According to UNICEF "even before the global food crisis almost half of all Indian children showed signs of stunted growth" (Infochange India, Feb 2008). This area is blessed with abundance in comparison to life in many other regions of India. Khati families have the rare luxury of three meals a day, fresh water & clean air.
The potatoes are growing well in the fields, though for a while I was left pondering just how long a potato plant could survive without water. However, the dry spell is now over with rainfall occurring most afternoons. Mudhwa and Amaranth crops have just been cast into the kets (field) and the hills are turning a lush green with increased rain. In turn this leads to higher milk production and the women have been busy making buttermilk in wooden churns, dahi (yoghurt) and ghee (butter). The cow byproducts are a vital nutrient source in a region where the majority of food is produced locally. I consider it a privelege to be able to consume organic vegetables and stone ground organic flour daily.
This morning the first of the bamboo (ningaloo) left the valley via mules, this heralds the beginning of the bamboo season. The bamboo is cut and split at Mullyadoor (6 km from here) and then either sold to other villages for on processing or taken back to Khati where it is utilised for a variety of handmade products (ie. matts, baskets, etc). It is a vital source of income for the local economy.
The goat herds from Khati have also left for Mullyadoor to enjoy the spoils of abundant grass. This is the first stage in their journey up the Pindari Valley where they will not only spend the next five months grazing on bugials (alpine meadows) but will be joined by herds numbering thousands moving up to all the glacier regions. Goat's are an important source of local livelihood with handloomed blankets and jackets still being produced, though dwindling in popularity as the era of ready-made polyester goods has clad locals with gusto.
The days have been hectic with school starting a 7.30am, a steady flow of local villagers seeking basic healthcare, dealing with a myriad of 'small visitors' plus organising the rainwater project. The project was off to a slow start but with workers now on site and improved weather conditions it is 'gushing along'. The nights are still spent by the warmth of a Kumaoni fire with various friends and lately I have been teaching women the game of 'Snakes & Ladders' (Indian origin), the diversion from domestic duties for a brief period of time has proved popular!
Bonnie (PEAK) April 2008.
