Thisplace: A narrative on the forced displacement of an indigenous community

THISPLACE
A narrative on the forced displacement of an indigenous community
Reshma Issac

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Part 1
Through a quaint and breezy valley,
a river flows...
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This is the best spot for hunting! This
valley... it is blessed by the gods that
reside in these hills
Come, follow me
and we will get
closer to the hills
Best spot huh? For
an engineering marvel
perhaps? Looks like
we hit a jackpot!
It sure does...
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GASP!!
Sighhh. That was one
terrible nightmare.
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Getting tired of the nightmares. I hope I don’t have to wake up to anymore of them
I must go to father’s work site today to take my mind off of things. After all, he
is incharge of a project everyone goes around calling a “marvel of engineering” or
whatever!
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Later that day.
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Hm, not bad for a
marvel of engineering,
if I do say so myself I
guess?
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A firefly? Here?!
Hey! Wait!!
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Gotchya!
Almost!!
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Huh? Is that an idol? A
totem? What is it doing
here? In the middle of
nowhere??
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GASP!
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Huh? Am I seeing things??
I must have hit my head!
I am definitely seeing
things..
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This is magical! Is this
all really real?
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It is, indeed, all real.
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This forest is sacred...
And I am but one of the
many gaurdian spirits that
reside here.
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I guard the fragile balance
of the happenings here.
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I watch over every thing that breathes, and walks, and depends on the forest.
Every being, even your kind!
My kind? In the forest?
Yes! Look! They made the forest their home a long time ago and live in harmony
with her
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Sigh...
You seem worried, dear one.
Well.. This only means one
thing now, doen’t it?
It never just means ‘one’ thin--
...That the dam is going to
submerge the forest... I have to
do something about it!
I NEED TO!
I need to...
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Part 2
A leap in time
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The next day.
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Dad, there is
something that’s
bothering me...
Something I need
to talk to you
about
What is it darling?
Dad, it’s about your
project... Do you
really have to do it?
You do realise it is
bad for the forest
and the life in it! Why
must you do it??
I’m sure you
realise its not as
simple as you put
it. And I can’t do
much about it
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I HAVE to take this
upon myself. Let’s
see... I have to find
that forest spirit
first.
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There it is! That
sculpture!
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Where am I? What is this
place?!
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Do not worry, dear one. It is I, the
spirit of the forest.
What you are about to see is a
foreshadowing of what is to come
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An untimely flood...
And an exodus
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New unknowns
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An uncertain future for many
Unavoidable too...
No...
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No!
This can’t be...
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But not all hope is lost
You give me hope, dear one
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What you possess is a gift that’s
becoming ever rarer. Compassion.
With compassion you will move the
world to a better place. It will happen.
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