Alexandra Mouche and Dakshesh Gajjar Narrator: Jashva

25 Pages·2012·0.18 MB·English

by  Alexandra Mouche'

Alexandra Mouche Jashvantrai Pranlal Pandya Interview 3/22/12

Mehgal River Basin Oral History Project
Interview Transcript

Interviewers: Alexandra Mouche and Dakshesh Gajjar
Narrator: Jashvantrai Pranlal Pandya
Interview Dates: March 22nd, 2012
Place: Ajab Village, Junagadh, Saurashtra, Gujarat, India
Program: Fulbright-Nehru Grant 2011-2012
Date completed: July 15th, 2012
Alexandra Mouche Jashvantrai Pranlal Pandya Interview 3/22/12
March 22nd, 2012
Persons Present: Alexandra Mouche’ (interviewer)
Dakshesh Gajjar (research assistant/interviewer)
Jashvantrai Pranlal Pandya (Narrator)
(Dakshesh) Ëûkuþ : ík{kÁt Lkk{ Lku çkÄwt fuòu?
Please say your name and everything she is asking
(Allie) yu÷e : ík{kÁt Lkk{ þwt Au?
What is your name?
(Jasu Bapa) sMkw çkkÃkk : sþðtLíkhkE «ký÷k÷ Ãktzâk
Jashvantrai Pranlal Pandya
(A) yu÷e : ík{khku sL{ õÞkt?
Where were you born?
(J) sMkw çkkÃkk : 22-01-1938
22-01-1938
(A) yu÷e : yLku õÞkhu ÚkÞku?
And when were you born?
(J) sMkw çkkÃkk : sL{ MÚk¤ Lku ?
Birthplace?
(D)Ëûkuþ : nk
Alexandra Mouche Jashvantrai Pranlal Pandya Interview 3/22/12
Yes
(J) sMkw çkkÃkk : ¼kÞkðËh
Bhayavadar
(A) yu÷e : ykufuÞ Þk ykufuÞ õÞk õÞkhuÞ ÚkÞku?
Ok, yeah, ok, where and when?
(D) Ëûkuþ : ík{u fux÷e ÃkuZe Úke ynª Þk hnku Aku ?
How many generations have stayed here?
(J) sMkw çkkÃkk : yÞk? y{u ½ýe ÃkuZe Úke hneyu Aeyu {khk VkÄh níkk Lku yu Lkkifhe
fhíkk hkExh níkk Lkðkçk Lkk, Lkðkçke ð¾ík Lkk y{u íÞkt hnuíkk Lkðkçke økk{,
íkku y{khe ynªÞk A Mkkík ÃkuZe Mkkík ykX ÃkuZe Úke ynªÞk hnu Au yk økk{ ðiMkw
Þk Úke xwtf{kt.
Here?
 Many generations have stayed here. My father's job
was writing for the King back in the time of the kingdoms, so
we stayed in the King's village. 6, 7 generations, 7-8
generations stayed here in this village. In short, from when
this village was founded.
(D) Ëûkuþ : Lku LkkLkÃký Lke fkuE ðMíkw ík{Lku ÞkË nkuÞ
What do you remember from your childhood?
(J) sMkw çkkÃkk : fu{ LkkLkÃký Lke?
Why
 childhood?
Alexandra Mouche Jashvantrai Pranlal Pandya Interview 3/22/12

(D) Ëûkuþ : LkkLkÃký fkuE yuðe ðMíkw fhe nkuÞ fu su ík{Lku ÞkË nkuÞ yíÞkhu ?
Just what you remember from when you were young.
(J) sMkw çkkÃkk : LkkLkÃký {k íkku y{u ¼ýíkk Lku íÞkhu ynªÞk yk÷eÄúk {k çkúñ[khe çkkÃkw Au yu
ÄwLk [÷kðíkk y{u ykÞk yuf ykuxku níkku {ehkS Lkku fuðkíkku Þk fkÞ{ Mkktsu
ÄwLk çkku÷ðk òíkk fk÷kf çku fk÷kf nhu hk{ nhu r¢§k Lke ÄwLk çkku÷íkk yLku
Akufhk çkÄkÞ ¼uøkk ÚkkÞ Lku çkÄkÞ ¼uøkk ÚkELku... çkkfe íkku ËeðMku ¼ýðk òÞ
Lku Úkkuzwf h{ðkLkw nkuÞ økheÞk Úke h{íkk øke÷e ztzku yuðe çkÄe h{íkku níke swLke
h{íkku.
In my childhood we would study and go to Bramhachari
Bapu's place in Alidhra village to sing songs. At what is called
Miraji's Oto, in the evening everyday, all the children would
go together to sing songs like 'hari rama, hari krishna' for 1-2
hours and otherwise in the daytime we would go to study and
play with tops and gili dandya (a game with sticks).
(D) Ëûkuþ : ík{khk ÷øLk õÞkhu ÚkÞk?
When was your wedding?
(J) sMkw çkkÃkk : ÷øLk ÚkÞk 1964
My wedding
 was in
 1964.
(D) Ëûkuþ : 1964
Alexandra Mouche Jashvantrai Pranlal Pandya Interview 3/22/12
1964.
(J) sMkw çkkÃkk : 24, {u, 1964
24th, May 1964
(D) Ëûkuþ : yLku çkk¤fku ?
And children?
(J) sMkw çkkÃkk : yuf Ëefhku yLku yuf Ëefhe
One boy and one girl.
(D) Ëûkuþ : yLku ík{u fux÷ku yÇÞkMk fhu÷ku ?
And
 how
 many
 years
 of study have you completed?
(J) sMkw çkkÃkk : nwt yÇÞkMk íkku Mkkík Ãký Ãku÷k su{ ykÃkýu yuMk.yuMk.Mke. fuðkÞ Lku yu{ þkýkË
fuðkíke þkýkË Ãkheûkk fuðkíke økwshkík{kt yu þkýkË su ykÃku Lku ÃkkMk ÚkkÞ yuLku
Lkkifhe {zíke þeûkf {kt þkýkË ÃkkMk Awt.
I
 passed
 the
 7th standard
 exam,
 but
 now
 it's
 called SSC and in
that time it was called the Shanand. The Shanand exam. In
Gujarat there was the Shanand exam and when people passed
the exam they could get a job teaching. I passed the Shanand
exam.
(D) Ëûkuþ : Lku ík{u ¾uíke fuðe heíku þeÏÞk ?
And how did you learn farming?
(J) sMkw çkkÃkk : ¾uíke LkÚke {khe ÃkkMku.
Alexandra Mouche Jashvantrai Pranlal Pandya Interview 3/22/12
I am not a farmer.
(D) Ëûkuþ : ¾uíke LkÚke.
You are not a farmer.
(A) yu÷e : yku y...þe...þe...þeûkf
He is…a teacher.
(J) sMkw çkkÃkk : çkúkBný... xe[h
Brahmin…teacher.
(D) Ëûkuþ : íkku sMkw çkkÃkk ykÃkýu ík{u õÞkhÚke ¼ýkðkLkw õÞkhÚke Au? õÞkhÚke ¼ýkðku Aku
?
So
 Jasu Bappa, when did you start teaching?
(J) sMkw çkkÃkk : 1959 Úke
From 1959
(D) Ëûkuþ : 1959.. Lku yíÞkh MkwÄe {k fuðk fuðk ... yt{ fkE çkË÷kð ykÞðk E su
ykÃkýu ¼ýíkh {k Lku.....
1959..and
 from
 that time until now what changes have you
seen in the teaching?
(J) sMkw çkkÃkk : Ãku÷k fhíkk ½ýku çkË÷kð ykÞðku Ãku÷k þeûký ík{khe ÿüe yu yxkýu ÚkÞw nkuÞ
Ãký y{khe ÿüe yu Mkkhwt níkw þeûký {k þwt..., yu{k EríknkMk Au, ¼k»kk Au,
neLËe nk÷íke Ãkkt[ Äkuhý Úke neLËe nk÷íke, ytøkúuS Mkkík{kt Úke nk÷íke, nt yu{
Alexandra Mouche Jashvantrai Pranlal Pandya Interview 3/22/12
çkÄw Mkkhw þeûký níkwt. ytf þeûký níkk su{k Mkhðk¤k, çkkËçkkfe, økwýkfkh,
¼ktøkkfkh (ÃkíkeÞk¤ku) Lku yuðk çkÄkÞ ykðíkk Ëk¾÷k.
Many changes have happened. In your view the changes
from the past are for the better, but in our view the past was
better. In the past, the subjects of history, language, Hindi,
began in 5th standard and English began in the 7th standard.
It was a good education. Arithmetic, doing sums like
addition, subtraction, multiplication and division,
multiplications of fractions and these kind of sums.
(D) Ëûkuþ : Lku ykÃkýu økk{ {kt Mfw÷ fux÷e Au ykÞk ?
How
 many
 schools
 are
 in
 this
 village?
(J) sMkw çkkÃkk : ykÞk yíÞkhu? yíÞkhu Mfw÷ çku Mkhfkhe ºký «kEðux
Right
 here,
 right
 now?
 Now
 there
 are
 two
 government
 schools
and three private schools
(D) Ëûkuþ : yLku íÞkhu Ãku÷k ?
And in the past?
(J) sMkw çkkÃkk : íÞkhu çku s níke Mkhfkhe.
Only
 two
 government.
(D) Ëûkuþ : çku s níke Mkhfkhe.
Only
 two
 government.
Alexandra Mouche Jashvantrai Pranlal Pandya Interview 3/22/12
(J) sMkw çkkÃkk : fw{kh þk¤k Lku fLÞk þk¤k,
A boys school and a girls school.
(D) Ëûkuþ : ík{u fkuE MktMÚkk MkkÚku òuzkÞu÷k Aku ?
What
 connections
 and
 organizations
 are
 you
 involved
 in?
(J) sMkw çkkÃkk : nwt ?
Me
(D) Ëûkuþ : nk.
Yes.
(J) sMkw çkkÃkk : nk {Lku ÏÞk÷ ykðe økÞku {kLkð Mkuðk MknkÞ (MkðoÄLk) xÙMx y{u s÷ ¢ktíke {k
fk{ fheyu Aeyu.
Yes, I
 understand there is the Manna Seva Sahai Trust and
we are working with Jal Kranti
(D) Ëûkuþ : yLku ík{u õÞk Ä{oMkkÚku Mktf¤kÞu÷k Aku?
And
 what
 is
 your
 religion?
(J) sMkw çkkÃkk : õÞk?
What?
(D) Ëûkuþ : fÞk Ä{o ík{khku?
What is your religion?
(J) sMkw çkkÃkk : y{khku Ä{o nªLËw Ä{o.
Our religion is Hindu.
Alexandra Mouche Jashvantrai Pranlal Pandya Interview 3/22/12
(D) Ëûkuþ : yLku ík{Lku fkuE þku¾ ¾he ?
And what hobbies do you have?
(J) sMkw çkkÃkk : {kLkð MkuðkLkwt fk{. yksw çkksw yòçk, þuhøkZ, «kMk÷e, yk{¤k, hkòðz {k
òíkku Ãku÷k nðu [÷kíkw LkÚke çku ðhMk ÚÞk íke..... [k÷eLku òíkku. Þk òÞu yuf
Xufkýu çkuXe yu Þk ÃkAe økw{zk nkuÞ fkuE Lku ¼kXk nkuÞ íkku yu MkkV fhw {÷{
÷økkðw Ãkkzk ðkhe Ëô. fkuE Mkk{kLÞ fkLk Lke ykt¾Lke íkf÷eV nkuÞ íkku xeÃkk
ykÃkeyu yuðwt çkÄw 1973 Úke {kxu 38 ð»ko ÚkÞk.
I do good works for people. Here and there like [the villages
of] Ajab, Shergardh, Prasli, Amalia, Rajavad. In the past I
helped people from these villages, but now I'm having
problems walking, so I don't go anymore. We went to these
villages and sat in one place and helped people with boils and
other skin diseases by cleaning their skin, putting on salve,
and bandaging it. For typical problems with the ears and eyes
I would give people drops. I had been doing this work since
1973.
(D) Ëûkuþ : y nt... ík{u {u½÷ LkËe rðþu þwt rð[khku Aku ?
What do you think about the Meghal River?
(J) sMkw çkkÃkk : {u½÷ LkËe Sðtík Úkkrð skuÞu yu™kÚke ¾uzwíkku ™u ÷k¼ ÚkkÞ yu{
Au økk{zk {k shwhe Au. nðu çkMk 9 ð»ko ÚkÞ økÞk yk ËMk yuf ð»ko {k yk Au÷w
ð»ko Au ËMk ð»ko {k fhðk Lkw níkwt nS {u½÷ Sðtík ÚkE LkÚke.
Alexandra Mouche Jashvantrai Pranlal Pandya Interview 3/22/12
(cid:0) The Meghal River is life itself (lit must be life). By its
existence, the farmer is able to benefit and it is also necessary
for the villages. It has been 9 years, and this is the last year of
the oath to revive the Meghal River in ten years. But it is still
not revived.
(D) Ëûkuþ : Lku ík{u LkkLkk níkk íÞkhu fuðe níke {u½÷ LkËe?
When you were little what was the Meghal River like?
(J) sMkw çkkÃkk : {u½÷ LkËe íÞkhu íkku Ãkkýe níkw. y{u... {khk.. LkkLkk níkk íÞkhu {khk fkfk...
{khk çkkÃkwS Lkk fkfk níkk yu ykÞk níkk {kíkhðkýeÞk ðiË níkk yLku rþûkf
níkk íÞkhu çkkhu {kMk Ãkkýe ðuníkw {u½÷ LkËe {k çkkhu {kMk Lkðk swLkw Ãkkýe ¼uøkw
Úkkíkwt yk ðkík fhw Aw 1953-1954-1955 Lke 1953-1954-1955 {k yu íÞk
hnuíkk y{u íÞk òíkk Lku y{u E Lku y{u Þk Lkníkk Lku {u½÷ {k çkkhu {kMk Ãkkýe
ðuníkw nðu LkÚke ðuníkw íÞkhu zu{uÞ Lkkuníkk yux÷k íkkuÞ çkkhu {kMk {u½÷ [k÷w
hnuíke.
There
 was
 water
 in
 the
 Meghal
 River.
 When
 I
 was
 little my
uncle, my father's uncle, lived in Matervaniya and was a
physician and teacher. At that time, 12 months of the year, the
water flowed. Now it's not flowing but at that time there were
not so many dams as now and the river flowed.
(D) Ëûkuþ : yLku Ãkkýe fux÷w {níðLkwt Au ík{khk {kxu ?
How important is water to you?