How is the life of people living in remote places of conserved forests in Karnataka?

There are people living in remote locations in Karnataka such as the forest range of Kudremukh. These people settled down at these remote locations as much as a hundred years back and formed tiny pockets of settlements. They continue to thrive to date, if not grow.

Houses here are located in such remote conditions that mobile phones have been under use only around 3 years back, as one wouldn’t receive coverage from any network operator.

Yet, these people continue to live their life just as any city dweller in all aspects of life. For all the shortcomings they face, they have makeshifts that help them overcome the issues.

On my all-India cycle tour, I got the opportunity to stay over at the remote location of Kabbinale, in the Udupi district. The village is placed in the remote location of the Kudremukha forest range.

During my two-day stay at the place, I got to learn their ways of living and found them to be interesting.

People living by the forest are mostly into cultivation, growing either areca nut or coconut in plantations beside a farmhouse. Similar issues faced in Mangaluru district (read this article) apply here when it comes to farming. Animals such as wild boars, monkeys, wild buffalos, porcupines, and elephants take down crops, making it hard to farm.

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Transportation at remote places of conserved forests in Karnataka

From inside the forest where the houses are, the bus stop is close to 2 Km away. The first bus starts at 7.30 AM and the last bus out is at 6 PM. One has to be timely when it comes to catching a bus. In the evenings, post 7 PM, there are no street lights, making it hard for people who own vehicles to commute.

Previously, there used to be Areca nut tree trunks that were placed over the river coming from the forest for crossing into the forest. All the vehicles had to be parked on the other end of the forest before entering their localities. Now, this has been replaced with a bridge allowing vehicles to go all the way to their respective houses. A mud road that can not accommodate more than one single 4-wheeler leads to the houses located on the interior. If a vehicle is coming from the opposite end, one of the vehicles has to go all the way back to the road to clear the jam. Parking vehicles requires decent skills here.

Electricity at remote places of conserved forests in Karnataka

People living here face frequent power cuts considering the remote location. During monsoon times, it rains there almost 24 hours a day. It becomes hard to expect constant power during this period. TV, grinder, and fridge are used at these places. To have lighting when there is load shedding during monsoons, solar panel connected to large batteries are used that offers 4 hours of lighting on a single charge. Electricity bill goes up to 1500 to 2000 rupees in summer considering that the pump is used frequently for sprinkling water to the farms.

The same issue with phone coverage exists as one could lose coverage at any moment. During the two days I stayed at the place, I had no coverage on my phone. BSNL is the only operator that offers coverage there.

Firewood is still used for heating water, but gas cylinders have replaced firewood for cooking.

Water connection at remote places of conserved forests in Karnataka

Until now, water from the bore has been used for deriving water for homes. With new rules coming up, that water lines have to be provided to every house, new water lines are being laid. At the time I was around at the place, water lines were being laid from house to house.

The locals however complained saying they didn’t need the water lines as they already had sufficient water for drinking, daily chores, and watering the plants. Having these lines will lead them to pay unnecessarily a basal fare for the lines being laid.

Work at remote places of conserved forests in Karnataka

People here have hardly any time to spare as they keep themselves busy throughout the day with their daily chores. Maintaining cows, farmland, and harvesting, occupies much of their time. Similar to what I observed in Mangaluru (Read this article) women too are held up all the time taking care of the house.

In the house I stayed at, I saw Aunty lifting a filled cylinder to place it aside. When I asked her how she managed to do that, she replied saying “I am raised in a village, not a city”. That statement alone said it all.

Other living conditions at remote places of conserved forests in Karnataka

I was curious to know if the number of people in the village have increased over the years. Apparently, the number has stayed the same for decades. The government not allowing the acquisition of forest land any more has helped reduce settlements and also conserve the forests.

Kabbinale was also a noted place for iron ore extraction. The government cut it down and laid strict rules against any extractions helping the conservation of both the land and the forest. Lack of job opportunities has also seen a steady decline in population in this area.

Mainly Bhramins and Male Gowdas (people who live on the hill) reside in these locations. The Bhramins own farms while Male Gowdas work in the farms and do other small jobs.

Surprisingly, there was no alcohol consumption in a 10 Km radius as one has to go all the way into the city which is 13 Km away to get alcohol. People however chewed a lot of areca nut and tobacco. Socialization did not happen over alcohol but rather at the only provision store in the location. People get together in the night to speak on social affairs and other developments in the night.

From such a remote location, one would not expect kids to get much educated. But surprisingly, I heard from many people that kids there were smart enough not only to get educated but also pursue higher education and move abroad. The host’s house that I stayed over at had both their children educated. The elder child was pursuing his PhD at Bangalore, while the younger one was working at Udupi after completing his M.com.

Food and vegetation at remote places of conserved forests in Karnataka

Similar to Mangaluru district, people here again ate boiled rice. Interestingly, they ate a wide variety of leafy vegetables. Many of which are grown on their very farms. Pathrode, Yalasoor sappu, digujje, and ondekaga, were a few among the whole list of leafy vegetables I heard that they ate.

I observed a couple of trees that struck my view. They were distributed throughout the forest. Nore Kai mara (soapy seeds tree) could be used to make soap for washing clothes, and Bogi mara which was 60 years or older could be used to make wood works for houses.

The mentality of people at remote places of conserved forests in Karnataka

Staying with my host Mr Subbaraya Bhat in Kabbinale, I got to speak with his family and learn a thing or two about the mentality of people living in these remote locations.

While Subbaraya Bhat was mostly a man of only a few words, his wife Kalavathi spoke with me for long. Kalavathi was 47 years old while Subbaraya Bhat sir was 68 years old. Subbaraya Bhat sir married at the age of 45. They were an extremely happy couple, with each one supporting the other. This proves that age is just a number and one could start their life at the age they decide to. On asking Kalavathi ma’am how they met, she just ascribed everything to God.

Her hospitality over the couple of days of my stay floored me. Over the few days, I got answers to some questions with great difficulty as she mostly kept things to herself and ascribed things to God. One thing was absolutely evident. Both sir and ma’am’s minds only revolved around their children and family.

Justification

The major interest of both Subbaraya Bhat sir and Kalavathi ma’am were to construct their own house. They have worked all their lives to be able to do so said ma’am. On asking the both separately, I got to hear the same thing. Both of them only wish to see their kids getting married and working to earn sufficient money for themselves.

Validation

Sir said he was too old to go out and make a conversation. They hardly go out of their house and wait for a convenient time to speak with their children over the phone. Sir said that he is qualified to be a grandpa, and having a friend circle is no more necessary. Sticking around the house and having pending tasks completed is his only duty.

Complaints

When I asked ma’am this question, she tore down in just a couple of seconds. Her only wish is that both her children live with her. She finds it hard to stay away from them and feels bad that they don’t realize how much she misses them. It took her a while to wipe off her tears. She seemed to have a strong bond with her children. When I asked sir this question, he remained cool as a cucumber, asking me back the question what is it that he had to answer!

Materialism

This was the second time after meeting the Ardhya family (Read this article) that I got to hear that people were happy with whatever they had. They didn’t want to dream big and earn a lot of money. Ma’am said that having too much is too bad as well. One should have enough to live, not beyond, she said.

Sir told me that he had not ridden a bike or a car all his life. He had got a car parked in his house just for his children. Materialism didn’t seem to please either.

As I left the place, I was given 500 rupees. The couple were extremely sweet to me as they blessed me for my trip ahead.

If you enjoyed this article, also read about how the life of a Udupi-based cook is, and how life is in Mangaluru or Kodagu district.

Asutosh

I am a 31 year young PhD graduate who has decided to travel the length and breadth of India on my cycle, to document the journey of meeting a vast array of people. In my journey, I intend to understand the characteristic features of the people of this nation and categorize them based on their demographics, age, profession, gender, traditions, and cultural differences.