Beating the Heat.....

                                                       by: Ashim Kumar Ghosh

Few days Back I was travelling to the periphery area of Simplipal core area of Odisha. It was tribal habitat area, mostly I interacted with Santhal and Ho tribe in that area. People updated me that HO came to this area, because Britishers want timber from the forest for boat construction. It was very beautiful place and Odisha Government also made a good road to reach the village. There are good places, where people can go for tourism purpose...just to relax from the daily busy life. I have interacted with some of the HO tribe, they know two languages Oriya and Ho language. If you want to talk with them, you need the help of translator to make your conversation fruitful.

 It was 40 degree temperature almost, I stationed in small town UDALA...it is a block head quarter of Mayurbhanj district.  It is one of the biggest District in Odisha. Recently Panchayat election held and BJP got maximum number of seat. Driver of my vehicle told me "you know some time we lose due to own mistake, it is not who conquered you, but you lost because of your ignorance" actually that happened with BJD party in Odisha during Panchayat election.

Road are well constructed, area is very peaceful and calm, but temperature is very hot. But green coverage "Floara and Fauna" will give you mental peace, cool from within. People are also very simple. You will make friend with them very easily, but your intend must be very clear.

UDALA is very small town, Block head quarter, hardly 2 km is the diameter of the town, small shops but you will find two wheeler are always roaming in the town. I was stayed in the hotel, big building, big restaurant, but decor in the room is not saying about, very maintained hotel, surprisingly in small town hotel got the license of BAR...not confirmed whether licensed or not but running BAR...Morning I used to go out from the hotel to the beautiful villages of the Simplipal pheripherry area. But morning I observed that the  people in motorcycle used to come to the hotel with big plastic bag and collects Kingfisher Beer Bottle. They might have small shops and outlet for Beer bottles. This is because beating the heat of 40 degree temperature of town.

When I entered the village area, it is beautiful scenic coverage. people are busy in their farm land. But during noon I crossed the market place, there are small places where mostly women they are selling the Local HADIA (Rice beer), villagers those who are coming to the market they are sitting in those places with family even children are also seen, but only adults are beating the heat and enjoying the local rice beer. People are enjoying talking, very colourful, cool and calm. No objection, free to all, no ban....I assumed this is important for the place where 40 degree temperature...to beat the heat.... and also pure because every houses are making rice beer. You can beat the heat in only Rs.20/-...no chilled from outside but chilled in stomach. That's the way the tribal population is working and surviving to beat the heat in those places.

 I was very happy to see, how people in remote places are free...liberated and enjoying their life with local production and also very pure...in their thought process and also in behaviour. People are coming together, sitting in very simple style...talking each other and consuming Hadia that locally made, no power structure, no hindrance....everybody is enjoying...no intention to cheat people.

As I entered in the Hotel gate at evening, the scene was something different, where I saw good number of young people beating the heat with Beer Bottle only in Rs.120/-. They are coming in motorcyle coming and going. Within half an hour, the campus is full with the motorcyle. But boarder are absent in the hotel, Restaurant is no more for customer, all the staffs of the hotel is being engaged in the Bar to serve the people who are beating the heat with Kingfisher Beer Bottle.

Very interesting how the companies like Kingfisher is targeting small cities and particularly young generation, it was the huge business. Next morning I saw the back side of the hotel, more than thousands of the Beer Bottle is lying here and there. Other side a poor family, father, Uncle, Mother and Children are busy in collecting the plastic glass, Beer Bottle. They are surviving with the collection of plastic glass and bottle. They have also migrated from Rural area.

But oppositively in Rural areas, no bottle, no plastic....but it is green SAL leave. No dirty...clean...yes they are the person following the norms of SWATCH BHARAT ABHIYAN....keeping clean the environment but also beating the heat....

Concluding....Companies are targeting the habits of the people and accordingly branding the product ....therefore they have targeted the small towns, where youths from villages migrated for work, earning minimum Rs.700-1000/- per day and making the expenditure of Rs.120/- per day for beating the heat...but in rural area it is HADIA....Local Rice beer, beating the heat. Second point there are nexus to issue the license for the hotel to run the BAR with hotel industry. This is also required but who is making what....and from whom....but really we are beating the heat...of 40 degree temperature.