Jagdalpur – Ian Louis Harris

How Often Do You Read An Obituary, Only For The Penny To Drop About Something Momentous That Happened To You?, 27 October 2020

I have been reading and indeed writing far too many obituaries recently.

I learnt a few weeks ago that the great human rights campaigner, Swami Agnivesh. had died.

At breakfast this morning I devoured an excellent obituary of him in The Economist.

Perhaps only subscribers can see the above piece but here, on fair use principles, is the sentence that made me gulp my coffee:

In that role of peacemaker, he also trekked in 2011 into the forests of Chhattisgarh to oversee the handover by Maoist rebels of five abducted policemen.

Janie and I were in Chhattisgarh in February that year. Intrigued, I Googled the incident to see if, as I suspected, it occurred when we were there and near where we were.

Here is a link to the contemporaneous article from The Hindu.

So, the hostages were taken on 25 January 2011 and a hostage crisis started to unfold in Narayanpur on 3 February when demands were made by the Maoists and interventions planned by Agnivesh and others.

Janie and I were due to visit Narayanpur for market day on 6 February, but our host, Jolly, assured us that it would not be a good idea to go there and said he had revised our itinerary to see equally or even more interesting tribal people and markets nearer to Bastar.

With the time saved, we ended up in Jagdalpur with me providing live commentary for the Interstate Cricket Match, which yielded one of my favourite memories/anecdotes for the King Cricket website...

Interstate competition, Bhawaripatnam v Konta at Jagdalpur – match report

…and also one of the most memorable travel days Janie and I (aka Daisy and Ged; that too is a long story)…have ever had. Here is the write up of the whole day:

More Bastar Visits; Nayannar (Bison Horn Maria People), Jagdalpur, Commentating On Interstate Cricket Match, Pamela Market & More, 6 February 2011

Of course, we had been warned before we travelled to Chhattisgarh that it was a politically volatile place and that our itinerary might be subject to last minute change.

But what a wonderful day we had on the back of that change.

And how extraordinary to learn, after nearly 10 years, that the reason for that change was a hostage crisis that was being resolved by one of our human rights heros in the place we were supposed to visit.

We can’t (in practical terms) travel at the moment, during the pandemic, but Janie and I were all-but transported, through time and space, back to that 2011 adventure of ours in the central plains of India. Invigorating, it was.

Our Last Day In Bastar, 7 February 2011

Our album of pictures from Bastar, more than 100 of them, can be seen through the following link:

001 4 Feb 2011 On The Road To Jagdalpur P2040015

Reasonably early start – didn’t get much writing up done. Off this morning to see the caves.

Jolly get several calls to say that we are in the state papers – he arranges copies for us. The Bastar Sun has a detailed article on the back page with all material details wrong…

…whereas The New India has a picture of both me and Daisy on the front page with less detail.

We were supposed to see Kailash caves, which are supposedly easy, but they are not open, so we go to Kotumsar cave instead, which, judging by the Bastar book, is a more interesting cave. It was a little tricky, but just a little.

Then to the Teerathgarh Falls or rapids (as Jolly calls them) where we meet lots of monkeys.

Picnic lunch in a rudimentary café (they don’t seem to mind) and then into town work out the meaning of cowrie (shells used as jewellery formerly used as currency and religious symbols) but the manager explained it to us at length. Yes, at length.

While this cowrie business was being explained to us (at length), the door attendant excitedly pointed out me and Daisy beaming out from the front page of The New India, so we discussed that at length as well.

We returned early. Ged ducked out of cricket in favour of reading up and some R&R before dinner.

Dinner comprises tomato soup, chicken steamed in bamboo, caullie, carrots, potatoes, rice, daal and roti. Raj keeps us company (whether we like it or not) and serves us his kheer (rice pudding), which Ged thinks would benefit from sweet spice but Raj and Daisy disagree. Jolly attended to his business and we furnish him with Nurofen later.

In addition to the Bastar album, linked above, there is a collection of over 200 photos from that part of the adventure that didn’t make the album, which can be seen at the link below:

More Bastar Visits; Nayannar (Bison Horn Maria People), Jagdalpur, Commentating On Interstate Cricket Match, Pamela Market & More, 6 February 2011

Our album of pictures from Bastar, more than 100 of them, can be seen through the following link:

I got up and out a bit earlier than Daisy this morning – did write-ups and took breakfast ahead of her.

Got away 8:30 to visit Nayanar, (speaking Halbe, Gondi and Bhatri). Bison Horn Maria village.

No school today – Sunday – but plenty of kids who enjoyed the skipping rope.

Then the tribal dance – older folk do the dancing in this tribe (no ghotul system) and so it is a slower, more sober affair (they’ll be drinking soon enough in the market).

The chief came out to welcome us and after the main dance & invited both of us to join the respective female and male roles – good photo fodder and we both seemed to amuse the locals.

After a stroll through the village we were all dressed up with no place to go – 11 o’clock in a place where the market gets going at 2:30 to 3 o’clock. We decided to go back to Jagdalpur.

Daisy donated Jolly’s skipping rope to the children, which was very kind of her/him.

A girl from the village has been feverish and sick for some time and a fever has returned so we agreed to take her to the local village hospital which turns out to be a rudimentary doctors clinic but better than the shamen stuff as she probably has typhoid or at least some form of dissentry. Uncle comes with her and touches Jolly for some money, which looks dodgy to me and turns out later, via Chetan (Jolly’s fixer) to be just that.

On to Jagdalpur.

First stop, The Palace, site of the Jagdalpur massacre in 1966 and home of Jolly’s cousin Hari. Hari isn’t there but we look around.

Then Jolly phones Hari to say we’ve been, only to find out that Hari was arriving home, so we have the whole thing explained to us again by Hari who seems very sweet.

Next stop the Rainbow Hotel, Bunty’s place. Primarily for toilet and refreshment (coconut water) but it transpires that Bunty’s restaurant overlooks the local cricket pitch and there is an Interstate 25 over match in progress.

Bunty suggested that I might help out with some commentary, which I thought was a joke, but it turns out they like English commentary and a semi-pro commentator is announcing away over the PA in immaculate English.

Soon enough there is a kerfuffle and I am told to get on the back of a motorcycle as my commentary stint is due to start very soon.

I am welcomed into the chair while the commentator quickly summarises the game so far, then the scorer keeps whispering the score and key facts to me.

Daisy is also biked around to join me.

Soon I’m in my stride, but towards the end of my five over stint I can hardly see what’s happening on the field of play as I’m surrounded by reporters and photographers.

When a wicket falls, I am two balls shy of my stint and I decide to handover (heck, I can’t see) and am then taken aside for interviews at length for the local TV cable network City Cable Jagdalpur & quizzed by some other reporters. Daisy is also interviewed. Tremendous fun.

My 15 minutes of fame as a cricket commentator has been reported separately on Ogblog – click here and was reported back in 2011 on King Cricket with predictably hilarious results in the comments section, click here or link below:

Interstate competition, Bhawaripatnam v Konta at Jagdalpur – match report

We say our goodbyes [to our new friends the cricket commentators and jourtrnalists] and walk back round to the hotel. Jolly is thrilled too.

We set off back towards the market, stopping at a Dhaba – Keslur Dhaba in Keslur – daal fry, chicken curry (half), tandoori roti.

Then on to the market, which is named Pamela market and is far more of a fun fair than a market. Cock fighting is the centrepiece. Stalls are mostly food and booze and the people are almost all very friendly, some drunkenly so!

Back through Jagdalpur, where we buy a couple more hard tennis balls and another skipping rope, +3 pairs of sandals for me. Then back to the resort late, but Jolly and the lads all seemed keen for a quick match.

Ged made a bad decision to field in a fading light game, but in any case Jolly and his team are much better today scoring 54 and Ged’s team manage a paultry 14. Jolly top scored with 30+.

Then some time to wash and change. Chicken supper (hot and sour soup to start) and Gulab Jamun desert.

Relatively early night. That had been some day.

In addition to the Bastar album, linked above, there is a collection of over 200 photos from that part of the adventure that didn’t make the album, which can be seen at the link below:

The Day I Was Press-ganged Into Becoming A Live Cricket Commentator, Jagdalpur, 6 February 2011

Strange things can happen when you travel in India but this event, from Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, in the central plains of India, must qualify as one of the strangest things that has happened to me in my entire life.

I reported this story at length on the King Cricket website, under my nom de plume, Ged Ladd. Janie and I have nicknamed each other Ged and Daisy for as long as anyone can remember. Click here or below for the story and further links.

Interstate competition, Bhawaripatnam v Konta at Jagdalpur – match report

If by any chance something goes awry with King Cricket site, the piece is scraped to Ogblog here.

Frankly, some of the comments are better than my report – it is worth reading for them. King Cricket can be like that.

Below are the two newspaper articles that appeared at the time. First up, the front page of New India:

Ameya from the King Cricket site has kindly translated the substance of the above article as follows:

The New India headline says ‘Bastar weather is great for cricket’. The article mentions you saying that Bastar has conducive weather for cricket. I’m assuming you were simply commenting on the weather that day.
Article goes on to say that you and Jenny (they get your names right for the most part, except you are Iaan) are foreign tourists, that you are cricket fans, that you encouraged players, and that you did commentary on the game ‘in English’.

Next up, the back page of the Bastar Sun, which got a great many of the material facts about the event wrong. I recall us having quite a laugh with Jolly about that article at the time. I shouted out to the King Cricket community, “perhaps someone now would care to translate it for us in full”…

…and Ameya kindly obliged with the following:

The Bastar Sun is where things get more interesting. The bold black font headline says ‘London’s John Harik does commentary’. The smaller red blurb says ‘Foreign player does commentary’.
You are John Harik and your ‘associate’ is Revis Harik. No mention of marriage or professional commentary anywhere. [apologies – that was my inaccurate recollection]
The article says you (cricket lover from London) and your associate were enjoying the match when the organisers spotted you and requested you to do commentary. You proceeded to ‘enjoy the responsibility’ for about an hour, and also chatted with and encouraged some senior players.
As for the match itself, Konta Chhattisgarh won the toss and chose to bat. After making 172/8 in their 25 overs, their seam bowlers were taken to the cleaners by Bhavanipatanam Orissa’s openers. While the spinners did apply some brakes, the match was over within 22.2 overs. Rinku top scored with 77(71). The writer was puzzled as to why Konta chose to bat first, to which one of their officials said that they didn’t want the pressure of a chase and wanted to set a high score.

Many thanks to Ameya for the translations.

If you want to see the pictures from our several days in the Bastar region of Chhattiisgarh, including the events described in this story, click here.

A Day In The Bastar Region; Kurandi, Chitrakote, Jagdalpur & Some Garden Cricket, 5 February 2011

Our album of pictures from Bastar, more than 100 of them, can be seen through the following link:

Slept much better indeed felt good this morning. Got up in the sunshine, then took breakfast in garden.

Went to local village first, Kurandi village. Ged forgot to leave the key and Daisy forgot her proper walking shoes, but Shyamlal went back and forth to sort those things out.

We visited the junior school and then the middle school – lots of photos and pens.

The small children’s teacher organised a drawing competition and presented Daisy with the best pictures. Senior girls sang us “We Shall Overcome” in English.

Umesh helped Jolly to guide us .

Then through Jagdalpur (museum unexpectedly closed). And then on to the Chitrakote waterfall. Also saw flying foxes in a tree.

Struggled to find a picnic spot but eventually found one about 10 to 15 km shy of Jagdalpur.

Then into Jagdalpur where we bought some kutar and pyjama (shalwar and camise) plus some balls for the cricket and skipping rope and a multi point.

Then back to base for cricket in the garden, using tree stumps as stumps.

Three matches of five-a-side, five overs per innings. Lots of fun. Shyamlal screaming like a banshee. Daisy taking lots of pictures.

Ged Ladd batting and bowling well. Personal highlights included getting Jolly out caught and bowled and a classical drive through extra cover for four.

I tried to tighten or even lose the third match by promoting Abhishek in the batting and bowling but he turned out to be a star player as did Gowardhan.

Jungle Formula only helped a little bit at that hour.

A more comprehensive report on the cricket has appeared separately, not least as a link to the MTWD match report of the fixtures – click here or below:

Middlesex Ged Ladds v Bastar Jolly Rogers, Garden Cricket At the Bastar Jungle Resort, 5 February 2011

Got ready for dinner and enjoy their meal in the open air restaurant – the centrepiece being duck, but perhaps the starturn was Raj (Sohit’s) Chinese style chicken soup.

A lovely day.

In addition to the Bastar album, linked above, there is a collection of over 200 photos from that part of the adventure that didn’t make the album, which can be seen at the link below:

Onwards To Bastar And Maria People, Chhattisgarh, 4 February 2011

Our album of pictures from Bastar, more than 100 of them, can be seen through the following link:

Sleep badly. Early rise and pack.

Breakfast with Tommy and Mona. Then latterly (after Daisy has retired) Michael and John.

Another interesting chat with Joe, settle bill, lengthy goodbyes (we are taking Jolly away from them all) and away.

First stop – arts and crafts factory/school/showroom at Kumhar Para, Kondagoan village (about half way to Jagdalpur)…

…the place Jolly and Joe originally had in mind for the Bastar property, but the cousin had his own ideas…

…we had a quick picnic lunch there. Daisy and Jolly tried rickshaw riding there.

Then on to a tribal village market, Nagarnar Market – Maria tribes this time – perhaps a little more primitive.

Took good pictures, although I wasn’t feeling great.

Then on to Bastar Jungle Resort – settled in. Tried to have a good nap. Drinks with Jolly and his business partner Bunty Jai.

Long wait in the increasing cold for a modest supper of chicken, rice, daal and cauliflower.

A party of 50+ were rather quietly dining in the main area which was a bit surreal. Their food was much hotter, we were told. Jolly ate a little, stating that he wasn’t too hungry this evening.

Early night, after chilling and trying to fall over in the mud!

In addition to the Bastar album, linked above, there is a collection of over 200 photos from that part of the adventure that didn’t make the album, which can be seen at the link below:

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