As the whole of India was tranfixed on the unfolding events live on television stations that became widely known as Mumbai 26/11, we remained ensconced in the mountains blissfully oblivious to the dramas. Then a friend relayed what he had heard on the raido and soon the high altitude crackling of BBC airwaves on our short wave radio beamed in the latest news and became the talk of the village. Still, looking out onto the Himalayas those shocking events were still a world and a reality away.
The last few weeks (from Diwali onwards) have witnessed the marriage of Khanti, a Devta Pooja, various Melas and two deaths. In fact we had a death/funeral pyre in the morning and a wedding in the afternoon. Bellum died after a battle with a long illness, we sat in his room with him after his death - the town's men sat in there all night. The process from death to funeral is roughly 12 hours. The next morning Scott was invited to the funeral pyre (only men are allowed near the pyre), he later filled me in with all the solemnity and gory details of the occassion. Roop died after a night of drinking, he fell from a concrete lintel in Song and sustained life threatening injuries. He was rushed to Bageshwar hospital, then Almora and finally Haldwani hospital. After two and half weeks the hospital bills had reached 80 000 rupees ($2400 AUD - which had to be borrowed from Khati community members)and it was decided to send him home. Unfortunately,he died after being at home for less than two weeks. The reality of medical bills in this area is horrendous, a life threatening illness can break a families finances (if they had any to start off with) and both of these deaths can be attributed to not having access to proper, affordable medical care.
Dr 'Biscott' has been kept busy with a myriad of minor ailments to the more serious. Khasti (8 ears old) needed five stitches in her head after a run in with a piece of wood. Her brother was caught kissing her best friend Uma, unfortunatley it was witnessed, a fight ensured and Khasti was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time!! The operation was a success and she was wonderful in coming to the PEAK buiding every day for treatment and to have her stitches out. Bhawani took off the end of her thumb with a 'datool' while out collecting wood. I won't go into the amount of blood lost in that little episode (says she of the weak stomach). Bashu fell off a high wall in Waucham, he ended up at Bageshwar hospital and had 24 stitches. Unfortunately, by the time Scott saw him he had a chronic wound infection which has taken an extended period of time in medical attention. Then came the great 'dadur' measles epidemic of late 2008. It began with a small boy in Dhor (relatively close to Khati)who happened to go to the local balwari (pre-school) in Khati, before we knew it measles had spread through town, high fevers, runny noses, coughs and red spots galore!! The only saving grace was that just one child 'Kiran' had complications (chronic ear infections) and as the kids went down like a deck of cards through town.... no one died but they sure as hell weren't well for a couple of weeks.
For women , grass collection has given way to carting loads of wood (warmth and cooking) and leaves (cattle bedding) for the winter season. The women tell me that they look forward to a heavy snow fall year so they can have a break from work!
The closer you come to a community the more you understand local politics, dynamics and daily relationships. And the town unyeilds secrets you can never give away...
Bonnie
PEAK
