Daga (Deceit)

GR Mandavi

Translated by Tikeshwar Sori

Content Warning: descriptions of gender-based violence.

Telani was sitting on the roadside in the shade of a tree selling wild fruits Tendu and Char kept on dona – cups made up of leaves. Behind her, a cloth hammock was tied to the branches of two trees, on which her newborn baby was sleeping.

The treasures of forest in her basket were only source of livelihood. I went to her to ask for the price of the fruits.

‘Where did you get it from?’ I asked in Hindi. She looked at me innocently and said she didn’t understand Hindi very well. She was focused on selling her goods.

As I picked up two cups of Tendu and four cups of Char, she quickly replied, ‘Sanyu (six) rupya,’ in Gondi. I handed her a ten rupee note and kept the fruits in my bag.

‘Naalung rupya-chudurta khaai paisa hille selaar,’ I asked her in Gondi to give it for four rupees.

‘Brother, I have brought it from very far in the jungle. I have to buy some rice and I haven’t eaten since yesterday,’ she replied with a saddened face.

For whom was I trying to save few coins? Trying to hide my embarrassment I asked her, ‘Where is your husband?’

My words made her teary and while wiping tears from her eyes, she replied, ‘What to tell of my sorrows brother? He is no more.’ She narrated her ordeal, ‘I was living with my parents and two brothers in Koyagunda village. My father was a Patel (village head) there. When Sarkar (government) began NMDC iron ore mining there, our lands were taken away from us for the mines. And when my father and my husband opposed it, they both were shot dead by the police.’ (NMDC iron ore mines are located in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar and are built on sacred hills of Koitur people after displacement of thousands of people.)

‘I was only 14 then, and survived with my mother.’ She continued, ‘They destroyed our house. We had no idea where to go and helplessly we came here. It wasn’t only us but many people ran hither and thither. Fortunately some people helped us to build a small hut for me and my mother. When government quarters were being constructed here, my mother began to work there as a labourer.’

After hearing her, I introduced myself to her. ‘My name is G. R. Mandavi and I live in the township colony here. I will return soon after my shift is over,’ I told her and left. When I reached home my wife Sishila was delighted to see Tendu and Char. It was not only precious but also priceless, I told her. ‘Do you find such treasures of nature in towns and cities?’ I said and we both laughed together at this bitter reality. At the roadside, Telani spent the day selling fruits. She bought groceries with her earnings and went home and cooked her meal.

The following day was a Sunday and a holiday for the mine workers. Asking around for whereabouts of Telani, I went to find her house, which was in NMDC area. I saw that quarters for the NMDC employees were being built, which were only allocated to employees of the mines. Simultaneously in the vicinity, some temporary shacks were also being made by the labourers for themselves, which had basic facilities like running water and street lights. I asked some labourers about Telani, and they pointed towards one of the hut. There I met her. Her house only had a few earthen wares, few cloths and some grains tied to a bundle that she probably brought yesterday.

A Telugu speaking employee of NDMC named Raju Naidu also lived in one of the quarters in the township. One day, he went to towards the huts of the labourers. Telani was cleaning the rice sitting just outside her hut beside her mother.

‘Bai I live in the quarter number 40 of this township. It is close by. I need someone who can clean my house and cook meals for me. I will pay generously,’ Raju said to Telani’s mother. On hearing this, Telani’s mother got happy as she saw it as an opportunity for additional earnings and the mother accepted his offer.

It was decided that Telani would go to Raju’s quarter from 6am to 9am in the morning and 5pm to 7pm in the evening. The next day Raju took Telani to his quarter and told her about the work she was expected to do – cleaning of the compound, taking out garbage, washing clothes, and cleaning bathrooms. He instructed her about cooking and how she should use woods to make fire. He also told her to take the remaining food from Raju’s home after his meal for herself.

For two years, Telani worked at Raju’s house and took care of it. She used to give her earnings to her mother. Now, as both of them were earning their condition improved a little bit.

One day a guest, Raju’s friend from Hyderabad, Mohan, was visiting. Mohan was already seeing Telani with his lustful eyes. He told Raju that she was good and he should “use her” and left.

It was a holiday. Raju had brought chicken and told Telani to cook. It has been long since Telani have had devoured chicken. Their poverty didn’t allow them to have such luxurious food. She cleaned the clothes, and went to kitchen to prepare roti, rice, and masala, and prepared the food. ‘It is done, you can go and eat the food,’ she said and left. All this while, Raju lay on his bed listening to radio.

After she left, Raju went to the market on his bicycle and brought some alcohol. He also bought along a lot of sleeping pills. He drank alcohol, ate his food, and slept.

When Telani returned in the evening, she cleaned the dishes, the room and kept the clean clothes. ‘There is food left in the kitchen,’ Raju told her, while listening to the radio. After eating her meal, Telani felt extremely sleepy. She quickly finished the food, cleaned dishes and lied down in the kitchen floor. It was already eight o’clock and she was in deep sleep. Raju picked her from the floor and shifted her to the bed.

After locking all the windows and doors of the room, he undressed himself and lied down beside Telani. He raped Telani and violated her body, while she was in deep sleep. She was herself not aware the number of times he violated her that night. After that he went and slept in the other room.

In the early morning, when the affects of sleeping pill wore off, Telani got up and gathered herself together. She found herself on a bed in one of the room and wondered where she was and who put her to bed? She got up hastily, worried. It was still dark outside. She opened the door and walked outside. Naturally, she was in panic and scared. Soon after reaching home, she realised what had happened. She had marks and scratches all over her body. Her mother had already left for work. Telani washed herself with warm water and went back inside the house.

That morning, she did not go to Raju’s house for work. The dirty dishes were lying in the kitchen; there was also no food at home. After returning from work, Raju went to Telani’s hut in the evening. She was inside and her mother informed that, ‘She is not feeling well, that’s why she didn’t come for work.’

Raju told her, ‘If she is unwell, you come and do the cleaning and cooking for the day.’ Telani’s mother agreed and went to Raju’s quarter. As she was doing all the chores of Telani, Raju gave her one thousand rupees and said, ‘This is for Telani’s treatment, I will give more money if it’s required. Since she works here, all I want is that she gets well soon.’

After that incident Telani had stopped going to Raju’s quarter. She used to stay at home. Meanwhile the construction work in that area has been completed and the company had ordered the labourers to shift to a new place which was on top of a small hill. Telani and her mother also had to shift there. A month passed in this way. Telani was getting unwell and having strange feelings in her stomach.

Telani finally told her mother about the incident of rape at Raju’s quarter. ‘What should I do aawaal (mother)?’

Telani’s mother told her to go to Raju’s quarter and tell him that he has violated her and what should be done now?

One Sunday morning, Telani went to Raju’s house and knocked at the door.  Raju opened the door and complained to her of, since she stopped working, ‘look how the house has become?’ He told her, ‘I cannot do cleaning and other things. You must come to work. I will pay you more.’

Telani told him ‘Raju, you have left me with nowhere to go. You raped and impregnated me. I am an unmarried woman. What should I do now?’

He was quick to reply, ‘What’s wrong in that? I will marry you and make you my wife.’ He took her inside the house and closed the door. He quenched his thirst again, and gave her a packet of five thousand rupees. ‘It is for marriage expense,’ he said. ‘Now go clean the house, cook the food and then go home.’

After cooking and cleaning, she went back home. She informed her mother that Raju Naidu had promised to marry her.

— —

Gradually many more employees started to live in NMDC quarters, while the displaced people of the region were living in the temporary huts. Most of the displaced people were employed as labourers by the ‘labour agents’ and ‘builder mates’ in the construction works. Most of the locals (mostly Adivasis) were involved in construction work of houses and lived in temporary huts, while their young daughters were made to work as maids in their quarters. Many of the women working in the quarters of these employees had to go through experiences like that of Telani’s. Many among such women had run away to some unknown places to escape such disgrace.

A man from Mandavi clan had come from Nagpur to work here. After completing his ITI, polytechnic diploma, he started to live in Bacheli township.  He bought along his family after two three years.

The situation of the workers and exploitation of young Adivasi women was brought to notice to the Adivasi youths working in the mines. Many of them were local Adivasis, while some had come from outside. Mandavi mobilised youngsters and thought of making efforts to help displaced people and their issues. They were from various states such as Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, and Odisha. The local Adivasi youths formed a union and started discussing the issues for labourers. They had weekly meetings on Sunday.

In one such meeting, Mandavi told the gathering, ‘My friends, these mines are built after acquiring our land. The indigenous people of the land were displaced; few received monetary compensation, but they lost the land of their ancestors. Moreover, many people have died fighting for their land and their descendents have become labourers here.’

He also used this opportunity to mention the vulnerable condition of women working in the quarters of the NMDC employees in general and to the life of Telani in particular. He also suggested that a small survey should be conducted to review the situation and a report be submitted to the district collector.

The group agreed on the suggestions and formally started their work as a youth group.  Meanwhile, the population of Hindu settlers and religious groups was increasing. The preachers of Gayatri Pariwar – a Hindu mission propagating Hinduism among Adivasis—were already there. Then there were Kanthi waale Baba and various hotel and shop owners, the members of RSS – right-wing Hindu organisation—soon started settling and gradually their numbers increased. The said Baba started preaching in the region and many workers of the mine on their holidays used to visit his assemblies.

After discussing with fellow young members, Mandavi and others decided to visit collector office in Jagadalpur. In preparation, a survey among the Adivasi girl victims of sexual violence was conducted. It was found that there were around 50 to 60 girls who had experienced sexual abuse. Most of them belonged to the displaced families of the NMDC mines. Mandavi, along with the members of the union, visited Jagdalpur in October 1969. They met the district collector BD Sharma and informed him about the issue of sexual violence experienced by Adivasi women working in NMDC employee’s houses. They requested for a remedy and to take action. The collector immediately gave directions to Dantewada’s SDM, SDO, Police and asked to submit an enquiry report in 15 days.

The group resurveyed the region of the township and found that there were about 60 to 70 such unmarried girls, who had experienced abuse while working in the township quarters. The group collected the detailed information such as victims name, their village, and family and so on, and revisited the District Collector. He ordered SDO Police to arrange his meeting with the victims after ten days.

All the alleged NMDC quarter holders were summoned by the police and ordered to make their presence in the community hall of Bacheli. NMDC management was also notified. On the day of meeting, all the concerned people were gathered in the community hall – the victims along with their parents, the alleged quarter holders, NMDC management and the district authorities.

Mandavi reiterated the situation to the people to the collector and other authorities. In the meeting collector ordered that all the NMDC employees who have had employed the Adivasi girls in their quarters and have had sexual relationship with them have to marry them and bestow them the status of a wife.

All the alleged men listed by the SDO and police were aligned in a row along with the victims. There were about 70 of them.

Collector first called Gayatri Parivar to oversee the rituals and conducted the marriage of all the couples. The marriages were conducted with Hindu rituals. Telani and Raju Naidu were the first couple in the line.                                          

After marriage ceremony, the district collector gave them his blessings and gave them farewell.

The district collector had arranged the marriage ceremony. Gayatri Parivar had released certificates of the marriage. After few months, when their wives got pregnant, these men managed to get transferred to another places and left their wives on their own.

There were no actions taken against Raju Naidu. Since the marriage certificates were given by Gayatri Parivar, the certificate were not legal. And so nothing could be done. The employees had raped and exploited Adivasi girls, and cheated them and left. While girls like Telani – a single mother with a newborn baby – was helplessly making her living on the roadside selling wild fruits. What deceit had life played on them? Where did those deceitful people go?

— —

Gradually many more employees started to live in NMDC quarters, while the displaced people of the region were living in the temporary huts. Most of the displaced people were employed as labourers by the ‘labour agents’ and ‘builder mates’ in the construction works. Most of the locals (mostly Adivasis) were involved in construction work of houses and lived in temporary huts, while their young daughters were made to work as maids in their quarters. Many of the women working in the quarters of these employees had to go through experiences like that of Telani’s. Many among such women had run away to some unknown places to escape such disgrace.

A man from Mandavi clan had come from Nagpur to work here. After completing his ITI, polytechnic diploma, he started to live in Bacheli township.  He bought along his family after two three years.

The situation of the workers and exploitation of young Adivasi women was brought to notice to the Adivasi youths working in the mines. Many of them were local Adivasis, while some had come from outside. Mandavi mobilised youngsters and thought of making efforts to help displaced people and their issues. They were from various states such as Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, and Odisha. The local Adivasi youths formed a union and started discussing the issues for labourers. They had weekly meetings on Sunday.

In one such meeting, Mandavi told the gathering, ‘My friends, these mines are built after acquiring our land. The indigenous people of the land were displaced; few received monetary compensation, but they lost the land of their ancestors. Moreover, many people have died fighting for their land and their descendents have become labourers here.’

He also used this opportunity to mention the vulnerable condition of women working in the quarters of the NMDC employees in general and to the life of Telani in particular. He also suggested that a small survey should be conducted to review the situation and a report be submitted to the district collector.

The group agreed on the suggestions and formally started their work as a youth group.  Meanwhile, the population of Hindu settlers and religious groups was increasing. The preachers of Gayatri Pariwar – a Hindu mission propagating Hinduism among Adivasis—were already there. Then there were Kanthi waale Baba and various hotel and shop owners, the members of RSS – right-wing Hindu organisation—soon started settling and gradually their numbers increased. The said Baba started preaching in the region and many workers of the mine on their holidays used to visit his assemblies.

After discussing with fellow young members, Mandavi and others decided to visit collector office in Jagadalpur. In preparation, a survey among the Adivasi girl victims of sexual violence was conducted. It was found that there were around 50 to 60 girls who had experienced sexual abuse. Most of them belonged to the displaced families of the NMDC mines. Mandavi, along with the members of the union, visited Jagdalpur in October 1969. They met the district collector BD Sharma and informed him about the issue of sexual violence experienced by Adivasi women working in NMDC employee’s houses. They requested for a remedy and to take action. The collector immediately gave directions to Dantewada’s SDM, SDO, Police and asked to submit an enquiry report in 15 days.

The group resurveyed the region of the township and found that there were about 60 to 70 such unmarried girls, who had experienced abuse while working in the township quarters. The group collected the detailed information such as victims name, their village, and family and so on, and revisited the District Collector. He ordered SDO Police to arrange his meeting with the victims after ten days.

All the alleged NMDC quarter holders were summoned by the police and ordered to make their presence in the community hall of Bacheli. NMDC management was also notified. On the day of meeting, all the concerned people were gathered in the community hall – the victims along with their parents, the alleged quarter holders, NMDC management and the district authorities.

Mandavi reiterated the situation to the people to the collector and other authorities. In the meeting collector ordered that all the NMDC employees who have had employed the Adivasi girls in their quarters and have had sexual relationship with them have to marry them and bestow them the status of a wife.

All the alleged men listed by the SDO and police were aligned in a row along with the victims. There were about 70 of them.

Collector first called Gayatri Parivar to oversee the rituals and conducted the marriage of all the couples. The marriages were conducted with Hindu rituals. Telani and Raju Naidu were the first couple in the line.                                          

After marriage ceremony, the district collector gave them his blessings and gave them farewell.

The district collector had arranged the marriage ceremony. Gayatri Parivar had released certificates of the marriage. After few months, when their wives got pregnant, these men managed to get transferred to another places and left their wives on their own.

There were no actions taken against Raju Naidu. Since the marriage certificates were given by Gayatri Parivar, the certificate were not legal. And so nothing could be done. The employees had raped and exploited Adivasi girls, and cheated them and left. While girls like Telani – a single mother with a newborn baby – was helplessly making her living on the roadside selling wild fruits. What deceit had life played on them? Where did those deceitful people go?