Anburaj - At Cuckoo Naitalim Gathering

Sivaraj Iyya introduction to Anburaj

There is a dot near Anthiyur, from a tribal village, that connects all of us. wherever we are. That is Anburaj. Born in a tribal village to a family where the father weaved clothes for a daily wage. Anburaj, by seeing the then atrocities being faced against himself and the tribal, joined Veerappan. Eventually he left and went to jail. For 20 years. He was very disturbed by the rejection of Gandhi’s teachings in current times. I consider him Gandhi’s disciple, reading about Gandhi changed his entire essence of being. He falls in love in jail, marries, and has a child. The baby was born amidst blood and mud in prison. She was brought by hands that had committed murder. But did they commit a crime?

This child hears about another child in a remote village who has to walk long distances everyday to school. Hearing this, she asks to give her own cycle to that child. The same great kindness that I see in Krishnammal Jegannathan, I see in Yaazh. Facing so much difficulties, he has refused to bend. He has stood straight. With hope. I often feel sad that Sunar Ramasamy and Nammaazhvar are not here with us today. But that sadness is disspelled by happiness, seeing Anburaj. He guides those who do not know what to do with their lives. He Stands here. His wish is to come up with a education oriented with their tribal way of life. He wants to preserve their culture, and their music. There are so many things that I feel right now, but I cannot express. It is so important that Anburaj is here with us today. Let us call him to share.

Anburaj Anna Speech

In 2010, for the first time, Elango who ran Suvadi school introduced me to Sivaraj anna and Namaazhvar Iya. In any social movements or initiatives in Erode, Elango was at the forefront.From a young age, I saw and experienced the systems of control used to suppress tribal people. One important thing that has affected me very much is people saying that Gandhi’s way died with Gandhi. Till today, there are a group of people masquerading with this and restricting his teachings only till his death.

Seeing all the people gathered here, who are working in Gandhian ways, it makes me even more sure of my goal to follow Gandhi. With such masters brought together in one place, Cuckoo is continuously working for a better future. I bow my head to all.

My father wanted me to join the Police, he told me about the importance of the uniformed forces in law enforcement and justice.  When I went to school, the teacher would ask me to go steal vegetables and coconuts nearby, and I was rather happy to be doing that instead of sitting in a classroom.

At one point, news about Veerappan’s activities started spreading. The discussions happened under a Banyan tree in our village where we heard about bombs and bullets. At this point the special task force started coming to our villages. Initially, due to the fascination in the forces created in me by my father, I once went near them, and I was beaten back with lathis. Over time, their control started increaasing drastically, they even enterede schools. Since all of us depended on the mountains and the forests, and made bamboo, wood crafts with our hands. Because of this connection with nature, the forces thought we must be working with Veerappan.

My grandfather was a Gandhian. He brought the wayss of Ahimsa to the village. He was revered as a god, the voice of the land, for all 1100 acres around us.

Under the MISA act, my grandfather was beaten up. His mouth bloody. Legs and hands of all village elders tied up and taken in lorries to forest department office. I saw this with my own eyes. One of our elders was killed there.

This form of systemic control and injustice was completely contrary to what my father said.

My happiest days were roaming around the forest, with my friend. I do not remember much of what happened in class. But I do remember the forest.

One day I was sent to herd the goats. We went to the forest border beyong which we were not allowed to cross lest we get beaten up by police, and then returned back to village. While returning, I heard some voices from the camps. I crossed the trench around and peeked over the walls. Standing there, was a girl, only 1 or 2 years older than me. Naked. Bloody. Screaming. In the courtyard. I saw as the police dragged her back inside.

Till today, there is no sign that that girl is alive. In flesh and blood, countless of tribal women were raped and killed. Without Sign. I hear their screams from that day whenever I closes my eyes to sleep.

This moment of helplessness, changed my entire life.

I joined Veerappan, thinking I could kill 10-15 uniforms. This is not the space to talk about Veerappan, so I won’t do so.

In our village there is a saying “ Adi thaanguravannaala thaan, aalamudiyum” “Only those who have can withstand hardship, is fit to rule”

I spent 20 years in Jail. I interrogated myself everyday. I don’t think that I have wasted a single day during my imprisonment. During this time, I got two masters. Nedunjiliyan and Thangavel. Nedunjiliyan was a government appointed teacher. The first book he gave me was about butterflies. This is when I started reading.

As time passed, I thought I would get released from jail in 4-5 years. And then the court announced, that I would be imprisoned for the rest of my life.

Then, I started looking for ways to escape from jail.

In one corner of the jail, near the temple near the jail walls, a man was sitting one day. I asked him who he was.

He was the drama teacher. I joined him as I thought this was a way I could use to escape Jail. Until then, all I knew about Gandhi was that during Gandhi Jayanthi we would get chocolates and the small stories my grandfather said. To study for one of the plays, I read Gandhiji’s 2nd son, Ramdas Gandhi’s daughter’s book. Motiba – This disturbed me so much, it taught me about kindness and discipline. After our first play, the Gandhi Plays by inmates in jail started to spread to other jails as the Sankalp Drama Movement.

I can, for sure, tell you why the current schooling system is not right. Here is how I know.

The laws that govern jail were made in 1886, at a time where there was no respect for human dignity, and to supress the freedom struggle. When I looked into who made these laws, it was Macaulay, the same Macaulay that created the standard education system of India. This raised questions in me.

From this education, a human can become a doctor, engineer, police or other profession. But it does not give the child Kindness, or morals or Aram.

If a person from the same schooling system, can thoughtlessly and brutally rape the mother of a 5 day old child, surely it cannot be right.

There is a deep darkness hidden. Hidden in jails. It is beyond all of your imaginations and horror.

Everyone thinks that the world is growing. We have gone to the moon. We have iPhones in our pockets.

See what happens till today in jails.

It is said that “When democracy is denied, more people are deemed criminals”

I have gone to many jails to conduct plays – Tihar, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh” and stayed there. The language spoken by the inmates may be different. But the situation is exactly the same.

The thought that “If it is crime, then therefore it should be punished” is prevalent amongst us.

Jail is filled with people from Backward classes, Minorities, Muslims. Am I saying that they are innocent? No. But how would we know. There is no way for their voice to be heard in courts.

So, It absolutely cannot be said that crime is the result of only one person

It is a way in which the struggles of a entire society is reflected.

In our society, we have so many places to discuss about criminals. But not the same discourse happens about crime itself.

This was planned. The state in which we cannot ask questions. The education system that was made by the person who answered questions with bullets. Where farmers who asked for the right price for their grain were shot.

The shameful remnants of the British rule still exists today in the school system. There has been no fundamental change.

Where a student takes a BBA, and goes to study how to set up a business, should learn that a business should be created for a necessity. But instead is taught to create a necessity for a business. He is taught to steal the hard-earned money of people without sweat. This is a market of people.

Surely this has all been planned to be set up here.

I do not know in depth about Nai Talim. However, I have read about Sabarmati Ashram while preparing for the Jail Dramas. About their governance, system, life and the connection there.

I felt that it was actually a trial version of Nai Talim.

I was once called to do a drama in Mangalore, so we went there with some other inmates and officers. Some police let us be relaxed for some time. They trusted us. “These are our boys, they won’t do anything wrong”. But most didn’t. Such an officer, a Inspector, accompanied us.

Then, I didn’t believe that alternative education could break the conventional education system that was built with the backing of crores of money. In Mangalore, I heard about Swaroopa. The school was in its 2nd year of functioning. It was run by Gobatkar Gandhi. It was a space for children who were deemed unfit for learning by conventional schooling systems throughout Karnataka.

I held the Inspector’s feet. “Please take us there, if not all of us, then atleast a few” He said, “Surely you can, I’ll arrange for us to talk with them”.

We went to Swaroopa. One side, the inmates were sat, opposite us the children were sat. Waiting to ask questions.

I expected questions like “Why did you commit this crime” “How you commit this crime”.

But the first question, asked by a girl named Mansi was “ Can you eat your favorite ice cream in jail”

Another girl Chukki asked “If your mother or child visits you, are you allowed to touch them”.

I was shocked.

I immediately went and asked gobatkar gandhi, what this education is. He told me that their education happens in the vegetable markets, Funeral Houses, Potteries, Workshops. Just before exams for 1 month, they pick up the book and study. Even this is done only as a compromise must be struck between their parent’s expectations.

I was sure. A education that is deprives a student of kindness and morality cannot be a complete education.

And I knew that the same education cannot work for everyone.

I can’t teach about this owl behind me from text, or this junglefowl. For me to teach about this, it should be taught in the language of the junglefowl itself.

For tribals, our education cannot be kept in rooms alone. Separate syllabuses must be created.

After what I observed in Jail, it is Sivaraj who gave me hope.Where he holds my hand and takes me, I go.

With masters like Chhaya sir here, I am definitely more sure we can come up with a Nai Talim for our children. I give my thanks.

I have initiated tribal education in my village. I want to do it in our language. And I hope to do the same all the tribal villages around.

I end this speech with hope.

End

I often feel a incredible sense of doom, by actually seeing what work happens in large-name ecology conservation and research organizations. I fall into deep depression and hopeless at their hypocrisy. I sometimes refuse to look or talk with my colleagues in my office. When they ask me why I'm unusually quiet some days or weeks, I just reply "I'm thinking about work". But to be honest, I myself am struggling to digest the real net impact of the work that is being done. And no one else working here seems to feel this. For me, Anburaj anna is the antidote for these dark emotions. For me, Anburaj anna is from where conservation should emerge. His life is the answer.

It is very humbling to have been given the opportunity to translate Anburaj Anna’s words at the Gathering. I thank Kaushik, Sivaraj Iyya and Anburaj anna profusely for giving me this chance.

When Sivaraj Iyya and Anburaj anna say “I believe in you” to me, I immediately break down in tears. These incredible profound words that I have never heard from my father or mother, When these great good people say it, I feel like I do not deserve these masters’ belief. But I will strive for with through my entire life. To be worthy of their belief.

Thank you.