When people work together they put in their combined efforts to succeed. This idea of collaborative working creates life long bonding for the people. Read the following passage and find out how people in remote areas of Odisha get together to show their gratitude to nature by observing ‘bijun parab’ (beej parba) and strengthen their life cycle. There will always be a seed for everyone. In the early summer month of April, the forests’ people also depend on the foods harvested earlier on in the year—millets, pulses, tubers, dried fruits, roots and tubers. All these seeds have been safeguarded, some saved to be grown in the next season, while others have been stored to be eaten in months such as these. It is in this month that various ‘Kondh’ communities organise the Bijun Parab or seed festival. The festival begins with the mud walls of the home painted, the mud and cow dung floors swept and freshened, and, most importantly, the selecting of seeds. Women gather in the courtyard, cleaning the seeds from the husks, chatting with each other, shooing away the children who mill about, witnessing and participating in the seasonal celebration. Saving seeds over all these months and seasons has taken much effort—guarding the seeds from insects, animals and moisture as well as one’s own greed. Each one has a different technique, whether grinding up neem leaves and mixing it with the seeds as an insecticide or layering the seed basket with cow dung as disinfectant. Some women have managed to save more seeds, some just a little and there are some houses where pests and insects managed to get the best of the seeds and these families have not saved any. Nonetheless, everyone participates in this festival. (Source: ‘There will always be a seed for everyone’ by Aditi Pinto, The Hindu, April 23, 2017) Q.1. Answer the following questions: (a) When is the seed festival celebrated in Odisha? (b) Which are the seeds preserved by the Kondhs? (c) Why are the seeds preserved? (d) How do they celebrate the festival? (e) How are the seeds preserved? Q.2. Tick the correct answer. "Nonetheless, everyone participates in the festival", means— (a) However, people are invited to participate in the festival ( ) (b) Still, Kondhs who have seeds, participate in the festival ( ) (c) Although some families have not saved the seeds yet they participate in the festival ( ) (d) Anyway, people are asked to participate in the festival ( ) Q.3. How is the seed festival of Odisha a perfect example of community participation? Find words for ‘Bijun Parab’ in your language.
Answers
Explanation:
Q1. (a) The seed festival is celebrated in the remote areas of Odisha.
(b) The seeds of millets, pulses, tubers, dried fruits, roots and tubers are preserved by the Kondhs.
(c) Some seeds are protected to be grownup in the next season, while others have been warehoused to be eaten in the upcoming months.
(d) The festival starts with painting the mud walls, the cow dung and mud floors cleaned and aired, and by the seed selection.
(e) Different techniques are used like grinding up neem leaves and mixing it as an insecticide or layering the basket of seeds with cow dung as antiseptic.
Q.2. Tick the correct answer. “Nonetheless, everyone participates in the festival”, means—(c) Although some families have not saved the seeds, yet they participate in the festival.
Q.3. It is an example for community participation because various communities participate in this festival. Bijun Parab is the seed festival.