not needed the services of any outsider. They are unmindful of an external
society which is alien and unimportant to them. The life in the wild is
one of hardship, but the Chenchus live on cheerfully unmindful of their
difficulties. The boundaries of their native perception are defined by the
natural boundaries of their geography.
The roots are strong and the bonding to an age-old tradition is deep and
abiding. The Chenchus continue to live contently in their ancestral
homeland as true sons and daughters of the forest to celebrate the joys
and gains of life.
A Chenchu village is known as “Penta”. Each penta consists of few huts
that are spaced apart and are grouped together based on kinship pattern.
The close relatives live nearby and the distant ones farther away. Their
homes comprise of few belongings and are generally sparse and spartan in
appearance.
“Peddamanishi” or the village elder is generally the authority to
maintain social harmony in a family or a village. Generally, his counsel
and word are final in all matters of the village.
The Chenchus are a broad exogamous group that is sub-divided into various
clans. They follow the ancient system in Hindu tradition of gotras, which
represents the lineage and descent of clan members. There are 26 gotras
found among the Chenchus and the various clans are identified by their
gotra name. They never marry within the gotra or clan and intermarry other
clan members. The wife bears the husband’s gotra after marriage.
The marriage is known as “Pelli”, and takes place through a negotiated
arrangement involving elders or through the choice of the young couple
concerned. The ceremony is performed with traditional rituals in front of
the community and the village elders.
The elders belonging to the “Uttaluri” clan must be present as a matter of
traditional custom as the priest or “Kularaju” officiates over the
marriage rites. The maternal uncle of the bride gives the bride away, and
there is a feast and celebration at the end of the ceremony. The newly
married Chenchu couple set-up their own house and are expected to live
together ever-after. Divorce is allowed among the Chenchus on the grounds
of incompatibility. Widow remarriages are common among them.
The Chenchus have a strong belief system. They worship their deities with great devotion. Lord Eshwara among them is known as “Lingamayya”, and Shakti as “Maisamma” or “Peddamma”. The worship of both male and female deities is accompanied by puja during the month of “Sravan”, that is from July to August.
The ritual of Lord Lingamayya represents the ancient mode of worshipping
Lord Shiva. For ages, the Chenchus have been associated with the famous
Srisailam temple in Andhra Pradesh situated at the heart of Chenchu land.
The Srisailam temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and Devi Brahmaramba is a
sacred pilgrim centre for Hindus of all sects.
Lord Mallikarjuna, an incarnation of Lord Shiva fell in love with a young
Chenchu maiden by name “Chenchu Laxmi” and married her. The Chenchus
believe that they are the descendents of this couple and have a special
place and mention in Puranas, temple records and Chronicles. The Chenchus
enjoy special privilages at Srisailam temple.
The Chenchus love their gods dearly and pray to them in earnest and
endearing terms. The devotion borders on frenzy and passion and is magical
in effect on the surroundings. The celebrations can be austere, serene and
simple and sometimes they can be wild, intoxicating and mystical. The rich
folklore of their forefathers inspires and guides them to maintain a solid
tradition. The dance, the gaiety, and the lyricism of their life reflects
the joy and innocence as they live a life of rich contentment, seeking and
aspiring for very little.
---------
SAVE NALLAMALA - SIGN THE PETITION
Dear Sir/Madam,
The
Central government has permitted the mining of radioactive uranium in
the NALLAMALA FOREST ZONE. This operation requires deforestation of
majority of forest in both Telangana and Andhra pradesh regions. Once
the land is exposed to the nuclear particles, the plant growing capacity
of the land comes to zero, completely turning out into a waste land.
Also it will destroy "Nagarjuna sagar- Srisailam tiger reserve" which is
known to be the second largest tiger reserve in the world. Also the
tribal region named "Mannanuru" will have to face the toxic effects of
this mining.
“Amrabad
Tiger Reserve, one of the two reserves in Telangana, a proposal from
Department of Atomic Energy being given an ‘in-principle’ approval for
exploratory drilling for uranium ore in 76 sqkm inside the reserve.
Amarabad Tiger Reserve is home to about 24 tigers and boasts of a rich
array of wildlife including leopard, sloth bear, wild dog, different
kinds of deer among other animals. The hilly tiger reserve, part of the
Nallamala hills, also serves a as a catchment area for River Krishna
which flows through the hill range. the area being sought for mining are
rich in RARE wildlife and RARE plant species. Environmental damage,
contamination resulting from leakage of chemicals” that will affect the
health of native wildlife.On the road that pilgrims take from Hyderabad
to Srisailam, lies the unassuming lush green forest of the Amrabad Tiger
Reserve. Before the separation of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, huge
boards would suggest that you were in India’s largest tiger reserve.
Despite
the division, it still happens to be India’s second-largest tiger
reserve, next only to its sibling, the original Nagarjunasagar Srisailam
Tiger Reserve. Together they form what is probably India’s largest
protected dry forest. Amrabad Tiger Reserve lies in the Nallamala hills,
a landscape that is recovering after over two centuries of degradation
by the British and the Nizam of Hyderabad. It is a mystifying landscape
of lofty hills and cavernous valleys, perennial rivers and exciting
winding roads that have thick, forested topography on one side and deep
and vast valleys on the other along with different hues to mark the
seasons. Inhabiting this mesmerising forested landscape is the most
charismatic cat of the world — the tiger. Richness is synonymous with
this tiger reserve as it harbours great biodiversity, comprising of
around 70 species of mammals, more than 300 hundred avian varieties, 60
species of reptiles and thousands of insects, all supported and
nourished by more than 600 different plant species.
Although
the proposal for mining in Amrabad suggests that the site is of no
archaeological value, this area is, in fact, renowned for its
archaeological significance. It contains ruins of the ancient Nagarjuna
Viswa Vidyalayam run by the great Buddhist scholar Nagarjunacharya (150
AD).
The
relics of the fort of Ikshwaku Chandragupta, a ruler of the 3rd century
BC are also found. The ancient fort of Pratap Rudra, a king of the
Kakatiya dynasty of Warangal and many other forts are seen on the banks
of the Krishna river. An ancient wall of length of 105 miles,
constructed by the Kakatiyas is an interesting feature.
Geo-morphological
rock shelters and cave temples such as Akka Mahadevi Bhilam, Dattatreya
Bhilam, Umaa Maheswaram, Kadalivanam, and Palankasari are
characteristic of the area. The area proposed for mining falls under the
Amrabad and Nudigal Reserved Forests of the ‘core area’ of the tiger
reserve. It has a good diversity of forests and wildlife.
The
rich diversity of wildlife includes tiger, leopard, dhole, wolf, Indian
fox, jackal, honey badger, nilgai, sambar, chowsingha and sloth bear.
There is also the endemic yellow-throated bulbul and the star tortoise.
Despite
the rich wildlife, there is very little human-wildlife conflict. The
streams and rivulets drain into the Krishna, which has an amazing
diversity of acquatic life including the mugger crocodile, water monitor
lizard and turtles. The forest area is pristine and provides numerous
ecosystem services like being the major catchment of the Krishna, which
quenches the thirst of the two Telugu-speaking states.
The
proposed area is hilly and highly undulating. The drilling of 4,000
deep holes will disfigure the reserve, ruining the wildlife habitat.
Proposed to cover 20,500 acres, the project seems poised to destroy the
ecology of the entire tiger reserve.
The
exploration will expose and pollute surface water, ground water and
leech the minerals and dangerous chemicals into the Nagarjunasagar dam.
The roads will fragment and degrade the dry forests, which may never
recover after such a massive exercise. The proposal to mine for uranium
in this Eden will not only kill its wild denizens but will also take
away the livelihoods of the Chenchu, besides exposing them and hundreds
of others to uranium contamination. Is it a bit too much to ask for the
rescinding of the proposal? If India’s largest tiger reserves are not
sacrosanct then the future of tiger is really bleak in the new India we
are making. Chenchus are perhaps the first habitants of mainland India.
In Tribes of India: The Struggle for Survival, Christoph von
Fürer-Haimendorf describes Chenchus: "They are short and slender in
stature, with very dark skin, wavy or curly hair, broad faces, flat
noses, and a trace of prognathism (extension or bulging out of the lower
jaw), which is a sign of their connection with ancient human beings
that roamed the Earth. There are no people in India poorer in material
possessions than the jungle Chenchus; bows and arrows, a knife, an axe, a
digging stick, some pots and baskets, and a few tattered rags
constitute many a Chenchu’s entire belongings. They usually owns a
thatched hut in one of the small settlements where he lives during the
monsoon rains and in the cold weather. But in the hot season,
communities split up and individual family groups camp in the open,
under overhanging rocks or in temporary leaf-shelters".
HENCE IF WE DON’T PROTEST A GREAT NATION WITH VARIED CULTURES WILL BECOME THE VICTIM OF EXPLOITATION.
"SAVE THE FOREST SAVE THE NATION"
(Dear
friends,We request you to sign and circulate widely the ongoing
e-petition campaign against opening of urnaium mining in Nallamala Forst
in India’s Telangana state.)
Save Nallamala Forest from Uranium Mining
http://chng.it/rmgdWj7KWH
De Beers Hunt For The Hidden Treasures Of Indian Kingdoms
A
massive eviction of tribals is taking place in the State of Andhra
Pradesh from the virgin forests of Nallamala range for the exclusive
benefits of *De Beers*, a diamond mining corporation that wants the
kimberlite or diamonds from the forest.
But
that is not the only thing De Beers is after. What De Beers is after is
the buried wealth of *Vijayanagara Empire* to be hauled permanently
into western fold.
The
efforts of De Beers started at least 13 years ago when it was told to
us that “they realized the massive diamond, gold and granite deposits in
Mehaboob Nagar and Kurnool districts of Andhra Pradesh”. These deposits
are spread under the thick jungles of Nallamala forests. These forests
needed to be cleared first for the diamond mining or De Beers should
have to resort to the latest technology called horizontal drilling under
the forests.
*East
India Companies* when they ruled India tried to locate these kimberlite
mines and declared that they were all exhausted and thus shifted their
focus to South Africa.
In
South Africa they found diamonds and set up African gold and diamond
mining companies under the ruthless exploitative ownership of
*Oppenheimers*, who were one of the owners of the East India Companies.
De Beers is also one of the East India Companies owned by these *Houses
of Rhodes and Oppenheimers*.
It
is these Nallamala diamond mines that were the source of the riches of
all the kingdoms of India including the Vijayanagara Kingdom, which at
its height sold diamonds on streets not in carats but in kilograms.
This
fact was recorded by Portuguese, Russian, French and other chroniclers
who had business and diplomatic ties with Vijayanagara Kingdom.
So,
where are these diamonds and gold these people are talking about if
these kimberlite mines were exhausted couple of hundreds of years back?
And
why every central mining minster states in parliament that India has no
technology to exploit these resources and that is why we have to call
MNCs to do the job?
Is it only to hand over the same resources to De Beers or other companies?
Was
there a tacit agreement across all political parties that for some
return (read kickbacks or in normal English bribes) these non-existing
or exhausted diamond and gold mines should be given only to De Beers?
READ MORE
http://greatgameindia.com/de-beers-450-year-hunt-hidden-treasures-indian-kingdoms
