“We have to walk almost 10kms to reach the path from where there are good roads and transportation available. It takes us around 2-3 hours to cover the distance as the terrain is rocky and hilly too”, said one of the residents of the village Parasi whom we offered a lift in our car while going to the village. Parasi is a village in northern part of Dindori district, Madhya Pradesh. The city of Dindori is situated 26 kms away from it. The distance managable, but the last couple of kilometers to Parasi feels like an eternity.
The Road Most Travelled
The village of Parasi is tucked away in a valley surrounded by numerous small hills. When one imagines what it must feel like to be away from the hustle bustle and comforts of modern life, Parasi is the ideal example. Renu, the counsellor in my office who had planned the visit, suggested taking the office car for the visit because the travel is not suitable for a two wheeler. This intrigued me and I decided to go with her.
There is only one road that connects Parasi to the rest of the world. This road is made up of rocks. It has never been built. People have carved the road by walking and driving through it, and clearing the path when obstacles, such as fallen trees, emerged. Only vehicles with a greater height can travel normally through this rocky path. Two wheelers are somehow able to manage but there is always a probability of tripping on stones and falling.
“Mere paas bike hai jisse mein 3-4 baar gir chuka hoon iss raaste se jaate samay. Ek baar mere ghootno se khoon bhi nikla” (I have fallen 3-4 times from my bike while driving through this path. This one time I got hurt on one of my knees and there was blood too.)
One of the teachers at the Aaganwadi centre in Parasi
As it was peak summer, shortage of water was a common phenomenon. The gram panchayat had arranged for multiple water tanks in the village which would suffice the villager’s household needs. Everyone rushed to the tanker and maintained a decent line of sorts to fill water in their respective storage means. Everyday the tanker comes between 12-2pm in the afternoon and will continue to come till the monsoons arrive.
“Humaare gaav ke saare borewell khaali ho gaye hai. Ab bas iss tanker ka sahaara hai peene ke liye aur khaana banane ke liye. Aur 3km dur ek nadi hai waha nahaane aur kapde dhoneka kaam ho jaata hai.” (All the borewells in our village have dried up. Now we only have this water that the tanker brings for drinking and cooking. And there is a river 3kms from here where we go to bathe and wash clothes.)
A woman who was standing in the line to collect water from the tanker
Others around her were quick to mention that when monsoons begin they become independent and for the rest of the year till April they have ample water and do not need the tanker. The tankers are needed only for May every year.
Purpose Of The Visit
A sickle cell patient and her sister, who was recently diagnosed, lived in the village. So, we went to meet them. For the first follow up of a new patient, our counsellor visits their home personally to collect data on the history of their health.
The elder sister was already diagnosed with sickle cell anemia a year ago. But she had been consuming medicines irregularly. It is very difficult to contact them because there is absolutely no signal available for a call in the village. They travel outside the village only once or twice in a month. Whenever they come out of their cocoon, the parents call us and inform us about the condition of their daughter’s health.
It is very rare for residents of Parasi to have a visitor as very few people from outside want to travel here with so much difficulty. Despite the struggles, the residents of Parasi love their village. They love the warmth that each resident has for each other. A senior citizen of the village expressed his wish to scatter his ashes in the village river itself. He has been living in the village since his childhood.
What Is Basic?
It is very easy to ask the question, “Why do people still live here, if there are so many difficulties?, Shouldn’t they move closer to a place where basic facilities are available?”
In the world, ‘development’ started in a place where there was none. The first train in India ran between Bombay and Thane in 1853. Nokia introduced the first mobile phone in India in 1995. In the neighbouring district of Anuppur, the Government constructed roads in 2021. Before that there were muddy and rocky roads there too. The context of mentioning these events is that in these situations, there was development in transportation and connectivity because the basic need arose as there were people living there.
Similarly in Parasi there is ample need for roads, street lighting, water connection, garbage disposal, schools, mobile network and so on because there are people living there too. Public facilities should reach everyone. People have been living in Parasi since years similar to how people have been living in Anuppur, Bhopal, Mumbai or Thane. They are all residents of the country. Everyone has the right to these basic facilities.
Sweet Fruits Of Collaboration
Jan Swasthya Sahyog, the organization where I work has a good working relation with the district collector here. The collector has actively included us in a lot of Government camps and programmes. As we travel to the remotest villages, including Parasi, our observations are also of interest to the collector. Thus, as a result of this visit to Parasi I have written a report to him mentioning the state of of transportation and communication in the village. The talks with regards to construction of the roads have already begun.
Since the beginning of the fellowship, I have visited several villages throughout Anuppur and Dindori districts. Parasi is the remotest village I have seen in all of my experience. This is a village where influence of technology is almost negligible. The simplicity of the place pushed me to think about the impact of modernity on our lives. I have started appreciating the calmer things in my life. Firstly, I have started complaining less if the electricity goes out. I continue my work normally. Secondly, I buy vegetables almost daily instead of stocking up for the entire week in my fridge. Thus, I am able to eat fresh veggies everyday.
So Long, Parasi
As a India fellow, my action plan is to identify and visit more such places in Dindori where public facilities especially health centers are absent at large. Furthermore, bring the attention of the district health authorities to such villages. This visit from Dindori to Parasi and then back to Dindori has been monumental with respect to the work that I do here. I hope this blog will enable readers to appreciate the beauty of daily routine in life.
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