The Hindu Business Line : A trader who hasn't seen the inside of a bank

CASH AND CARRY: Jogeswar Naik, a poultry trader of sorts in Orissa's Kashipur district, makes about Rs 200 a week, which is just enough for himself, his wife and their 7-year-old son.

recently in Kashipur, Orissa

The 75-km drive from Rayagada to villages in Orissa's Kashipur district that was stalked by hunger deaths in 2001 is a picturesque one. The green forest cover, some perennial jungle streams, and above all the mango trees covered in a magnificent hue of bright red as new leaves sprout, make an enchanting picture. My companion, Badal Kumar Tah, a local activist, points to the teak and eucalyptus trees — the last planted by the paper factory in this belt — and says, "These are quite unnecessary here. Instead they should plant more tamarind and mango trees and even jackfruit trees. Do you know that a tribal can survive for a whole day without any foodgrains but with a kg of jackfruit or 2 - 3 kg of mangoes?"

NATURE DEPENDENT

This reiterates once again how tribal communities depend on Mother Earth and its bounties — the forest for timber, the trees for fruits and leaves, and of course rain water. The way in which an entire community will get together to decide collectively how and when to use the fruits of the 15 or 20 mango trees in the village is charming to say the least. But the sad part is that sometimes, when there is a period of crisis — such as death or grave illness — or even a festival, to raise a few hundred rupees, the rights to the yet unripe fruits will be traded away to the local contractor or moneylender.

Financial crunch is something that dogs them all the time and often money is borrowed at 120 per cent interest. This could go up to 600 per cent if you consider that for a mere Rs 100, sometimes a tribal cultivator will pledge to the sahukar (moneylender) a full bag of rice!

It is a society that revels in joint activity, even if it is as trivial as chasing a wild rat or porcupine. "Sometimes an entire village will spend a whole day on the chase; they don't do a cost-benefit of the time consumed as we urbanites would do. They enjoy the feeling of togetherness; later they'll chop up the victim, add ragi or rice to the meat, cook it under a tree and eat the meal. It becomes like a festival," says a teacher from Rayagada.

TIME IN PLENTY

But then time seems to be an ample commodity in an area where little work is available. About 12 km from Kashipur, near Phatamunda village, we meet on the road Jogeswar Naik, a Dalit poultry trader of sorts. On his shoulder is a bamboo rod, balancing two cane baskets, each carrying five chicken. He is carrying the birds to the Kashipur market and is totally puzzled when you ask him about bird flu. He hasn't heard of it and is not interested in knowing about it either. Every morning he starts around 6 a.m. carrying his daily capital of about Rs 700 with which he will buy the chicken and take them to the Kashipur market. On some days he is lucky to get sustenance from ragi gruel at a relative's house; on others he has to buy it, spending Rs 2-3 on this simple meal. So does he have a bank account?

"What do I need a bank account for? I make about Rs 200 a week, which is just enough for me, my wife and 7-year-old son. Yes, I'd love to get a loan for my business. But I have no land, so who will give me a loan without collateral?" is his simple question. His share of land from the family property is a paltry 2 cents "on which we grow some maize; that's all," he sighs.

The Rayagada district web site tells you that SBI has 17 branches in the district, IOB eight, Andhra and Indian Bank one each, and the Koraput Panchayat Gramya Bank 20, besides 17 other "mini banks".

WHERE IS THE WATER?

The families in this region tend to be large; Bodo Bhavani's grandfather had 60 acres, but division over two generations has left him with only four acres; he has 10 brothers. "Anyway, where is the water to cultivate the land," he asks. "If the rain is good, we have water. We don't have a diversion canal which can reach us water from the dam."

As you watch the spectre of scarcity in the Kashipur villages, the unemployed youth, the emaciated women and children, the absence of electricity, and, above all, any hope, you realise how for these people the "banking network" is only a piece of statistic on a web site they have no access to.

Response may be sent to rasheeda@thehindu.co.in