Sookha Karar in Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh attracts a steady stream of visitors though the village is no less than six kilometres away from the famous Sanchi stupas. Home to 300 families of the gypsy ‘Bedia’ community, its primary attraction lies in the lust for flesh.
Considered a redlight village where many women have been traditionally engaged in prostitution, infamy has been part of Sookha Karar’s existence, which it now is desperately trying to shed.
Thanks to an initiative by a social activist and his non-governmental organisation – Guria Foundation – children of the village are getting a chance to take a shot at sports and chart out a different career.
Green shoots of change
Many children are excelling. Currently coached in sports such as kabaddi, volleyball, kho-kho, and even water sports like canoeing, several have broken into the top league and won laurels.
For example, in kabaddi, some eight of the 12 players representing the under-18-Raisen district team are from Sookha Karar. The village team has also participated in district-level tournaments such as the Chief Minister’s Cup, besides winning the Vidhyayak Cup – a district-level competition where all panchayats of an assembly constituency participate.
More still, four girls from the village have been selected for admission to the Madhya Pradesh Water Sports Academy. Here, they are undergoing training in canoeing and sailing.
The promising start notwithstanding, a long and arduous journey awaits the children. For one, Sookha Karar has not put its past entirely behind it. While the number of those engaged in prostitution in the village has significantly declined, there are still some who continue to be in the profession – charging some rupees 500 to rupees 1000 for providing carnal pleasure. Further, the children are yet to totally break free of the stereotyping that their ‘notorious’ village thrust upon them.
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However, the green shoots of change are visible in the fields of Sookha Kharar as scores of children converge to play various sports and hone their skills every day.
Much of the credit for the transformation is given to one Ajeet Singh from Benares.
“It was in the 1990s that he came and built a small campus on behalf of his Guria Foundation. It set the ball rolling,” pointed out Arvind Lavariya, sarpanch of the local panchayat.
Bigger dreams ahead
Over the years, others have joined in – including the administration – making the initiative to popularise sports among children of Sookha Karar more of a movement. The Madhya Pradesh Sports and Youth Welfare department has chipped in, providing kabaddi mats worth lakhs and kits for children playing kabaddi.
Bhanu Pratap Yadav, a coach employed with the department and in charge of sports for Sanchi block, has been impressed with what has been unfolding in Sookha Karar.
“There was a sea of children awaiting sports here. Upon learning about their commitment to change, I dedicated myself too,” he said.
As a block coordinator, Bhanu Yadav is responsible for 83 panchayats and some 200 villages. But Sookha Karar occupies a prime spot in his scheme of things.
The collective hard work has begun to pay. One girl from the village has bagged a silver medal in sailing at the Khelo India University Games.
While kabaddi remains at the core of sports activity in Sookha Karar, attention is being paid to other faculties as well. “We will be opening up newer opportunities,” Bhanu Yadav added.
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Residents of the village sound optimistic. “People are aware of our dark side, but they also ought to know about the new wave that has occurred,” pointed out a woman who cannot be identified because of her profession.
Sookha Karar has clearly set its sight on turning a new leaf, becoming the state’s sports village.
The lead image at the top shows Routine sights of girls vs boys kabaddi match at Sookha Karar (Photo by Pranay Tripathi)
Pranay Tripathi, an Indore-based upcoming filmmaker and a Rural Media Fellow 2022 at Youth Hub, Village Square.
