Pratishtha Pandya

Series Editor

Labani Jangi

Illustration

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Tell me the price of your fish, O woman, – the refrain of this song traditionally performed at weddings – is an example of the enduring relevance and adaptability of this genre. Sung by Juma Wagher, himself a fisherman from Mundra taluka, the song is traditionally meant for joyous occasions. But in the present context of what the community faces in the region, it resonates with many new social and political meanings.Waghers, a Muslim minority community involved in fishing in the region, have a centuries old relationship with the Gulf of Kachchh. Men, women and children from this fishing community move from their inland villages to the fishing grounds near the town of Mundra and live on the shore for almost 8 to 9 months in makeshift huts to seek a livelihood from the sea. Men harvest the fish, bring their catch of the day, while women sort, dry and sell the fish.Things began to change in year 2000 as the state government encouraged industrialisation and privatisation of the coastline. A number of projects including oil refineries, cement and fertilizer plants, salt pans, bauxite and limestone mining, and shipping-related activities, drastically affected the living environment of the community.They were losing their fishing grounds with construction and pollution; the coastal eco-system and natural tidal flows were disrupted. Waghers suffered a significant drop in income with the reduced size and diversity of their catch and were forced to go further into the sea for fishing. And with it came the loss of traditional knowledge practices, like pagadia fishing, for the community.A decade ago fisherfolk from the region even sought to file a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/nov/10/fishermen-farmers-sue-world-bank-lending-arm-ifc-power-plant-india">lawsuit</a> against the World Bank’s private investment agency International Finance Corporation (IFC) in a US federal court for funding a mega coal plant that brought destruction to their livelihoods. The nature of ‘development’ in the region has only deepened the vulnerability of this community already living on the margins among the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) in Kachchh.

Type of song: Traditional folk songCluster: Songs of land, places and peopleSong: 15Title of the song: Sundho khanine…Composer: Deval MehtaSinger: Juma Wagher from Bhadresar village of Mundra talukaInstruments used: drum, harmonium, banjoRecording year: 2012, KMVS studioEnglish translation: Pratishtha Pandya

These songs, 341 recorded by a community-run radio Soorvani, have come to PARI through the Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan (KMVS). For more of these songs visit this page: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/en/articles/songs-of-the-rann-archive-of-kutchi-folk-songs/">Songs of the Rann: archive of Kutchi folk songs</a>A special thanks to Preeti Soni, Aruna Dholakia, secretary, KMVS, Amad Sameja, project coordinator KMVS for their support and to Bhartiben Gor for her invaluable help.

Fishing in the troubled waters of the Rann

রণের অথই পানি, মৎস্যজীবীর গ্লানি 

कच्छ की बेचैन लहरों में फंसे मछुआरे…

ರಣ್‌: ಕಲಕಿದ ನೀರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಮೀನುಗಾರಿಕೆ

റാനിൻ്റെ പ്രാരാബ്ധങ്ങളിലെ അതിജീവനം  

कच्छच्या रणमध्ये मासेमारी करताना...

ਰਣ ਉਹੀ, ਉਹੀ ਲਹਿਰਾਂ... ਪਰ ਭਾਈਚਾਰੇ ਦਾ ਵਜੂਦ ਮੁਸ਼ਕਲਾਂ ਮਾਰਿਆ

ரான் பகுதியில் மீன் பிடித்தல்

କଚ୍ଛର ଅଶାନ୍ତ ସମୁଦ୍ର ଲହଡ଼ିରେ କେଉଟମାନଙ୍କ ବିପନ୍ନ ଜୀବନ 

‘मछरी का भाव हो मछुआरिन’

कच्छ के उतइल लहर मं फंसे मछुआरा मन 

কচ্ছৰ মাছমৰীয়াৰ গীত 

Kachchh

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Fishing in the troubled waters of the Rann

Another in the series of occupational folk songs from the rann of Kachchh

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