Kavita is a farmer in Perumal Malai, a small village near Kodaikanal. Her day begins very early, & the long walk uphill is made easy by singing songs & gossiping with a small group of women, all heading to their farms on the hill side. Kavita used to make the trek uphill with Mayilsamy, her husband, but for the last couple of weeks he has been staying at the farm to watch over the crop. 

A bright yellow tent made of cheap plastic sheets forms his shelter. It doesn’t keep the cold out, but it does protect him from the rain. The small stream in the valley has no water & wild animals have taken to exploring the hillside for food and water. A torch, a stout stick & a cheap mobile phone are all he has to keep away the elephants, bison & leopards. He keeps calling out to the other farmers, & plays Tamil film songs on his mobile to get through the long vigil. The noise is usually enough to scare away most animals. What happens if a bison or elephant isn’t scared? Oh, then we run, laughs Mayilsamy. As a strategy, it is simple. Also, completely ineffective if something were to happen to farm or farmer. 

Water shortage is a big worry. Kavita and her husband have abandoned their own farm, which has no water, and leased a few acres on the hillside. The streams here have not fully dried up. Working together with neighbours from the village, they have cleared a patch of land, and planted runner beans. Everyday, she works with her husband from dawn to dusk. Her son joins her after school. It is hard work, but its the only life she knows. Often, its a good life. She is close to the earth, tilling soil, planting seeds, watching them sprout to life. As the saplings grow, she prays to the compassionate Mother Mari for a good monsoon, and a bountiful harvest. When they harvest the beans, Kavita and other women will sing through the day. Harvest-time is back breaking, and songs are the only way they can keep up their energy. 

This year, Mari is fickle. She has sent the rain early, much too soon for the bean sprouts. In Kavita’s village, the elders talk wisely about changing seasons. We have fallen on evil times. That is why the sun blazes hotter, they declare, the rain comes too early, & when it does, it is too little. They have never heard of climate change. 

Kavita dreams of a good harvest, a new cycle for their son, and money to pay back the seed loan. She knows its unlikely. A catastrophe is looming. The plants are still young, & the early rains will cause them to decay before the beans sprout. They will be lucky if they manage to harvest even half of what they had sowed. The dismal crop means they will need all the energy and hope they can get. 

We will pull through somehow, assert Kavita & Mayilsamy. They must, as the alternative is too hideous to be thought of. God will help us, they smile optimistically.

After a little persuasion, Kavita consents to sing a few verses of a harvest song. The song confidently proclaims that their Mother Mari will protect the crops. We fervently hope the Mother is listening.

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