Thinking Tree

Shiyal Bet

Standing at the Pipavav Port in Gujarat, one can see an island far away. This island is Shiyal Bet situated in Jafarabad taluka, Amreli, Gujarat. The residents of Shiyal Bet say the opportunity of fishing brought them to the island. Fishing has been the only source of livelihood for the Koli community. The port towns in the vicinity serve as trading spots for the business. The island with around 800 households and a population of 6000 did not have electricity services until 2016 when the government finally acted upon the need for it. The temples and fish drying areas are situated at distance on the periphery of the island.

A visit to this island can make you appreciate your life better. We, the city dwellers, stay in an environment much comforting than this fishermen community. They have to travel across the sea into their neighboring towns in order to buy basic amenities. Adding to this, the boat service stops after 6 pm and it becomes arduous during emergencies to move to the other side. People living in Shiyal bet still curse their fate with misty eyes.

Unwinding travels

Traveling afar,

I set my foot in the diverse state nestling near Arabian Sea.

From the dry salty desert to humid coast regions,

With the morning breakfast to,

Insomniac night city hustle.

Travelling within the southern region

Of this oddly looking state on India’s map

I sauntered into the roots,

Only to unwind within the connections.

Strolling on the breezy beach of Tithal,

Witnessing the glorifying sunset at the calming Saputara hills,

To biodivered treks in the tribal Dangs,

And experiencing the merriment of life in the diamond city,

Wandering from the greens to concrete,

Humility ignited with every passing kilometer,

As the folklores and the traditions were shared.

So, maybe travelling is more,

More than just backpacking the memory jars.

Travelling is where,

the homely feeling sparks are experienced,

even when distant from one’s own.

And maybe to ultimately,

Be as a part of whole;

A part of us, and a part of them.

Hindsight

The Urge to Travel

Just like the other human beings, I too feel the urge to move out from a trapped room. The fresh air that I needed, the human interactions that I lost, the fragrance of fresh blooming trees is missing; the sound of chirping, but most importantly the sense of freedom is lost.

We often don’t give importance to what we have. Who knew that one day “outing” would become a crime and wearing pajamas all day ‘The new normal.’ Who knew a companion, just a couple of miles away, would not be a treat henceforth. And how terribly we miss that job we complained about everyday.

Thinking of how badly we miss the loathing commute and office scenes that we never thought of being cherished. Those entertainment colleagues have now turned into daily mediums of work. Uncertain about the day when it would come to an end and we would enjoy the days we used to.

A Makeshift Library

“The quaint little houses in Nainital’s Seem village, appear to be an uncanny depiction of ‘Little boxes on the hillside,’ the iconic Pete Seeger song. Home to barely 362 residents, literacy is quite a recent concept in this serene mountain hamlet. Schools exist, as per government policy mandates, but as is the case in most remote areas, student attendance and the quality of education are both inadequate. But thanks to Jaya and Atul Shah, there is a silent literary revolution brewing in Seem, today.

While the little ones and their elder siblings trek for hours along the winding mountain paths to attend school, they have little exposure to the bigger world beyond the towering hills where knowledge and experience are now transmitted in digital codes and algorithms.
It was, therefore, serendipitous that Jaya Shah, a social worker from Mumbai, chose to retire in Seem along with her husband, Atul, in early 2016.”

Source – http://www.thebetterindia.com

The Bicycle Library

“Around two years ago, one of my friends on Facebook posted that- she is leaving Ahmedabad & wants to give away all her books to her friends here. The next day I reached her place & collected a few books. After seeing my love for books she assured me that if no one else comes to get the other books then she will give away all those books to me. Few days later, she gave me around 70 books which I carried on my bicycle & brought them home. I live with my family in a one bedroom apartment where there is hardly any extra space, hence the very first question my parents asked me was- where will you keep these books & what will you do with them? I said that I will distribute these books to people. I started the initiative called Bicycle Library where I deliver those books to people on my bicycle & in return they can either donate Books, Toys, Clothes, Food or even a Smile. The initial response was overwhelming- just within the first few months, all those 70 books were distributed but in return I had received around 200 books from those readers. I still remember there was a time when I had 500 books at my home & my neighbors used to think that I am crazy to distribute those books for free. But my passion to share wisdom through books can’t be understood by others. It’s been 2 years now, where I have delivered more than 400 books across all the zones of the city & that too on a bicycle. There are days where I’ve cycled 40 kilometers after my work just to deliver that one book because I believe that a book can definitely change a life. So far, the experience with the people has been extremely delightful. There have been times where after reading a book people have texted me to express their gratitude. Often people also donate clothes, toys & food which I try to distribute amongst my neighbourhood. To be honest, sometimes it does get difficult to manage everything as I am the bread earner of our family, & at the same time, I am also pursuing my Masters but it’s my passion which keeps driving me & my bicycle to distribute the books.”

Source – @humansofamdavad

Representative image

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India’s Largest collection of books – ‘Pustaka Mane’

“You can imagine how big will be the collection of books if a bibliophile goes on collecting books for about four decades by utilizing his earnings. But the colossal collection of books that glimmer at the Pustaka Mane of Ankegowda Jnana Pratishthana will make your calculations topsy-turvy and you will be amazed. If you want to experience this wonder visit this Pustaka Mane once.

According to an approximate estimation, the books collected here are over two lakhs.

Pustaka Mane is situated at the hamlet Haralahalli on the Srirangapattana-Pandavapura-Nagamangala road, seven kilometres away from the historical town Srirangapattana in the state of Karnataka.

Ankegowda’s Pustaka Mane is a fine example for fructification of penance if a person’s hobby and obsession are transformed as one’s very existence.”

Source- Anke Gowda Gnana Pratishthana

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Inspiration

A library that is open to all.

“Wall of kindness” movement started in Iran with the motto, “Leave what you don’t want and take what you need.” The very same idea is replicated in Pune by a group of students, who are encouraging people to donate books, which are available for people who are enthusiastic about reading and cannot afford to buy them. The library solely runs on books and bookshelves donated by people. To spread kindness and love is the fuel to the initiative. With the people taking initiative and helping to manage the shelves, the movement is expanding. The movement that started with merely 100 books now has 40,000 books spreading awareness across different cities of Maharashtra, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

Initially the bookshelves were placed near playgrounds and then after in the residential areas and parks, where people actually started giving attention to the idea and taking care of books. The library runs on the principle, “for the people, by the people, of the people.” The idea is instead of selling the books one should donate them and in a way pass the knowledge. Now the group has put the shelves in schools where students can pass the books to the next batch of students. Here, they do not have any membership fees or restricted timings. Also it does not expect any donations in the form of money, but just knowledge in the form of books.

The kind initiative is connecting people to learning by providing the books in their locality.

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