The past is past, future is bleak, present is golden because their search is for gold...
But, ironically, their lives are harder than iron. Half their age is lost in hunting for gold in soil. But their hands are soiled in poverty.

Over 40 families of a nomadic tribe have landed on the banks of Varada river that flows across Banavasi in the Sirsi taluk of Uttara Kannada district. The aim of the tribe that has been camping on the river bank for over two months now is to find gold in the sand from the river basin. They patiently filter the sand and sell the black mud to goldsmiths for their livelihood.

Six-year-old Gouri may be unable to read or write, but is an expert in tracing out the black mud which may contain gold. She attends school only when her parents go back to their native place while she spends the rest of her time collecting black mud on river basins far and wide.

These nomads, numbering over 100, dig up the earth from morning till evening and collect the black soil. The filtering of sand is a complex process which would give them only a scoop full of black soil at the end of the day.
They move from one river basin to another to collect the black soil. They have landed on the banks of Varada river since the river dries up in the month of March.

This year, unfortunately, the untimely rain spoilt their chance of earning their daily bread. They were able to sell a gram of black soil only at Rs 30-40. Since the river is now flowing and the basin is filled with water, they are deprived of their daily bread.

Ramamurthy, Maniyappa, Rajendrappa, Shantamma, Sarojamma and the rest of their tribe stare at the river, thinking of their future, as they do not have any other work in hand. Ramamurthy says their daily bread can be earned only if agriculturists around give them an opportunity to work in their fields. If not, they will have to migrate to other river basins within the State or outside.

These nomads are originally from Tamilnadu but have now settled in Shimoga and other villages like Holenuru, Gajanuru and Lakkolli. They have their names in the voters' list but do not get an opportunity to work since they are out of their homes, in search of gold, most of the times. The names of their children are registered in schools, but they hardly go to school, again for the same reason cited above.

Though these nomads rue the fact that their nomadic way of life has come in the way of their children’s education, they also admit that it’s inevitable. At the same time, they gratefully acknowledge the sympathy of the people of Banavasi.