The real question is that of values. And these values are a part of our lives. We see ourselves as one with nature. When they fight, Adivasis do not fight against the government or a corporation. They have their own ‘ Bhoomi Sena’, and they battle against values rooted in greed and selfishness.
It all started with the growth of civilisations – when we began to see the rise of individualism, we began seeing the human being as a separate entity from Nature. This is where the conflict started. Once we separate ourselves from the river, we don’t hesitate to empty our sewage waste, our chemical and industrial waste into that water. We begin to possess the river as a resource. Once we see ourselves as distinct and superior from nature, it is easy to plunder and exploit it. The values of an Adivasi community, on the other hand, are not mere values, simply written on paper. Our values are our way of life.
तोरती गरभ हाय
तोरती मूल बीज गरभ हाय
दिहू अजर अमर आगी मरम हाय
भील मुंडा बोडो गोंड़ संथाली हाय
माहाआं आदि हाय आँय ज वासी हाय
तुमुहुँ मान जीवा, जीव लागवीन जीवा
आँय इहीने होरोग हाय
तोरती मूल बीज गरभ हाय
दिहू अजर अमर आगी मरम हाय
साहयाद्री, सातपुडा, विंध्या, अरवल्ली हाय
हिमालोयु चोटी, दक्षिण दोर्या घाटी
पूर्वोत्तरू मोजालो रंग आँय ज हाय
तुमुहुँ जिहीं जिहीं चाळ वाड़ाहा
पाहाडुहने वेचाहा
तुमुहुँ मान वेचातो देखातो हेएहा
खाडी मोरुलूसे मोअतो आँय ज हाय
तुमुहुँ मान सावासुमे पी सेक्ताहा
आँय ज तुमां जीवु अरक हाय
तोरती मूल बीज गरभ हाय
दिहू अजर अमर आगी मरम हाय
हाय आखरीप तुमुहुँ बी माँ ज वंसवेलो
तुमुहुँ बी मां ज रोक्त हाय
लालच लोभ सत्ताआ आंदारो
हेराँ नांह देतं तुमनहें जोग आखं
तुमुहुँ तोरतील तोरती आख्ताहा
आमुहुँ तोरतील याहाकी
खाडीहीने तुमुहुँ खाड्या आख्ताहा
ते हाय आमां बोंयाहा
पाहाड तुमनेहे पाहाड देखाताहा
ते आमनेहे ता पावुहु आख्ताहा
आजो आमां दिही आजो
मामो चांदो मामो
आखे इं नातो माने लिटी दोअजे
माँ तुमां वोचमें
ते बी आँय नेंय मानतो माँ विस्वास
पिगलाहा तुमुहुँ सोवताआ जे
आँय गोरमी आपतो बरफ हाय
तोरती मूल बीज गरभ हाय
दिहू अजर अमर आगी मरम हाय।
I am the foetus of the earth
I am the root-seed-foetus of the earth
I am the sun, the feel, the sense of the heat, eternal
I am Bhil, Munda, Bodo, Gond, Santhal as well.
I am the first human born ages ago
You live me,
live me to the fullest
I am the heaven on this earth
I am the root-seed-foetus of the earth
I am the sun, the feel, the sense of the heat, eternal.
I am Sahyadri, Satpura, Vindhya, Aravalli
I am the peak of the Himalayas, the tip of the southern sea
and the bright green of the northeast is me.
Wherever you cut a tree, whenever you sell a mountain
You will auction me
I die when you kill a river
In your own breath you inhale me
I am the elixir of life
I am the root-seed-foetus of the earth
I am the sun, the feel, the sense of the heat, eternal.
After all, you are my offspring
and my blood as well.
The darkness of temptations, greed, and power
doesn’t let you see the real world.
You call the earth, earth,
we call her mother
You call the river, river
she is our sister
The mountains are just mountains for you,
they call us brothers
The sun is our grandfather
And the moon our maternal uncle.
For the sake of this relation
I must draw a line
between you and me, they say.
But I refuse to listen. I believe
you will melt on your own.
I am the snow absorbing heat
I am the root-seed-foetus of the earth
I am the sun, the feel, the sense of the heat eternal.
Translated from Dehwali Bhili and Hindi by Pratishtha Pandya.
