A STROY OF ISLANDS (Tapuko Katha)
The tides of the Koshi river, flowing at the Sunsari & Udaypur border... ..have formed small & big aits.
Herne Katha: The story of river island
Our journey to the islands began from Thakubari near Sunsari, Prakashpur.
Dharmendra Yadav was to lead us the way. The water is cold.
After crossing the shallow river up to knee height... We moved further, feeling Koshi's sand with our legs.
Do we have to walk 3 km to reach the place where we can take a boat? We go to the other side.
Then we have to walk 2 km from there. Oh, you have to walk 2 km again from there to reach your village?
It's 1.5 km. What is the name of the island village we are going to?
It's called Chakharghatti, Lalman Tappu. Lalman Tappu? What's the meaning of Lalman?
The people living here named it Lalman Tappu.
Is it an old name or a new name? -It's a new name. What's the old name? It used to be called Jampani.
Japan? -Yeah. Oh! Where were you born? Is it here only? -No.
Where? Bhokraha. Do you have a home on the island too? There is. Why are you living in such a difficult place?
It's tough to even go there. We spend our life rearing and herding cattle.
It's our income source. We earn by selling milk.
Where do you go to sell milk? They come to our shed. The buyer comes, crossing the river & walking all the way there?
Oh! Can you not raise the cattle here, where it's easy to live? We can, but we don't have enough land here.
So, it's easier to raise them near the river. Then, that island is like a cowshed for you?
You wait for cattle there... Meanwhile, the rest of the family lives elsewhere? Yes, they live at home.
Wife... And my kids. Who stays at your shed to look after the battle?
Myself. Dharmendra Yadav mostly stays on the island to look after cattle.
He comes home sometimes. Is your island in Sunsari district or Udaypur district?
It's Sunsari. To reach Udaypur, we have to walk 2 km west...
And then take a boat again? -Yes. And on the other side of the river is Udaypur.
(singing) "The letter didn't arrive...
"The letter from my lover didn't arrive."
Dharmendra dreamt of becoming a singer in his youth. Maybe his dream was carried away by Koshi's water.
I used to sing the Hindi songs as the singers did.
Now, I have responsibilities here & toward my kids. Hard times never left you alone.
Maybe your kids won't have a hard life like yours? I can't answer that.
Maybe they have to. We don't know what will happen. Are you educating your kids? -Yes, I am.
Are you educated, too? Up to grade 7 or 8. Since we didn't have enough to eat, my parents left me at my maternal home.
But I had to look after cattle. Many of my friends have reached many places...
But I couldn't go. You had the dream, though? Yes, I wanted to.
(Singing) "Father says his son will make him proud."
"He will achieve something big."
"But nobody knows this..."
"Where my dream lies..." I already forgot it. (Laughing)
I am a cowherd. Still, I am friendly with everyone.
I don't stress anywhere I go. I can adapt.
If one doesn't look after the cattle all year long, on the island... How will they sustain their family?
We saw some kids at far. They were here to collect the woods brought by river tides.
Are you all sisters? -Yes. How much wood have you collected?
Not much. For how long will you keep searching? We will search for one full sack only.
Only one sack after coming this far? We cannot carry more. Is that so? Have you not brought a cycle?
Where do the woods come from, here? They are carried by flood from the hills.
By flood? The woods seem to have already finished. Was there more before? It's more during floods.
Oh! What is your name? Gita Rishidev. -Gita Rishidev? What do you do apart from searching for woods?
Do you study? I don't study. -Why don't you study? (Chuckles) I am already married.
Oh, already married? Did you not study even a class? I studied. Up to which grade?
Up to class 6. Where is your maternal home? -Biratnagar. Did you come here from Biratnagar?
I am visiting my maternal home. Visiting your maternal home, now? -Yes. You were married to Biratnagar? -Yes.
In which class do you girls study? -Five. Everyone in class 5? What is your name, tell me?
Anita. -Anita! Anita, what? Rishidev? What about you girls?
Mine is Archana Kumaru Das. Archana Kumari Das, and you? -Parbati Mishra. Parbati Mishra!
Studying in class 5. Where will you go now?
Okay, bye!
After walking about 2km, we reached the place to take a boat. It was impossible to reach the island without a boat.
Like a motorbike... -Yeah. Of a river.
How many people can sit here? We have to do two shifts. Everyone can go but still...
Shall I sit? Where? Sit there. Sit facing towards the front.
Is our weight heavy for the boat? No, it isn't.
Don't move Sandesh, don't stiffen your body. Keep it light like a few days back. Like when we were on a bamboo boat.
Small boats tilt a little. Big ones don't. Don't be stiff, okay Sandesh?
No, big boats don't tilt. It's a small boat. Nothing else will happen. Let it tilt.
Did you make this boat yourself? How can I make it? Carpenters do.
How much do they take for making a boat? About NRS 7000-8000. Including the timber & materials?
Not materials. Only the fees. -Yes, fees only.
One of you catches it. -I will. No, just hold it on the face.
Hold it on your face. I'll do it.
On the other side, we met people crossing the river. Some were delivering goods & some were going to take goods.
Chakraghatti. -Chakraghatti? Why? I have a home there. Do you have a house at both places? -Yes. What do you do here?
My money was all spent, so I'm going thask to ask for expenses. Is your shed at here & house at there?
Yes, house there and shed here. Oh! Who lives here, at the cowshed? Husband.
It would be better if we can go earlier.
How long have you been waiting for a boat? -We came here a few minutes ago. What are you carrying in the bag? It's clothes & blanket for there.
Can you l in the then soon too? -We can. Can you cross the Koshi too? With a boat, we can.
We met Chitra Bahadur Karki there. Chitra does farming on the island.
He was carrying wooden logs. For firewood sand daily uses.
Is it enough for daily use only? -Yes. Is it your boat? -My own. Oh! On river banks, it's hard without a boat. I have cattle to look after.
We do farming & raise animal animals on an island, so having a boat is a must. We cannot walk on the river.
Land outside is too expensive to buy. Here we can use how much we like the only problem is it's hard to go forth and back, else nothing.
Otherwise, it's fun. -It's fun. Get on from one side.
Push the boat to the water. Who, in your family, lives on the island? My file is Aristide.
Those who can, stay here. Otherwise, the working staffs live. You have kept workers too?
On payment? -I pay them. How many workers do you have? There are bout 5 of them.
What business have you been doing here? What business would I do? -Agriculture products.
We have done many many workers here to farm commerciallymanyplowlough the field and sow paddy.
I collect woods all day & those making wine buy it for about 5000.
We cut thatch & occupy our land. The thatch to build the roof. People raise broiler chicken to buy it.
I have been doing it from 14-15 years ago, I'm 50 now. I ran Sishaulighat for 10 years.
It was closed after the Chatara bridge was built. Did you roa w boat at the Ghat? I have faced no problems yet.
Chitra was raised in the ar Koshi river. He has both seen & experienced the interesting nature of a river.
Is that an island too? -That's an island. Do people live there too? No, it's Oan nly jungle. Cattle graze there.
When Koshi began eroding, it was called Garhaiya Tappu. Sisaulighat was called Sinduri Tappu.
Has Koshi changed so much? There's a huge difference between this Koshi & Koshi before.
When we knew, Koshi was in Bhagalpur. There were farms & a small town like Chakraghatti.
At this place? -Yes. There was a settlement here. Before, Koshi was on the Bhagalpur side.
Now, Koshi is in Sunsari. Koshi left Udaypur.
In Udaypur, where there used to be Koshi before...
There are 3 wards of Belaka municipality, at there. Where Koshi used to flow, there are 3 wards of Belaka municipality.
Ward no 7, 8, and 9. Where Koshi is flowing right now, there used to be a land of people. Is that so? There's a private property inside water?
The lands belonged to King Mahendra's priests. From the dam to here...
There used to be fertile land. Will you go to the other side & come here again? I'll go there, unload the woods & return after 2-3 hours.
Push.
The river changed its way too many times. But the hardships of people didn't change.
Where are you going to? I have to go home. My back hurts from carrying grandkidkid.
Our children give birth and here we are.
The parents go abroad to earn. I have to bear the pain.
We walked for a long time on the sand.
Here used to be water up the o waist. Where we are walking right now?
Like a Nepali quote. "Human is greater because of his heart, not his caste." Chitra is a month. We sow paddy on the month "Rohen".
Oh, Chitra means birth starts from astrology? -Yes. The month that falls in it...
The flood was so high that even elephants drowned. Oh, they said elephants drown if it raising such months?
Did they recognize you? They run away when they see someone wearing a jacket.
Are these cows raised for milk? For what? First, they were sent to Bengal.
The calves. Bengalis used to come. To buy them? Yes, to buy them.
The calves that are walking in front of the cows. Those calves were worth INR 10k per two.
We could earn money. We used to sell calves.
Whoever had calves, for example,e I had 10 & he had 2... It was ouultimatete income.
IOnttheIsland of Saptakoshi, there are some people, cattle & 10-12 "Tikari".
The hut where cowherds live recalled "Tikari". This place is named Lalman Tikari.
Are herthereakes too? -No. There's no snake? There are but somewhere in the bushes.
Do the snakes not bite you in monsoon? -No. They don't bite cowherds.
Snakes don't bite cowherds? -No. Why is that? Have you ever heard of a cowherd being bitten by a snake?
They don't care about wild animals. (Dharmendra singing)
The land belongs to the governmeGovernmentment. Oh! none of its private property?
Is there more barren land left? It's all unoccupied. Anyone can come to live here? -Yeah.
Oh. Whose is that? It belongs to Silbare Jetha. Silbare Jetha?
Why is it bordered? They can grow grass during monsoon.
And sell to cow owners at NRS 2000-2500. This year it was sold at NRS 1500.
Were your houses flooded by Kartik's flood? Yes, every house here was flooded. Were you here only? -Yes.
Didn't you run away? Where would a cowherd run to? We have nowhere to run.
We stayed on the roof.
Some are living at Tikari to look after their land... Some are here working for others.
Some collect woods & some herd cattle.
Is that your house? -Let's say it's a house. Right? Who lives here? I live alone. -Oh?
What animals do you have? I have a buffalo calf. Only a calf? Oh!
Is this wood yours only? -Yes. Do you sell it in town? No, it's for me.
He is Laxman Sharma from Narshingha Tole. He is here to look after someone else's buffaloes. He has lied 40 years as a cowherd.
It's been many years since I've been herding cattle here.
Whose cowherd are you, uncle? Rohit's. -Oh! Did you spend life herding cattle here?
Who do you live with, here? Here at Tikari? The owner was here before, he left.
There are 3 of us. There's a boy. You don't have your buffalo? How many buffaloes does the owner have?
There were buffaloes... about 30-35. He already sold it.
What do you get for herding cattle? Salary? They give us money. -How much? NRS 80k, 90k, or 100k.
The calves are small so they drink all their mother's milk.
They don't produce much milk? They don't, since there's no grass. They eat whatever is left here & drink water.
Do the buffaloes stay here or go to graze. They will graze. Do they go far? -Yes.
The buffaloes go far and we follow them. Why didn't you raise your cattle?
We don't have land there, we are poor people. For cattle, we need fodder and grass.
We need so much to feed them. How long have you been herding the cattle for this owner?
It's been too long, his grandfather was still alive. His father died too, I left & again returned.
They divided their wealth among each other. Each of them has a cowherd at their home.
Some sold all their cattle, and some still have them. You looked after cattle since your grandfather's time.
The son died too? -Yes. How old are you?
It must be 66 or 67.
Do you get an elderly allowance? I get.
t your own cattle or someone else's? Our own. How many buffaloes do you have?
It must be 50. Wto e have to rest a,t home. Oct h you have at home too? -Yes, 2. How much have you studied? -Class 5.
I come here when school is closed. And return when school opens.
What do you like more? Here or hat ome? I like here more. -Why? Here is a river.
People, cattle, everything. Do you like animals? -Yes.
How much more will you study? Will you continue ue studies or look after cattle like this?
We'll see the hat in the future.
What a beautiful song! What's it saying? It means that... There was the best cowherd in Manipura.
He died & a temple was built in his name. He was a cowherd like me. When will your father come here?
He might come tomorrow. Is it your cattle or maternal uncle's?
It's not our downfalls. My mom was given them by my grandfather.
What a kind-hearted grandfather you have! How many buffaloes did he give his daughter? About 10-15.
Oh, you've been looking after the same buffaloes? Do you not have a brother? -I have. Where is he? -India.
Is it not risky to live alone here? Nothing has happened yet. We only stress about elephants.
Sabita Singh came to collect wood carrying her toddler. How many kids do you have?
5 kids. 5? Where are the others? Home. Who looks after them?
They are grown up. Is she the youngest? -Yes, the youngest. How much can you earn from selling woods?
About NRS 10k-15k per tractor. Is that so? How much time does it take to search 1 tractor?
About 4-5 days. Did you come here alone to collect woods? My husband too. He has gone to the village.
You are wor,kers right? What about the owners? The owners live at home & leave them in charge.
We can occupy.
Do the elephants not come anymore? They may come sometimes.
I feel afraid even to Have you seen elephants from near? Won't you search for woods today?
We won't today. Why? -There's no one to look after my girl.
We went west from the Jampani Tapu. We have to reach Srilanka Tapu by crossing another Koshi branch.
The journalist friends from Sunsari were with us.
We kept walking, leaving our footprints on the sand.
There are so many left even after people keep collecting them. People are tired of collecting.
Is it enough for people here? -It's already enough. It couldn't be finished. Look at how much there is.
Does the flood bring this much every year? -Not every year. It was more this time? Yes, it brought more this time.
Where are you coming from? We are just visiting around.
The day was coming to an end when we reached Srilanka Tapu.
The next day, we went around Srilanka Tapu.
The famous island Srilanka Tapu is not an island. We can reach there through roadway from Rampur town of Udaypur.
Before Koshi had formed this place an island. Now, Koshi's edge has shifted to the east.
There are huge plain lands left behind by Koshi. (man singing)
This village has changed now. Electricity & road has reached this place.
The profession of the majority is farming. Santosh Chandrabangshi was planting watermelon.
Do the crops grow on such sandy soil? It can grow well on such soil. Watermelons are grown on sandy soil & river banks only.
It's grown on Koshi's bank & river aits. We had neither electricity nor a roadway to reach Rampur.
If one was bitten by a snake in the monsoon, they had to die.
There was no way to treat them. And people would die in case of complicated child delivery.
Was that rural? -Yes. Until when? Before 2074 BS, as far as I know.
Are there 2 wards here only? -Yes. Ward no 6 & 9 of Barahkshetra. And both ward offices are on the other side of Koshi.
We have to risk our lives to go to our own ward office. And if a small mistake is made, our work won't be done that day.
It's our biggest problem. Now, we have put forward a demand with the local government...
You can give us a ward of either Barah or Berlakha. When kids are born...
Why should we risk our lives to make birth certificates? It's a work of 10 minutes.
How did you go to make your kid's birth certificate? I took a boat.
Do all the vegetables grown here sell well? Yes, we supply everything to Rampur only. Rampur, Bhagalpur and Fattepur.
Even though you're from Sunsari district, you're closer to Udaypur. -Udaypur, yes.
We go to Sunsari only for legal documents. Otherwise, we are from Udaypur.
This river was 1.5 km east of here. It shifted to this part later. We had to walk half an hour to reach Koshi for swimming.
To reach the river? -Yes, to reach the river. For swimming... Now, it doesn't even take 2 minutes.
Our biggest fear is... It shifted 1.5 km towards here, at once.
In the next monsoon, Srilanka Tapu might be a myth.
We won't be able to say it still exists.
Bharat Yadav from Saptar followed his father at a young age. And he came to Udaypur to herd cattle.
Herding cattle was more fun than studying. Bharat settled here.
There were only 3 houses here. 2 houses for fishermen & 1 for Tamang. There were 3 houses & remaining was our sheds.
When they didn't have enough to eat, we used to bring them rations from our homes.
Did you use to come here to herd cattle only? You didn't have a house here? We didn't, we came here from Saptari. My grandfathers came from Saptari & made cowsheds here.
Wildlife reserve was made there, they kept shifting the cowshed. Did you useHeree, the reserve was bordered & they raised buffaloes here.
I settled here only. You are a citizen of here only. I took a migration certificate in 2057 BDid you brought a migration certificate too? -Yes.
You were in love? How did you fall in love? We did farming & so much hard work...
We didn't say sun or rain or cold. We harvested it, beat it, and the dust went inside our mouths.
We are finally preparing it for oil.
We eloped only, we didn't marry ritually. Have you not married yet? You must have put on sindoor? -I didn't.
I directly went to his house. To a neighbor's house? Is that so? He took me to his house first.
His house is there. -At Saptari? did he take you there? -Yes.
The tradition of your families doesn't match. You're a Tamang, he is a Yadav. Yadavs don't eat meat.
Whereas you can drink alcohol & eat meat. How did you become compatible?
Only our foods didn't match, our thoughts did. It's so hard to raise pigs.
We have to feed it, raise it & then only earn money.
How did your society, at the time, react when you married her? My relatives were angry with me.
They scolded me so much. "Why did you bring a girl of another caste?"
What did you say? What could I say... "Times are changing father, we have to accept it."
If you don't accept change, it does you no good.
Are the buffaloes seen from here yours? -Yes. You don't have a milk provider right now? There is but we don't milk them.
There are. -But you don't milk. There is no grass, they feed their milk to calves & save them.
I take them to "Khesari". What is a Khesari? Khesari means the Dal. We buy its farm to feed the buffaloeDo you
You buy the whole farm? -Yes, the farm. We buy the farm.
With money. And leave our buffaloes to graze there. Winterestingersting tradition! -Yes.
I think the buffaloes recognized you from far. Do they recognize you? -They do.
In 2038 BS, the flood was so high that... We didn't eat anything for 7 days.
We would burn the cow dung & mix it with milk. We couldn't get rice, because we had no means to go out.
How would we go? We ate that for 7 days to keep ourselves alive. We had to go through such tough times.
Other villagers must bring their cattle too? -There were many. A person from Dhanpuri had 1000 buffaloes.
The government took him... They asked him to leave the buffaloes in the conservation center & take money.
He said, "How much does your conservation center cost? I'll pay the money." Wow! -He didn't agree.
Why did they ask him to leave buffaloes in the wildlife reserve? They can become like Arna Buffaloes.
Milk from the island reaches up to Barmajhiya & becomes Peda (sweetmeat).
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