Living in harmony with nature

Away from modern lifestyle, these elders dwelling in jungles have never seen a city.

Baba Annayya Siddi working at his backyard in his village (Photo |Express)

KALASE (Yellapur): Printed notes do not amuse them. Travelling in the air, and meeting new people means nothing to them. Some of them have not even travelled more than 30 km away from their homes.

Even today there are forest dwellers in Uttara Kannada district who are living happily inside the forest without having to succumb to the modernisation that has already started creeping into the core areas of Sahyadris.

For instance, 75-years old Baba Annayya Siddi from Kalase village near Arabail of Yellapur taluk, claims that he had visited Bengaluru only once in his lifetime, that too just for a day.

"For generations, we have been dwelling in the forest. My father came here and settled from some place near Goa. I never found anything necessary to go to the town. I grow my own paddy, vegetables, fruits and even herbs in case there is any ailment. During monsoon, we are literally cut off from the rest of the world but we are used to it and prepare for it like every year," he said.

"We love the forest and it provides us with everything that we need. From fish to firewood the forest has been treating us well since the families of Siddis moved to this area. Today the community members have spread around different states, but even today some of the Siddi families reside deep inside the jungle like us, without wanting to be near an urban habitat. This helps us be away from the people at times," said another member of the Siddi community.

Rajeshwari Krishna Siddi, a social worker from Yellapur said that the government must fulfil the pending promises that it has made to the community members.

"We have our roots in Africa and we were brought to India by the British 450 years ago. From Goa, we are now spread in several parts of Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra. Some of the fellow Siddi brothers have got the cast certification but many are pending. Several senior citizens are in need of housing under the government's Ashraya scheme but there are delays. The local administration needs to take steps so that the programmes reach the community members," she requests.