Day 55-57 : That little bird is watching from the cave..

Since Devghali beach has found a sudden attention, the seagulls have left their breeding spots in search of quieter rocks. The black basalt, painted with white shit of seagulls and other birds, sits here in quiet, expecting a return of its beloved friends. These birds would speak with the rocks, reminding them that they were not alone. This rocky range knew nothing about humans. They thrived in absence of human intervention. Even our recent ancestors came here only to see the wondrous creations of nature. They aptly named a cave within the rocky patches, as Devghal (God’s formation). They stayed away from it for the most part. They knew that birds nested in this cave. For them this place was sacred.

During the covid era, a barrage of instagram and youtube influencers marched on this beach— making videos and uploading them on social media, giving it unwanted attraction. This brought roads, government intervention, tourists and plastic, lots of it! The bird nesting in the cave wondered what had destroyed its breeding ground. It then remembered a bird-like thing that flew in the air, directed by a human. Ever since that bird (drone) flew over their cave, their days weren’t quiet. Steps were built to bring humans to this shore.

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These structures disturbed the laterite which was steadily eroding for millions of years, speeding up its process. The influencers didn’t just bring people, their influence brought plastic and beer bottles. Each rock now carried on its head thorns made out of broken beer bottles. Man, out of pride of his victory over nature, broke these glass bottles on each laterite where he sat. The blooded laterite, which had otherwise turned black due to millions of years of rain exposure, now turned blood red.

Each day tourists come here in search of that “perfect picture”. They can’t get enough of it, thus they bring their agents. Disappointed, they leave when they realise that most of the sea facing land is already sold off. Who bought it they ask? This or that ministers aide, some villager says. The bird watches from its cave while the land shifts owners. The rocks waiting patiently near the sea, now separated from their long lost brothers on the top of the hill, weep alone. They try to remind their brothers, that they too are going to be engulfed by the sea someday, but their brothers trust the cunning man who promises them a throne of industries, cement concrete buildings and resorts. They tell them tales of men who have swept to their shore. They tell them that man too is finite. He too shall die someday. Yet the ambitions of man overpower their brothers’ wisdom. The butterflies, the tiny little birds, hover over the edges of these flat lands, knowing very well that they are not invited anymore. Their days are already numbered.

Man doesn’t understand that there is a place for that rock and that bird too. Moving ahead from hunting- gathering, to this era where his control spans almost everywhere, he has created an environment that doesn’t help anyone but his ego. That bird watching from the cave will someday bring its offspring to taste the sweet taste of mango. Little does she know that man has already sprayed a dozen layers of chemicals/fungicides/pesticides which will not only strangle this little bird, but also his own children. The bees knew this a decade ago. They have since stopped breeding.

That little bird watches. She is still hopeful that man, the most intelligent creature on earth, will be conscientious enough to try to look beyond his image. She hopes that someday her breeding grounds will be left alone. She hopes that man will realise his mistakes and her offspring will once again know the sweet taste of that mango she ate as a child. Man needs to think differently. Change can’t occur by bulldozing every other species. It can’t occur by flattening the surfaces. Change occurs when your heart gets softened, when you learn to coexist. When you not only think of your son but also that baby bird who is now dependent on your mercy. Change will occur when man will learn to forgive.

Millions of people are watching a handful people, who are unconsciously destroying this beautiful coastline. We have called it Konkan, but what does that little bird sitting inside the cave know about Konkan? To her it was the breeding spot passed on by her ancestors. Will we ever think of her?

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The idea of this walk is to highlight the issues, spread an ecological conscience within the people, listen to them and bring them together to see if we can bring about a change that can move towards a future that aids people rather than pushes them away from their homeland.

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