Mail News Service
Jamshedpur, March 25: Kudrukocha village in Potka Block, otherwise famous for its gold prospects, hides a ghastly tale beneath its glitter. Far removed from the benefits of modern times, government schemes and basic amenities, members of the Sabar tribe, considered endangered, live amidst the dangers of poisonous snake bites and rampaging pachyderms as the prehistoric setting is at the foothills. Much talk and uplift projects have been dominating election manifestoes since Jharkhand became a separate state one score and one year ago but the Sabars of Kudrukocha continue to live on the government rice that comes their way and quench their thirst with murky water and streams rolling down the hills. One look at these unkempt humans moving around in tattered clothes and children sans any is a literal sight of mobile skeletons praying for death.
Kudrukocha villager Rabindra Nath Sardar pointing towards a few of the Sabars, observed, “As you can see, they are like live skeletons with just skin wrapped around their bones. As for facilities enjoyed by them, the government discharges its responsibility by giving them rice. In these 21 years through Jharkhand’s statehood, these Sabars have neither received Birsa Awas benefits and continue to remain bereft of communicable roads and electricity.”
Mukhiya Chemka Sardar added the dark, bleak colours while painting the sordid canvas of the lives of the ‘endangered’ Sabars of Kudrukocha when he said, “Their sources of water are holes in the ground that usually dry up before summer, mountain springs and their children drink and survive on dirty water. They stay at the foothills and often are victims of either snakebites or the fury of elephants alighting from the forests along the hills. The government should act instead of evolving schemes for these unfortunate, endangered Sabars who may seriously become extinct sooner than later. Look at the children. They have no clothes to wear.”
Time is ticking by. The heartbeats of the Sabars of Kudrukocha are growing fainter. It is high time that government officials, agencies, people’s representatives and the government itself turn the compassionate compass towards this part of planet earth where people are resigned to Stone Age times amidst the era of modernization and big talk.
