A Kummarapalli family

This is the second time I am meeting Aruna. It is the 28th of June 2008. She is lively, interested, welcoming inspite of the great language barrier. She can't understand a word of Tamil and I can't understand her Telugu.Her family consists of husband Chengal Rayudu, son Sai Dilli Mukesh and daughters Priyanya (Pinky) and Hima Bindu (kutty). It seems that middle class pet names even penetrated the village.

Kummarapalli is 10km from Yera Vari Paleyam, which is 45kms from Tirupathi. Chengal Rayudu works for the government and earns a salary of Rs 5000/ per month. Besides his modest house in the village, he owns a small mango orchard. The orchards are contracted out even before the flowers bloom, for a lump sum advance. The family gets to keep some mangoes for their own use, the rest being plucked transported and sold to commission agents by the contractor.
 The contractor, it seems, gets to make as much money as the orchard owners - what he brings to the table is much needed cash - most of the small landowners cannot wait till the fruit is ready for their money; neither can they afford the risk of a bad harvest. In a neighbouring village, there are better off farmers who do not contract out but sell their produce to the commission agents directly.

The family home consists of 2 rooms separated by a covered courtyard. The rooms are shared with sparrows and the resident hen. Goats and pet dogs walk the courtyard freely. In Kummarapalli, people live very close to animals. The family pointed out where three sets of sparrows have made their home in their dining room.


Mukesh has finsished his inter with 70% marks.He stayed in a hostel in Tirupati for 2 years to complete his intermediate. Now he wants to join an engineering college. He engages us in several discussions on what is the best course with the maximum "scope" - electronics and electrical, or C.S. or civil ... He also wants to know which degree will allow him to go abroad. Will he realize his dreams? Pinky has failed her 10th in a couple of subjects including maths. She is now studying to take the exams again. Though the village has electricity, families watch TV after dark and there is too much disturbance for children to study. Many children (including Pinky - see picture) come and study under a street lamp outside Abduls room. The family is progressive - it is educating all three children - the son and both daughters. The youngest daughter goes to a private school - travels by auto & bus. The local government school offers education up to the 5th and has only a single teacher who travels every day by bus from Tirupathi, over 50 kms away!. The teacher is also a resident of the village but has moved to Tirupathi as his children study there. The parents and children are very eager to learn english.

Aruna has represented the self help groups of a grouping of villages in that area. She has had to give up her job as her husband works in the same government department - that oversees the self help groups. But my hunch is that she is the power that moves the family.