After more than 3 months campaign and Joint Enquiry, on April 16, 2008 villagers of Achhipolavalasa (Ponduru Mandal, District Srikakulam) saw the anganwadi distribute the full quota of take-home rations to pregnant women and new mothers of the village. Read More...
Santakavita Mandalam residents welcome Sayanna Gadda canal repairs
March 3, 2008. This week, the people of Santakavita Mandalam, Srikakulam DIstrict are
extremely happy to learn that the Government of Andhra Pradesh has
sanctioned Rs 3.4 crores for repair of the Sayanna Gadda canal. For
the past 2 years Association for India's Development, India's
(AID-India), Srikakulam Chapter, along with the people from about 25
villages has been demanding the repair of this canal that causes annual
flooding of over 1000 acres of agricultural land. Since the monsoon of
2006, when villagers refused to take compensation for crop loss from
the government but demanded permanent solutions, AID-India had
organized series of village meetings and collected signatures and
mobilized people to meet with the collector and write to the Irrigation
department.
Here
is the thought-provoking and creative keynote address by Ajay
Kumar of Andhra Pradesh Vyavasaya Vrithidharulu Union (AP Agri
workers
union - APVVU) at the recent AID-India Conference in Orissa. Ajay works
on land issues with small and marginal farmers and tribals and is based
in Annakapalle, AP. Along with Chennaiah and others of APVVU he is a
part of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM). He
recently
was a part of fact finding committee that visited Nandigram. His
keynote speech was motivated by a discussion in previous session on the
issue of a focus for AID-India chapters and the song recognizing Nalupu
(black) sung by Aravinda just before the keynote address.
A great speech , made spontaneously, making us think more deeply of
India and the ONE thing we need to do, is a wonderful way to usher in
the New Year. ;-)
Telugu Folk Song from Chittoor area.
(sung at the conference before the keynote address)
nalupu nalupaniyeru
navveru janulella,
nallupu narayana birude kada…. hoi!
(black, black, so saying people laugh, but Narayana (God) is proud to
be black)
cukkAlu telupaina
surIDu yerupaina
cuseti nayanAlu nalupE kada...
(Though stars are white, and sun orange, the eyes that see are black,
aren’t they?)
vari mADi yerupaina
vari anTlu paccadaina
kOsETi koDavallu nalupE kada
(though the rice fields are golden and the saplings green, the sickle
that cuts is black, isn’t it?)
Avanulu yerupaina
amrutam telupaina
pinDETi dUtalu nalupE kada
(though the amrut / nectar is white, those that churn and harvest it
are black, aren’t they)
Here
