Sweta Daga

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It’s a hot, sunny
March afternoon and adults from Aurapani village are gathered inside a small
white church. But it’s not moral pressure that has brought them here. 

The group sitting
in a circle on the floor have one important thing in common – they have been
diagnosed with chronic blood pressure issues, either high or low. So, they meet
once a month to get their blood pressure checked and use the time to chit chat
on a variety of things while they wait to get their medicines.

“I like coming to
meetings because I get to share my worries here,” says Rupi Baghel, known fondly as Rupi bai.
The 53-year-old has been coming here for the last five years. A Baiga tribal, she is a
subsistence farmer and relies on non-timber forest produce (NTFP) like fuelwood
and mahua from the forest to
supplement her income. Baigas are listed as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG). Aurapani (also
spelt as Ourapani) village is largely populated by the Baiga community. Located in the Kota block of Bilaspur district, the village lies close to the Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve
(AABR) in Chhattisgarh. “I used to go into
the jungle to collect bamboo to make jhadoos [brooms]
which I would sell. But I can no longer walk long distances so I stay home,”
says Phulsori Lakda
explaining how high blood pressure-induced exhaustion has impacted her life. In
the sixties, she now stays home and takes care of her goats and collects cow
dung during the day. Most Baigas depend on the forests for their livelihoods.

In
Chhattisgarh, 14 per cent of the rural population have hypertension, says the<a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/en/library/resource/national-family-health-survey-nfhs-5-2019-21-chhattisgarh/"> </a><a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/en/library/resource/national-family-health-survey-nfhs-5-2019-21-chhattisgarh/">National Family Health Survey-5</a>
(NFHS-5), 2019-2021. “An individual is classified as having hypertension if
that individual has a systolic blood pressure level greater than or equal to
140 mmHg, or a diastolic blood pressure level greater than or equal to 90 mmHg”
it says.  

Early detection of
hypertension is critical to stem the rise in non-communicable diseases, says
the<a href="https://nhm.gov.in/index1.php?lang=1&amp;level=2&amp;sublinkid=1048&amp;lid=604"> </a><a href="https://nhm.gov.in/index1.php?lang=1&amp;level=2&amp;sublinkid=1048&amp;lid=604">National Health Mission.</a>
Information on lifestyle changes to lower BP is done through the support group.
“Mai meeting mai aati hu, toh alag cheez seekne ke liya
milta hai, jaise, yoga, jo mere sharir ko majbut rak tha hai [At the
meetings, I learn good habits, like yoga that helps me keep my body a little
strong],” adds Phulsori.

She is referring to
the information given out by Suraj
Baiga, a 31-year-old senior health worker at Jan Swasthya Sahyog (JSS), a medical
non-profit which has been working in the area for almost three decades. Suraj
explains to the group the impact of too high or too low blood pressure, and
breaks it down by likening blood pressure to switches in the brain: “if we
don’t want BP to make the switches in our brain weak, we need to take medicines
regularly, do our exercises.”

Manohar Uranv, affectionately
known as Manohar kaka is 87 and has been coming to
support group meetings for 10 years. “My BP is under control now, but it took
me time to control my anger.” He then adds, “I have learned not to take
tension!”

JSS also organises
other support groups for not just hypertension but other chronic diseases too – 84 such groups operate in 50 villages, drawing over a thousand people. Younger
working people do come but it’s the senior citizens who flock in large numbers.

“The elderly are
being abandoned because they have stopped being productive. Mental and physical
health take a toll, they are lonely and, in many cases, they don’t have much
dignity at the end of their lives,” says Minal Madankar, program coordinator at JSS.

It is largely this
age group that seeks medical attention and support. As well as advice on food.
“We get to learn things that will help me take care of myself, like how eating
millets is better for me than eating rice, and of course, I get my medicines
here,” says Rupi Baghel.  

After the session
participants are treated to kodo millet kheer. JSS staff hope
the taste of millets will induce them to switch, and also serve to bring them
back next month. The rural communities JSS covers in Bilaspur and Mungeli districts mostly
have lean diabetes and they put it down to changing diets, as well as the
addition of refined carbohydrates like white rice provided by the public
distribution system (PDS).

“There has been a
shift in agriculture and dietary practices. The communities here used to grow
and eat different varieties of millet, which are far more nutritious and
healthier, but now it&#39;s been shifted to only polished white rice, says Minal.
Many of the participants said they ate more rice and wheat, dropping millets
almost completely.

There has been a
change in cultivation patterns practiced earlier. They used to cultivate
different dals and tilhan
(pulses, legumes and oilseeds), ensured protein and essential vitamin intake,
but not anymore. Even different seeds that would contain nutritious oils, like
mustard, groundnut, linseed and sesame are almost gone from their diet.  

After the
discussion and blood pressure checks, the fun begins — stretching sessions and
yoga is met with many groans and grumbles followed by giggles.

“When we oil a
machine, it keeps it going. Like that we need to oil our muscles. Like a
motorbike, we must continue to oil our engines,” says Suraj, eliciting more
laughs before the group breaks up and they return home.

‘I get to share my worries here’

’یہاں مجھے اپنے غموں کو بانٹنے کا موقع ملتا ہے‘

‘నేను నా బాధలను ఇక్కడ పంచుకుంటాను’

‘என்னுடைய கவலைகளை பகிர வாய்ப்பு கிடைக்கிறது’

'ਫ਼ਿਕਰਾਂ ਲਾਂਭੇ ਰੱਖਣ, ਚਿੰਤਾਵਾਂ ਸਾਂਝੀਆਂ ਕਰਨ ਦੀ ਉਹ ਇੱਕ ਘੜੀ'

‘ମୁଁ ଏଠାରେ ମୋର ଚିନ୍ତା ବାଣ୍ଟି ପାରୁଛି’

‘माझ्या सगळ्या चिंता मी इथे मांडू शकते’

‘ഇവിടെ എന്റെ ആശങ്കകൾ പങ്കുവെക്കാൻ സാധിക്കുന്നു’

'ಇಲ್ಲಿ ನಾನು ನನ್ನ ಚಿಂತೆಗಳನ್ನು ಹಂಚಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತೇನೆ'

‘અહીં હું મારું હૈયું ઠાલવી શકું છું’

‘इहंवा आपन चिंता-फिकिर बांटे के मौका मिलेला’

‘আমার দুশ্চিন্তাগুলো ভাগ করে নিতে পারি এখানে’

‘ইয়াত সুখ-দুখৰ দু-আষাৰ কথা পাতিবলৈ মানুহ পাওঁ’

‘यहां मुझे अपने सुख-दुःख बतियाने का मौक़ा मिलता है’

‘मंय इहाँ अपन दुख-पीरा बताय सकथों’

Bilaspur

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‘I get to share my worries here’

A health support group for elderly Adivasis in Chhattisgarh is a happy and helpful occasion

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