Salt, one of the key ingredient of our food habits has always played a significant role in the history of mankind.In the ancient world, salt was not an easily available commodity.Wars were fought for salt.Slaves were traded for salt.In some cultures, offering salt and bread to the visitors is considered as a sign of hospitality.Salt is associated with “faithfulness” and “loyalty”.The word “Salary” is derived from the Latin word for salt.
The sacred text Manu Smriti prohibits trading of salt (as a control measure to make them available for everyone).Mahatma Gandhi used Salt to bring the much-needed focus for freedom struggle.Gandhi’s Salt Satyagraha against salt-tax and monopoly of British took the freedom struggle to masses and created a needed attention across the world for India’s Independence.
In India, Rann of Kutch (in Gujarat) alone feeds 70% of country’s demand.Yet this is a hot, arid place,high alkaline and one of the inhospitable terrain.This photo series documents the salt mining in Rann of Kutch.
The sacred text Manu Smriti prohibits trading of salt (as a control measure to make them available for everyone).Mahatma Gandhi used Salt to bring the much-needed focus for freedom struggle.Gandhi’s Salt Satyagraha against salt-tax and monopoly of British took the freedom struggle to masses and created a needed attention across the world for India’s Independence.
In India, Rann of Kutch (in Gujarat) alone feeds 70% of country’s demand.Yet this is a hot, arid place,high alkaline and one of the inhospitable terrain.This photo series documents the salt mining in Rann of Kutch.
The word “rann” mean desert(in Hindi).This place is one of the hottest place in India(temperature goes upto 50 deg C in summer)
This inhospitable place extends itself between India and Pakistan as a physical barrier.
Apart from salt,this place is also rich in natural gas.
During monsoon(late june till october),this land is flooded with seasonal rain and river drains.After the monsoon,salt cultivation starts.It is a seasonal activity,starting from october and ends in June.Typically,the cultivation activites are started after Janmashatami(Lord Krishna’s birthday)
It's a challenging way of life for most,to survive without out any essential amenities of the civil society.The houses don’t have electricity , neither medical support or Medical insurance.Long exposure to salt brings adverse effects on skin and eyes.
Very few,do have satellite TVs powered by solar panels.
Very few,do have satellite TVs powered by solar panels.
Some could afford for solar panels for power generation
In this nine months,typically they are out of reach of civil society.With advent of mobile, communication with rest of the world has become easier.Some do have motor bikes- for traversing across desert to reach the civil land
This land belongs to the government , leased to traditional families.The ground water here is ten times saltier than sea water, which is pumped out using bores and then filled into small fields of about 25 by 25 meters
Diesel is needed to run the motor to pump salt water from well(dug by cultivators).This cost is borne by the cultivators
The cultivation work is always carried by specific group(read caste) ,who are doing this work for many generations.The families(including children) settle in the desert for nine months and carry the cultivation work. The significant part of the year is spent in the inhospitable terrain.Even children do spend their days only in the desert,helping/working with their family
Government provides drinking water for free of cost.
The terrain is one of the inhospitable place to survive.After 8 AM,the temperature rises to 35-45 deg C .Yet,the hospitality extended by the families are overwhelming and warming.We had a fantastic time with one of the families – Ram singh ,his wife Ruki ben and his son Rajini. Here Ruki Ben is preparing Bajra roti for us
The first salt harvest takes around 4 weeks of time and subsequent harvest happens in two weeks.Typically,10 to 15 quintal is harvested in two weeks by every family.The salt is sold at Rs.0.18 per Kilogram to government and private sector factories for further processing
Besides poverty,biggest long-term problems are lack of education and medical facilities
With children spending nine months of a year in the desert,they don’t have any access to schooling. One more generation passing without education is a tragic state of affairs.
