Text: A

KALAHANDI
Jagannath Prasad Das

Jagannath Prasad Das is a well-known poet, dramatist, writer and critic,

who belongs to Orissa. Born in 1936, he started his career as a member
of the Indian Administrative Services, but gave it up after fifteen years,
to pursue a ful-time career in writing. Das is a prolific writer, who has
published aboutten collections of poetry, seven collections ofshortstories
five plays, a historical novel and a book of poems for children. His works
have been translated from Oriya into Hindi and English. He was awarded
the Saraswati Samman in 2006 for his collection of poems Parikrama.
He is also the recipient of the prestigious Sahitya Akademi literary awara
for his work Je Jahar Nirjanata. Das uses plenty of images of rural life in
Orissa and employs a simple atyle, which reflects the life of the people
who feature in his works.

The following poem is based on the abjectLpoverty, starvation and misery

that Das witnessed in Kalahandi during the famine in the districtin
1966.Its powerful imagery and the use of Kalahandi as a metaphorfor
the horrorS of famine and poverty in modern India are the most notable>
features of the poem.

wokg
Put away the road maps now. Aaguues l
To go there, P o u i y

you do not need

ulynnhu ke
helicopters anymore;
wherever there is hunger, L R a l o a a u

there Kalahandi is.

nottu n
The god of rain
turned away his face.
1
 56 INSIGHTS:, A COURSE IN ENGLISH LITERATURE ANDANGUAC

The whole village a graveyard. inu A

ack Cracked ground, - duougu
o nl n o t Lauo
Laug
drab river sand. an
& a n d
do
All the
p plans failednlk
ns failed
d
the
the poverty line
wolio
t receded further. (ank o w
24*
Wherever you look,
there is Kalahandi:
in
in the sunken eyes-hLasu
of living skeletons,| au o hungeg
in ragswhich doagt du
clots
cover the frail.bodies, elnas dA
in the utensils-
P
ApE Pawned offfor food,
in the
crumbling huts
with unthatched roofs.
in the exclusivej
of having ownedprosperity
i y u ha 9pol
two earthen pots. D u o u L t e

Kalahandi is there
in the
gathering of everywhereiaqhM
famished
before charity kitchen_, growds
H
in market places
SoDC-wherechildren are auctionedoff-oue opo
Culd in the
sighs of young girls
CO sold to brothels-al PAosttuloy
uu in the silent procession
of helpless Peopl au koseo 6
people uoe Hhrk houe
leaving their hearth and home.
O
quu .
lac
Come, look at Kalahandi closer
eoon.
pRs in the cracodile tears y my ays
offalse press statements, but y dae
daua in the exaggerated statistics a t H
of computer print-outs, gund
 0u

Kalahandi
57

in the cheap sympathies

doled out at conterences ,oulyLy i n
and in the false assurances
0Gfaol ypaty
presented by planners.
a patiulan o la
Kalahandi is very\close us: to
in the occasionalcontrition - o u g
of our souls,
-

in the unexpected nagging ofconscience, w g u o 6

in the rare repentance- gu t
of the inner selt
in the nightmares
sleep, -igntMaAAs n u
appearingthrough sound
in disease, in hunger, g
in helplessness, e¥U
inthe abject fear
AQurtung albgu haspen
an impendingbloodshed.-Aeduty5HT
ofHow could we then walk TdTa
into the celebrated portals
of the twenty-first century,
leavingKalahandibehind? L u wawy pAoun
Hwe Can e ddulopuen,
GLDSSAKY deeloDeuea eo Shoudd ba
Supper evening meal M uniu
graveyard aplace where the dead are buried un M on
drab dull, boring, uninteresting
recede to move further away
Sunken the
here, seeming to have gone deeper than normal into
face
skeleton here, refers to someone who is extremely thin
frail very weak
pawn to pledge an item as security against a loan of money or

something else
Crumbling falling to pieces, decaying
unthatched without a roof of even dried leaves, straw or grass
 AND LANCr.
COURSE IN
ENGLISH
LITERATURE

GUAGE
58 INSIGHTS: A
or a few people
one person
limited to only
exclusive
extremely hungry
of peon.
famished
centres run by organisations
or groups
ople that
charity kitchen food free to
the poor
give the
sale tot person who
in a public
to sell something
auction
makes the highest offer
sadness, tirednee
a slow, loud breath expressing dness, re
sigh
etc.
can engage the services of a
brothel a place where one
prostitute
fireplace; nere, nome, especial.
a
hearth the area around a
and love
ially
when seen as a place of comfort
exaggerated made to seem larger, more important, better or wor
Worse
than the truth
for someone else's
sympathy an expression of understanding
suffering
to give something such as money to several people
dole out
assurance a promise
Occasional not happening often, rare

contrition the feeling of regret or guilt for something bad you ha

done
nag to persistently ask or remind someone to do somethin
conscience a person's moral sense of right and wrong, acting as a
guide to his or her behaviour
repentance sincere regret for something you have done
nightmare a frightening or unpleasant dream
abject extreme
impending about to happen
celebrated well known and
greatly admired
portals a
doorway, gate, or other entrance,
and imposing one especially a large

MAIN EXERCISES

VoCABULARY ENHANCEMENT
1. Identify four expressions in
the poem that
that is not real. refer to ethin
some
 Kalahandi
59

ind the antonyms of the following words in the noem

a. succeed ecdsd e. noisy
f. far
b.bright
advance
odt 8.outer
c.
h. frequent
d.strong J\G

COMPREHENSION

Global comprehension

What are the effects of drought and famine on Kalahandi and its

people?
2. How is the response of the media |and other groups to the
widespread suftering caused by thetaminedepicted in the poem?
3. Why is it hard for us toforget the horrors of Kalahandi as an
unfortunate tragedy of the past?
dunughE - 19{6
Local comprehension
1. Annotate the following:
a. Put away the road maps now.
To go there,
you do not need
helicopters anymore;
b. in the exclusive prosperity
of having owned
two earthen pots.
c. in disease, in hunger,
in helplessness,
in the abject fear
of an impending bloodshed.
the repetition of a line in
What does the poet convey through
slightly varied forms?
 AND LANGUAGE
LITERATURE
ENGLISH
COURSF IN
60 INSIGHTS: A

lines inthe poem

refer to
drought
alti
resulting in
arcity of
scarci

.Which
food? "The whole villa.
mcan by saying age
4 What docs the oct
graveyard'?
shelter and clothing,
what
are
want of food, s u l f e r in times
. I n addition to
losscs that some people
two painful personal
famine? Ctd o describe the constan
to Stan
is it to the word 'silent'
use
6. Why apt famine-stricken villages?
leaving their
stream of people 'inner self in the
'conscience' and
7. How do the words souls',
last stanza its opening line?
support

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

1. . P. Das uses Kalahandi as a metaphor

for of extreme
a situation

caused by natural disasters as

poverty and unbearable suffering
well as gross mismanagement. Comment.
Discuss the significance of the question that
the poet leaves
2.
readers with at the end of the poem.
Write a short note on the expressive images Das uses in the poem.
3.

SUPPLEMENTARY EXERCISES

CREATIVE TASK
Write a short dialogue consisting of five to six exchanges between
two research scholars on the subject of the recurring droughts in
Kalahandi district. One of them is concerned with the urgent need
to take preventive steps to avoid yet another instance of the
tragie
and shameful situation. The other looks at the from a problem
academic angle.
purely
 Kalahandi
61
JRTHER READING

Web
wse the read newspaper reports and
to
w articles of
on some
worst droughts and famines that have affected the Kalahandi
the last century.
trict in

ROJECT
documentary film Horn of Africa Crisis free at http://
latch the
topdocumentaryfilms.com/horn-africa-crisis.
Watch on the Internet the classic film Mother India, which
brings out the indomitable spirit of Indianfarmers inthe face of
severe drought and famine.
 Text: B

CLIMATIC CHANGE AND

HUMAN STRATEGY

E. K. Federov

E. K. Federov was the second vice-president of the lnternational

Meteorological Organization and recipient of the twenty-first International
Meteorological Prize.

This essay deals with the history of climatic changes over the years and
the reasons for those changes. Federov defines climate as the workings
of complex processes in the atmosphere, the oceans and on land' and
attributes that climatic changes are due to external and internal factors of
the planet. While arguing that climatic changes are inevitable, he
suggests
certain strategies to be followed at the local, regional and
global levels to
avoid the adverse consequences of such
changes.

Both the scientific community and the

general public have been
increasingly concerned in recent years about the possibility
that irreversible changes
may be taking place in the natural
environment, especially in regard to climatic
any scientific basis for such concern about
change. Is there
our climate in a
period when scientific and technological
making mankind less constrained by the progress seems to be

and, in particular, less vulnerable to natural environment

events? The construction unexpected climatic
is now
industry, once
active all the year round. We highly seasonal,
can reclaim deserts for
agriculture and can apply urban
large and comfortable communitiestechnology
in
so as to create

and other developments, however, ourthe Arctic. Despite these

life requires much more careful contemporary way O
and detailed
understanding
 Climatic Chunge ad lHuman Strategv
63
adjustme to climate and the other elements of the
o fa n d

o
n a t u r a l
vironment if a reasonable balance is to be achieved.
natThe Csent ale of human activity, as measured hoth by
sizc (the magnitude of construction, the fraction of the
its
arth's surlace iranstormed, the amount of mineral resources
the
e x t r a c t o d ,
1antity of cnergy that is developed and
utilized. he ctfects of human activities on the composition of
atmosphere and hydrosphere) and by the duration over
the
ahich it has taken place has increased so much that it has
ecome comparable with naturally occurring phenomena.
bece
Nowadays we cannot consider the planet on which we live
an infinitely
resilient environment, nor can we consider its
as

resources inexhaustible. Moreover, many of our actions, such

as Construction or land reclamation, are deliberately intended
of time.
to last for long periods
make in our
In such circumstances any mistakes that
we

assessment of the present and future states of both the natural

in our
and the transformed environments (for example,
extreme values of
estimates of mineral resources, average and
to lead
river discharge, precipitation, sea-level, etc) are likely
to very large cumulative errors.
is
Before discussing changes in climate, however, it
Climate is
desirable to define the concept of climate itself.
of
both a consequence and a demonstration of the workings
and on land.
Complex processes in the atmosphere, the oceans,
surface by
As a result of the unequal heating of the Earth's
the sun,
an atmospheric circulation pattern is developed and
straightforward:
maintained. In principle this circulation is verylow levels in the
It 1S a system in which air is warmed at
and flows poleward. It is then
cquatorial region, ascends,
cOoled, descends, and flows back towards the equator. much
this simple circulation is made
In practice, however, rotation, smaller
factors such as the earth's
nore complex by sea differences
land and
ale circulations developed through mountain ranges.
and the barriers provided by major
general circulation when
Cvertheless, the main features of this
 IANGUAGE
AND
LITERATURE

ENGLISH
CoURSE IN
INSIGHTS: A
64 o r decades
of time (ycars
s u b s t a n t i a l period
over a permanence.
averaged and the generai
continuity is due to
some attern
doexhibit ofthe overall parameters, even
relative stability and
occanic

This atmospheric from o n e part of the

coñstancy of severalthese p a r a m e t c r s vary and extreme
values of include
mean

though the These parameters river discharge

another. seasonal
planet to precipitation
amounts,
characteristics of the
temperatures. stable
relatively In this
The sum of all these meant by climate.
etc. what is
view, totality of
atmosphere is, in my climate as being the
consider
these, I shall generalized
over such a time
essay.
the atmosphere
characteristics of
period.'
to believe
that during the last several

There is good reason

normal climate of
the earth as a
the
hundred million years, than it is at present:
homogeneous
whole was much more
climate between
differences in
the pronounced
there were not
that we have today.
different latitudes millions years ago this situation began to
Several tens of of
of high latitudes fell gradually.
change, and the temperatures
this accelerated, and
process
About two million years ago
A glacial period ensued,
Arctic temperatures dropped sharply.
advances of ice sometimes reached mid-
in whichrepeated
with intervening periods when the ice receded. The
latitudes,
northern hemisphere about
last glacial advance ended in the
ten thousand years ago.
taken
Since that time, less marked climatic changes have
place. For example, approximately one thousand years ago
the temperature of the north polar region was higher than
it is today, and the limit of sea-ice was further north than it
is at present. This, among other things, facilitated voyages
from Europe to Greenland, where communities were able to
survive for several centuries. Subsequently, however, a fall in
temperature and a southward extension of sea-ice prevented
such voyages, extended the area of land-ice in Greenland, and
ultimately led to the extinction of the settlements.
The factors responsible for long-period changes of climate
may either be external to this planet or may develop on it.
 Climatice Change and lHuman
Strategy 65

factors
al lac
External might include
Extcr
Lradi itted by the sun or variations
diation emittcd
in the quantity of
radi: the sun: internal factors changes
aroun
in the Earth's orbit
include the formation
movemcntat ofof continental areas, the and
growth of mountain
onoCs (orOgeny), ana volCanic activity of various kinds that
dust
produce dust and gases which
may alter transparency and
other characteristics ofthe Earth's atmosphere.
other
1 existence, like the existence of other
aecessarily has tS eieciS On nature. Human living beings,
not have taken place as it has
development
coul without simultaneously
transforming various elements of the natural environment, In
nV view, the impacts that are of the most
relevance to the
subject of climatic changes are the following:
The transformation of the land surface of the planet by
forestclearance, the ploughing up of the Steppes and great
plains, land reclamation, ¢he_construction of huge man-
made lakes and reservoirs, the conversion of large areas to
a built-up environment, and so on. These
transformations
alter the reflectivity of the earth's surface and its
"roughness"; this in turn causes changes in the energy
balance and in local atmosphere circulation patterns.
Changes in the water balance as an increasing proportion
ofriver discharge is used for
irrigation or to meet industrial
needs. Evaporation over land areas consequently tends to
increase,andrunoffintothe oceans decreases. Itis probable
that the entire discharge may ultimately be utilized in this
way. This will not change the general hydrological cycle
onthe planet, but it will lead
to a difterent relationship
between the various elements of the cycle in different
geographical regions, Evaporation, _condensation and
Treezingof moisture arealso, it should be noted, signiticant
 AND

LITERATURE

ENGLISH
COURSE IN
INSIGHTS: A
66
result of power on and
generation

hcat as a
releasc of s e n s i b l e
of encrgy. cli
the u s e of all types
docs. enable us knowlcdge of the limat
lactors
to assert with some confidence that hges
intluencing

Our present
but localized chang
noticcable
to tion were
alrcady led were
activity has clemenis and that if energy productionposoit
some
clhmatic (which is quite sible
of magnitude
incrcase by fwo orders the climate will begin to
200 ycars),
next 100 to as wel
during the
and possibly on a global scale
on a regional climatic change alread.
change unintentional
for
Both the evidence deliberate of modification
and the possibility of
occurring
that as a matter of urgency
we should
man require
climate by values of different meteorological
the critical
findout what are changes.
order to avoid such irreversible
parameters, in
occur in the future. They will
Climatic changes will inevitably
become irreversible in the decades
often be significant and may
regional or global
immediately before us. They may be local,
essential that we develop a
in their scope. It is consequently
actions which
clear strategy, that we plan a set of long-term
will enable man to avoid the adverse_consequences of such

changes. Such long-term program may havetobe started in

a
the very near future. Although smallocal changes may result
from activities is one particular region, and can beavoided by
other measures taken in the same region, more_widespread
or global changes are associated with the general circulation
ofthe Earth's atmosphere. Consequently, our strategy to deal
with such changes must include measures taken on
regional
or globalscales,
This task is already receiving priority attention and a
rapidly
increasing number of scientists are engaged in it. Although the
problem itself is extremely difficult, there seem no
for pessimism. Science has grounds
to such urgent
always managed find solutions
to
problems for mankind. Since a solution to this
particular problem is already beginning to take
be confident of
ultimate success, although this shape, we can
may require a
substantial amount of time.
on
nomic devclojmieni and vice versa, are to be assessed
economic devclopmcn

P s of
in terms of future conditions. Consequently it is the future
i economic
i c situ
situation of individual countries that must he used
ch an assessment. Estimates must be made for several
in such

decades ahcad of the probable characteristics of agriculture,

nd industry., Only in this way can an
vatersupplicsan adequate
assessiment be made of the elfects of possible climatic change,
hoth natural and man-made. The assessment therefore assumes
ot long-term plans for national development in
the existence of
dividual countries and, on the world scale, for the whole of
mankind.

Thethirdelement ofthestrategy is to makerecommendations

on howto avoid the adverse consequences of climatic change
or to avoid such change altogether. It is, for example, often
suggested that fuel and energy use should be reduced in order
toprevent the increase in the ÇO content of the atmosphere
the biosphere.
or increased carbon dioxide absorption by
in order to
Restriction _ot energy use is also recommended
Some scientists have
preserve the planetary heat balance,
without action of this kind,
strongly expressed their fears that,
mankind will be faced by serious climatic changes during
such statements or
the next 50-to 100 years. The majority of
recommendations are aimed at the preservation of
present
there are some who believe
it possible to
climate. although
"change for the better in the solution of such
Of course, international cooperation
climatic change is immeasurably
global problems as possible
cooperation in the World
more difficult,to achieve than, say,
it is more urgent. I hope that we can
Weather Watch However
that mankind should develop an appropriate
2greeunanimously for such inevitable changes and
Surategy so that it is preparedinternational cooperation provide
that peacs
Ce, disarmamentand hdad

The foundations for such a,strategy. eap

UnabpodRd/wun no e wl|
 LANGUAGE
LITERATURE
AND
ENGI.ISH

COURSE
IN
NSIGHTS: A
68

GLOSSARY
easily damaged, weak

vulnerable
restoring or improving a piece of
of land
reclamation
snow, hail, etc.
rain,
precipitation near the equator (an imaginary line
equatoria/ goes round the Earth and dividesa
northern and
southern
hemispheres nto t
towards either the north or south
poleward
pole
limits
parameters
move back from a high level
receded
similar
homogeneous
of hot dry land covered in
the Steppes
an area
grass
found in Asia and Russia

Combustion burning
thinking that the worst thing will happen
pessimism
every situation

Vice versa the opposite of what has been

mentioned
CO carbon dioxide
biosphere the parts of the Earth's surface and
atmosphere where plant and animal life ca
exist
hydrosphere all of the Earth's water

MAIN EXERCISES

VOCABULARY ENHANCEMENT
TASK
1. Identify a one word substitute for each
below: of the phrases g
a. in a similar
way-
b. not
thinking omogunLoy
optimistically
c.
C.
something that can never beP
d. not
exactly but close to completely used up hex
ne
e. cannot be
aPpX
changed back to then
 imatic Change and
Human Strategy 69

fhappening at the same time A n u u t a m i g

g. not eliberate- m nin liunuondt

h. the air round the Earth Amos
:Aprocess by which a country reduces itshiu
weapons -dungoAMa0
O
everyone agrees with
i maho WiniuA
ind as many synonyms as possible for the words listed below.
a. irreversible. b. transformation
c. infinitely d. priority -puuquNG
e. descends- Atcduud. ultimate
g.barriers-huudbh. adverse
hHnal
i. extinction
. strategy-Pla
Vom s
COMPREHENSION

Global comprehension Shsul b auok

. Why does the writer think that the publicas well as the scientific
community should be concerned with the phenomenon of
climatic change?
2. What, according to the writer, are the external and internal
factors responsible for climatic change over the years?
3. Discuss the three strategies the writer suggests to deal with the
climatic change at the local, regional and global levels.

Local comprehension
1. Annotate the following:
a. Human existence, like the existence of other living beings,
necessarily has its effects on nature.
b. It is consequently essential that we develop a clear strategy.
will enable man
that we plan a set of long-term actions which
to avoid the adverse consequences of such changes.
recommendations are
C. The majority of such statements or
aimed at the preservation of the present
climate, although
who believe it possible to "change for the
there are some
better"!
 AND LANGUAGE
LITERATURE
IN ENGISH
70 INSGH7S: A COURSE

define climatc?
How does the writer the past.
that have occurred in
5. Describe climatic changes
balance contribute to climaimatic
How does change in water
4
change? to tackle th
for a long-term program the
5 hy does the writer plead
changes in the climate?
the writer suggest that socio-economic conditions e
conditions of
. Does
solutions for climati
countrics have to be considered in finding
changes? How?
Which level of planning is most required
to solve climati
international? Elabórate.
problems-local, regional or

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
1. Although the writer unambiguously establishes the impact of
climatic change there are skeptics who question the extent of
climatic change and its consequences on human existence. Do
you think climatic change is a major challenge to the survival of
the human race or too much of a fuss is made on this issue??
2. Is the writer optimistic about finding solutions to the climatic
problems? Give reasons for your answer.
Discuss concepts such as global warming, ozone depletion,
greenhouse gases, melting of ice caps, and rise of seawater tevel
in relation to climatic change.

SUPPEMENTARV FYEROICrO
 Climatic Change and Human Strategy 71

the citation, what sort of role do you think you could play
from
in relation toclimatic change?
as Hindividual
a san
rcacting to the award said, "We face a true planetary
Al Gore
2. The climate crisis is not a political issue, it is a moral
1CTgency.
challenge to allof humanity." Why do you think he
a n d spiritual
spiritual challenge'?
eonsiders it a 'moral and
Supposing the is; issue of climatic change is ignored or not given
5. Dposing
nmportance, how do you think the planet will be impacted by
of the present century?
the end

FURTHER R E A D I N G

Forging a New Common

Earth in the Balance
Read Al Gore's
Purpose.

PROJECT
on change
climate and write an article based
Watch a documentary You may watch
about the impending danger.
sensitise people is widely
on it to Inconvenient Truth', which
Al Gore's documentary, An
of climate science.
portrayal
acclaimed as an accurate