[Urbanstudy] third posting- part 2

[Meera (Mansi) Baindur]

Dear all,
 Here is the second part of our third posting.

2006, November 24th– Second day
Interviewers- Meera , Sreeja and  Sowjanya. questions were asked in
Kannada, the local language.

(Ethnographic thick description type notes)
The study was undertaken at 6.30 a.m. on November 23 rd Thursday 2006.
The visit was to basically look at the fishing population around the
lake. It was early morning and the there was very less traffic around
.The boat was already in water and so we struck up some conversation
with locals. The approach of the people is on the rock bank, opposite
to the park area. There was a cowherd washing his cattle in the
shallow bank. Two washer folk were near the lake: one man and one
woman. They were counting the clothes. We asked them if they washed
clothes in the lake and they told us that there was a connection from
the Kaveri pipeline which was broken. There was a continuously flowing
stream of fresh water from the broken pipe into the lake. They used
that to wash clothes. Later we noticed the washer people moving to the
rocky bank of the lake, where they began washing clothes on the lake
shore.
The next interview with the local respondent helped us to place the
lake in perspectives of its history and the local environments. It was
by sheer luck that we ran into this well dressed man in the early
hours. We actually went to look for the fishermen and we had an idea
that the fishes would be caught early in the morning. We took a muddy
path leading along from the side of the road to wards the lake. This
was adjacent to the national highway NH 7
	As we walked down what seemed to be old road we met a young man in a
cap and a nice dress who first said he was a fisher man but later he
turned out to be a person who used to fish. We were lucky because he
was a resident of Hebbal village and had spent almost his whole life
in the park. The interview was in Kannada. We found that he was a
resident of Hebbala Village next to the Lake and he was a painter by
profession at Kengeri. He was willing to talk and rather boastfully
gave us many details .He told us with pride that he fished sometimes
in the lake. He informed us that he had grown up on the banks of the
lake and was sure that the size of the lake had shrunk since his
childhood. He recollected swimming in the lake and drinking the water
from the lake. "Now the water is green and filled with Pachi (Algae)"
he said with disgust.
"Before the mud was red and the water was sweet". He pointed to the
road we were standing on and told us that it was the main road. We
noticed a shrine close to the place we were standing and asked him
what that was? The lake had a temple dedicated to "gangavva" the deity
of the lake. Worship at this place took place during the annual
village festival (called Jatre).Two caste communities fought over the
privilege of carrying a lamp and this quarrel lead to miscreants
breaking the structure. We noticed that next to the older stone
structure is a newer whitewashed temple with pictures of Gods and
Goddesses. The interesting conversation of the temple gave us an idea
of the indirect users of the lake.
With a very self important tone, the young man volunteered information
that one Sadhu used to come there only on new moon and did pooja with
pumpkins and all that, but now he does not come. We were curious with
this tale and just to let the informer continue with his story we
asked him if it was a night Pooja. "Yes! with Tantra and Mantra" he
declared dramatically.
	We moved to the questions about fishing and he gave us vital
information. The fishing is a very regulated resource activity with a
contract from the fisheries department in Lal Bagh. We also found out
that the fishes have been introduced. He told us of the different
contractors and also told us that the now the contract is with one
Ppa. We found out that Ppa has one fish stall in the highway (pointing
Bangalore- Hyderabad Road). It was more of a shack. He also told us
that there there were many stalls, 6-7 of them, 6 of them on the other
bank. (on the ring road bank) and one on the opposite side of the
road.
	After this we paused. Suddenly he again asked us to look at another lake
"You should look at the Yellanamarappa Lake. It is much more beautiful".
He again went on to describe the earlier lake managements. We found
out that before the fisheries department there used to be a
Narayanappa from Kodegehally who engaged a guard to run around the
lake. The respondent did not have pleasant memories of the lake from
that period. He called them thieves. "They had a guard with a bandook
(gun)" he recollected.
He told us the names of some fish in the lake which we were not able
to understand such as Catla, Rohu…
	I asked him if fishing would be affected by boating activities. He
said that unless the nets were damaged, there would be no problem and
also that the oils spills would not matter as the pollution would get
diluted. He was very worried about the weeds as they moved. He wanted
put some 'chemicals' that would kill the weeds. The boat drew closer
to the shore and we asked him how much fish each boat brought in? He
told us that there are three boats and each can hold 300kg (sic) .We
later found out that this information was not correct.
	I wondered if birds got stuck in the nets or if people ate eggs of
the water birds?
He said that if they are stuck in the net the people would keep them.
 "For eating? " We asked very pleasantly. He repeated "We keep them!
We don't take eggs".
	There was another pause and I clicked some photographs of the boat on
the lake. Just wanted to make sure that he had all that he wanted to
tell us so I asked him –"What else can you tell us about the lake"?
and this conversation is better reported in direct speech. By now we
knew our respondent was not only a good informer but also given to
dramatizations and exaggerations.(he would be a journalist respondent
I think)
A-There are dead bodies in the lake. (Dramatically)
Q- Dead people? Who puts them there? (We were a bit shocked but we
recovered as we realized he was talking about suicides)
A-People kill themselves. Once I was fishing and there were strange
waves. I saw that there was a person who was going up and down in the
waters. I rushed up and pulled them out by the hair and slapped them.
They had drunk a lot of water. It was a teacher from Yelahanka whose
mind was not ok. Like that people try and kill themselves

He posed for this nice photograph and then he left saying he had to go to work.

Sowjanya's report
Interviewers- Meera , Sreeja and  Sowjanya
Respondent 2 : Mukesh, Migrant fisherman from Kuppam, AP
The respondent's name was Mukesh aged around 20-25 years. He had been
fishing as an wage worker for a contractor named Ppa  who owned four
boats. He was here along with 6 of his fellow villagers who had all
been got here by Ppa exclusively for carrying out this activity. He is
not engaged otherwise and the rest of the day goes in mending the
fishing gear. They are paid Rs.20 as fixed wage per day and Rs. 4 over
and above that for every kg of fish catch. They catch around 20-30 kg
of fish per day. Ppa has the fishing contract for Hebbal lake for 5
years from the Fisheries Department. Mukesh and his other fellow
villagers go home once a month to meet their families who take care of
agricultural land (size - ??). Mukesh has three brothers who take care
of the land in the village.
                    The fisherman community generally did not seem
anxious about the prospective development of the lake as they felt
that their right would be safe guarded and they would still continue
fishing in the early morning and late evening hours after the park
closed for visitors. They had a small shack on the bank of the lake
itself and all six of them lived there with bare necessities. He
showed us fish catch and told us that they regularly see the following
varieties of fish – catlac, catla, rohu, mrigal, chali, jilabi,
bigede, tiger jilabi, glasscar etc. They collect only the larger
fishes and throw back the younger ones. The boats are procured from
Mettur. They were more concerned about the water hyacinth infestation
in the lake which could get trapped into the fishing net if the breeze
carried it towards the net.
               As we observed the contractor himself came with other
helpers to carry and weigh the fish at a nearby small stall made of
tin sheets which was the fish outlet for other retailers and hotel
businessman to buy from. Ppa seemed reluctant to talk and we could not
engage him in a longer conversation.

Conversation with Sri. Srinivasan, Thoreau foundation
report by Sowjanya
The Thoreau society was involved with the cleaning operation of the
lake. It is located in the RT Nagar, Anand Nagar area and is backed by
the residents association as the Hebbal Lake is the favorite
destination for the residents of these areas for morning strolls and
weekend relaxation. Sri. Srinivasan to whom I (along with Meera)
talked to has been involved in the affairs of the lake for the past 13
years. He could talk of the times when people including students used
to get together to clean the lake manually. This practice had to be
stopped because of increased presence of cattle leach in the lake. He
was quite sure that the Forest Department was neglecting the
maintenance and upkeep of the lake to make the lease arrangement
desirable to the general public. (It is working since Kiran was
touting this very reason as the advantage of a corporate takeover).
The earnings from the lake come to round Rs. 10 lakhs/ year which was
more than what was anticipated when the cleaning operation of the lake
was first undertaken.
          According to Srinivasan, the FD can very well undertake the
mechanical cleaning up operation of the lake by spending a fraction of
the money generated by the park. He is a person who has written a
letter to the Chief Secretary six months back asking for a revocation
in the decision to lease out the lake. On asking what was the follow
up being done he seemed a bit hassled. He said he did not see it as a
battle that can be won. A court PIL was not considered as the judges
are corrupt. He said the only way to revoke the decision now is to
bring in a major pubic unrest. On being asked if he would he would
call in the necessary people, maybe get together the voluntary group
who cleaned up the lake and lay the base for a public agitation he
replied that can be arranged. But there was a certain amount of
conviction lacking in his reply. The most evident concern
was the loss of public ownership over the land which was interestingly
the point raised by Kiran also once his infatuation with corporate
efficiency was past. Mr. Srinivasan felt more strongly about the
conversion of public premises to the benefit of a single corporate
body and was genuine in his desire to do something to prevent it. He
had plans of developing the lake and its beautification (electric
lighting along the lake bund and convert Hebbal Lake to Bangalore's
equivalent of Marine Drive). But a conviction that it is a losing
battle is also making him search for ways of compromise. A half formed
suggestion that came out was the possibility of  the hotel management
letting in morning walkers and giving concessions to birdwatchers.
Kiran also was found searching for options such as Oberoi letting in
birdwatchers. Both of them did not have any marked concern for the
fishing community