago, like Koynaar
only, when no outsider other than some government nominees
had stepped on this land. In nature's lap, not only were the lives
of these naturalists easy, simple and free, but their trees, rivers,
animals and birds used to be independent too.
Then, some government people had shown a lot of
interest in connecting it with the external world, and would
make every effort to build roads for it, but the villages always
opposed to it, because contact with the outsiders was already
uncomfortable for them, and on top of that, the jungles which
needed to be cut down for the construction of roads were
covered with trees of Semal (scientific name:Bombax;
commonly called ‘cotton tree’) which was this village’s 'Karsad'
spot, which is also called 'Sarna,' where the confluence of the
symbols of the ancestors of the whole village takes place. In
addition, on the basis of the composition of semal leaves,
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‘Gondola,’ the community structure of these Gonds, is formed.
How could they even let them cut down those trees? This is the
reason why Raynar never permitted this and whenever the
government tried to clear the forest, they would wrap
themselves around these trees. In the end, those government
officials stopped talking about the construction of roads, and
these villagers began to think that their Karsad spot and
testimony of their community was now safe forever, but was it
really so?
That day, the entire village gathered at the Chaupal
(public place). Last evening only, Kotwar (one of the
fuctionaries responsible for delivering messages) had
announced the news of the arrival of such a person who had
magical powers, with the help of which he can solve all the
problems. He is a divine man who is going to tell them about a
new way of living. This is why, more number of people had
gathered on that day in comparison to the general meeting of the
Chaupal, just like people in cities often gathered to watch circus
or magic.
Sitting on a comfortable mattress on a thick bench, almost
55 year old, that man was wearing a white cloth. He had a red
teeka (auspicious ritualistic mark applied on the forehead) on
his forehead too. After soaking his throat with a clean bottle of
water, which one of his disciples sitting next to him had given to
him, he begins to say, “I have come here to talk about that
power that has created the whole world. He is the keeper of
everyone; he is divine; he is miraculous. Everything that
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happens in the world is his wish. Without his permission even
the leaves do not move. Life and death are also in his hands. He
exists in every particle. All your problems will vanish when you
adopt it. This is the Dharam. You will have to walk on the path
of this Dharam.” (Dharam-religion)
And then, these villagers’ first introduction to Dharam was
made. Before this they had neither heard of it nor had any
knowledge of any such miraculous divine man, who had created
the whole world and everything happened according to his
wishes, one who is omnipresent. That person was speaking very
calmly with utmost determination, as if only his words were
truthful in the entire world. He was filled with unnatural
confidence. Within a gap of few months only, he had come to
the village numerous times. He himself did not perform any
great miracle, but would always claim that if people walked on
the path of his stated Dharam, then every problem, every
disease can be treated because walking on that path only can
they find the one whom he sometimes called the protector of
Dharam or Dharampurush (Avatar – incarnation of a deity).
Yes, he did say one thing that you need to have belief on this
Dharampurush, keep faith on Dharam. Trust and Faith, were the
two explicit conditions which was necessary for that
Dharamyatra (pilgrimage).
For the villagers, this was not only new but also
strange, because their ancestors had neither mentioned about
any such miraculous person, nor had they asked them to follow
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a Dharam or a Dharampath. They always knew how to live in
harmony with nature, viz. trees - plants, rivers - valleys,
mountains - hills, animals - birds, and have been preaching
every one to follow this very path of nature. Their community
system was also nature-centric, in which every family were
distributed three symbols of nature: an animal, a bird and a
vegetable, whoever had whichever Gund symbol (Totem), they
protected it while they were free to use the others. This way, on
one hand these mascots remained protected and on the other
hand balance was also maintained, and the food chain remained
safe. This entire system is only called Gondola, after which
Raynar had named its Gotul. This was a very simple and easy
life, which is why they did not accept that person's advice
instantly, who was being called 'Dharamcharya'
(canonist/Godhead) by the new faces who had come along with
him, although, fictional images of the miraculous
Dharampurush had begun to develop in their brain. Different
people were fantasizing differently. Some thought him to be
huge, some too small and some of the normal size. Everyone's
imagination was different: the number of his hands, the number
of heads, the number of eyes, and the number of legs different.
The way of dressing different, the color of the skin also
different - some thought it to be blonde, some black, some
brown. Everyone had developed a different idea of his age too;
some thought him to be of teen age, some youth, while some old
age. Discussions of his fantasies were making rounds in the
entire village. People were busy thinking about its appearance in
their houses, while sitting in the chaupal, working in the fields

83
or going to the forest. They stopped working hard on their
fantasies only when the Dharamcharya distributed the
photograph of the Dharampurush in every house, who looked a
bit natural and a bit unnatural. With this, he also said the people
that, “It is necessary to remember him day and night, and to see
his photograph.” He had also said that, “Doing so repeatedly
with a true heart will definitely lead them to him one day.”
Which foolish would not want to meet such a divine
person, who had the keys to the entire world? Everyone hung
this picture in their respective homes, but for a few days it
remained hung the same way. When, everyday, the
dharmcharya would narrate to them the miracles performed by
him, then the desire to meet him would increase among the
people. Gradually, the villagers started seeing him day and night
and when that became a part of their daily routine, they stopped
going near nature, stopped looking for truth in plants - trees,
rivers - hills, fields, and started looking for dharam in that
picture instead.
Just a few days later, the Dharamcharya using the
dharamgranth, which was the biography of that miraculous man,
taught the people to celebrate festivals on various occasions
based on this scripture, like a festival on his birthday, a festival
on the day he killed someone to protect the Dharam, then a
festival on his wedding day, then a festival on a day he
performed some miracle, festival on the settlement of his family
feuds. Yes, the special thing was that there was no festival or
mourning for the death of that miraculous man. So far, the

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villagers used to consider death like any other important festival
of the village, in which the physical energy of the body merged
with its main energy source. Did the Dharamcharya not consider
this a festival? And the thing which was even more interesting
was that the Dharamcharya had never told them if he ever died
or not? And if he died, then how? Then who started the
protection of Dharam? And if he did not die, then why? Did he
stop ageing after a point of time? If this happened then it was
against nature, but the Dharamcharya had stated in the
beginning itself, “Believe it, have faith on it.” Therefore, no one
argued on this.
So far, the villagers used to celebrate nature-centric
festivals only, such as festival on occasion of ripening of
mangoes, before planting of seeds, on the arrival of new
vegetable, on the arrival of new crop, before harvesting of
crops, in honour of the cows and bulls for their contribution in
agricultural work etc. Their ancestors had even argued the
reasons behind these celebrations, for example, mango cannot
be eaten until the whole village community collectively
celebrates the festival of ripening of mango and the maturity of
its kernels, which is known as 'Aama Jogwani'. Often, people
would start picking the mangoes as soon as they were ripe,
which led to an uneven distribution which has stopped now
owing to the festival; then, the very existence of mango was in
danger because the seeds were picked even before ripening, and
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a solution to this issue also came forth. Not only this, mango
tree was also the Gund symbol (Totem) of ‘Markam’ clan, who
are known as ‘Marka Madha,’ meaning protector of mangoes. In
the same way, consumption of vegetables before its maturation
would lead to diseases like diarrhoea, and this festival solved
this issue too.
From the beginning of farming they celebrated the
occasion of maturity of crops, fruits and flowers, and the
relations between trees, rivers, ponds, mountain ranges, animals
and birds, and the sole purpose of every festival was protection
of nature. These festivities not only kept them close to nature,
but also brought it closer to them. Nature, which is reality and
reality, is only true; therefore this nature-centric life philosophy
has been called 'Punem,' meaning, the path of truth.
But now with the influence of Dharamcharya, Dharam
and Dharampurush (canonist, religion and Avatar), the
villagers, distancing themselves from the life style based on
rural nature, began celebrating dharmik (religious) festivals
centered on the biography of the Dharampurush. This way, the
Dharamcharya, by distributing the picture of the Dharampurush,
at first distanced the people from nature, and then by teaching
them to celebrate the festivals based on the dharmgranth
(religious scripture) he completely terminated their relationship
with the same.
Not only this, the Dharamcharya also stated that, “If
you don’t follow the path of Dharam then, you will be punished
rigidly either in this birth, after death or in the next life, which

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that miraculous man will endow, and if you follow the path of
Dharam, then you will not only be blessed with security –
prosperity, but at the same time after death, you will be granted
a place where there are all kinds of comforts and facilities
available.” Fear and greed grew because of the Dharamcharya’s
saying. On one hand there was fear of punishment while on the
other hand lay prosperity, and a happy world's greed and
selfishness. Leaving aside this principal, the greatest interest to
receive in that Dharam was that, there was a provision to escape
punishment for crimes like, looting, robbery, embezzlement,
selfishness, murder too, and that provision was Dharampurush’s
happiness, when he is happy, he forgives all sins. Then what?
Go on committing crimes your entire life and when you are on
the verge of death, then out of fear of punishment in the
afterlife, set on a Dharamyatra to make the Dharampurush
happy or to see or meet him. This option made the frightened
man now weak too. Actually, when he got an option to get rid of
all the crimes, he started committing crimes thoughtlessly, but
no matter how powerful a criminal looks physically, from
within he is hollow; he has an immense fear of getting punished
for these crimes.The punishment received after death scares him
the most, and ultimately after getting trapped in all this, he
becomes a slave to the Dharampurush. It is all like a maze; a
maze of fantasy, greed, death, fear, punishment, and choice.

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          Just think, if any legal system, a court or a government
give people one option to escape every punishment - such as for
getting pardoned for theft, five thousand rupees will have to be
deposited, ten thousand rupees for physical assault, fifteen
thousand rupees for robbery, twenty thousand rupees for arson,
and five lakhs for murder, what will happen then? People will
commit crimes, will also commit crimes for the money they
would need to save themselves from the punishment of these
crimes, and then will free themselves by paying the fine. If the
legal system provides any such option, then the crime rate will
increase at such a pace that imagining life would become
impossible. The Dharam and Dharampurush were promoting
such crimes only, but their solutions were as follows, like, go to
a river to wash away the sins, set on a long Dharamyatra, reach
a holy place on foot, reach a holy place on knees, reach a holy
place by rolling on the ground, go on fast for a few days in
remembrance or honour of the Dharampurush, donate money to
any Dharamsthal (religious spot) or simply construct a new
dharamsthal etc. The nature of punishment changed in
accordance with the severity of the crime. For a small crime, it
was enough to be hungry for a day or chant the name of that
Dharampurush ten thousand times a day, or to write it down in a
slip and distribute it, but if the crime was serious like harassing
or killing one’s parents, then, walking down the path on your

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knees or rolling down the path to the Dharamsthal was
mandatory.
With technological advancement, he changed his rules
too. Where once he would say it was adequate to distribute the
slips, now he discovered options like sharing the pictures of
Dharampurush or Dharam Katha (religious preachings) using
social mediums like Facebook or Whatsapp from the world of
internet. Not only this, the same Dharamcharya who had once
made claims of foretelling future by studying the lines on
forehead or palms, now talks of predicting the future by just
feeding the time and date of birth into a computer; for the
comfort of his followers or for spreading the propaganda of his
Dharam?
In this way, the Dharamcharya created a strong wall of
Dharam in between man and truth due to which people are not
only unable to see the truth but also are unable to go near it.
Giving up fighting against the struggles associated with life,
they have left it completely at the mercy of the Dharampurush.
In Raynar too, this Dharamyatra had begun, whose
driver was the Dharamcharya. Throughout the journey, the
entire Raynar kept inflating the wheels of the vehicle with the
praises of the Dharampurush. The people who had once lived
for ‘Sewa Mul’ (core service) had now become victims of Jay-
Jayakar (flattery). They had now started believing everything
that the Dharmcharya said, and why wouldn’t any passenger
believe the driver, after all his life lies in the driver’s hands. By
far, these naturalists have been performing every action from
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right to left, but for the first time, on the instructions of the
dharmcharya they began doing it from left to right even though
every planet rotates from right to left, all the planets of the solar
system also rotate from right to left in their respective orbits,
and the plants climb the pavilion while rotating from right to left
direction of the plant only, plough in the fields is also run from
right to left. But, it often happens that without knowing if the
driver knows how to drive or if he is drunk, or has weak
eyesight, or if the vehicle has any technical malfunction, the
passenger boards the vehicle. In a similar way, everyone had
boarded the vehicle of Dharam and the Dharamyatra had begun.
The driver, Dharamcharya says that everything in this
world is a temptation. He used to talk of some other world full
of happiness, to get which, one had the obligation to adopt the
path of Dharam, but the point to be pondered upon is whether
the pain of the mother, who nurtures the baby inside her womb
for nine months and gives birth to the baby enduring unbearable
pain, is nothing but temptation? Is it fase? Is the relationship
between a mother and a child nothing but temptation? Because
the driver used to say that all the relationships of the world are
nurtured by temptations, but Punem, meaning the path of truth,
says that this world is true, nature is true; whatever we
experience with our bodies, intellect, and senses is true.
Experiencing these only can one know what nature is. So far,
this had been the only guide to life that these villagers knew of,
'Punem'.

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 Actually, this temptation was not just a word, but the
most powerful weapon of that Dharamcharya, because by
mistaking reality and present for temptation, people turned their
backs against them, and reached out for Dharam. This
temptation distances human beings miles from reality,
terminates all its feelings of seeing and struggling with the
present, because if this world is merely a temptation then why to
toil here so much. Therefore, the villagers, mistaking the true
life for temptation, engaging themselves in grooming a better
afterlife, started preparing themselves for some other world. No
one thought it to be necessary to look at the true incidents
happening around them, inquire about it or review it. This was a
deep sleep of Dharamyatra, which had infected all.
The book of Dharmcharya, which his disciples used to
call Dharamgranth (religious scripture), reading from it, he used
to deliver these religious speeches, and this ordeal used to be
called pravachan (religious discourse). He claims that the
answer to all the problems of the world is in this Dharamgranth
only, there is nothing beyond it, but the thing to ponder upon is
that, such a huge, endless world and who knows how many
other such worlds exist of which we all are oblivious. Is it
possible to understand the vast seas - oceans, rivers - lakes, trees
- mountains, animals - birds, man, and explaining them in a
single book? Indeed, it sounds impossible, and then this book is
just a few thousand years old, while this world is billions years
old and humans themselves are millions of years old. With this
fact, the creation of that Dharam becomes clear now: the
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creation of the world took place billions of years ago, then the
origination of the Earth in it happened millions of years ago,
and on this Earth, human beings originated lakhs of years ago.
When these men had no place to live, they started living in
caves, then after discovering fire, learnt how to cook food, then
learnt how to make tools, then learnt how to hunt, then learnt
farming, and when all their basic reqirements were met, they
discovered dharam. From among them, some dignified person
wrote about the life of the Dharampurush, the Dharamgranth,
and since then, this dharam has been established. Certainly,
when humankind used to live in the caves, hadn’t discovered
fire, when they had not learnt to eat meat by roasting it or to eat
cooked food, when they hadn’t learnt how to make a cottage or
a house, when they had not learnt how to farm, untill then, they
would not have discovered neither Dharam, nor the
Dharampurush. Neither did they have so much time nor the idea
and necessity, because then they were struggling and planning
to meet basic needs like shelter, food, farming, tools or finding
alternatives, and only after discovering them, would he have
found Dharam; just like the craving of sweets after a sumptuous
meal. So, then was this dharam (religion) not one of the basic
necessities of life ? because these villagers were not even aware
of Dharam before coming in contact with the Dharamcharya,
Untill they had come in contact with the Dharamcharya, they
hadn’t even heard of this word, and then the search or
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establishment of Dharam was only thousand years old, whereas
humankind is lakhs of years elder to it, the Earth a million years
older, and this universe being the oldest at an age of billions of
years. In relation to the million years old world, humankind,
which is just a few thousand years old and the Earth being
crores of years older to it, discovers the Dharampurush just a
few thousand years ago, after writing the Dharamgranth on him,
establishes the Dharam, and states that, the key to this world is
with that dharampurush; he is in every matter, is the strongest,
and it’s him only who has created the world and controls it as
well. It can only be assumed through faith and belief, because if
it had been argued upon before, the conclusion would definitely
have been against it, but instead of learning from nature, which
was its biggest university, giving a place to the Dharamgrath in
their houses, Raynar had imprisoned itself in it.
From the life-style of the Dharamcharya, it was evident
that he has never held a plough his entire life, never grazed an
animal, never brushed his teeth using the bark of a tree, never
ate his food sitting under a tree, never dug the soil, never dived
into the river, he is not accustomed to the language of any
animal, and he has never climbed any mountains or hills. From
his white clothes it seems as if he has never even touched the
soil, as if he has a strong hatred towards it, because when he had
arrived, his disciples were washing his feet covered with mud in
such a way, as if he was unable to stand even a particle of mud
on his feet. Nature-centric life philosophy says that this body,
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which is made up of five elements, after death, four of those
elements, viz. air, fire, water, and sky get dissolved into nature,
while only soil remains, which is then buried in the soil itself.
One who has never touched that soil, how can he know the
numerous rules and regulations of nature, the laws of the world
by only reading or mugging up one book or thousands of such
books? Is this book an easy way? Maybe, the ancestors of these
villagers were successful in establishing a nature-centric life-
style, ‘Punem’ and community arrangement, ‘Gondola’ because
they were easily closer to it, which had answered all of their
questions. Every person has to go near nature to understand it,
has to face its own share of struggles, but according to the
Dharamcharya, this book reduces the struggle by giving away
all the knowledge, then this is a violation of the law of nature
where the person receives everything without even going
through his/her share of struggles. It is clear that, all these things
were contradictory.
Then one day, the Dharamcharya convinced everyone to
make a shrine in the town, for which he chose the ‘karsad’ spot
of the village. The surprising factor was that no one opposed to
it, because, perhaps they had forgotten their ancestors by now,
the only thing they remembered now was Dharam and
Dharampurush. If the Dharamcharya wanted, he could have
chosen any other plot in the village for the dharamsthal
(religious spot), but why did he chose the place of Karsad only?
This was an extremely important question, but to argue was no
longer a part of the life of the villagers. If that trait or instinct
would still have been left, they would have surely deduced that

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the Dharamcharya wanted them to forget the symbols of their
ancestors, he only wanted to see the picture of the
Dharamcharya to be engraved on the forehead of the people; he
wanted to eliminate the freedom of their feelings, he wanted to
distance their feelings from their ancestors, he wanted to end
their history, he wanted to distance them from their roots, he
wanted to destroy the Karsad. He wanted to destroy the Gondola
itself.
Now, the idol of the Dharampurush had to be installed
in that Dharamsthal. This was weird too, because when he says
that the Dharampurush is present in every matter, then why did
the need to establish a place of worship for him arise? And if he
is the creator of the whole universe, then how can someone
create his idol? But, the Dharmacharya had made the condition
very clear in the very beginning itself, “Believe in it, have faith.
Dharma punishes those who doubt or question it.” This makes it
clear as to why anyone would dare to argue, which is why the
deep slumber of Dharam didn’t break even now. The
Dharamsthal, made up of cement and bricks was finally
constructed, as if fearing that strong winds might demolish it.
The one, whom dharamcharya called the protector of the entire
world, had such arrangements made for his protection, which
were not only highly promiscuous but gullible at the same time.
         So far, the villagers had been establishing the symbols of
their loved ones or nature in the form of any non-living thing
such as sword, axe, utensils, baskets, stones, knives, pillars, etc.
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which has freedom because after death, how can we give shape
to the sense energy that has no limit or shape. If that is done,
then instead of the deeds and works of the deceased or her/his
feelings, only her/his color and looks would become supreme
and the importance of the things said and preached by her/him
would diminish. People who are different from that color or
form would not even want to adopt it. Those who will adopt,
instead of the message contained in it, becoming slaves of that
color or form, will put looks into high regard, and the motif
would hence be murdered. Again, the Dharamcharya is making
the idol of the devotee similar to humans, who he calls the
creator of this world. How can he prove that the creator of this
world can be just like a human with a particular color, shape or
appearance? Why cannot it look like an animal or a bird? Didn’t
he create people of other color; didn’t he create animals, didn’t
he create trees and plants? Yes... due to the wisdom of
humankind, they have become the leader of all today, but it is
not necessary that the leader is also the creator. Of course, if the
animals got an opportunity they would say, “The person who
resembles this man has at least not created us; a person who
looks like this is the biggest danger to us. We claim that
someone who looks like us has created us, one who has four feet
and a tail, eats grass or loves to eat only meat, he lives in the
jungle and he has no need to wear clothes as well. He is
independent like us. The ones you created need to wear clothes.
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Someone who could not design his creation to survive without
wearing clothes, how will he create us or the world?” Then, may
be, it would have become difficult to deny this claim of the
animals, because they are often more powerful than humans.
Elephants, lions, bulls, cows, deer, donkeys are all sharper than
humans in some aspect. Then why cannot someone, who looks
like them, be the creator of them and the whole world! How can
other animals, birds and trees accept such kind of narrow-
mindness, which is why, the Koytur's never claimed that the one
who has created them and the whole world looks like them.
Neither did they make any such claims in front of other human
beings nor the animals, hence not allotting a particular face to
their ancestors or the power of nature, and establish them in any
form easily. The promiscuity of race, caste, creed, nationality,
thoughts ends; some face ends, and only the work or sense of
that ancestor is registered across generations, just like the
Virvad, in place of Beer’s looks, is registering his courage, hard
work and bravery. If, the animals get an opportunity to set the
idol of the one who has created the world instead of that
Dharamcharya, then the elephants, tigers, cats, deer, horses and
donkeys would all establish their own identicals, and this would
be the narrow mindedness of those animals.
But now, with the establishment of the promiscuity of the
Dharampurush in the face of an idol, the entire village began
gathering in that Dharamsthal day and night. Everyone started
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cleaning it day and night and hence, the Dharamsthal became
sparkling clean, while they scattered the dirt collected from the
dharmsthal here and there, as if all they were worried about was
the cleanliness of the shrine, as if, with the dusting of the
Dharamsthal other places got cleaned too, as if only cleaning the
Dharamsthal was important and it didn’t matter if other places
were dirty. The hardworking villagers, who had been focused on
cleaning the entire village uptill now, became focused on
cleaning the Dharamsthal only. Outside the Dharamsthal, near
the river, in the middle of the village and in corners as well, the
garbage started accumulating day by day, because of which
leaving the Dharamsthal the whole village became dirty. The
effluents from the Dharamsthal began being dumped in the
village pond. The result being such that the animals that had
been drinking clean water uptill now, started falling sick.
Probably, the same thing had happened in the city of
Dharamcharya as well, he must have contaminated the water
from the effluents of the Dharamsthal, because at the time of the
religious sermon, he used to drink bottled water brought from
the city, otherwise could one ever think that water could be sold
too. But, now it was being sold in the city; Dharam had forced it
to be sold too. Does the air of his city sell too? Nobody
argued.The nap still did not terminate, because there was no
obstruction on the way of the Dharamyatra in the form of a

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counter argument, which could prevent the accident by reducing
the Dharamyatra’s pace.
On the birthday of the Dharampurush, Dharamcharya
would celebrate it and burn noisy fire crackers the whole night,
and the very next day the villagers would discover that many
birds have left the village due to the fear of the noise of the
firecrackers, and not a single bird would be visible the entire
day. After about a week, some birds, gathering enough courage,
would come back to the village, but most of them would have
left the village permanently, some animals had also followed
suit. Breathers of fresh air all their life, the villagers suffered
from cough due to the polluted air contaminated by the smoke
of the firecrackers, as if this was their reward for accepting
dharam (religion). Was polluting the water and air part of that
Dharam? So, from now onwards will air and water start selling
in this village?
At last, when the Dharamcharya realized that his
dharam had been established in this village, meaning, the entire
village has become Dharmik (religious), and Dharam has
acquired the administration of the village, then he raised the
topic of connecting the town with the city by constructing roads.
But this time, the village didn’t bother about the Semal tree.
Perhaps they had even forgotten about their community
arrangement ‘Gondola’ itself, and within a few months, the
whole town was surrounded by a web of roads, for which
thousands of trees were murdered. They still did not wake up
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from their nap. After the construction of the road, within no
time, ten security force camps were put up, which had been
impossible before the construction of the road, and this in turn
wasn’t possible before the establishment of the Dharam in the
village.
The passengers kept agreeing to everything the driver said
very diligently. In this long journey, their nap didn’t end
anywhere, probably because it had now turned into a deep sleep.
They had now come a long way from their destination or
probably the journey on which they are right now had no
destination at all. Actually, it was a never ending journey. The
path of nature, like a self-constructed trail, is simple and easy,
catering to individual necessity, which is not prone to accidents,
but Dharam was like any such grand, wide and busy road made
up of cement, walking on which required a lot of rules and
regulations even after which it is prone to accidents. The same
thing happened; how long could the nap persist; they were
suddenly awakened, and the reason for this awakening from the
deep sleep was frightening.
The harvesting of the paddy field was over, after which,
like always, from the dozens of nearby Gotuls dance troops had
left to deliver the message of communality, nature conservation,
goodwill, harmony, justice and Lingo’s message, through their
dance and songs. After collecting the ration from the host
villages for their dance expertise, they directly go to the “Parma
Mari” Gotul. ‘Parma,’ meaning the horns of forest bull, which is

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the emblem of bravery, courage, festival, and victory. These
horns were worn by the members of this Gotul under the
guidance of its protector Parmhasur, who used to dance too.
Since, this open Gotul was situated around a bolder of rocks,
meaning ‘Mari,’ hence the name ‘Parma Mari.’ Foreign
invaders, to end the education methodology of the Gotuls, had
not only tried to malign their reputation by publishing books
containing false information, but had also attacked them
countless times. Possibly, having won one such historical war,
the leader, Parmhasur, was made to wear the horns, which are
symbolic of the victory here.
Once a year, representatives from all the nearby Gotuls
come here, where they celebrate their happiness. Here, many
competitions are also held between them, and in the end, the
tradition of eating flattened rice (chiwda) is completed, in which
all the nearby Gotuls are given flattened rice, which, they in
turn, distribute in their respective Gotuls.
After completing the tradition of eating the flattened
rice in the Parma Mari Gotul, the representatives were returning
back to the gondola. Back at Gotul, the villagers were preparing
for their welcome as they had won a lot of competitions and
accolades as well, but that day the diyas of the Gotul were lit
very late, which were lit by the Dulosa. When after waiting for
Belosa for a long time, she had not turned up, the Mukwan had
asked the Dulosa to light the first diya. Often, when Belosa does
not reach Gotul at sunset, she hands over this responsibility to
the Dulosa, but today, she had not even delivered any such
information, who also had to complete the tradition of

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distributing the flattened rice in her Gotul. When enquired at her
place, it was found that she had left for the Gotul before sunset
only.
Gotul was restless the entire night, everyone set to look
for Belosa. The next morning, the news of an encounter of a
Naxalite woman by the security forces on the outskirts of the
clan spread like wildfire. The dead body of that woman was
surrounded by security forces from all sides. Journalists and
urban police officers were coming and going the entire day.
Armed men, four times the population of the entire village, were
deployed at the spot.
The town's sleep was completely blown away, when
they saw, that the 22 year old girl, who was wearing a Naxalite
uniform, was none other than Madkam Mase, the Belosa of
Raynar’s Gotul, Gondola. By the appearance of her body, it
could clearly be understood that before her death she had been
sexually abused and after killing her she was made to wear the
Naxalite uniform and shoes, because that uniform was too big
for her and completely new, which neither had any holes nor
was torn from anywhere. While it was being said that she was
shot on the chest, neither the uniform nor the chest had any
hole, or splashes of blood. Even the shoes were too big in size
for her, which looked more of a man’s.
There was a gun found near the dead body. It seemed
obvious that after killing the Belosa, all these measures were
taken to prove her a Naxalite. But who would carry this truth
outside the village? The journalists, who had come, were told
that it was a Naxalite encounter by the police, and were stopped

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from approaching the villagers, which is why like Madkam
Mase, even the truth had died on the borders of the town or one
could say that the truth had been shot down in the same fake
encounter with the army men. The government rewarding them
with lakhs of rupees, promoted them in ranks in the department,
and after the murder, the police department said that she was a
female Naxal commander, who had a reward of five lakhs on
her.
The entire village drowned in the wave of grief, Gotul
was mourning its Belosa. The condition of Laya - Layore was as
if their mother had passed away; the same Belosa who had
handed them the membership of Gotul, her death had made
Gotul helpless. The security forces now began eyeing the whole
clan with suspicion. Privacy of the clan was destroyed. The
youth was forcefully beaten up and were being forced to accept
that they were Naxalites. Unmarried young girls were sexually
abused. After sunset, any community programmes were
discontinued, and the Gotul was demolished and locked. The
ones who stood up against this injustice were beaten down into
silence and if they didn’t comply, false cases, proving them a
Naxalite, were lodged against them, and then they were sent to
jail. No one, who could raise a voice, was left in the village
now.
         It was clear now, that the Dharamcharya had been sent to
make a permanent place in the village, who by distracting them
from reality, from nature, from the truth of the present, from
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struggles, focused it on the miracles of Dharam, and then made
them dependent on the dharam and dharampurush (religion and
avatar) for the information about birth to death and the afterlife.
When they had accepted the Dharam and Dharampurush, they
had unintentionally handed over their political and socio-
cultural representations to the Dharamcharya as well. They
complied with all his decisions, which they never argued upon,
and in the absence of this very reasoning, they had become
slaves to the Dharampurush, abandoning the stuggles for their
own protection. They were now not worried about the village
but the Dharam and when Dharam acquired control over the
administration of the village, they passed the order of the
construction of roads, against which no one could dare speak.
Now, by the virtue of the Dharam, every such work was being
done in the village, which the government representatives could
not even think of without the preservation of the Dharam.
Today, an industrialist has set up a factory of furniture in the
village, who is running his business by cutting down the trees.
Then, had the Industrialist sent the Dharamcharya, who,
using power (Political power) and dharam to construct road
wanted to set his business in the village? Was this a conspiracy
by Dharam, business and power collectively?
In relation to this village, with his religious attack, the
Dharamcharya first took possession of the administration of the
village, and then himself turned into a dictator. Nothing in the
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world transcends this act, neither dictatorship nor conspiracy.
Perhaps, Dharam was discovered by the aggressive nature of
humans. Did the attacker create Dharam to get permanent,
stable administration of the new place before or after the
invasion? Because, so far the villagers had never left their
childhood residence, which is why they had no requirement for
the making of the Dharam, whereas the Dharamcharya had
escaped from somewhere to this place, hence he had the
necessity to make the Dharam. Was that Dharam necessary for
that refugee to go to a new place, settle down, stay, and hold it
for permanence or power? It is clear that, if the Dharamcharya
had not have Dharam, he could not have survived in this village
for long. Sensing the danger, the rural people would not have let
him live there permanently, just like they had refused to build a
road intuiting the threat from the outsiders. Indeed, the nature of
that Dharam was aggressive and violent, and its rules too
elevated the aggressive tendency of human beings, because that
Dharamcharya had become aggressive because of leading a life
according to man-made rules of Dharam. The changes which he
had made in his body according to the Dharam, it appeared that
he had created an artificial identity of himself, which had
destroyed simplicity, modesty in him and had borne
aggressiveness in him. On the other hand, nature-centric
villagers were simple, easy and ones who had made no such
physical changes in themselves. This was the major difference
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between the pre-religious villagers (Dharampoorvi) and the
religious Dharamcharya.
The Dharamyatra (pilgrimage) for which the clan had
left, there was no Dharampurush or any Dharamsthal there. The
world for which these people were preparing for after their
death was out of talks, when their present living condition was
worse than death. To establish permanence of his Dharam in the
village, the Dharamcharya was promoting it day and night.
Now, he had even arranged other preachers like him, whose
only job was to read the Dharmgranth, behaving like they had
no concern for anyone’s death or the reasons of their death, like
everything was Dharampurush’s wish only. Dharamcharya
started establishing a lot of big Dharamsthals everywhere. Not
only this, he even secretly started carving idols of his dharmik
figures on the peaks of different hills and later claimed them to
be ten thousand or twenty thousand years old.
The real identity of the village was lost because the
village had lost its cultural identity; that is why it became very
difficult to differentiate between an outsider and a villager. The
Dharamcharya kept shifting all his disciples from the city to the
village, and settled them there. Ultimately, the name of Raynar
was changed to ‘Dharamgarh.’ Now, the villagers started
feeling that it had just been years since they settled here, while
the Dharamcharya has been its landlord since a thousand year.
Then, the ruling government announced to gift him
sixty five acres of land there, where, in the future, under the
pretense of natural remedy for their rich disease, he will call
famous politicians, actors, businessmen to the same nature he
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has tried to kill most brutally, and is still doing so. Appearing to
be the most innocent and honest looking idea for a business, is
nurtured with the world’s biggest dishonesty, the nutrient for
which is dharam (religion).
Gondola, meaning thread, was sepatrated in different
ethnic groups fiber to fiber, so that the rope does not stay so
long or strong that it might strangle the Dharamcharya’s neck.
After caste, they were again divided into classes. Gond stayed
not an arrangement, but became a caste in itself. In this way, in
place of Kul Gund arrangement (Totem), Dharam established
the caste system and gave rise to caste and untouchability.
Gondwana's main identity was abolished.
This is just a synopsis of the dharamyatra of that village
which some scholars have described briefly in this way:-
Whenever mining companies make plans for mining in a tribal
area, they first rape their culture by propagating religion and
then rape their women.
- Dr. Felix Paddle
God is the name of exploitation. - Socrates
He disclosed the secrets of the religious leaders. The religious
leaders were making a fool of themselves by saying that the sun
revolves around the earth. Copernicus, through his experiment,
proved that all the planets in the solar system, along with Earth,
revolve around the Sun. Because of which the religious leaders
got so angry that they started punishing severely all the
established scientists of Copernicus. - Copernicus

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He revolted against the atrocities of superstition, hypocrisy and
religious leaders. He had said that, “Fasting, pilgrimage,
chanting, donation, etc. are all nonsense.”
- Martin Luther
In worldly affairs, humans are not protected by religion rather
its absense keeps them safe. - Benjamin Franklin
I neither believe in theism nor in life after death.
- Charles Darwin
God was born of a deep conspiracy and religion is like
opium. In his view, religion is anti-science, anti-progressive,
retrograde, inefficient and destructive, only its sacrifice is in the
public interest. - Karl Marx
Get closer to nature; you will get answers to every question.
The moral conduct of a person should be primarily dependent
on empathy, education and social bonding, for which there is no
need for a religious base. Controlling humans with the fear of
punishment and the hope of rewards after death, their lives
become miserable.
- Albert Einstein
Walk on ‘Satnam,’ the path of truth. - Guru Ghansidas baba.
Social independence without political independence is similar to
a palace without foundation. The person who does not know
her/his own history can never make history. - Baba Saheb
Bhimrao Ambedkar

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'Punem,' means that we can all stand under a roof by following
the path of truth. - Dada Moti Raven Kangali
 “God has no existence.” - Stephen Hawkins

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 8
Answer

While waiting for Koyna, Beer is playing with his

sword, ‘Vidhwad’ in the playground. A master swordsman is
making many such postures by waving this sword in a number
of directions like that of a warrior as if paying respects to that
helpful friend who has helped him win over a battle, and the
sword too is showings its support with the sound that is created
while cutting its way through the wind.
At this time he is all alone in Gotul. This is the first day
when, according to the traditions of Gotul, he will exercise his
powers as the winner by lighting its first diya along with Koyna,
which is why he is waiting for her arrival. After a while,
spotting Koyna walk in through the entrance door towards him,
he digs his sword into the ground.
While walking towards the pillar, he notices that there
is no streak of excitement of lighting Gotul’s first diya on
Koyna’s face. So far, eagerly waiting to fulfill his duties as the
winner of Gotul, Beer even notices a number of questions lined
up on her face. He is walking towards the pillar trying to
understand this question that, “inspite of receiving such a huge
opportunity, why isn’t there a bit of happiness on her face.”
With this question on his mind, Beer reaches near the
pillar, where Koyna has already reached by now. He stares at
the sunset without dropping his gaze, and then picking up the
diya placed in front of the pillar, brings it to Koyna as an
offering to light it. According to the rules, Koyna lights up the

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diya and places it back intact. Often, Motiyaries express their
gratitude towards the winner for providing them with this
opportunity, but Koyna, only fulfilling her formality, without
saying anything else busies herself in lighting the other diyas, as
if trying to ignore Beer. After Koyna leaves, Beer proceeds
towards his sword once again, surrounded with numerous
questions.
All the incidents of the first day are repeated in a very
similar manner on the second day as well; the same pile of
questions on Koyna’s face and Beer trying to understand them,
but today when Koyna leaves, Beer is successful in deciphering
one of the questions, “Why was I chosen when he does not even
know who I am? Probably because he wanted to free himself of
the charge of insulting Gotul, only for this, I was just a pawn for
him.” After reaching the arena of the pillar where his sword is
fixed, bringing it to the place near the pillar, he reaches to the
conclusion that this is the question which he had read on
Koyna’s face, and as soon as he fixes his Vidhwad on the
ground, he realises that he needs to answer this question only. It
was as if the sword, which is gifted with being closest to Gotul’s
entire sense energy, had only advised him to do so, as if this
very sword only, which has been his closest companion till date,
had conveyed Koyna’s feelings to Beer.
Today is the third and the last day, and if this third day
also repeats itself just like the last two days, then perhaps after
today both of them will never face each other, neither in Gotul
nor outside.

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 Today when Koyna enters Gotul, she does not find Beer
standing there unlike the previous two days. She looks here and
there but does not find him anywhere. Koyna, who was waiting
for Beer near the pillar, while swirling around, begins to look at
the huge rooms, the artworks on the walls, the carving of the
walls, the beckons in the playground in such a way as if by
introducing herself to them, she is trying to find her Gotul,
'Gondola' in them.
By looking at the Kulhads placed in front of the pillar,
she recalls that two days prior to this she had crossed a circular
boundary, which had six Kulhads kept on its perimeter and the
one Kulhad kept in the middle was different from the rest. She
repeats the same scene again from her memory, when gathering
a lot of courage she had crossed that circle, and then starts
staring at the arena where such arrangements were made, and
after that she ponders upon the fixed Vidwad, which had
pointed towards her in front of everyone in that arena. Without
blinking, she continues looking at it as if she were asking it the
question that had been on her mind that, “Why did you point
towards me?” Do you really have the ability to understand
Gotul's feelings? But I have not yet made this Gotul acquainted
with my feelings? Did you do so for the purpose of achieving
this title? And, all of a sudden when her attention is diverted
towards the sun, she finds it in the last phase of setting. On
seeing this, she turns towards the entrance but still does not see
Beer, while the members of Gotul are just about to arrive. They
will reach Gotul anytime now. Some are even standing at the
entrance door already, but are hesitant to enter because they do

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not see the first diya burning. It is a dilemma for Koyna. This is
the second time when Beer had put her in such a predicament. If
the sun sets and the first diya of Gotul is not lit, then it would be
an insult of Gotul, but lighting it without the winner is also
against their traditional rules. While thinking about the same,
she looks at the sunset, then glances towards the entrance door,
then the arena where she had met Beer the last two days, and
not finding him there, she once again looks at the sunset, then
the entrance door, where now more people were standing than
compared to earlier.
Not being able to find a way out, with the question,
“What should I do now?” on her mind, and fixating her gaze on
the pillar eventually, she closes her eyes as if requesting nature
to show her a way. This was similar to when Beer had fixated
his gaze on the pillar, having found no other solution right after
winning, after which he had chosen Koyna. Koyna now
remembers her father, who often told her, “When we are
standing on a crossroad, then with a clear conscience we should
always choose the one which is our heart’s first calling”. And as
soon as she opens her eyes, her gaze falls directly on Gotul’s
first diya, and she starts lighting it without wasting any time.
This was Beer’s answer to Koyna’s question that
choosing her was his heart’s first calling.
Koyna lights up Gotul’s first lamp. Now on her face,
which is filled with numerous questions, along with the light of
the diya, a light smile spreads. The Vidhwad starts shining as
soon as the diya lights and Koyna’s eyes fall on a thick thread
tied around the sword and right after picking it up, she quickly

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recognises that it belongs to Beer, which always remains tied on
his right arm. She recollects all those things that Mritula had
told her about Beer and his band. She then realises that Beer had
shown his presence in the form of this band. Koyna shows her
token of thanks towards the Vidwad through Johar (a salutaion
similar to ‘namaste’ which is used by natives of Orissa,
Jharkhand and Chattisgarh to greet each other with respect).
After seeing the first diya lit, the group of Motiyaries and
Cheliks, who had been standing at the entrance, enter inside the
Gotul. After receiving all the answers to her questions, Koyna
along with the others gets engrossed in lighting the lamps of the
Gotul.
After some time, the entire Gotul is illuminated.

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 9
Proposition

It was a dark and dreary night as if someone had

frightened the moon even before it could come out saying that it
wasn’t safe for it to come out today, after which even the stars
had decided not to shine, probably because that warning had
reached them too. But, as always, Gotul was engrossed in itself
unaware of the fact that the loud rumbling of the mysterious
bald mountains situated behind it, had increased rapidly today.
That night, the Naxalites held their assembly in the safest spot
of their red corridor, the invitation for which has to be always
accepted by the Gayta of this village.
In that destitute cave where only one lantern was
burning, the brightness of which had faded away even before
reaching the camp, a Naxalite commander, sitting on a rock
starts his conversation after saying, “Red Salute.” He is very
fond of the words, “Red Salute” which fills him with
excitement. Inside the cave, a campfire was put up in such a
place where from its brightness couldn’t escape; presumably,
this was done intentionally. The same light of that campfire is
reflecting on that khaki-coloured uniform wearing commander,
making him look yellow, who continues in his clear and
authoritative tone, “This offer is a part of the conspiracy to rob
that iron ore hidden in the “Utong Ghaati”, Gaayta. In the name
of construction of roads catering to the dream of progress, they
will snatch away all the water, the jungles and the lands because
of which the village is alive today, and then these industrialists

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will make you their slave. All these laws and procedures have
been modified by them according to their own convenience,
which cannot be trusted upon.”
Inside the cave many gunmen are also present, counting
whom might be a reckless effort. All of them are engrossed in
their own work, sometimes worried, sometimes determined,
sometimes happy, sometimes unhappy, sometimes restless,
sometimes patient, sometimes active, sometimes slogging. as if
devising a plan as to how to kill that minister: by crushing his
head with a stone, by slitting his throat, by pulling out his
tongue or by pulling out his eyeballs. Some of them are cleaning
their guns with kerosene oil too, using which who knows how
many people they might have killed. In some corner, the news is
also running on the radio, the sound of which is extremely faint,
but audible. Around the caves, the wind has reduced its speed
too as if even it were afraid that day. With weapons in their
hands, some people were working as warders outside the cave.
“But, the Ministers are our representatives only.”
Instead of being silent as usual, for the first time, the
Gayta had opened his mouth inside that cave, seeing which
every Naxalite fixes his gaze upon him. It seemed like he had
done something they had never anticipated.
“No one remains one’s own after befriending politics.
And the political party he has shaken hands with, is it your own,
the one which gave him the “red light”? No, it isn’t, right?
These people just want access to you by using them. In front of
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them, their own plight becomes like those of the nomads.” The
voice of the commander echoes inside the entire cave because of
which the portraits hanging on its strong boulders start
trembling, whom he considers to be his inspiration. On seeing
them trembling, the commander lowers his voice, as if the
portraits themselves had ordered him to do so, who used to be
the king of that cave once upon a time, whose position had been
taken by him now.
Gayta furthers the argument saying, “But how long will
we continue to be afraid like this, we have to move ahead some
or the other day.”
“Till the moment we do not get the authority to make our
own decisions; that is what we are fighting for.”
“The Government wants to talk to all of you, why don’t
you take up the path of non-violence?”
“This is just their pretense, Gayta,” Saying this, the
commander gets up from his place, deciding upon a defined
distance, starts walking in such a way as if the word “non-
violence” had instigated him and continues, “on which innocent
people like you end up believing, if you agree to their proposal
now, then the land on which you have the sole authority at
present will get divided into thousand shares, of which your
share would be just for namesake, which is why we don’t want
to distribute it. When we have the right to make our own
decisions, then only will we get the authority as well.”

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 “But when will that day come?” says the Gayta
flabbergasted, “Will I be able to witness it while I am living?”
“Soon, very soon,” the Naxalite commander makes it
clear, “We will get what we deserve which is possible only on
gunpoint, therefore the Naxalite law is against this offer and this
assembly declares its final verdict that neither the forests will be
cut nor roads will be built all around the village. Those who will
accept this proposal will break the Naxalite law, for which our
law has the provision for death penalty. To save our water,
forests and land, we can even take any tough decisions. We
can’t felicitate experiments because it’s a matter of our
existence.” The Naxalite Commander gives out his final verdict,
after which there is left no further scope for any more
arguments.
Just then, a news bulletin plays on the radio, “Finally, the
Government has decided to take extreme measures to fight
against the Naxalites.”
On hearing this, the entire cave starts echoing with
laughter, as if someone had given them the first and the last
opportunity to laugh.
Actually, after being quiet for months, this angry
mountain has again come into action. It couldn’t bear the sight
of a Minister coming to the village. So without wasting any
time, they had given their first violent reaction this morning
itself. In the morning, a crowd of policemen was gathered in the

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scattered jungles located on the footsteps of those mysterious
mountains, which stood admiring the camp, investigating
around. The Naxalites had murdered a policeman and thrown
the body in the jungle and like always, they did not forget to
leave a red flag along with the Naxalite literature and a note
filled with warnings. Just like a lover never forgets to send a
letter to his beloved expressing his love along with the gift, this
was similar to that, only, that is expression of love while this
was of hatred, “We don’t like the coming of the minister in the
red corridors. He wants to steal the land, water and the forests
by making intriguing promises.” As always, the letter was
signed off with ‘laal salaam’ (Red Salute) at the end, and yes,
the whole letter was also written in red ink.
By the afternoon, the whole village had gathered around
the Chaupal (public place), where there was a long queue of
police vehicles, among which, the one in white with the red
light on its hood was leading from the front. Actually it was that
Minister’s vehicle, the news of whose visit to the village had
angered the bald mountains. Politician Jatthu Ram, who was a
representative of this constituency, often comes here for the
election assemblies, but this time he might have had some other
intentions, because along with him a few fresh faces had come
from the city as well. The owner of a steel company, who was a
well known businessman, Ramchandra Motwani, the editor of
the newspaper “Dabey Awaaz,” (Subdued Voice) Mohan Gupta
and that Dharamcharya. This is not the first time that the
Dharamcharya has come here. When he was here last time, out
of habit he had sought for the Gayta’s permission to organize a

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discourse assembly but Gayta had refused straightaway and had
said that, “This socio-cultural arrangement is the only main
purpose of our lives, which is our protector and we cannot
tolerate any kind of encroachment on it. We like living with
nature only.”
Before this also, the Dharamcharya had kept the proposal
for the assembly numerous times, but after getting exhausted of
receiving the same answer from the Gayta each time, he had
stopped talking about Dharam altogether. Today, in place of
dharam, he had come up with a different proposal the revelation
of which the Minister is ought to do.
The meeting began, and after the completion of all the
formalities of his welcome, the minister starts speaking, “Seva
Johar, my dear companions.....”
After that, the raucity of his voice spreads around him,
which remains throughout the entire speech.
           As usual, he gives a long-drawn mugged up speech, in
which he makes every effort to win the trust of the people and
very smartly introduces the villagers to his alluring proposal.
The minister asks permission from Village Bumkaal
(Traditional village assembly) to build a strong road around the
village connecting it to the city. He says that due to road
construction, there will be health facilities in the village, schools
will open, village will be connected to the city and thus the
Vikas (development) of the village will happen. “Vikas”, he had

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repeated this word several times in his entire speech, like it was
his father’s or grandfather’s name: “Vikas/development.”
The whole village was in dilemma with the sudden
proposal. Many did not understand the speech of the minister
itself, but even they heard the word ‘Vikas/development’ several
times and also participated in the discussion that started after the
meeting, whereas the elders of the village had started a deep
contemplation on it already.
Like the entire village, the Gayta was also in a dilemma
because trusting any outsider has always been expensive.
Taking this dilemma, he goes to his trusted S.P. (Superintendent
of Police) Prithvi Sinha, who had come to the village today for
the security arrangements of the minister. He advises him,
saying, “I know that it is very difficult for you to rely on an
outsider, the news of this proposal might also have reached the
Naxalites and like always they will oppose to it, press upon their
decisions on you, but now you will have to rely on someone or
the other. How long will you be trapped between these
Naxalites and the government? Therefore, I advise that you
make such a decision which can protect your next generation.
Violence is never a permanent solution."
Actually this S.P. is quite close to these villagers. He is
the only city dweller whom the villagers trust. S.P. has lived in
this village for ten years. When he had been newly appointed in
the police department, he was stationed here only. Then, he was
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at a lower post in the department, and had got recently married.
Compared to today, encounters with the Naxalites was way
more then because of which policemen were often afraid to
come here and if someone even came, they would not last
longer than two to three months. They either got themselves
transferred through bribery or got killed at the hands of the
Naxalites. In those times, these same villagers had helped the
S.P. Without bothering about enemity with the Naxalites, they
would caution the S.P. sensing their every attack, which they
would often get to know from the stir of the bald mountain,
because S.P. and his wife were the first urbans who were close
to them and their culture. They used to love these Koyaturs for
their simple and clear heart, would attend their festivals, and
would mix well with their culture. After receiving warmth from
a stranger for the first time, the villagers also got close to them.
Both his children were born here too, who played in their laps
and danced in their festivals. For his ten years of service in this
destitute Naxalite area, he was promoted in ranks by the
department, and which is why the S.P. always says that, “I owe
them a lot. Their water, forest and land recognizes me, I love
them.”
Note that these Naxalites were born during the sixties in
a place called Naxalbadi in the Bengal district. It has come to be
heard that, in their boyhood, they had raised their weapons for
the benefit of the farmers. If we think from this point of view, it
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somewhat seems right but the murders that they are committing
today on the outskirts of the village, is it right? It might be
possible that they were children then, but they have grown up
now and this might be the thrill of the youth or it might also be
possible that they have become wiser in their youth. These
Naxalites claim that they are fighting for the truth, that is why
the people of the tribe often think that when truth and non-
violence are going to be victorious, then where is the smartness
in living in a deserted, venerable cave, where even the rays of
sunlight fear to penetrate, trying to differentiate truth from non-
violence? Gayta has often said in his address to the Bumkaal,
“Truth can be disturbed, but not overpowered.” Perhaps, this
Naxal commander who has just given his final verdict to the
Gayta thinks that, even if truth is troubled, then how distressed
can it be, and if there continues to be trouble for a long time
then what will they do with that lifeless victory in the end?
Perhaps, thinking that truth will be victorious in any case, he
might have taken up arms because it will reduce the duration of
the troubles because he had also said the Gayta that, “Today,
only that non-violence emerges victorious behind whose defeat
lays the fear of horrible violence. The ruler bends his knee in
front of that same non-violence, the defeat of which would give
rise to the violence he has been afraid of.” All these things are
mind boggling: therefore someone has rightly said, ‘Truth is of
double standards.’ No matter what happens, nature always has
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the last call but probably even nature says the same thing, “The
ones who fail to struggle their existence becomes null and
void.” Now is the right time to define this battle or struggle. All
these talks are exactly similar to when definition is needed to be
defined.
While leaving the cave, the Gayta was fighting with
hundreds of such thoughts, but soon he reaches to the
conclusion that there is no meaning in defining the definition,
only nature has the ability to understand it. I am a human,
whatever seems right in the realm of my understanding, I should
do that. When life is on a cross road and no conclusion can be
found, then one should choose the path which is the first calling
of one’s heart.
Before exiting the cave only, the Gayta was blind-
folded. A Naxalite holds his hand and helps him out of the
mountain. He could not see anything only hear chants of ‘Lal
Salaam’ (Red Salute) four to five times around him. Apart from
this, there was a fearsome silence of the night. After walking for
a distance, the same person says to him, “Sit here.” After sitting,
when the sound of the cutting of the waves made by the oar
reached his ears, the Gayta guessed that he was now sitting on a
boat. After some time the same person again said, “Get down
here and keep walking straight, when you can feel the dry
concrete land beneath your feet only then open your blindfold.”
The tone of the statement made it evident that this was an order.
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Gayta has been through this numerous times before, that is why
walking from the shore of sandy beach, where the feat keeps
sinking, to the concrete land didn’t take him much time. He
opened his blindfold and like always there was no one around
him. Usually, no one has the courage to look back at the path,
but this was the second time Gayta had dared to do something
like this as if trying to locate that way on the river which had led
to the cave. Today, instead of the dirt on his feet, he washed his
hands in the river's water, which was not at all needed, but with
this excuse, he was trying to find an opportunity to feel the
water of the river as if to confirm if the colour of this water was
red too, but it wasn’t so. He once again looks at the piece of
cloth he was blind-folded with, it wasn’t red too. When he is
fully convinced that he has come out of the red corridor, then he
starts looking at the Utong valley as if this were his last meeting
with it. The mountains, the trees, the animals were all fast
asleep; without causing any obstruction in their sleep, he had
already conveyed his views and points to them, and after
bidding farewell to them, he starts walking towards his village.
That night, even after tossing and turning on his bed
several times, the Gayta couldn’t sleep. Apart from the diya
kept near the door, the whole village was in deep sleep. For the
first time today, the Gaayta was accompaning that awake diya
kept in the lampshed till until midnight. After looking at that
diya for a while, he starts moving his hand over the land, on
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which he is lying down on a mere thin sheet, and then getting up
at once comes out of the door and sits on the bench. While
admiring his courtyard, he is indulged in the same deep thought
which has stolen his sleep today. Throwing a glance at the
neighborhood homes, he starts walking as if someone had
informed him about a place he would find solution to all his
problems. While walking, after completing a round of the
village, he reaches that corner of the village, from where the
paths lead straight to the Gotul. In this corner of the village, the
faint sound of Gotul's dance-music can be heard. Standing there,
Gayta begins listening to those voices coming from Gotul, as if
he were a child and his mother had been explaining something
to him. Often, on these paths no one other than the Gotul’s
members walk, but today, the Gayta wanting to eliminate this
ambiguity of voices, could not stop himself from walking on
them. After walking some distance, when the voices become
clear, then hiding behind a tree he starts listening to these voices
again, which are explaining the construction of the village of
Koyturs:
Laya - How did our village settle here, Jodiya tell us….
Layor - Listen....Years ago, someone with a hypothesis of
settlement had come here, who, to reach his emotions to this
Mother Earth, had applied for it by cutting down a tree's trunk
and digging it here, doing so, he went back, listen....

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Laya - With what name is that first person adressed, Jodiya, tell
us, who had come here with a hypothesis of settlement, tell us....
Layor - That first person is called 'Bumiyar'. Listen.... who had
come here with a hypothesis of settlement.listen....
(‘Boom’ means land)
Laya- When did he come back next? Maji tell us….
Layor - Listen, when he received positive feelings, then months
later he had come with his wife, listen....Then he had brought
any one symbol of his ancestors along with him,listen….
Laya - Where did he keep the symbol of his ancestors, Kotwaar
tell us….
Layor - Listen, Bumiyar, after cleaning, made a place fit to live,
listen.... the spot of the village, where he kept the symbol of his
ancestors, it is called 'Raur', Listen…. after which gradually
settlement began. Listen….
Laya - Was the final decision to settle there been made by now?
Devan tell us....
Layor - Listen.... Taking permission from the soil was still
pending, listen.... If she had not permitted, then it would have
been impossible for the village to settle. Listen....
Laya - Then who asked permission from the Earth, Devan tell
us....
Layor - Listen.... For this, along with Bumiyar, his male
relatives spent many nights in that Raur, listen.... where the
token of their ancestors was kept. Listen…. and the one who
proved his eligibility was appointed the ‘Gayta,’ listen…. this
qualification can be received by the Bumiyar himself too.
Listen….

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Laya - What did the Gayta do then? Devan tell us...
Layor - Listen....Gayta, taking permission from this soil,
established it, listen. Therefore, Gayta is the cultural head of the
village. Listen....
Laya – What happened after getting permission from the soil?
Chalan, tell us….
Layor - Listen.... When Earth gave the permission, then with the
direction of its token and the Pen kept in the Raur, the
demarcation of the village is done. Listen.... the quantity of
land that Earth gives the Bumiyar, he demarcates within that
land only, listen.…
Laya - How is the fabrication of the socio-cultural structure of
the village done thereafter, Maji tell us....
Layor - Listen.... the one who understands nature and its
emotions of its tokens is appointed the ‘Sirha’, the person who
is qualified to protect and serve the power of nature, is
appointed the ‘pujari’, for the message cart of the village the
‘Kotwar’ is appointed, ‘Patel’ is appointed for the
implementation of the policies of the village, and ‘Manjhi’ is
appointed for overall monitoring. Listen.... all of them have to
prove their eligibility. Listen....
Laya - What is the village Bumkaal? Maji tell us….
Layor - Listen.... one who resides in the ‘boom’ came to be
known as Bumiyar, and in the same boom, where kaal, meaning
disaster, strikes, then happens the Bumkaal. Listen.... Bumkaal
is an arrangement, which is made of Bumiyar, Gayta, Patel,
Pujari, Kotwar and Maaji, which is the director of the entire
village, from which it operates. Without whose consent, making

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any change within its limits is not possible, that is why, the land
of us Gonds is not the ownership of one person but of an
arrangement, because it has not been created by any person but
by that system. No one beyond these boundaries can either
purchase this land or sell it. This is the decision of Bumkaal, in
which any personal, cultural, social, political, economic
intervention in this system is prohibited. Bumkaal Johar....
Bumkaal Johar....
Laya - Bumkaal Johar ..... Bumkaal Johar ....
The entire Gotul echoes with ‘Bumkaal johar....
Bumkaal Johar....’ When this interpretation is repeated in a
louder voice, then the Gayta listening to them while hiding
behind the trees, starts seeing the Gotul with admiration and on
seeing it, a faint smile comes across his face. He recalls his first
day in Gotul, when Mukwan had accepted his membership.
Within moments, high waves start hitting the ocean of his
memories. Even today, he has still kept that mohat (a nail stuck
in a plough) stuck to his plow, which he had gotten in Gotul.
Then the voices of Gotul begin saying that, the entire
responsibility of keeping the village safe is to be borne by the
Gayta, who establishes ten Rao Pens in various directions on its
borders, the director of this security mechanism is the Gayta
himself. Gayta is the highest rank in their society’s cultural
arrangement, the assessment of which is registered in order of
inheritance from generation to generation.
These voices coming from Gotul are increasing the
posterity of Gayta’s seriousness. Hearing this interpretation, he
turns back on the paths, as if someone has made him realize his

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responsibilities. The Gayta, once again completes the round of
the village, as if he were reviewing the ten Rao Pens which were
established by his ancestors for the protection of the village. He
meets Bumiyar during this period, who is established as a small
stone. He pleads to Bumiyar. At this time, he starts talking
silently to himself. His excited feelings are making him realize
that the heritage he is the carrier of, it had settled this village by
taking the first permission from the earth generations ago. His
eyes, fixated on the ground, start wandering here and there, as if
he is looking for that branch, digging which on this earth, his
ancestors had applied for setting up this village. The first
concernee for the prosperity and security of this village is the
same heritage, of which today he is the carrier. When he
remembers that his son, Irpa, is present in that Gotul right now,
then his face fills with a sense of satisfaction, as if he is fully
convinced that Irpa is capable of bearing all these
responsibilities.
  After circumambulating the entire boundaries, he slowly
enters the village. When he enters his house, he finds everyone
sleeping apart from that oil-lamp, which guards the door every
night with its awakening flame, and which is performing its
responsibility even today. Today, for the first time, Gayta gives
company to the lamp all night, he keeps getting up to put oil in
it several times as if the burning flames of that diya are making
him realise his responsibilities, those which he does not want to
forget; as if he is afraid that with this diya burning out, he will
also fall asleep, and if that happens, then he will get lost

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between the village and that invisible path, the way that often
leads him to the Bald Mountain.
 Now, Gayta neither wants to sleep nor does he want to
walk on that invisible path blindfolded, which is why he gives
company to that diya the entire night.

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 10
Scheduled Area
(Bumkaal)

This is often taught in our school’s science book, but as

the person starts ageing, s/he becomes more and more religious
and forgets about the truth completely. Therefore it is necessary
to repeat and revise this time to time that about fourteen billion
years ago, with the incident of Big Bang, this world had
originated after which, five billion years ago came into exitence
this solar system and then about four billion years ago, this
Earth came into being which consists of seven continents. Using
the equator, if we divide the earth into two equal halves or
hemispheres, then in the northern hemisphere there are two
continents, while the southern hemisphere has five continents
leaving the rest of the 70% Earth submerged in water. Gonds
are the descendents of India, which is located in the southern
hemisphere,which also is an indication that their ancestors were
not refugees to this place but were born in this country and have
been living here since then, therefore people around the world
usually call them the tribals, who have been living here since
ancient times. They are also called “the original seed,” and “pre-
religious (Dharmpoorvi)”.
Since then they have been protecting these forests, the
water and land from thousands of invaders, and their children
and have been doing this till date; hence, they are declared
owners of this place, “Anuwanshik Malik (The Genetic
Owners)”.

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 About two to ten lakh years ago, humans were born on
Earth. Humans, born in various parts of the world, according to
their geographical conditions, their own needs and living
standards, gradually kept developing their own culture and
civilisation. The cultural and traditional development of the
Koyturs was much different from the others residing in different
continents of the world. In order to avoid natural disasters,
firstly their ancestors started living in caves. As the population
increased, they moved out of the caves and built tribes for
themselves which is called ‘Tribal Gund Arrangement’ which
originated around eight thousand five hundred years ago. After
this, they started creating villages from the tribes, which are
known as “The Village Gund System”, which originated around
eight thousand years ago from now. Thereafter, “Totem Gund
System” i.e, Gondola or Totem was formed. This was the
cultural and social development order of the Koyturs’ residing
in the Southern Hemisphere, which had already developed
thousands of years prior to the existence of an arrangement
called ‘Dharam’(religion) in this world, which people
commonly call ‘pre-religious system’ (Punem).
Therefore, this system has been called their customary
law by all the democratic nations of the world, compared to
which religion is a very new system. Till then, no dharamgranth
(religious scriptures) was written across the world. It is clear
that the system called ‘dharam or religion’ had neither
originated then nor had any human species escaped from their
place of origin. They had neither invaded, nor had any world
war happened, or any such extreme geographical change had

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taken place which would have forced the humans to leave their
habitats. All were still located in their own place of origin.
About four thousand years ago, people around the world
began to migrate and then, religion along with human-made
lifestyle originated in the world. It is a matter of great research
on the tendency of the behaviour of humans that every time they
fled, the migratory either migrated after making a religion or
discovered and established a religion after relocating to a new
place. Many a times, they created a religion for attacking the
invaders in their own style. Was he afraid of migrating without
creating a religion? Was religion necessary for his escape? Does
religion work as a protective layer in a new place? Does religion
help him get the administration of the new place? Because the
highest numbers of wars fought around the world are in the
name of religion; religion is the most widely advertised topic in
the world; religion is the most published issue; religion is the
most controversial topic in the world. People are divided into a
number of different categories based on their religious identity.
Often, in vengeance a man says, “I will pay you back in the
same coin with interest”, then will the religious institutions keep
getting born as a reaction to religion?
After the birth of religion, religion and religious
scripture used to be the only judiciary of those who believed in
the above religion, and it is still prevalant in many parts of the
world. Following the rules written down in the same religion
and religious scripture, the castes and communities run their
social and judicial system in accordance with such religious
tendency. If we further go deeper, then it will be very clear that

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all the boundaries of the world have also been determined by
religion itself.
When the followers of different religions started living
together in one country, and the ruler of whichever Dharam
became the King by winning a battle and acquiring
administration, would implement his Dharamgranth as the
constitution. That ruler forced everyone to follow that specific
religion and then publicizing his religion, would make everyone
its follower so that all accept the constitution of that religion and
there would be no revolt against it.
An era of change came in the world, this system of
monarchy got over and democracy was born. Then, everyone
together gave rise to a government system, because now, people
believing in different religion had started residing together. If
this government system would have been the follower of any
particular religious scripture, the followers of other religion
would not have accepted it.
Therefore the constitution makers of the democratic
countries called the nation secular, which means that by staying
in the boundaries of the constitution of the country, everyone
has complete freedom to obey and follow their own religion.
But, what about them who are pre-religionists?
The indigenous people, descendants who have been
residing in this area since ancient times even before the
formation of religion.
The ones who are not religious but naturalists.
The ones who have been ruled by their pre-religious
system since thousands of years.

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 The ones who hand’t drawn any boundaries in this nation
or country.
Therefore, the constitution makers of these democratic
countries have declared the tribal or tribal-dominated areas as
Scheduled Areas and have clearly marked it in the constitution,
which is known as the Fifth and Sixth Schedule in which the
indigenous people have full independence of self-governance
through pre-religious, traditional, guidance to life and judicial
system, under which individual, collective, cultural, religious
and various real and symbolic entrances, against the permission
of the Rudi and customs of the Tribes is illegal.
Any citizen of these democratic countries has full freedom
to live, trade, and settle in any common area of the country, but
this right relaxes in the Scheduled Areas, because in these areas
an entry without the permission of the traditional village
assembly is considered an attack on tribal culture, life values,
human rights and their independence. The indigenous people are
simple and down to earth, the reason for which is their natural
behaviour, while the aggressiveness of the ones living outside
this system can encroach on both their system and land, and
hence, to secure their land, a provision for scheduled areas was
made. Who will take advantage of the schemes provided by the
Government in those areas? Who should get the benefit? That
benefactor is also to be determined by the customs and Rudi of
the indigenous people (Traditional village assembly, Bumkaal).
When the different parts of the country had read the tribal
revolt of the British rule, they found that their language, way of
speaking, rituals, art of life, behavior, and nature is different

136
from the rest; they are a pre-religious society, who do not accept
any interference in their art of life. They are accustomed to
living independently, which is why, the British Raj, in the year
1935 declared it a Scheduled Area and abstained from
interfering further in those regions. In these areas, no religious
or any other sytem could enter without the permission of the
traditional judiciary of the indigenous people of natural
behaviour.
Hence, keeping in mind the easy nature and behaviour of
these indigenous people, understanding their distinction from
others clearly, they were provided protection.
The Indian Constitution and the Honorable Supreme
Court has given the following judgment for Scheduled Areas ---
1. In Article 244 (1) of the Indian Constitution the
provision of fifth schedule, and sixth schedule in Article 244
(2).
2. From Article 244 it is clear that the constitution looks
after the administration within two constitutional boundaries,
first- general area, the other one- tribal dominated scheduled
area.
3. Under Article 13(3) (a) of the Indian Constitution, in
the Scheduled Areas, the traditional village assembly is the
constitution, which is the harbinger of law.
4. According to the paragraph (5)(6) of Article 19 of the
Indian Constitution, any outsider is strictly prohibited to enter,
establish a business, reside, carry business transactions or roam
around the Fifth Scheduled Districts without taking the
permission of the Village Assembly.

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 5. The minerals belong to the land owners only. (The
Supreme Court’s verdict)
6. Land of fifth scheduled districts cannot be transferred
to any outsider. (Parity of Supreme Court decision-1997)
7. Conventional management techniques of traditional
laws, religious and social customs, and community resources to
identify the key role in tribal life, and to make them the
foundational principles of self-governance in the Scheduled
Areas. This principle also becomes clear in the definition of the
villages. The Act defines the village as a habitat that the
community creates and manages their activities according to
tradition and customary rituals. (PESA law)
8.Without prior permission of the village assembly, the
state government can neither establish industries to produce
alcoholic beverages inside the area under the village assembly’s
jurisdiction, nor can it permit the sale of drugs. (PESA law)
After the Second World War, with the establishment of
peace around the world, and with the aim of creating mutual
friendly coordination in different countries and promoting each
other's rights and independence with due respect, on 24 October
1945, the United Nations was formed in which along with
America, Russia, China, France, Britain, and India, there are
193 other member countries at present.
After fifty years of its formation, the United Nations
(UN) realized that the ones living independently in their pre-
religious system are being encroached upon by outsiders, who
are invading, fleeing and doing business in their native place.
Their traditional justice system, under which they have been

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leading life since the beginning, is being encroached upon. With
religious advertising, their identity and culture is being
threatened which is a form of human rights violation. The
indigenous people should get complete independence of their
leadership and representation. Neither can any outsider infringe
on their right to representation and leadership, nor can snatch
away their land. They should get the right to self-governance.
Their scheduled area, which is a vast reserve of invaluable
natural resource, is under the malicious gaze of the external
traders, which is why the indigenous people are facing the
problems of migration. Conspiracy is being hatched against the
indigenous people, who live in the lap of nature peacefully.
Therefore, their peaceful, natural life and lifestyle are
essential to be protected from man-made, unnatural and
aggressive behavior.
On its 45th anniversary, the United Nations announced
9th August as The World Indigenous Peoples’ Day for the
purpose of redressing the said problems and to bring the
attention of the world community to this subject.
And by coincidence, on the very 9 th of August, the
Gayta reaches the Chaupal (public place) with the determination
of getting the same constitutional rights as above, where the
meeting of the village assembly is being held in which the Gotul
administration is also involved. After an intense discussion,
Gayta announcing the village assembly’s verdict says, “This
assembly is thinking of our development, which is the very
reason why it takes a positive decision on the government’s
proposal, and permits the state government to construct roads on

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the condition that it will not interfere in our social arrangement
and philosophy of life.”
Actually, the Gayta had come upon this decision last
night only, when he had been contemplating the answers to the
questions related to his life and maybe the life of others, during
which he had at last found the answer that change is the law of
nature and taking this decision he wanted to go forward with it.
Gayta also knew that his decision could increase the
aggressiveness of the bald mountains manifold, but now he was
ready to face its anger, which is why he had taken such a
historic decision on this historic date.
On the same cumbersome evening, the temperature of
the police station rises suddenly, when someone reports to the
inspector on the condition that his name is kept anonymous that
the axe found near the corpse of the police belongs to Beer.
Actually, last morning, an axe was recovered near the dead body
of the police. The inspector, who had been looking for an
opportunity to take revenge from Beer, jumped on this
opportunity immediately, and arrests him on the benefit of
doubt. Beer, who has never lied to anyone till date, who is
considered to be a synonym of truth in Gotul, acknowledges that
the axe belongs to him, but denies the obvious that he had any
relation with that murder. He says in the police station that, that
night he was on the border of village for watch-keeping, when
he had seen some movement in the jungle and thinking it to be a
wild beast he had aimed at it with the axe, which he never
recovered due to the darkness. The inspector not only ignored
the testimony of Liti who had been present with Beer that night,

140
instead locked him up too along with Beer, because the
inspector just needed an excuse to take revenge from Beer.
while locking whom in the jail he says, "This is my law similar
to the one you had made me understand that day.”
After receiving the news of Beer's arrest, Mukvan
convenes a meeting of senior members in the hall, where he
says that, “The next day the entire Gotul’s administartion will
testify in the police station. Today, the members of Gotul gather
in front of the pillar symbolic of Nature's power, pray and
request for the protection of Beer and Litti too.”
Both Jima and Koyna are saddened by the arrest of
Beer, but in spite of it, according to Gotul's rules, they are
involved in all its regular programs, which say that Gotul will
continue to function even in extreme situations because doing so
is its very diagnosis. Dismayed by Beer’s arrest, Jima did not
want to come to Gotul today, but when Beer’s mother made him
understand that, ‘This would be against Gotul’s rules, that Beer
is innocent and his truth will save him, but we must go to Gotul
in every circumstance,” only then had Jima agreed to go to
Gotul. In the meantime, Mritula had explained the same thing
to Koyna, while she was walking sadly on those trails while
coming to Gotul.

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 11
CONSPIRACY

As soon as that day of historical decision ends, the

commotion around the tribe becomes unnatural and mysterious.
The mysterious Bald Mountain was restless in anger. Its milky
light, breaking all its boundaries, had started knocking at the
tribe today, many had already realized it, but no one had enough
courage to even lift his head to look at it or to make it realise its
boundaries.The tribe went in a deep sleep. The eyes of the
police station stayed shut anyway. Gotul was engrossed in itself,
worryless, but that bank of the river did not sleep all night, from
where the lights of the bustling mountains were constantly
coming and going, which acted as an unwanted interference in
Gotul's lamp dance, on the waves of the river, today.
After that busy, heavy and cumbersome night when
morning came, a merciless silence had descended from the hills
and entered the tribe. Choupal (public place) was enclosed by
policemen on all four sides. Cars with red lights on their hood
were coming in and out continuously. On the other hand, the
whole village was engulfed in tragedy, shocked by terror,
logged in tears, drowned in grief, helpless, trying to give
courage to each other, whose sobs were dying amidst the voice
of the police sirens.
Ultimately, the same thing happened that has always
been happening, the dead body of the Gayta was found hanging
from the banyan tree in the Chaupal, which was the same
banyan tree standing under which Gayta had taken the decision,

142
going against the Naxalities, that they are permitting the state
government to construct roads, thinking that it might bring a
change in the society but what followed after that cannot be
called new, although this time the Naxalites had shown some
mercy. The throat wasn’t slit or the head was not crushed, but
murder is murder anyway.
As usual, the Naxalites have also kept their red flag dug
in the Choupal, under which Naxalite literature and pamphlets
are scattered.
After getting the news, the S.P. comes to the village from
the city. On seeing the dead body of the Gayta hanging in the
air, his eyes well up. For a moment, he starts feeling guilty
thinking that maybe if he had not advised him to go against the
Naxalites, this could have been avoided.
The inspector tells him, “Sir, the murder took place last
night, maybe, tying a rope in the neck the body was hung from
the tree.”
           “Take down the corpse and give it to the family,” said the
S.P. taking control over his trembling weak voice.
 “Yes sir.”
As soon as the policemen take down the corpse from the
tree, the whole village surrounds it. The sound of screams
increase, sobs become stronger. The neck of the Gayta has
elongated, on which a slant, incomplete dark circle had gotten
carved. On some places on the face, spots of blood are visible,
saliva is flowing out of his mouth, and his throat’s bone has
broken. There were no traces of struggle in the body. It seemed

143
as if out of all the options given by the killer, Gayta had found
hanging to be the easiest. The whole scene was dreadful.
S.P. goes to the police station where he inquires upon
Beer’s arrest. When the inspector tries to explain him the
reason, he ends up screaming at him, “You tell me how the
police was killed?”
“Sir, the murder was committed by crushing the head
with a stone.”
    “Then how can you assume the axe as an evidence? If he
would have wanted to kill him, then he would have done it with
the axe.”
“But Sir ...”
         “Let me finish speaking, Inspector,” S.P. in a cautionary
manner says, “This murder was committed by the Naxalites as a
protest against the assembly of the minister. Today, in the
banner on the Choupal, they have accepted doing so as well; go
and read it carefully and then release Beer immediately.”
  The inspector had to apologize to the S.P and once again
he feels defeated in front of Beer, due to which his spirit of
revenge doubles up.
  As soon as he steps out of the police station, Beer gets
the news of his father's death.
Today, all the events of the mournful Gotul are
postponed in honour of Gayta’s death. An important meeting of
Gotul administration and senior members takes place in the
assembly hall, in which the Mukwan calls upon Gotul to be
ready for every possible help to society and be prepared for any
austere incidents during these heinous times.

144
 Memorial gathering is organized in an open ground, in
which the entire Gotul pleads to the power of nature to merge
the dead body of Gayta with the five elements.
          Whenever a chief dies in the tribe, Gotul names its
youngest Chelik or Motiyari after the name of the deceased man
or woman to fill his or her absense.
After the Memorial meeting, the Mukwan, standing in
front of the pillar whose shadow has kept him half covered as
always, starts addressing Gotul, “Compensation for the loss of
Gayta is impossible, but according to the rules, Gotul is giving
his name to its youngest Chelik.” As soon as the Mukvan says
this, Jodiya sends Jima towards him. Yes, Jima is currently the
youngest member of this Gotul.
Mukwan, holding the shoulders of Jima says, “Until now
we knew him by the name of Jima, but from now onwards he
will be known by the name ‘Monde.’ All of us thereby request
nature to bless Jima so that he succeeds in doing everything the
Gayta has done for our community. Never let us feel his
absence.” Mukvan lifts both his hands up in the air and utters,
“Seva-Seva.”
“Seva-Seva.... Seva-seva....” The entire Gotul blazes and
hundreds of hands rise up towards the sky at once.
After the address of Mukwan, all the members present in
the assembly surround Jima. All embrace him with love, and
according to the rules, Gotul takes the oath from Jima to fulfill
the cultural and traditional responsibilities of the civilization,
which includes the participation of Koyna and Beer too. Now,
there erupts such seriousness on Jima’s face, the interpretation
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of which is impossible, and can only be felt upon seeing, that
today he has received a great responsibility. which Gotul is
making him realize by taking an oath from him, to which Jima
is responding by without uttering a word and only nodding his
head in acceptance.
After the memorial meeting, the Mukwan calls Beer to
the assembly hall, “Beer, this is a situation of emergency for all
the village people and the most difficult time for your family.
You are the genetic owner of this village. Gayta has not died; he
has sacrificed his life for this village. Gotul is always with you.
Now, alongwith your family you will have to fulfill the
responsibilities of a Gayta for the entire village too, which is
why I want that immediately taking the permission from Gotul
to fill the rest of the Kulhads with water, you take over the
responsibilities of your father. Right now, the clan needs
someone trustworthy. The decision of taking farewell from
Gotul is a matter of personal choice, but under these
circumstances, I am only requesting you to do so.”
Listening to Mukwan, Beer wanders his empathetic gaze
on the walls of the hall, as if capturing every circumstance,
incident, party and reminiscences associated with it in his
memory, which are about to be left behind in just a few days.
He assures Mukwan, “Mukwan, you will very soon bid me
farewell from Gotul, I am ready to fulfill all the responsibilities
of my father. His sacrifice will not be in vain.”
And then, both becoming emotional, hug each other and
in this moment it feels as if not only these ancient walls of the
assembly hall but also captured in them so far all parts of this
146
Gotul, the events, customs, rituals, promises-intentions,
emotions are eager to be a witness to their sacrifice.

147
 12
BETRAYAL

Today, the entire village is gathered in the memorial

ground, where the Penkaran process has started and just like
after death, in the memory of any important people of the
village, a memorial stand is constructed on the side of the road,
similarly, a huge pillar to commemorate Gayta was dug in the
ground, the carved out shapes on which represented life cycle,
environment, community life and public beliefs, and the very
look of which signified that it is a memorial of someone
influential of the tribe. 
Taking the advice of Mukwan, Beer starts preparing for
his farewell from Gotul. He makes such a painya, on one side of
which is the sword, which made him the winner, while on the
other side is that axe, from which Koyna had made him drink
customary water. Today, by offering this paniya to Koyna, and
on receiving her permission, Beer, departing from Gotul as soon
as possible, will take up all the responsibilities of his father
during this situation of crisis. From now onwards he will be the
new Gayta of the village.
  The Inspector, who is feeling defeated by Beer once again
wants to take revenge from Gotul’s members and Beer at any
cost. Hence, in the police station, where additional police force

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has come today, along with the constable, he is kind of restless
in search of any conspiracy to serve his purpose. .
“These people have once again insulted me.”
         “Sir, I had already told you that S.P. Sir and they get along
well. Nothing else matters to him in front of them.”
        “No matter what, constable, I will take my revenge at any
cost.”
         “But Sir, how will you that? You have already seen one
outcome.”
         “You are right, but I will not make any such mistake
further, but will surely teach them a lesson.”
         “That is what I am asking you, Sir, how? How will you
teach them a lesson?” The constable asks.
         The Inspector, getting up from his chair, starts walking in
one direction as if he is in search of an irrefutable conspiracy,
then suddenly turning around, crushes the cigarette under his
shoes, as if crushing an enemy, and coming close to the
constable says something in his ears, which makes the constable
jump from his seat. Both his eyes pop out, as if the inspector has
asked him to drink poison.
       “No, sir we will be killed if caught. We will not only lose
our job but might as well our lives.”
     “Do not worry, no one will doubt on us. We will have
concrete evidence of this thing.”
   “But how will this happen?”
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 “The extra protection force that has come today, we will
make them do it.” The inspector speaks with full confidence.
      “But who will get the evidence there?” The constable
gradually begins to side with the inspector’s plan, “We can not
enter there any way.”
       “The boy who had come that day to testify, he will do it.”
       “Who, Juko?” it spills unconsciously out of the constable’s
mouth and then he recalls that Juko had asked his name to be
kept a secret, so this time taking precautions, he carefully
repeats himself again in a low voice,“Who, Juko ?”
         “Yes, he.” The Inspector decides.
     Actually, Juko was the one who had tipped off the
Inspector that the axe found near the corpse of the police is
Beer's. He is jealous of Beer and doing so, he wanted to take
revenge from him against his defeat in Gotul.
      “But why would he do that?”
      “Because he himself was involved in the murder of the
police.”
     “What?” The constable is left astounded; his eyes come
popping out again.
“Do you remember when he had come to testify, he
had said that the axe found near the corpse was of Beer's. How
did he come to know that an axe was found near the corpse,
when till then this information was limited only to the police
station? I had also seen a bruise on his knee, which had actually

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come from that axe. He himself was involved in that murder.”
Saying this, the inspector lights a new cigarette in such a way,
as if he has successfully climbed the first staircase of his
conspiracy.
The constable gets excited, “Yes, sir! Yes, he himself
was involved in the murder. I had also seen an injury on his
knee, he was also limping that day, but why did you not arrest
him even after knowing this?”
     “Because today he will only do the work for me.”
     “And if he refuses; why will he do it?”
       “He can not refuse,” the inspector says with full faith, “He
is no longer in a position to say no.”
      Shortly after this, the Inspector calls Juko to the police
station and asks him to deliver some Naxalite literature, flags
and weapons to Gotul. Hearing which, an astonished Juko
initially refuses saying, “I can not do this. It is strictly prohibited
to carry any external object to Gotul. If I get caught then not
only will my membership of Gotul be terminated, but Bumkaal
will banish me from the village forever.”
  But the inspector also makes it clear, “You have no other
option. I know that you work as an informant for the Naxalites
and also that you were involved in the murder of the police. If
you do not do as I say, I will declare you a Naxalite and put you
behind the bars or shoot you and frame you a Naxalite killed in
an enconter, because now I have enough evidence against you.

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Not only this, I will tell the entire village that it was you who
had presented me with the evidence against Beer.”
After this threat of the Inspector, Juko is left with no
other choice. Even if he escapes from the inspector, then he is
most afraid of the fact that the matter of testimony against Beer
might reach Gotul. Therefore, Juko compels his friend Kosha
and Kame to join him in the conspiracy too saying that, “The
inspector already knows that we are the informants of Naxalites
and if we do not do as he says, then he would either arrest us or
shoot us.”
After hearing this, they both are also compelled into this
the same way Juko is and the final outline of the conspiracy
becomes ready.
Juko decides, “Both of you start fighting with each other
at the entrance of the Gotul about something. The guard
standing there will surely come to calm you down, after which
you double up the intensity of your fight. When everyone’s
attention will be on you, then grabbing the opportunity, I will go
inside. We will execute this work today at sunset only, when
Gotul has the least number of members.”
 In this way, Juko, bound at the hands of the inspector,
prepares to backstab Gotul along with his teammates.
As soon as that multi-faceted evening’s sun prepares for
its return journey, according to the plan, Kosha and Kame
pretend to fight near the entrance of Gotul.

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           “It was your job, you could not do it,” Kosha starts the
fight with the shouting.
           “No, it was your job, Mukwan had told you, but it seems
that your Yermihtna did not happen properly.”
           “What did you just say? How dare you even say that to
me? I will right now make you aware of my energy accumulated
from Yermihtna.” Saying this, Kosha attacks Kame and they
both begin to act fighting with each other in such a way that it
seemed real. Seeing this, the watchman standing near the
entrance, goes to separate them, but they increase the scramble
and in a matter of time they are successfull in pulling the
attention of the entire Gotul to themselves. All members present
in the playground surround them and in the meantime Juko
concludes the conspiracy.
Sun has just set a while ago, after which the number of
diyas burning in the Gotul keeps increasing constantly. Koyna,
with all affinity is keeping the diyas in the iron or woodden
lamp posts today. Her face is full of completeness today. Now
she is only waiting for Beer's paniya, tugging which in her hair
bun, she will ask for permission to leave Gotul.
Here, after receiving the information about the success
of his conspiracy, the inspector starts instigating the additional
security forces that had come down from the city to attack
Gotul. The Inspector tells them, “We have just received the
news that Naxalite activities will happen around the tribe itself
tonight, maybe they also plan to attack the police station. We

153
will have to investigate before their attack, so everyone be
prepared.”
  After which the security forces start preparations for the
attack.
Beer crosses the entrance today with the paniya made by
his own hands. Just after crossing the entrance, seeing Koyna
taking the class of small kids in the assembly hall, handing the
paniya to Jima says, “Keep it carefully and as soon as you finish
your class, give it to Koyna and say that I have given it.”
        Jima gives his acceptance in the same way he had given
after being given the name of the Gayta and on being asked for
a promise by the Gotul, i.e, by nodding his head, after which he
gets himself involved in Koyna's class.
           Here, after reaching the place of practice, Beer starts his
class of sword fighting.
Seeing the delicate situation of the village and its
surroundings, Mukwan has ordered all the functionaries to take
special precautions, which is why the Maaji along with a few
Cheliks is inspecting the only secret door, which is located on
the rear wall of the entertainment room, that leads out to the
river. This secret door is the last part made in this Gotul, the
purpose of which is to safely transport small Cheliks and
motiaries to the other side of the river during an emergency or
an external attack, but till now it has never been used in the
entire history of this Gotul and its members always request
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Lingo that there arises no need to open it ever because that time
might be the most difficult time for these Gonds, when the
Mukwan would be forced to order to open it. This elliptical
secret door opens only from inside, using which it is easy to get
out, but is very difficult to enter from it.
Likewise, arrows and other conventional weapons are
being hanged on the windows made on the outer walls,
surrounding Gotul on three sides. whose purpose is to protect
Gotul by answering any external attack from these very
windows, for which they are committed.
     Meanwhile, Mukwan is informed of some suspicious items
being found in the arms and ammunition room, after which the
entire Gotul administration reaches the spot. Actually, these
unknown objects are Naxalite literature, weapons and flags,
which are brought to the assembly hall immediately and
investigation begins.
          “How did they come in and who brought them?” The
Mukwan says while scolding the guard to which he reveals his
ignorance by bowing his head. Just like the watchman, the
Kotwar, Devan, Chalan, Munshi, Liken and other employees
also express their ignorance, seeing which Mukwan decides
that, “All senior members be called to the assembly hall. This is
the biggest violation of rules in the history of this Gotul.”
After this decision of Mukwan, the Devan, wearing horns
of wild buffalo, beating the drum loudly while standing near the
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pillar, starts informing the senior members to reach the
assembly hall.This too is probably the first time in the history of
this Gotul, when all the elders are being called together to the
assembly hall, because Mukwan often holds public meetings in
the playground only. The attention of the members is habitually
drawn towards the pillar due to the loud noise of the drums,
standing where the Devan is shouting, “It is Mukwan's mandate
order that all the senior members must arrive immediately to the
auditorium; he wants to discuss some important topic.” The
Devan had hardly repeated this three to four times in his loud
and clear voice, when there echoes the sound of a gunshot in the
Gotul, after which the sound of the drum stops, and the
announcer Devan falls on the spot. The horn of wild buffalo
worn by him on his head falls at a distance from him and then
scatters apart. On his forehead between his eyebrows, taking the
red color, a hole is made from which blood starts oozing out.
Before anybody could understand anything, another gunshot
echoes, which hits the middle Kulhad out of the seven Kulhads
kept in front of the pillar and breaks it into several pieces. After
these two dreadful gunshots, the Gotul calms down and stops as
if it was the silence after a thunderstorm. Now everyone's
attention turns towards the place from where the noise of
gunshots are coming but without wasting any time, sensing their
next move, Beer starts running from the ring towards the pillar,
where Devan had fallen and just then bullets start firing towards
the Gotul indiscriminately. All the employees come out of the
assembly hall and for the first time in the history of this Gotul,
Mukwan orders, “Open the secret door.”

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 Inspector has surrounded the Gotul from all three sides
and has opened fire. The open ground is filled with commotion.
Beer, escaping these bullets, shouts loudly, “Everyone head
towards the secret door.” After which, he runs towards the
entertainment hall.
Meanwhile, all the elder members of Gotul, go to the
windows on the outer walls, and start answering the attack using
the bows and arrows and other weapons hung there. Beer opens
the hidden door located on the rear wall of the entertainment
cell, for which he has to struggle a lot because this stiff door is
being opened for the first time today, which is why more than
one person is required to open it, as if it is denying to open even
today. The little Cheliks and Motiyaris of Gotul start exiting
from this way, who are then being escorted safely by the other
employees to the other side of the river on boats. Just then
Koyna reaches the secret gate. Beer urges her to board the boat
as soon as possible but she refuses to leave Beer. Beer tries to
convince her a lot but she remains adamant to her decision
saying, “I will wait for you here only. I will not leave Gotul
until it bids farewell to both of us together.”
Beer gives up in front of Koyna’s adamance and asking
her to wait near the secret door only, runs back to the
playground, while Mritula and Jima climb on the boat.
A fierce battle is taking place between Gotul and the
police force. While the Police have modern weapons, Gotul,

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which has changed into a battle field today, has excelled in the
traditional fighting techniques. The number of warriors of Gotul
is thrice the number of police men but infront of their modern
and well equipped weapons, they are struggling and receiving
martyrdom. On the other side, the inspector and the constable,
while hiding safely behind a tree located near the entry door, are
counting the number of Koyturs dying.
The encounter between the police and the Naxalites was
a common practice around the village, which could happen at
any hour of the day, hence, from the sound of the bullets the
villagers often guessed that an encounter might be happening
somewhere. Even today when the noise of the bullets reached
the village, the villagers assumed the same because an attack on
Gotul by the police force was far beyond their comprehension.
Beer reaches the open field running, where seeing the
dead bodies of his fellow mates lying on the ground, losing his
temper starts figting from behind the window near the entrance
door only. From his left side, Juko and from his right side,
Mukwan is fighting for Gotul. Juko, Kosa and Kame now
discovered the inspector’s real conspiracy. They couldn’t even
think in their wildest dream that the result of their conspiracy
against Gotul would lead to such severe conclusions. The reason
might only be known to the Gotul but these conspirators had
also started fighting against the police force out of remorse; the
very Gotul of which they have been a part long before they had
gained consciousness, which was the centre of their lives, which
is the centre of lives of all the Gond’s, from their birth till death,
without which neither one’s birth ceremony is complete nor

158
their death’s. The entire Gotul is fighting in such a manner, as if
they are standing upright on the promise they had made to the
Mukwan on New Year’s Day. when they had all said in unison,
“Till the time nature has given us the life energy, we are bound
to fight for the protection of our culture.”
In a short while, the battle reaches its prime. Suddenly, a
bullet passes through the chest of Mukwan because of which he
falls on the ground. Seeing this, Beer and Juko run towards him.
“Nothing is going to happen to you, Mukwan. You
cannot stop now. We have to protect our culture. The struggle is
still left.” shouted a panting Beer, tugging the Mukwan’s head
close to his chest.
“You need to lead this war, Mukwan” shouts Juko.
“I am very happy to see that all my youngsters are bound
to their promise,” says the Mukwan with whatever energy is left
in his body, “Till your last breath don’t allow any outsider to
enter the premises of Gotul, Bumkaal Johar, Bumkaal Johar.…”
Saying this, he goes silent.
On seeing the Mukwan breathe his last breath, Juko gets
emotional and starts shouting, “I am to blame for all this,
Mukwan. I have betrayed my own community; broken the trust
of the ancestors. Yes I am a Moynoor, everyone was right, I am
a Moynoor. I killed my mother right after my birth and now I
have betrayed Gotul. If it’s possible then please forgive me,
Gotul forgive me! Forgive me Bumkaal, but I know that my
mistake’s boundary is so wide that this land will never forgive

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me, never forgive me! I will receive my punishment, definitely
receive it.”
Then his eyes meet Beer’s for the last time, those
emotional eyes which had met for only a while had tried to say
that, “You are only the true winner of this Gotul Beer, and this
will always be known after you. I was never worth it nor could
become worthy. Today, accepting you the winner, I am leaving
this battlefield forever.” Those eyes, in which he had always
reserved feelings of jealousy for Beer both inside the ring of that
sword-fight and outside it, and only considered him an
obstruction to his goal, are seeking forgiveness for all its
crimes.. He could only utter these words, “Beer, forgive me...
Seva-Johar.”
Burning with the feeling of remorse on Mukwan’s
death, Juko, standing right at the front door starts shooting the
arrows, but he could only arch two or three arrows, when the
bullets fired by the police sauté him.
Beer’s eyes well up with tears seeing his teammates
dying this way, regardless, he keeps fighting. A few minutes
into the fight and all the guards of Gotul are killed one by one.
A dozen of policemen become victims of the arrows too. Now,
apart from the inspector and the constable, only six policemen
are left, while on the other side, Beer, being the only survivor,
continues to fight. Therefore, noticing the arrows being shot
from only one window, all the policemen understand that only
one of the enemies is alive. Knowing this, assured of their
victory, they become carefree and start gathering around the
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inspector and the constable. after which they start firing
furiously on that one window, and just then one of the bullets
whiz right through Beer’s right arm, where usually that string of
Mahua remains tied, which is with Koyna at present.
Uneqquipped to answer, Beer sits quietly for a moment and
starts devising a new strategy.
Meanwhile, the policeforce keeps shooting at that
window indiscriminately. Seeing this, Beer changes his war
strategy and running to another window, he starts shooting his
arrows from there. After this, he runs to a different window,
shoots arrows from there, and then switches it with a different
window; in this way, following the new strategy, he starts
shooting arrows switching between windows. With this
incredible strategy of war, the police force becomes alert. They
are now incapable of calculating from which direction the next
arrow would be shot and if it’s just one person or are there other
people left too. The whole policeforce, in a confused state, is
left staring at Beer’s attacks.
Their being gathered together at one place works as an
advantage for Beer and when they realize that, they start
spreading again one by one. At the same time, except the
inspector and the constable, Beer manages to kill all the other
policemen.
Seeing all their policemen dead and unable to
understand Beer’s unexpected war strategy, the inspector and
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the constable think it to their advantage to remain hidden behind
the tree.
Due to the constant oozing out of blood from his right
arm, Beer starts becoming unconscious. He tries to tie the injury
to stop the blood from oozing out, but all in vain as if no energy
is left in his body. His throat keeps getting dry, gradually
darkenss falls before his eyes and injured Beer falls near the
entrance door.
For sometime such a silence engulfs Gotul and it’s
surrounding as if some violent storm, causing extreme
devastation had taken away all its commotion. Neither is there
any kind of attack on Gotul nor from Gotul.
Seeing this, the inspector comes into action again, “Are
they all dead?”
“I don’t know sir, maybe it is some kind of a new
strategy by him” says the constable who does not want to take
any risk even now.
“I think that everyone is dead.” evaluates the inspector
and fires two bullets in the direction of Gotul to confirm his
intuition and starts waiting for a reply. Upon not receiving any
reply even after waiting for some time, the inspector says with
his wicked smile, “I think everyone is killed”.
“They are a tough competition to revolvers too. I am
afraid that an arrow might suddenly go through my throat,” says
the constable lurking.

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 “Shut up….You will not only scare yourself but also
me. Wait, we will know now if he is alive or dead.” saying this
he fires a couple of bullets towards Gotul again and waits for
the reply but on receiving no answers this time too, he
announces confirmed, “It’s sure now, all of them are killed.”
This time he speaks will utmost confidence.
“But if he is still alive, then?”
“Then think that he is waiting to be shot down by my
bullet” saying this, the inspector straightens his revolver and
starts walking towards the Gotul.
“Sir, please wait a little longer. Why are you taking
risk?” the constable tries to stop the inspector, “They are very
dangerous, Sir. Didn’t you see with what speed he shoots an
arrow?” saying this he looks around at the dead bodies of
policemen and gets scared even more.
Without paying heed to the constable’s warning, the
Inspector moves towards the Gotul. He is keeping an eye on
each of the windows with this doubt that Beer may attack.
While doing so, he shoots a few bullets at a couple of windows
too. While walking, his pace also increases because of which he
reaches the entrance in just a couple of minutes, where Beer is
lying unconscious on the ground in a pool of blood.
“Ha….Ha….Ha…. everyone is dead, he is also dead.
Look constable, hadn’t I told you that the result of enmity with
me would be horrendous, look, ultimately he also is killed.” The
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inspector, after seeing the dead bodies lying in the open ground
and assuming Beer to be dead too starts laughing hoarsely, “He
had said that this is our culture and tradition, which is bigger
than every law, for this we can kill and get killed too. He was
speaking the truth only, ultimately he had to give up his life
only but it’s all in vain, who will stop me now from entering the
premises?”
Hearing this, the constable also comes running to the
entrance door where the inspector, mad with happiness is asking
the injured Beer, “Now tell me what will happen to your laws
and rules? Who will protect your Gotul culture now?”
On the other side, a frightened Koyna is sitting behind the
entertainment room near the river, staring constantly at the
reflection of the diyas, waiting for Beer to return, just like those
reflections of the diyas which do not want to go anywhere
leaving it, similarly Koyna doesn’t want to go anywhere leaving
Beer. She is sitting there with this hope that he will come, he
will definitely come, but right now only this reflection is
keeping her company, even if the river water on which they are
appearing might itself leave their side, but these reflections are
constant, just like Koyna is while waiting for Beer today.
An injured Beer gets up trembling after hearing the
Inspector’s challenge.
“He is alive; I had told you that he cannot die.” Seeing
Beer alive, the constable runs back the same way he had come.

164
 Beer says roaring, “I had told you, this is our everything, it
is not possible to cross its boundary. We have given our lives
but I am still alive to keep my word.”
“You are only alive to die from my bullet,” pointing the
revolver at Beer, he says, “Now, you will also die.”
Saying this, he starts shooting at Beer, dodging which
Beer also fires an arrow towards him, which aims straight at his
hand with which he was holding the revolver. As soon as the
revolver falls from his hand, Beer pounces at it. For a while a
duel happens between both of them. In the end, Beer hits the
inspector’s head with the rear end of the same revolver. Due to
this attack the inspector falls unconscious the same way Beer
had a while back.
Now injured Beer looks helplessly at his dead fellow
mates and walks limping toward the entertainment room where
Koyna is waiting for him amidst the dying bonfire of Gotul
lying scattered around on the open ground.
On the other side, when Koyna’s hand, while admiring
the reflection on the waves, goes to the thread tied on her right
arm all of a sudden, she becomes resteless thinking that, “This
should be with Beer right now. His mother wants him to keep
this tied on his arm at all times. He has never separated with it
since his birth. It is important for this to be with him for his
safety.” Realising this, without wasting any time, Koyna runs to
the open ground, which has kind of scattered. Amidst the
corpses, seeing Beer walking towards her, her heart starts
pacing faster. At present, Beer and Koyna are facing each other

165
from only a few metres away and the whole Gotul has become
still.
“No one knows after how many hardships this time has
come,” Koyna’s flushed face begins to speak after seeing Beer
in front of her, whose eyes are not ready to leave her sight even
for a second. “Now, I just await your Paniya, tugging which in
my hair bun, I will ask for my departure from Gotul. Keep this
thread, your life is tied to it and mine to yours. I will not leave
from Gotul untill they send us both together. Now I don’t want
to go anywhere, I have come from very far leaving everything,
to be yours.”
Beer’s open mouth and panting face wants to say the
exact same words, which probably he could never voice in
words that, “Yes, it was the first calling of my heart that had
chosen you after winning the competition in front of entire
Gotul. When I had not reached upon a conclusion, my heart had
already reached you, of which I was oblivious too. Yes, that was
the first voice of my heart, which I could never express in
words. Normally, I don’t even express my emotions in words.
Probably, you understood my emotions; it was my heart’s first
voice.”
Beer was struggling to walk towards Koyna while
Koyna was running towards him.
But maybe destiny had something else in store for them.
Doomsday has not gone yet and maybe will never leave.

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Doomsday had to fall at that very moment only. The injured
inspector, lying near the entry gate gets up and seeing Beer alive
with his blood-thirsty eyes, starts fuming with rage of revenge.
He is unable to tolerate Beer alive even for a second and picking
up the revolver lying beside him, starts firing bullets on Beer’s
bare back. Seeing this, a running Koyna stops, and shouts
helplessly, “Beer….” which gets buried under the sound of the
bullets.
Beer’s head starts shaking due to the push of the bullets
hitting him. Everytime a bullet hits him, he keeps bending in
front the same number of times and in the end, like some stone
pillar, affixes on the ground on his knees, his neck looking as if
hung. For some time he looks at the land of Gotul, which is
everything for him, which has made known to him the purpose
of life and then waves his hand on that soil as if it’s the last time
he is touching it. That soil, to whom his ancestors had made the
first appeal, which had given them the first permission to settle
there, the same soil where his ancestors had settled this entire
village. The very soil for which his father had given up his life
and today he is also going to mix in the same soil. The
inspector, standing like the watchkeeper of death at the entrance
gate is waiting anxiously for Beer to die and fall on the ground,
but Beer is still as if he wants to make him wait a little longer.
For some time he stays like this after which he starts lifting his
head slowly as if from all the energy generated from his
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yermihtna, he wants to look at those yermihtna pillars for the
last time, the received energy from which had made him the
first warrior of the last security line: that warrior on whom the
entire war’s decision is dependant; that warrior who has become
its name itself, “Kehpol Permo”. Then, looking at Koyna and
the pillar under which she is standing, with his trembling hands,
he catches hold of the Vidwad dug beside him, which has been
his most loyal friend in Gotul, which had made him the winner,
which he loved like any human, for which he was renowned in
entire Gotul, which had given him the opportunity to choose
Koyna and due to the help of which this Gotul was named after
him today. Beer’s fist is clenching the Vidwadh harder and his
eyes are shifting constantly between the pillar and Koyna
standing under the pillar. It seemed as if Koyna and Vidhwad
are his true companions in his last moments, who have fulfilled
their promise today. Meanwhile, he constantly keeps clenching
his fingers on the Vidhwad tighter and then with the remaining
energy in his body, roaring for the last time, turns back and
throws that heavy, invincible sword in the direction of the
inspector. The Vidwadh revolving, completing a long distance,
like always reaches its destination loyally. Quivering like the
lost cock in a cockfight, the inspector falls at the entrance only.
The sword has gone through his neck, and he goes silence just
in a few seconds.

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 In the entire Gotul, Beer’s such roaring echoes as if it
wants to touch Gotul’s every corner.
Fixed on the ground on his knees, Beer now fixes his
gaze on Koyna. Trying to speak something with his trembling
lips, he spreads both his arms towards her. Now, although he
wasn’t left with enough energy to speak anything, but that Beer
who was regarded as the master of expressions, in a few
minutes only expresses everything through his eyes, which is
not possible in words. Getting the hint, Koyna runs towards
him, and taking him in her arms, starts shouting,
“Beer….Beer….Beer….” Her voice is reaching all corners of
this Kehpol Permo, but that Kehpol Permo does not answer
anything, who himself is lying on her lap, whose lips go still
after struggling to move for a while. The pupil of his open eyes
go still in which only Koyna is visible now but now his
breathing stops. Koyna soon realizes that the rapidly beating
heart of Beer on her chest until a while ago, has now stopped
beating. Koyna now once looks at Beer, then hugs him tightly,
and then shouts loudly, “Beer….” Her gaze looking for help
wandered at the pillar once, then the open ground, and then at
the Kulhad, from which she had made him drink the ritual
water, which was the prettiest among the other seven then,
beautiful, being carved upon, but now it’s lying broken itself.
After looking at it she realizes that maybe she is the only one
left in Gotul now. Realizing this she feels broken in numerous
pieces just like that kulhad, “I am left all alone now.” She says
to herself, “Beer has left me and gone, far, very far. He will now
never come back, never come back.” And then hugs that lifeless

169
body again, which she was still adoring by saying this, by
shouting this: “Beer….Beer….Beer….” Behaving like a lunatic,
she proceeds whispering to herself, “We will take permission
from the Mukwan to fill all these seven Kulhads, we will ask for
leave from Gotul, infront of everyone. We will accept our love
in front of Gotul.”
But there was no one to listen to her there, no one. Even
the torches on the open ground are extinguishing, which maybe
want to make Koyna realize that, “We are also leaving you
alone, you are left all alone in Gotul. No one is left in this
Kehpol Permo, not even Kehpol Permo himself. Forgive us, we
couldn’t fulfill our promise, couldn’t be by your side, could’t
sing those Gotul songs on your farewell. Good-bye.”

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 13
SECOND OPTION OF JUSTICE?

“The victory of democracy.”

“Government's biggest victory against Naxalites.”
“The death of 108 Maoists, 25 soldiers martyred.”
“Naxalites meet their real destiny.”
“So far the biggest success against Naxalites.”
“Victory of Nonviolence on Violence.”
The above statements are headlines of the next day’s
newspaper for the above incident. In a similar way, a small strip
of bulletin is seen running on the news channels too, which
says, ‘Now there will be peace in Bastar; the government is
expecting similar successes in the future.’
While the truth was that the village woke up to a morning
of mourning, there is peace of horror in the lanes. Shaken
people are shedding tears in mournful houses. Suddenly the
voice of crying echoes, which piercing through the screams is
getting lost in the sky. It looks like, since hundreds of years, this
village has been longing for people who have been swallowed
together by a pandemic epidemic.
But as often happens, perhaps these reporters did not try
to know the truth or they were not given access to the truth or
they did not have the courage to say the truth, but there was one
person who had tried to know the truth, he reached to the truth
too, he knew the truth, and he had the courage to say it aloud
too.

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 “Have you gone mad?”
“That is Gotul, their cultural center.”
“Do you think that the Naxalites, equipped with modern
weapons will use the old methods like arrows, bow and spears?”
“It's impossible.”
“I cannot accept this fact that there was any Naxalite
movement happening there, it is not possible.”
“You have been mistaken, inspector.”
  “Surely the real truth behind this incident is being
hidden.”
Yes, that person is S.P. Prithvi Sinha, who is
screaming at Inspector Manoj Lahre assigned for the
investigation, who had said to him a while ago, "Sir, last night a
secret meeting of the Naxalites was going on there sir.”
“I've lived here for a decade, this is Gotul only.”
“But from inside, we have recovered Naxalite
literature, flags and some weapons too sir, therefore I am
compelled to say so Sir.”
“How did this proceeding take place and on whose
orders?”
“Sir, a constable present in the proceedings is alive.”
 “Where is that constable?”
“He is here only, sitting in the police station shaken, it
seems that he has gone into shock after the incident. He is the
only one left alive, who was involved in the proceedings.”
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          “Bring him to me.”
       The constable is brought in front of the S.P., the fear on
whose face is revealing the truth, in which he himself is a
criminal too.
“So you were present during that investigation last
night?” S.P. asks the constable in such a manner as if he already
knows the truth.
“Yes....Yes Sir....” The constable’s voice falters; his
eyes are wandering back and forth the table and the S.P every
now and then. His face is bloated and the eyes have turned red,
it seems as if he hasn’t had the opportunity to sleep for several
nights.
           “Tell constable, tell the truth.” After the S.P’s question,
the apprehension of the constable increases.
            S.P. says again, “Do not be afraid, tell the truth, what
happened last night. Why was this investigation made?”
“Sir....Oh....Sir...” The constable quietens just after
trying.
“Yes.... yes.... tell, do not be afraid.” Inspector Lahre
says, trying to encourage him.
“Sir, Sir.... as soon as we came to know that there is a
gathering of the Naxalites there, Inspector Sir asked to begin the
proceeding immediately.”
The constable starts speaking gathering all the courage
in which he takes thrice the time than usual.
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 “How did you know that there is a mob gathering of the
Naxalites there?”
“Sir we...”
“Yes, yes, yes, speak forward....”
“As soon as the informant informed us, we ....”
      “So you got the news from the informer.” The S.P. cuts
the constable’s statement mid-way once again and says, “Right
now, where is your informer?”
Escaping his eyes, the constable says, “He has also
been killed.”
     “How?”
“During our proceedings, sir.”
“This means that your informer tipped you off about
the gathering of the Naxalites there and he himself went and
started fighting against you on their behalf, after which he is
killed too, is this not?” S.P now starts making the constable
count his lies.
“Sir, it’s not like that, I…?” the constable stammers
during another unsuccessful attempt to hide the truth.
“Constable, I know that this was not a proceeding
against any Naxalite. This is a fake encounter.” saying this, the
S.P. suddenly gets up from his chair and bends towards the
constable, “You know that I have lived here for a decade.
Where you are talking about the mob-gathering of Naxalites, it
is Gotul. Now tell me honestly how did all this happen, or else I
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will have to take strict actions against you.” He says the last
sentence in a threatning manner.
           An already scared constable finally breaks after this
threat by the S.P. He starts crying now and without wasting any
time starts spilling the truth.
Suddenly, the voice of the sirens keeps increasing
around the police station. A policeman enters the station, “The
convoy of Minister is coming, sir.”
         Minister Jatthu Ram arrives to the station with the
industrialist, the editor and the dharamacharya.
        The minister throws the newspapers placed in his hand on
the table in such a manner like some gambler throwing that
decisive leaf out of the card, after which the whole wager would
be his, “Look at this, the news of our victory.”
    It has been written in the newspaper, “The chances of the
return of the government increase after the victory against
Naxalites.”
       But, S.P. without wasting any time, acknowledges the
minister with the truth, “Minister Sir, you have misunderstood.”
“What kind of joke are you cracking, S.P. sir.”
“Minister sir, what you are thinking of a victory, is in fact
our defeat. Due to the cimes of the Inspector posted here,
hundreds of innocents had to loose their life; this was a fake
encounter.”

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 On hearing this, the minister, the industrialist, the editor
and the dharamacharya look at each other in such a way as if to
confirm whether the other person had heard the same thing as
him or he had heard something wrong.
            “Yes, it was a fake encounter.” S.P. repeats again.
Now the minister is convinced that he has heard him
right and he gets up from his chair, “What?”
“What are you saying S.P!” The industrialist also gets up
from the chair.
“But how did all this happen?” The editor and the
Dharamacharya also get up now.
After which, the constable repeats the summary of his
crime, hearing which, the minister and his companions start
glaring at the constable in such a manner as if he had thrown
the key to their treasure in a trench.
          S.P. without wasting any time, says again, “This is the
real truth Minister sir that should be brought in front of the
world as soon as possible.” As if this was his last wish.
But the minister and his friends do not react anything,
whose faces are objecting to it.
The minister turning his back towards the others, starts
walking. Meanwhile with skew-eyes he looks at his three
companions in such a way as if telling them a secret.
“What happened? Why did the three of you go silent?
We have to take this truth to the world outside of this village, so
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that no one else can dare to commit such a crime again.” S.P
repeats his statement once again.
“No, S.P this reality has to die here only,” the minister
starts his talk, by turning towards them he says the last sentence,
“And has to be buried inside this village only.”
“What ?”
“Yes, this truth needs to be buried in this village only.”
The minister said the same thing he had already said to the
editors, journalists and the monk with his skew-eyes. who are
now standing with him in such a way, as if his words have come
out of their hearts.
“But why minister sir, this is the reality, why should we
not take it in front of the whole world?”
“No, the reality is what is in front of the world now.
In all the news of the state and the country, this is being shown
as the victory of our government, if this truth comes out in
tomorrow's newspapers, then not only in the state but in the
entire country our government will be defamed. I might even
have to lose the post of the minister, the Opposition will fall
headlong on us, and the allies will withdraw their support. In the
coming elections, our party will not only lose, my bail will be
confiscated as well.”
“But minister this is embarrassing for our democracy.
These innocent people will lose trust on the law and the
government. Those children, who have seen it with their own
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eyes, will raise arms when they grow up and we have been
making the same mistake till now. It's unfair to them, you are a
representative, atleast you understand this.”
“S.P. I am also a minister. Some party’s pressure is
also on me, political pressure. If this thing comes to light, then
people of the entire country will lose their confidence on our
party and administration. Our party will come to an end. My
political future will end.”
“But minister, this is injustice,” the voice of the S.P.
grows louder, “It is against the Constitution, it is murder of
democracy.”
“Enough,” The minister instructs the S.P. to stop with
the gesture of his hand, “S.P. we know what we have to do. You
do not teach us.” Further directing at the editor using his eyes he
says, “The editor himself has come with us whose newspaper
‘Dabey Awaaz’ is very popular. He knows how we can
transform any incident into news. You leave these things about
what should come in front of the world and what shouldn’t
aside. Why do we suffer the political blunders of the incident
due to the negligence of your department? This was your
mistake, if we want, then firstly we can put you under strict
enquiry. The common people have chosen us for matters of
justice – injustice. Leave it to us. You are here for our safety, do
your work.”

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 Upon stating his last decision which was more of an
order, the minister along with his teammates leave for the place
of the incident.
“You are here for our safety, do your work.” These words
keep echoing in the S.P’s ears again and again.
  He asks himself, “Do I have just one duty, the security
of this minister?”
“Sir, is our work only to provide security.? Can’t we
guard the truth, sir? Then who will do justice with these
innocents, sir?” inspector Lehre asks.
          “You are right, but if we go to another leader, then he
will also say the same things this minister just left saying. If we
go to another journalist, then he too after taking crores will
change the whole story the way it is printed on this newspaper.”
“Does that mean we cannot do anything?”
            After this question from Inspector Lahre, S.P. gets up
from his chair and starts walking in one direction, “My first
posting was made here; I was newly married then. Compared to
today, Naxalite activities were much higher around the village
back then. At that time these same people had helped me
without worrying about enemity with them. They would predict
their movements beforehand and then would advice me to stay
alert otherwise I wouldn’t have survived. My two children were
born here only who have played in their lap. These lands
recognize me, I am indebted to them. I will teach a lesson to this
conniving minister at any cost even if I have to choose another
option for justice.” saying this, S.P. signals the constable to go
out.
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          “How will that happen, sir?” Inspector Lehre asks after
the constable leaves.
“How many roads are there to go to the city from here?”
“Three Paths.”
“Tell me from safety point of view.”
“Sir, the first path is that which is quite safe, our bomb
detection team has inspected it several times. There is no
possibility of any landmine on the way. The path passes through
the less wild area. There are no caves or mountains around the
way too, because of which they do not get any hiding spot. The
chances of Naxal attack on this path are negligible. We usually
come and go using this path, which takes the least amount of
time. The minister has come from this very way now. "
“And the other one?”
“Sir, the second road passes through the hilly area,
relatively forest cover is also denser. On this route the
possibility of landmine cannot be ruled out. Naxalite activities
are still prevelant. The commute on this road is fifty percent
safe and fifty percent unsafe. Last month only there was an
explosion in one of the landmines.”
“And the third one?”
“Sir, only two times the police force has passed from
this route, and the police vehicles have been exploded by the
land mines both the times. The path passes through intensive
jungle. In every one kilometre, land mines are spread. Naxal
camps are located around the road only but due to the dense
forest, the proceedings on them are impossible. They are always
ready with their weapons on the road waiting for an opportunity

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to attack. Sir, escaping alive while travelling on this route is
impossible. In the last five years nobody has escaped alive from
it.”
“Then the minister will have to go through this path
only.” S.P declares the minister's punishment.
      Actually, this third route passes through the red corridor
of the bald mountain.
Where the minister saw political security in this false
news, the industrialist saw an opportunity for some trade in the
future and the dharamcharya, a religious spot. That is why
religion, power and business are taking pictures in different
postures in front of the Gotul so that when the detailed news of
the government's victory on the Naxalites is printed in the
newspaper tomorrow, they can then make their place along with
their picture.
S.P. could not succeed in taking the truth out of the
boundaries of the village, but with the other option of justice, he
reaches Gotul.
“Minister sir, it is about to be sunset. In terms of
security, you should return to the city as soon as possible. The
way using which you had come, we have got information of
naxal activities on that road that is why while returning we want
to send you using a safer route." S.P. becomes the judge.
The minister sits in a car with the red light on its hood
with his colleagues and the Gotul house had to hear the voice of
the siren once more.
        S.P. signals the inspector using his eyes, “Lead them
safely to their destination.”

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 “Yes sir.”
          “Yes, one more thing, send the constable along with the
minister's convoy too.” In this way, S.P. also fixes the
constable’s punishment.
“Yes sir."
S.P. while moving towards his car looks at Gotul,
which is in ruins now, without dropping his gaze. There are
blood spots in places, seeing which his watery eyes gets
transfixed on them. Just then a fast wind blows the ashes away
from the extinguished bonfires and leaves it on his body, as if it
making him realise that he has chosen the second option of
justice.
Nearly two hours later, a policeman rushes into the
police station, “Sir, just now the news has come that the
Naxalites, hidden in the bald mountains, have attacked the
minister's convoy, Sir.”
“Prepare the security forces; we will have to leave
immediately for a counter proceeding, so that the minister can
be safely evacuated.” Orders the S.P.
  “Yes sir.”
And then the security forces get busy in the
preparation of counter proceedings.

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 14
TOKEN OF LOVE (PANIYA) AND ROPE OF TRUST

      Koyna has lost all expressions on her face. With a fixed,
straight face wherever her eyes move, she is looking for that one
person or incident, that she wants to see again and in which she
wants to correct something.
Seeing her, it looks like as if life has been snatched away
from her body, which can now only move and can respire.
Today, when Mritula bid her farewell while crying, she had not
reacted anything to it then as if she had no idea of anything that
has undergone in her life, or what is happening right now, only
besides, that someone has come to escort her and she is being
sent somewhere away from someone known, very far away,
who she has already lost prior in some accident, who has
promised that, “I will never come back again,” after which as if
Koyna’s will to live has only ended. A while ago, when
Mritula’s mother had said, “Daughter, this is destiny, it has to
be accepted.” Then she could only answer with her eyes. “Now
I have become disappointed with both destiny and myself. I will
never accept it, never. Someone has run away with all my
happiness.”
At this time if someone showed her a mirror, perhaps
she would ask, “Who is this, who is in this mirror?” Only a
single voice is echoing in her defeaned ears, when someone's
silence had said, “It was the first calling of my heart, when I had
chosen you.”

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 Those lanes from which the waves of mourning are
passing, a bullock cart is going out of the village passing from
them, upon which Koyna is sitting like a stone statue, whose
back is towards the bullock's destination and eyes on those
losing lanes, which had refused to accept her. Koyna wants to
leave while seeing them for the last time, to whom she is saying,
“Fine, you have refused me, now I am going, far away. I will
also not come back, you will see.” Keeping her eyes fixed
towards some direction, Koyna is just swaying along with the
bullock cart, whichever way the bullock cart wants. Koyna
recollects the memory, “When in the open field the faltering
Beer was coming towards her and her running towards him and
then suddenly something happened, after which Beer fell on his
knees on the ground and stretching his hands towards her,
stopping to breathe on her laps, leaving her all alone.”
While her eyes are aimlessly looking for someone, she
sees the moment he had chosen her, after becoming a winner in
front of the whole Gotul, someone whom he wasn’t even
acquainted with. Seeing this, she asks, “Why? Why did you
choose me only? You didn’t even know me?” Then her stitched-
like lips start shivering. She is trying to say something like, “I
had told you, you made a mistake. Yes, by choosing me you had
made a mistake, otherwise this would not have happened. If that
was the first calling of your heart, then whatever has happened
now is whose will? Why, why did anyone have such a will?”
But to whom will she ask this now, there was no one to answer
it now, and when Koyana realizes this, teardrops start running

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from her eyes. They decide their own path, from the cheeks
towards that ground, the same ground she is going away from.
Winds have slowed their pace. Birds are not visible;
perhaps they have also left the village scared away by the sound
of the bullets. The leaves of the trees are depressed. That sun's
ray is also sad, which is trying to touch those tattooes on her
face after getting filtered by the leaves, which were then made,
when Beer had chosen her to light Gotul's first diya for the next
three days. Then the laya’s accepting her as their own Belosa
had made this tattoo on her face so that she remembers this day
forever. When the rays fall on the Kulhad made on her arm, then
Koyna getting anxious tries to wipe it out, and when she is
unable to erase it, she starts caressing it with love. She suddenly
rememberes that the tattoo artist had said, “When we will leave
Gotul, then we will be able to take only this tattoo along with
us, seeing the beauty of which, this day will be forever
remembered by us.” But Koyna wants to ask, “Now I want to
forget this. Why didn’t that tattoo artist tell me a way to wipe
out these memories?”
On the way, everytime she comes across the Mahuya
tree, then one of her hands would go to that band of mahua
which is still tied on her other arm, which she wanted to return
to somebody but couldn’t return, and now will never be able to
return it too. Perhaps this is the biggest helplessness of her life.
She recalls that her mother had named her 'Irpa', because she
was born in that season, when the flowers of mahua had began
to blossom. Then she would look for flowers in those trees,
which she is unable to see, she tries very hard but is unable to

185
see even a single one. Koyana remembers that the meaning of
her own name is also ‘Mahuya's seed’. The tree is born from the
seed only, on which flowers blossom. So now, will no tree ever
be born from the seeds of this Mahuya and even if it happens
then will no flowers blossom on it? The ‘Mahua’ which had an
important role in their evolution process, they offered the same
mahuya flowers to the relics of their ancestors, the ancestors
who had once, comparing it to the nourishment received in a
mother’s womb, had given it the synonym of ‘koya pungar.’
Pungar, meaning flower.
The greenery of the fields is kind of irrelevant. All the
paths are lying barren. They all want to say, “We are with you.”
But Koyana no longer needs anybody.
The bullock cart, with a slow pace, starts to cross the
boundary of the village; the Koyna who is leaving them is
pining.
“How can I leave you so easily, but you yourself have
only forced me to leave. Even I promise you, I will never meet
you after this. This is your punishment; you too will pine for me.
If you ever meet me again, do not recognize me, now I have no
one of my own in your hills. Now these hills are a stranger too,
which had once called me by deceiving me. I used to laugh so
much somewhere; you snatched all my laughter away from me.
Then I was stupid, why did you tell me that life can be such too.
I do not want to remember you, but I know, even if I close my
eyes, I will see you only.”
Gathering all these memories, Koyna is going away
from here. As soon as the bullock cart crosses the boundary of

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village, Koyna’s father sees a seven year old child standing on
the path of the bullock cart, spotting whom, stopping the
bullock-cart he asks, “Son, why are you standing on the road,
whom are you waiting for?” The child does not answer
anything.
But when Koyna hears the sound of a bell, she recalls
those children of Gotul on whose hips bells used to hang and
then from among them she recalls someone, recalling whom she
turns at once without wasting time, and yes, it’s him only
standing there. Seeing him her expressionless face fills with all
those expressions, which till now were unable to gather the
courage to come out. Maybe someone has teased them again,
maybe they are being forced by the one who is the sole witness
of all those memories, ‘Jima.’
Jumping down immediately from the bullock cart she
goes to Jima and kneeling down infront of him, hugging him
tightly, starts crying. All the agony of her face which had been
silent till now, begin to speak. Now her eyes have transformed
into a spring of tears, stopping which was impossible now. For a
few moments, this scene freezes, as if time has taken some
softness.
“Come with me,” Koyna whispers in a subdued voice,
whose lips are soaked with tears, “Yes, come with me.” Saying
this, she also tries to stop the sobs but all in vain.
Jima does not respond. That innocent child has not yet
understood that whatever had happened, whether that was true,
but whatever it may be, he has realized that today he is alone, all
by himself.

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 On not getting any answer, Koyna holding Jima’s
shoulders with her trembling hands once again tells him, “Come
with me, there is no one else here.” She could not say further
that, “I need you, Jima.”
“No,” Jima responds with innocence, whose fickleness is
now over, as if some rock has crushed it cruelly. When he was
four years old, his father and mother had passed away, and the
reason was also such that their monument was kept separate
from the others, but at that time he did not have the
understanding that no one ever returns from the place they had
gone to. He is feeling like an orphan today, “Those people killed
everyone; even Beer Dada is not there. I will stay here, now
there is no one here in Gotul. Mukwan had told me, the whole
Gotul had told me to do so when they had given me the name of
the Gayta, then I was told to become like him. I had made a
promise then.” Jima says in his immature voice in which there
was no need of maturity only.
This reply from Jima did not leave scope for any other
questions. Koyna could not say anything now and began to
admire Jima’s eyes with her eyes, which wanted to say, “Yes,
You have said the truth, everyone had taken word from you, the
whole of Gotul and even me, that protect Gotul till your last
breath and now I am only stopping you.”
Jima stretches out the paniya made by Beer towards
Koyna.
Koyna, grabbing the Paniya starts turning it in such a
manner as if she will find him there, the one she is looking for.
The one who has made this paniya, the disappearance of whom

188
is the reason behind the tears dripping on that paniya, the
strength of interefering on whose path is not left in her now.
Just then her father descending down from the bullock
cart, puts his hand on her back and says, “Let’s go daughter, the
sun is going to set.” Hearing this, Koyana lifts her head, looks
towards the sun, which is actually on the verge of setting down
and this scene reminds her of those three days she had lit
Gotul’s first diya at this very hour, but soon she also realizes
that today those diyas won’t be lit. And then turning her face
away from it, removing the band of Mahua tied around her arm,
tying it on Jima’s arm, she asks him for a promise, “Do not ever
separate it from yourself, not even for that person whom you
consider to be your life, promise me.”
Without saying anything, Jima nods his head in
approval the same way he had done earlier, when after getting
the name of the Gayta by Gotul he had approved of their
promise from him; when he had approved to take the
responsibility of handing over the Paniya to Koyna while
receiving it from Beer. Koyna ties the last knot of the band on
Jima’s arm and once again takes him in her arms.
Baba keeps his hands on her back again. Koyna,
caressing Jima’s head lovingly kisses his forehead, after which
Jima turns back towards the village and Koyna sits back in the
bullock cart like she was sitting before, the only difference is
that this time her back is towards the village and eyes towards
the destination of the bullock cart. The bullock cart starts
moving forward slowly, as if performing the last ritual of
Koyna’s farewell from this village. It felt as if, Belosa has

189
drawn a line of flour at the entrance of the village and on
Mukwan’s order, Koyna is going to cross that line in a while,
but now, the companion with whom she would cross that line
has gone somewhere alongwith everyone else who was going to
sing this farewell song of Gotul-
We stayed together like pigeons,
Our life was like the melody of flute,
We danced like bumblebees,
If you had never come to Gotul,
Then, we used to ask each other reasons for this,
Now that time has passed,
You will enter a new life,
Take care of all the responsibilities of new life,
Whatever you learnt in Gotul, apply that in your life,
Never get disappointed, never look back,
This Gotul will remember you always,
You remember Gotul always,
We will never be able to forget those moments,
When right after gaining consciousness we stepped into Gotul
together,
We will always remember your Gotul name,
Don’t forget my Gotul name....
The sun is collecting its redness from the sky, it is going
to set but today or from now onwards there is left no one in
Gotul who will light its first diya, which always used to fight
with the darkness left by the sunset. There will now be no dance
on the reflections in the river, perhaps the Utong valley may
forgot the history of the Gonds or that dharam (religion) might

190
end the Utong only just like it had ended the village of Koyna,
or it will change its reality, or change its history, or change its
name only, yes.... why can’t this happen? If Dharam and
Dharmcharya (canonist) want, it can happen. Now the
Dharmacharya will only have to say that in this valley which
one of his incarnation’s (Avatar) footprints are present and how
many, or which of his incarnation is born here, and he, proving
this to be the birth place of that incarnation will definitely make
its dharamsthal (religious spot), where a huge idol will sit. Then
what? History will change completely. Utong will be dressed in
new religious clothes and it will be renamed. After a few
generations, the crowd will keep increasing there; that crowd,
which unaware of the reality will come there to perform
Dharmayatra (pilgrimage). Then there will be neither Gotul nor
its members to narrate that reality, as it has been happening
since thousands of years. Dharam changed the history by thus
wrongly interpreting everything, because it is cunning, it knows
that if history does not change, then heirs of that history will
teach it a deserving lesson. In front of whose reality it won’t
survive.
              Like in some movie, a crazy lover tells his beloved,
“You rule over my heart and my mind.” Actually its clear
meaning was that, that beloved had become the ruler of that
lover, because that lover said, “Now whatever you will say, I
will do the same.” That meant that, that lover had accepted her
rule. That clever, beautiful beloved firstly showed her rich lover
dreams of an embezelling life and when she was fully assured
that ruling over his head and mind, she had taken into hands his

191
life’s administration, she then makes him separate from his
parents, the lover agrees. She then makes him end his
relationship with his friends, he agrees. Then asks him to leave
the city, he agrees and when he distances himself from the
whole world, she then makes him sign off his property to her, he
agrees even then. Actually, he does this on the order of that
ruler who rules over his heart and mind, who has become the
centre of his life and that lover, now wants to live only with her
and only for her. Eventually, that beloved takes his final test and
asks him to jump from the highest building and that lover
perishes.
Just like this, the language that people speak everyday, the
culture, social system, the garment, philosophy of life that they
live every day, the history that they are proud of, reigns over
their heart and mind, and that is their ruler too. The more your
ruler would be powerful, your administration will be safe till
then. Whatever the ruler will say, the person does that only:
lives, dies, struggles, and executes wars. If that ruler is one of
your own, then he will care for you. He will keep you safe. But
if that ruler is not one of your own and somebody deceivingly
gives him a place in your heart and mind, then you will start
being ruled by someone else and then whatever that person
wants, can make you do it. You will always be insecure, he will
not care for you and like that lover you may even have to lose
your life. Language, culture, social system and philosophy of
life are the true rulers of any person, society, country, region,
who by making a strong rugged cover around them, protect it

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from any external aggression. Around the world, a war is raging
among these rulers only.
It is clear that the village of Koyna was destroyed by
that dharam. Only Dharam (religion) could have opened that
strong gate of culture, language and lifestyle, and then after
gaining power, it gave a place to business and trade, and then
trade promoted dharam and politics.
            Dharam construed the biggest conspiracy against the
Gonds and Gondwana, and it has been doing so since centuries.
             The nature of the dharam of that Dharmacharya is itself
aggressive; it is born only to attack, which has turned the
behavior of that Dharmacharya and its followers aggressive,
made them artificial. Who are now fighting for pieces of land,
are robbing forests for business, cutting the mountains are
looting the minerals. Dharma has enslaved them all; has
destroyed their thinking power, which they popped as a pill of
opium and are popping it day and night, which is why their
sleep is not breaking only, but this is their
misunderstanding.They have forgotten that there can be an
alternative to religion but there is no substitute for truth. The
truth is universal: rivers, waterfalls, mountains, trees, grass, it is
everywhere, in every country, this is truth, and religion, the
embodiment of religion, is always born only in any one color,
any one language, within any one boundary. It is not universal,
and that which is not universal, is untrue, a liar, an illusion,
which is why religion struggles day and night to prove itself to
be the truth, and says, “Religion is the only truth, religion is the
only truth” because he fears of getting exposed. Not only this,

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when the fear of getting exposed is faced by it, then its creator,
Dhramcharya itself says, “This is not Dharam, this is a way of
life.” As if religion itself is saying that it isn’t religion.
If that dharam of that dharamcharya changes the history
of the Utong valley, if it changes Gotul's history, if it changes
the truth of the river behind it too, if it changes the name of this
village only, religiousize everyone, loot away all the wealth,
minerals, forest, what will happen then! In the world, the only
proof of the relationship between nature and man, this natural
philosophy of life will end; its natural ease and simplicity will
end. To pay back this dharam in the same coin with interest,
they will probably do their own religiousization and then will be
the birth of some new dharam. Then the aggression of dharam
will be entrenched in their nature also, then new boundaries will
be drawn in the name of dharam, new rules will be made and
the final proof of truth will get eliminated from the world. The
witness of philosophy of life based on the understanding
between nature and humans will perish. That culture will end
which gives evidence of the connection between man and nature
with its innate reality, which is neither an atheist nor a theist,
but real. Truth is real; nature is real. What will happen when the
reality of all human beings will end! Then nature will blow a
whimper, some two hour long heavy storm, rain, some
earthquake, some volcano, some pandemic, some new disease,
some excessive rain, no rain, some flood would come, will
destroy the Dharamsthal, the Dhramyatra will turn and the
corpse of that religious person will be seen floating on some
Dharamsthal near the idol of that Dharampurush (Avatar).

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Nature, every now and then is sending hints to make that person
understand, who turning his back on nature is walking on the
road to becoming dharmik (religious). It can be seen in the
news, can be read in the newspapers, and can be felt around us.
But this is only possible when the curtain of religion draws from
the eyes. This is reality, this is only the truth. In the end, only
one way to survive would be left, that of truth, of nature, that is
why those natural people who are till now distant from the
contact of religion, with their lifestyle, with their culture,
forming a relationship with nature, let them live with that proof,
they are the evidence of truth. When attatchment to religion
will perish, when its truth would be revealed, then that same
proof will only teach you how to live.
Definitely, one day man will come out of the trap of
religion, he has to come out, he will be left with no choice,
when religion will push his existence to the threshold of
damnity, when there will be no air to breathe, there will be no
water to drink, then he will come face to face with the reality.
Then fighting the religion, ending it, will hold onto the tail of
truth and if this does not happen, then the existence of humans
will end. Religion, creating a conflict between man and nature,
will destroy him and what will remain behind is only nature,
only truth.
Like many countries have made nuclear bombs in the
name of their own security, which has made the entire world
unsafe. In a similar way, everyone after creating religion shoved
the responsibility of their safety on its shoulder due to which the
whole world has now become insecure. Just like all the

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countries realising the threat of nuclear bombs are coming to a
common consensus on destroying it, just like that, one day
discussion will definitely start to end religion and common
consesnsus will form.
Like that bald mountain too -
Koyna is imaginary but true
Beer is imaginary but true,
Jima is imaginary but true,
This novel is imaginary but true,
Gotul is true,
This feeling is true, and when this feeling is writing
the last chapter (24-11-2016), then he is capable of saying the
truth of Bastar, is honest, disciplined, determined, simple, easy,
true. The conspiracy to end the entire Bastar’s culture and truth
is vigorously going on. The conspiracy of changing the real
cultural identity by religiousizing Bastar is going on. Bastar has,
as if, become a laboratory for dharam. With each passing day, a
new dharam’s arrival and exculpation of new dharamagranths is
happening here or maybe they are the same but are putting on
different masks. What is going to happen in the future is not
clear but the democracy in the spheres distant from the eyes of
the world is at threat. Innocents have been killed. Children, old
people, women have been victims of crime.The justice system
itself is crying for justice. Probably, it has been kidnapped and
the kidnapper is none other than dharam and the power received
from it.
Definitely this is a socio-political conspiracy against
indigenous people, which is being controlled by a conspiracy

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hatched out of the conflunece of religion, power and business,
in which from both sides, bullets are being fired at indigenous
people. The culprit always leaves behind evidence of his/her
crime.
This cultural robbery is still ongoing in Bastar.
But-
They can finish Gotul,
But they will never be able to finish Gotul.
They can change the name of the village,
But they will not be able to change the name of the village.
They can change history,
But they will not be able to change history,
She still alive,
The one who gave birth to them,
Beer’s mother is alive,
She is alive.

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