Pulmunda : Where resilience lives

I’ve been travelling since my graduation days, and I’ve had the opportunity to explore many parts of North India. So when I joined DCIP, I never really imagined that travel would again become a part of my routine, especially considering the typical work culture associated with government offices. But to my surprise, the internship offered me several chances to travel, and among all those experiences, one visit stands out the most: Pulmunda, a tribal settlement in Nilambur.

Our visit was to a Paniya tribal settlement, and it turned out to be a truly eye opening experience. It offered deep insights into their culture, everyday life, and the challenges they face in accessing education, healthcare, and social inclusion.

When we reached the settlement in the morning, the children were initially hesitant and cautious around us. But as the day progressed, that distance slowly faded. By afternoon, they had become our friends. Listening to their stories and observing their resilience reminded me how much we can learn from communities that live in close harmony with nature.

One thing that struck me deeply was the remarkable cleanliness of the settlement. Even now, I wonder how we the so-called “developed” often fail to achieve even a fraction of that sense of collective responsibility towards our surroundings.

I still clearly remember Akhilesh, who affectionately called me “chettayi” and proudly showed me his talents from playing the drums to using a slingshot. He spoke openly about his thoughts and feelings on the idea of “development” that the outside world is trying to impose.

I also spent time with Kunji, the youngest among the children. She danced joyfully to music playing from a Bluetooth speaker her brothers had brought from town a small but powerful image of how tradition and modernity quietly coexist.

That visit made me reflect deeply on the importance of inclusive development and the need for more ground-level engagement in social work. It reminded me that development should never be about imposing change, but about listening, learning, and growing together.