Marudhara-As land of goatherds and shepherds.
In the morning with sunrise ,the bleating sounds , coming from a small hut ,constitute of shredded shrubs and herbs stalks. The beams of bamboo extended over the primitive supports of giant wood trunk with slopy ceil rise to beautiful structures .These structures are maintained as per season and weather conditions by all shepherds and goatherds in the different regions of Marudhara.Marudhara ,land with demographic divident ,geopraphic variants availing huge huge eco diversity as part of indian sub continent.In the pastures of southern Rajasthan, shepherds and goatherds are massively found as one of the extensive means of livelihood. Kheer and khetri were two lambs in the small group of 12 goats.Two cans of water, unrest whistling with limited food and shades ,Ganga tend and rear the pace walk along her cattle. In the extreme summer, along with kheer and khetri in her two arms, she was found on road sides, plains and mountains of Marudhara. Once in a month, the group faces the danger of wild dogs ,therefore she couldn’t leave the kheer and khetri even for a moment .She had to take care of them with being them as one of them. Ganga could see every change of nature, the pace of time from extreme summer to torrential rains and the wild winters to pleasant autumn. Whole day it used be a chase for food ,water and shelter. In parts of region, though various tribes struggles for basic physiological needs of life but their definitive objective to alive their culture and customs which their ancestors passed on. Once in a month these tribes perform and demonstrate their tradition of living in form of street plays and cultural dances. People from villages gathers to common place called chauraha,but ganga was never found. Her whole day passed behind the cattle to arrange the livestock. This is the struggle of life every goatherds and shepherds faces on daily basis .
But ganga was a woman in discriminatory culture based on genderism. Her challenges were beyond the physiological life ,inclusive of social rag customs which typically burdens a woman. Even that is not sufficient to crawl her, she was blessed in an unprivileged caste ,which faces social discrimination on routine basis. Several times she had been abused sexually, pinched socially and disregarded occupationally by people, when her goats occupied road sides. But she never had been crude to them, instead greeted as “Kaka abhi banati hoon rasta”.
Ganga was a woman ,who preferred to live a respectful life instead of cursing absruptly .At very early stage ,she left her husband because he was a routine alcohol consumer. Even she suggested him to remarry as she was taking her both children along with her. Her decision embraced her family, which was very much expected in this culture. Her own father refused her as his belonging. She was left alone with her two children .”Bhanu “,her son at very early stage started supporting her in various domestic activities, arranging food stuffs for his family ,shredding the fodder for little lambs ,pouring water for cattle and sometimes as a laborer in the period of harvesting of kharif crop. He was one of the child of very different kind .He could feel the toughness of life, her mother had been going through at age of 7.Once ,Bhanu fallen down from a giant tree while shredding leaves to make a feedable fodder out of matrix leaves and stems.That was the last time he was seen. He died as his head collided with tough ground which instantly broke his breath. Ganga lost his son ,the one who was her hope ,could take out of that tough time. This wrecked her emotionally for a long period of time. She ,then again started living , making a family with her daughter while including all 12 goats with kheer and khetri ,which empowered her financially. The pastures of southern regions of Marudhara became her home which kept her away from being victimized for not following the paddled rules ,which shrinks life to hell, typically for a woman. Though, it was embraced phase of her life ,but her greetings for people of different age group and caste was one of the sign of social maturity. She never constrained herself in offsets of social rituals which reduces a woman to not live a life instead forces to pass it ,which most of woman with similar circumstances would have done. Her greetings mesmerized people and brought a life to her on later stages of life. Ganga was one of the lady in whole area who owns several lakhs ,earned by her own. She made jewellery of several lakhs for her only daughter for marriage. She became a woman ,financially affluent and socially meritorious. She inspired several woman by being part of several cooperative social groups, especially set up to empower woman ,assisting finance to bring small UDHYOG like sieving ,weaving and grocery shops which could independently run by a woman. She brought education to her daughter ,gifted her a scotty to go to college and acquire higher education which can ease her life.
Ganga could become a mother, whom every daughter wants to be blessed. She could upbring and achieve a respectful life, which most of woman in this culture deprived of. From the land of Marudhara ,she extracted life that confluence of love, joy and struggle. She always meant life as “jo mila vo kudarat ki den ho sakti hai,kintu use behtar banana humari koshish honi chahiye,yahi zindagi jine kaa karan hotta hai,varna to kya hi hai. She never exclaimed what she got as destiny, instead tried best to get better. Being another mother to kheer and khetri ,was her profound love for animals.
She died few days ago.The clotted capsules in her blood led her to blood cancer. She remained unwell for short period of time and finally accepted the dome of soil, where she passed her whole life. She deserted the banks of Chambal and Banas ,plains and pastures of western plateau ,mountains and valleys as part of marvelous land anciently named as "Marudhara".
The last quoted words from her life -Inbeween first breath and death, the moments we live is life. Love is blissful while hate is painful.
