GreenEarth Home

Padayatra 5th Feb - 11th Feb

The Padayatra begins on the 1st day of the new year, 2006. We are attempting to log the progress of the Padayatra everyday. There are, however,some difficulties in connecting due to some remote locations, as well as the 12 hr powercuts in the rural areas. We will be documenting various experiences and stories as we go along, in an attempt to create awareness amongst ourselves. If you would like to reach us, please write to grnearth@vsnl.com or if you want to reach Ranjit in the field, write to ranjitster@gmail.com

5Feb'06 - The Indian Caste System, So pronounced in rural India

What did you say your surname (last name) was? Ah, a Brahmin, or ah, a Maratha, or ah, a Dalit. What does it matter in today's times? But it's 'important' to know, especially in rural India.
The Indian caste system, as it is known today, was established centuries back, when the Aryans settled in the Indian subcontinent. Four classes were established. Here is an interesting way to describe it. Brahmins, who did the thinking and teaching associated with the head, Kshatriyas who fought and defended the lands associated with the hands, Vaishyas who went from place to place for trade associated with the legs and Shudras who cleaned and did the menial work associated with below the feet. Then castes were established within these classes according to their work. Marathas were the warriors, Mahars were the Shudras who cleaned, Matangs were also Shudras etc. Then there were the 12 Balutedars like the Shimpis (tailor), Chambhars (leather workers), Nhavis (barbers) etc. Then there were the nomadic tribes like the Banjaras and Vanjaras. The whole system was set up in those days according to the work that people did.
When the British were in India, they categorized the caste system in scheduled class (Mahars and Matangs), scheduled tribes (adivasis), nomadic tribes (Banjaras and Vanjaras) etc. The Indian government after independence inherited this categorization. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar wrote our constitution and gave reservations to the 'backward' classes, but only for fifteen years to give them a chance to improve economically. But as the years went by, this issue became a political one and the segregation of castes served as vote banks. The reservations continued. The Mandal commission in the eighties further segregated the Indian society providing for more reservations for different castes. Today the caste system remains in our society. A Mahar (now Buddha since they converted to Buddhism after Babasaheb Ambedkar) could be doctor or a poor Maratha woman could be cleaning or a Brahmin could be a trader. But yet, the caste system remains. And it is especially pronounced in rural India.
In rural India, some castes are Beti-Roti vyavahar, as in they eat together and also, marry their women in each other's families. Some are only Roti vyavahar, as in they only eat together. And most don't have any vyavahar. A major manifestation of the caste system is untouchability. The Shudras were considered untouchables, mostly because of the menial work that they did. Even today, in some villages, Mahars or Matangs are not allowed in say, a Maratha's home (in the picture). It's quite shocking!
When will we look at each other as one and the same? We are given this body for a short time in this world. We will be dust, the same dust as someone from another caste. So why do we care about castes. Is it so ingrained in our society that it will take years for us to realize that we are one and the same?

6Feb'06 - Women: Culture or exploitation?

Women are the pillars of society. The whole community revolves around a woman. Giving birth to our children, nourishing them, cooking for the family, cleaning the house, holding the family together, taking care of our old, working on the farm, the list is endless. The woman does all her chores from early morning to late night. She works for 16-18 hours a day. And she does it all silently. Is this our culture or is it our justification for their exploitation?
Little girls fill up water from the wells. They carry heavy loads of firewood. Some have to leave their school so can help their mothers at home. They get married off at an early age, so their fathers do not have to worry about them being molested or getting in trouble. After marriage, they bear their first child within a year. By 22, the girl is already a mother of three. She is expected to take care of the house, respect the men of the house. The mother-in-law makes sure that happens, because she went through the same thing when she was young. The woman despite of working hard is susceptible to domestic violence. She is not allowed to take part in village governance. Even though the gram panchayat has reservations for women on its panel, the women are there for namesake. Their husbands, brothers or sons take care of business, because they simply do not get the time off from the household chores, nor are they empowered to take active part in the governance. The government is pushing for women self help groups and creating reservations for them in the government to empower women. But our culture is still holding them down.
What kind of culture is this, where women who are the cornerstone of our society are treated in this manner? When will we have equality amongst sexes? By equality, I do not mean that women should be able to do all the work that men can and vice versa, what the pseudo equality movement says. By equality, I mean equal respect for women, distribution of chores and responsibilities, and equal empowerment of women so they can take important decisions for our communities and society.

7Feb'06 - Dialogue with a farmer

Passing through a village, we came across a farmer, Dashrath Mulguri. "Kay dad, kuthe nighalat? Sabhe la yenaar nahi ka?" (Brother, where are you going? Aren't you coming to the meeting?) We asked. He was going in the opposite direction of the meeting. "Kay sahib, kay milnaar ahe? Tumhi yenaar ani janaar." (Sir, what are we going to get? You will come and you will go.) Such is the outlook of the villagers.
He said, outsiders come and preach the villagers and when it comes to take any action, they disappear. Nobody really cares for the farmers. Politicians come with promises, but only expect votes. Farmers are being crushed from all sides. They are being duped by seed and fertilizer companies. Fake seeds in the market make them lose their season. When the farmer complains, the shopkeeper refuses to sell him the next time.
He planted cotton last season. The government federation buys cotton from the farmers at a fixed rate. But there is complete corruption in the process. He is expected to pay a bribe to the grader so his cotton is graded correctly. An extra fee applies if his cart has to come ahead of the line. The government does not pay the farmer immediately, but after a few months. There again he has to pay a bribe to cash the check.
Many people come to the village in the name of development but everyone has vested interests, some political, some economic.
Talking with him got us a glimpse in his world. We listened, we tried to stand in his shoes to really get him. He opened up and listened to us. He got that we were here to listen and learn and really make a difference. By the end of the chat, his attitude towards us completely reversed and he walked for 5 miles with us till the next village. This is the kind of transformation we want to create. We want to install this belief in people that they can come together and make a difference. We want to start a movement of the people, by the people and for the people.

8Feb'06 - The role of Anganwadi in village development

Anganwadi is a crèche in a village for children from 3-6 yrs to monitor their health and provide pre-primary education and recreation. In addition to this, Anganwadi is much more to a village.
It is run by a Sevika (service provider). The Sevika has a Madatnis (helper) to help her.
Children from 3-6 years of age go to the Anganwadi. They get their pre-primary education through the medium of classes, songs and recreational activities. The children are provided with meals cooked by the Madatnis. Each meal is of 50 gms and consists of matki (pulse), khichadi (dal rice), peas etc. This ensures that the children get good healthy food, so important for their growth. Children from 0-3 yrs also get their meals in the Anganwadi and their mothers have to collect them. The children are weighed and graded according to a UNICEF chart to determine their malnutrition level if any.
The Sevika and Madatnis monitor the health of pregnant women and provide them with nutritious meals every day from 3 months till the delivery of the child. Young girls from 13-18 yrs that are malnourished are also provided with nutritious meals.
The Anganwadi Sevika is the first one to inform the village about vaccination and health camps, as well as health workshops for women.
The Sevika and Madatnis conduct regular surveys in the village. Their reach goes to every house in the village. They maintain data about the number of families, weight and malnutrition grades for children under 6 yrs, child deaths, birth details, population, widows, divorced women, Below Poverty Line (BPL) families etc.
The Anganwadi Sevika is responsible for forming women self help groups for BPL women.
Anganwadi plays a very important role in village development. Women and children are the weakest sections, but are also the pillars of society. From tiny toddlers to adults, these two Anganwadi women with their deep reach have the power to bring about transformation.

9Feb'06 - The Wadars who build our roads

Have you seen a poor lady with a hammer breaking rocks by a roadside? Have you ever stopped and looked at a young kid on a heap of rocks, chipping away at the big black rocks? Have you ever wondered what their hands look like? Where do they come from? What kind of a life they lead?
The hard manual work of breaking rocks for building roads and other manual labor on construction sites has been embraced by the Wadar community for years. We got a chance to get a glimpse of their life in a village called Gaul Bazaar.
Wadars have their roots in Andhra Pradesh and speak a dialect of Telugu. There were about 10 houses in the Wadar 'vasti' or area, with about 10-15 people in each house. Most of the people did not have land. Most of them migrate to big cities like Mumbai or Pune for work on construction and road sites, usually for breaking rocks. They usually have a contact in the city who directs them to work sites. There they earn relatively more money than what a farm laborer would get in a village. Of course, cost of living in the city is also high. They save money by living in cheap housing on the construction sites. Lack of access to healthcare in the cities and living in despicable conditions on the work sites, the women and children suffer the most. Child deaths are common when they are in the cities. We talked to woman who had just lost her 3 year old son a month back. Another had lost two of her children a few years back. Children quit school early. Two of the boys were studying in 11th grade, not quite the norm. However, they explained, they would still end up working on construction sites. They were studying so they can help there community in transactions and make sure no one gets duped.
Alcoholism is quite the norm. There were four 'hathbhattis' or distilleries that produced alcohol from 'Mahua' flowers. Looking from their perspective, after a hard day's work and I mean really hard, a little alcohol helps soothe their pain. But then, some get carried too far. Niranjan, a 14 year old boy studying in grade 7th, was a sharp guy. He could solve 981/9 without using any paper. When asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, he said he wanted to be a policeman. He wanted to stop alcoholism His father was an alcoholic and was wasting away!
Injuries on construction sites are common. Narayan (in the picture) hurt his hand in a accident, as well as lost one of eyes in another.
The community is not involved with other communities in the village at all. Their feelings were that all they get from the village is water. The dominant communities in the village do not care for them. In their own villages, they are not accepted, and in the cities, city folk do not even look at them. All forms of work are equal in stature, and every person should be respected with dignity. Next time, stop by the person working by the roadside, talk to them about their lives, accept them. They are humans. Are we?

10Feb'06 - Story of a poor Dalit woman

Indubai Damodar Pailrao. Widow. Dalit. Age 40-45 years. The scene is a small hut. There is hardly anything in the hut. A sack of blackened jowar was spread out in the sun to kill the germs. Indubai's daughter was sitting with her baby, eating a small jowar roti (in the picture). A scene of haplessness.
Indubai lost her husband about 11 yrs back. She has two sons and two daughters. One of her daughters is married and has a baby. The older son went to college till first year, but he is blind in one eye and had to quit because of his circumstances. The younger daughter is in eight grade and son in sixth. She has been a laborer since her husband died. The rate for a woman laborer is Rs 20/day for a whole day's work. She gets work anywhere from 2 to 4 days a week. A quick calculation suggests that she earns around Rs 300 a month. Rs 300/month to raise a family of four! Jowar costs Rs 5/kg, which she can't afford. So she buys blackened low grade jowar for Rs 2.50/kg. The house needs about 15 kg/week, that's about 60 kg/month. That costs Rs 150/month. That means she spends half her earnings on just bread! What about vegetables or health care costs?
She had received a house through the 'Gharkul' government scheme. But since the house was located on the outskirts of the village, she refused to stay there with her two daughters. The villager folks don't care for her. She has no voice in the village. Yet living in such dire conditions, she proudly says that she has never let her children beg. Such are the marginalized people, living on the edge, the first ones affected by drought.

11Feb'06 - History in our villages, no one to take care of it

India has a rich history and a very old one. It is witness to the rise and fall of great civilizations. Art and architecture flourished in every corner at some time or the other. Passing through the villages, one comes across pockets of brilliance. Some have small old forts of a land lord, while others have beautifully carved stone temples. One of the amazing sites we came across was in Sheur. A group of 4-5 caves lie exposed near the village. Beautifully carved figures on its stone walls speak of a history, centuries back. These sites need to be protected and restored. They are weathering away with time, with no budget to take care of them. These sites that do not come under the Archeological Department of India are getting lost and forgotten as the years go by. How should be preserve our history?