Tucked away in a far corner of Andheri in the western suburb of Mumbai, the fishing village at Versova is witnessing a silent revolution — education is slowly phasing out fishing nets.After being ignored for years, education has now emerged as the new mantra for the Generation Next of Kolis, the fishing community, who are steadily and willingly moving away from their traditional source of livelihood.And in their pursuit of various degrees, Koli children are leaving their picturesque fishing village for cities. Some, like Pritam Bhave, have even crossed the ocean, opting for higher studies in the United States. There are many others who are pursuing their dreams in the Gulf countries.With the boys shying away from entering the deep seas, the onus of keeping alive the trade of their forefathers is on the girls now. So, conservative in-laws are now encouraging their educated daughters-in-law to enter the trade. And slowly, families are teaching their daughters the intricacies of fishing — breaking new ground among the eight lakh strong Koli population in and around Mumbai.There is another change, one that is more evident. With increasing prosperity, the landscape has metamorphosed from the traditional mud-plastered houses with thatched roofs and quaint porches to huge ugly cement structures.And to keep in step with the growing aspirations of his children, there are many Koli elders like 55-year-old Haresh Laxman Bhanji, who have relegated the trademark colourful triangular-shaped lungi, bandi and headgear to festival gear, opting for the not-so-familiar trousers and shirt. ‘‘The lungi was a sign of our free spirit. What we wear now is a trap placed by the new ideals of our children,’’ says Bhanji, staring at the cement floor of his three-storeyed house.‘‘We lived in mud houses with smaller rooms. We were happier and the mud floor on which we slept was a constant reminder of our roots. These cement structures are hard beneath the feet and have given extra wings to our children,’’ he adds. His children, Vishal (MSc, Fisheries) and Deepak (BSc, Chemistry) just laugh. Both the sons plan to go abroad for further studies.Vishal, perhaps, voices the feelings of his generation when he compares the stretch of sea facing his hope to ‘‘a pond with small fish’’.Education has also brought a burden of debts — study loans, computer loans. The youth spend more time on their PCs at home, surfing the net, chatting online or playing computer games. Their fathers surf the waves, trying to net some fish.The change hasn’t left the womenfolk untouched either. Considered one of the richest fishing villages in Mumbai, women in Versova traditionally invested in gold. Now, they all have their own bank accounts.Caught in the wave of changes, the weather-beaten faces of the elders display their fear that they will be nobody left to fish in the deep seas in the years to come.
