A village fire is no big news. But the one that broke out in Malana, an ancient village in Himachal Pradesh, was an exception because of the village’s unique historical value.
The village is special because of its residents, considered to be the descendants of Greek soldiers who accompanied Alexander the Great, in his attempt to conquest India, after he had already routed most Persian and Arab nations.
The village is unique as most houses here are made of teak and deodar wood. And the fire damaged a historical heritage besides playing havoc with life and property.
WHY MALANA IS UNIQUE
It is also known as ‘The Stoner’s Paradise’ due to its famous Malana cream which is the world’s best quality hash. Apart from tourism, this is one of the main sources of the villagers’ income.
Residents of this village speak a unique language called Kanashi, have Mediterranean features, and practice one of the oldest democratic systems in the world. No outsider is allowed to touch any villager or their properties, otherwise he or she will be liable for a fine of Rs. 3500.
Although this village is a beautiful tourist spot, no tourist is allowed to stay in the village. They also have their own legal system such as village panchayat in place, and it is said that if someone wants the help of police, then he or she has to pay a fine.
THE FIRE
The fire broke out in the village at 1.30 am and soon spread to a dozen houses made of wood. A disaster management official said, “Sixteen houses were gutted and around 150 people were rendered homeless in the incident “
Residents tried to douse the flames on their own since it was not possible for fire tenders to reach the village as there’s no road connectivity.
ITBP Babeli, fire team and home guard team were also rushed to the spot for rescue operations. But, by the time they could bring the raging fire under control, it had already inflicted irreparable damage to the unique Greek village in India.
Take of Chief Minister
Chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, Mr. Jairam Thakur, visited the site in the month of November and became the first CM who reached this mysterious remote village.
The CM also announced Rs.1 crore to build a new road and also directed PWD to complete the work within 6 months. Apart from this, he also announced Rs. 40000 for each of the victims under MNREGA and Rs. 25000for families whose houses were gutted completely and Rs. 10000 to those whose house was damaged partially.
“A better road will be built to the village, which will not only boost tourism but also help develop the village. The villagers should preserve the rich cultural heritage and motivate the younger generation to feel proud of their culture,” the CM declared.
THE LESSONS
The Malana incident has imparted important lessons to people living in the hills. First being the need to construct water storage tanks at higher reaches, fed by perennial sources, to control fire disasters in congested villages having wooden houses.
Besides this, awareness should be spread among the villagers to change conventional means of stacking firewood and fodder. Low quality electrical fittings and appliances should be avoided to prevent further fire mishaps, say rural planning experts.
IFS officer Aishwarya Raj, who is also Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests, Parvati Valley, said, “Our team has visited the site in Malana Village and assessed the damage and requirements of people for rebuilding their houses through timber distribution of salvage trees for homes, so that some of the scars can heal.”
Personal scars of the villagers might heal with time, but the damage done to the village of historical importance might be permanent.
