Tuesday 24 May 2011
Social change at grassroots
NGO
Sanchaya Nele, an Anekal-based NGO, works towards integrating
marginalised communities into the mainstream and creating awareness on
their social entitlements such as ration cards, land titles and
scholarships, writes Pushpa Achanta
In the spotlight: Sanchaya Nele highlights gender and caste issues
through theatre performances. Sanchaya Nele is an NGO based in Anekal
taluk of Bangalore urban district that goes beyond merely helping
marginalised communities like Dalits, adivasis and minorities in daily
survival. It creates awareness on fundamental rights and guides
residents of the village in securing social entitlements like ration
cards, land titles, pension, scholarships and opposing discrimination.
Further, it exposes typically excluded groups to the functioning of
local governance structures and pertinent legislations. Sanchaya Nele
also grooms women and youth from financially backward Dalit families
to become community and government leaders.
The beginnings
Dalits constitute around 60 per cent of the population in Anekal
taluk. However, they are regularly subjected to abuse. Also, most
Dalits there lack education and many of them are bonded labourers
making assertion of rights more difficult. Adivasis and other
minorities are equally or more marginalised. Women of all communities
additionally encounter gender violence and discrimination, within the
family and outside.
"In spite of the above situation, neither the government nor any local
social welfare organisation, defended the civil liberties of various
marginalised people effectively," points out Yashodha P, Sanchaya
Nele's young co-founder and director. Consequently, she and other
youth active in various national social justice movements, created
Sanchaya Nele in 2004.
They started reaching out to traditionally excluded individuals and
groups in 32 villages in Sarjapura hobli in Anekal taluk. In each
village, the organisation's representatives initiated weekly meetings
with people from affected communities. There, the participants were
encouraged to highlight their main problems. During these discussions,
rural residents complained of a lack of access to basic amenities such
as water, electricity, sanitation and roads. In some cases, the
villages did not have these facilities. In others, people from
dominant castes were preventing Dalits from utilising common public
infrastructure. Further, many Dalits and adivasis in Anekal either did
not have family ration cards, voter identification, caste certificates
or were unaware of how to obtain these documents. Additionally, some
did not know the various schemes with regard to land, jobs, pensions
and scholarships which the government had introduced specifically for
Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), the official term
used to refer to Dalits and adivasis. But the villagers in the taluk
had no drive or courage to persuade the government to ensure that they
received their basic entitlements.
Activities and successes
"It was evident that most of the Dalits and adivasis in Anekal taluk
accepted their status quo. Generations of our community have undergone
severe oppression and segregation. But only some of us are willing to
speak out against it and attempt to change the scenario," said Gopi, a
Dalit youth who has worked with Sanchaya Nele for four years.
Other staff members like Savitramma and Ambika, and volunteers of the
organisation are also from such communities. Through regular meetings,
they built up collectives of 20-30 women and youth in more than 100
villages across the taluk including other hoblis namely Jigani, Kasaba
and Athibele. Detailed consultations with the affected communities in
the village and area-level meetings showed that awareness programmes
on the relevant welfare schemes were essential. Also, village
residents needed assistance in completing and submitting the requisite
application forms and reminding the relevant government agencies at
the taluk and district level.
Through repeated knowledge sharing sessions and practical experiences,
Dalits and other marginalised people in Anekal are now able to avail
their benefits.
Around a 1,000 senior citizens, five hundred widows and disabled
persons have started getting their monthly pension successfully. Poor
women are receiving government loans for buying cows or are being
granted land for housing and livelihood. The few Dalit and adivasi
families with small lands and necessary records are securing formal
land titles although this is cumbersome. Those with dry land have
learnt about the provision for free borewells under the Ganga Kalyana
Yojana. About 20 villages in the taluk have obtained government grants
for construction of houses through the Ashraya Yojane, public toilets
and electricity under the Bhagyajyothi scheme. Economically backward
residents have secured baby care kits for newborns, maternity benefit
for neo-natals and Bhagyalakshmi scheme for girls among other
entitlements although the implementation of the last is not
streamlined.
Through street theatre campaigns in village squares, Sanchaya Nele
highlights the importance of educating children, especially girls, and
the drawbacks of early marriage.
The organisation also encourages small savings through women's
sanghas. Further, the NGO urges marginalised communities to monitor
the functioning of government schools, primary health centres and fair
price shops and report discrepancies. Gradually, the Dalits and
adivasis of Anekal are uniting with Sanchaya Nele staff and volunteers
to demand reliable public services.
Trained in laws
Sanchaya Nele trains its staff and volunteers on the SC/ST Act, RTI
Act, MGNREGA, Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act and rural
governance set-ups. Village collectives also learn to provide
immediate medical aid and temporary shelter to domestic violence
victims and counsel their families, particularly men. The
organisation's staff provide legal assistance through experienced
professionals. Being familiar with the legislations, they pressurise
the district or state administration (as applicable) to obtain
compensation and justice for the survivors of caste or gender
atrocities.
"Two financially challenged Dalit women from Anekal taluk won the 2010
Karnataka Gram Panchayat elections with the backing of the
marginalised communities and outside support from Sanchaya Nele. They
have demonstrated that many more are joining our relentless struggle,"
Yashodha sums up.
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