Bhurai Dube from village Dhulkot of district Khargone is telling us about the Novai festival which is celebrated in september-october to acknowledge the bounty of nature in giving a good crop to the people and to ask permission from the deities to partake of the new crops. He relates how the new bajra is pounded and then prepared in the form of ghat and then served to the people to eat along with the new daal. The priest or pujara worships the deities and also the new crop and then the feasting starts. Goats and chicken are also sacrificed and cooked and eaten. Liquor is prepared from mahua flowers and this too is distributed for drinking. This is the traditional custom of the Bhilala adivasis that they have been following from the time of their forefathers.

Khuturam Sunani is telling us that you must have heard about primary schools with one teacher but he has recently visited a high school in Nuapada district which has only one teacher. In Gatibeda village the school has been turned into a high school but neither the high school has any building and only one teacher teaches high school students. He requests us to call Collector Nuapada Mr Mishra at 09437120722 and Circle Inspector Mr Sethi 09437992269 to enquire. Mr Sunani can be reached at 09437657625

Adivasi social activist Kopa Kunjam has come out on bail earlier this month. He was arrested on 10th Dec 2009 on murder charges. In this message he says he thanks all those who stood by him. He says he will continue his work in Bastar. Too many innocent people are in jail in Bastar because they are not getting legal help. He says he will continue to work to send food and medicine to people of Bastar who need it most and will also keep fighting to bring justice and peace to the region.

Khuturam Sunani had told us about a school where no teacher has turned up from 5 months. He wants to tell a bit more about that adivasi village today. He says there are 20 houses of this village of 52 houses which are headed by widows. May be this tells something about the situation of nutrition and health there. He requests us to call Collector Nuapada at 9437120722 to listen to villagers request to bring Govt facilities nearer to the village.

Tapan is a 10 year old adivasi boy. These days he spends his whole day running after goats because his school is closed from last 7 months. Like Tapan other 45 children of this village in Nuapada district of Odisha do not go to school these days. The officials who are responsible for Right to Education offer to take steps but they are yet to be materialized. Tapan’s mother ask why this happens to only our children? For more Ruchi can be reached at 09437203461