Web-documentary

This web documentary consists of videos depicting how nine Kumir Mari community members have taken responsibility for conducting a household survey in their own village area. While the nine community members are not anthropologists or sociologists, they have used a tool to run the study. To do so, they had to use an app on a smartphone, and have discovered a new way of interacting with their neighbours. These 9 videos present their experience of running the survey.

Introduction

The time dates back to 2020 when cyclone Amfan had wreaked havoc in addition to the lingering threats of the global pandemic of COVID. IIT Karakpur, in a parallel scenario, had been researching the practice of drying fish, which made them stumble upon the remote village of Kumir Mari in the Sundarbans. The team from IIT Karagpur decided to lend a hand to the village as the plight of inhabitants and the struggle for survival were evident. The urge to survive by embracing the alternate livelihood of pisciculture was commendable, even though limited resources and lack of proper knowledge had left them no choice but to succumb to uncertainties. To survive the challenges, it is essential to explore the opportunities and scope. Will the team from IIT Karagpur be able to help the inhabitants? Will there be an alternative to the current threat of force migration due to loss of livelihoods? Armed with research motivation and determination, the collective quest for survival continued. As the distinct need for scientific approaches and financial means was clear, the Karagpur team embarked on a project proposal to bring in collaborators and funding. However, the pivotal question persisted: how to initiate. The inhabitants of Kumir Mari stepped up to fight their battle. A series of discussions and brainstorming with knowledge providers and local people led to a number of inferences and identified the lacunas. The inhabitants themselves devised the indicators. After the issues were identified, they were confident about pursuing pisciculture rather than relying on the uncertainties and threats of the forest for survival. The household surveys were conducted across the village by active local women participants, based on indicators identified by the villagers and a questionnaire developed by IIT. The tedious survey process required volunteers. So the people of Kumir Mari extended their support. The representatives were prepared to go door-to-door to build up confidence and document their stories. The inhabitants were taught to use cell phones to record their responses based on the selected indicators. The volunteers who took the time to travel across the village are now ready to share their experiences and inferences. The prowess they had exhibited while gathering the data with the help of the service CTO app is nothing but praiseworthy. Let’s go down a musical memory lane.

Context of the Sundarbans, a hazard-prone area

A request to everyone to kindly pay attention to the obscure island. We now give a description. Bordered by the Sundarbans and the river Kuran Khali on the south and the river Pujali on the north, gaping its mouth. River Ryongol overlooking Himnogore to the east. The West has the River Shahusha, by which Moola Kali exists. 19,700 inhabitants. The count is quite clear. 4,300 households saw the events of 2023. 88 cyclone devastated us due to the lack of infrastructure. Neither the hurricane is cutting us any slack. Hurhur bullbull phony aan yas. What’s in a name? Lives and households are destroyed. That is the endgame. Erosion is the annual saga. Rivers filled up to their banks. A lack of proper embankment causes the island to shrink. We speak of our village, the island of Kumir Mari, which is mentioned here by one and every single mosa, one punchiad. Such a unique village is ours. We speak of the same today on this very stage.

Community members will run the interview

Now that you have heard, data will be gathered using a smartphone. The villagers came by with their spirits relatively high to make the floods bygone. The pertinence of cell phones made transparent the danger zones. The challenge is the software. The translation of the language made it difficult to salvage. The inhabitants need to be aware. Help is sought, and cell phones are bought by Jenia (Mukherjee). 2 months before the process, Bplop stepped forward to impart the training. Talking to whom was quite nurturing. Shu Panomit also joined in to reduce our stress.

UJJALI DI

I am Ujala Bormmon from Bormon Par, who conducted surveys. Like everyone, I have many messages to convey to learn the smartphone and app. I gave a lots of efforts and then started the survey journey forgetting all discomfort. But for the locals, sparing 30, 40 minutes for survey made them tense. Their daily lives were disrupted and it was utter nonsense. Many were cynical about letting a stranger in their home. So I decided to come back when they were not alone. I adjusted my schedule to theirs and surveyed in the afternoon. But they had to graze cattle, attend crops, and thus would often leave soon. Some worried about confidentiality until my assurance that opened them up and gained me their acceptance. Challenges of bank erosion and embankment breach made them engage. With the completion of the survey, they looked forward to positive change. This road wasn’t easy as I had to manage both home and the outside. Preparing meals by 10:00 a.m. and leaving for work wasn’t a smooth slide. My husband couldn’t participate but supported me in this endeavor. Now with the job completed, I feel empowered.