More than 500 women reached Lucknow either late evening or early in the morning. They were representing exactly 80,346 women from 36 Blocks and over 660 Gram Panchayats of Uttar Pradesh. After working for more than 4 years in their respective villages and blocks, they now had enough "rehearsal of the revolution" as Sanjoy Ganguly of Janasanskriti (www.janasanskriti.org) puts it! They now wanted the new state government to share their dreams. Their dreams of a new society where the basic rights of poor women are fulfilled.
In Kismati's words, " We are quite confident of being able to tackle the issues of non-implementation of MNREGA (100 days' work) and Public Distribution Systems (PDS) till teh district level. Four years of intense engagement has at least gave us that much confidence. But, we have also learnt that many things move from Lucknow and we are here to move those otherwise unmovable wheels". In Uttar Pradesh, the average number of days achieved in the financial year 2011-2012 under MNREGA till February 2012 was 32.5 days whereas the average number of days that the women of Nari Sangh achieved was 69 days in the same period. This is 8 days lower than their achievement last year. State elections in Uttar Pradesh has seriously affected implementation of MNREGA in this financial year. 
Public Distribution System has been more consistent in its irregularities, on the other hand. Hence, the leaders of Nari Sangh were more prepared to handle these. Anarsi said, "We use the PDS helpline number and also keep the number of officers of Civil Supplies' department handy. When denied proper quantities we ask the ration dealer to dial the number for us and let us ask if the quantity that he is offering us is the quantity that has been allocated. Generally, this does the trick." Nanki on the other hand delved deeper while addressing the State Minister for Food and Civil Supplies. She asked, why the ration dealer had to visit block or district go-downs to get ration? Why does he have to pay for the transport when the government is supposed to deliver it at his doorstep? She tried hard to swallow the sarcasm, "I am sure the government is not expecting him to pay the bribe or the transport from his pocket! It is us, poor people who will always have to bear it". "We have come here to reclaim the rights that are ours by the Constitution of India. We want nothing more than what governments say we should get." She thumped the table! "And we will make sure we get that!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXUAwJ8xkbA
The event got its due share of media attention.The State Minister of Food and Civil Supplies and Minister, Rural Development both promised regular meetings with the leaders of Nari Sangh. I am sure, Seema from Pratapgarh, Nasima from Ghazipur, Nirmala from Varanasi along with all the other leaders will follow up the promises made by the ministers and the administration. Seema, who has convinced her family that she can go out for the good of her whole family and community is convinced that she can turn the tide.
In today's Indian Express Shylashri Sankar of Centre for Polic Research has written, "The powerlessness of these families (poor and vulnerable) cannot be tackled through formal institutional mechanisms alone.Social and political mobilisation by civil society groups and political parties are important catalysts to create opportunities for changing the power imbalances. Only then can schemes such as MGNREGA address the imbalances of power and the potential for conflict in villages in its project design and processes." I felt vindicated!
ReplyDeleteWanted to add a media report here
ReplyDeletehttp://www.citizen-news.org/2012/04/be-change-you-want-to-see.html
ei sheem ba nashim der ki kono political identity ache? ..... era ki kabol social activist hishabe kaaj kore?...... amer ektai proshno...... ghore ghore bohu durga hoito pabe kintu asur bodh korar jonno tader haat'e astra tule daber moto shib babajir dakha pawa jabe tow?.....
ReplyDeleteSeema or Nasim are leaders of the sangathan and that is their socio-political identity. They are more aware of their sociological identity than the political one. Their work is definitely political in nature as they are raising essential questions about governance. In the process of empowerment they would develop deeper understanding of the political question is what I expect. About the support of men, the men are indeed supporting these women to come out and raise questions. It might be very utilitarian as one of them puts it, "when women seek work and fight for it, we men also get work under MNREGA". But during the conference they supported these women to come as far as Lucknow (8 hours journey by road from some areas) and spend nights outside home. I am pretty hopeful about the Shivs too!
ReplyDeleteSuper!
ReplyDeleteThis is a very superior cause..and helpful for rural women to receive job and food.The actual figure in India about MNREGA and PDS is very low and this work is also very dangerous to fight and receive right to food and work.
ReplyDeleteपिछले 14 वर्षों से कार्यरत जाग्रत आदिवासी दलित संगठन की माधुरी कृष्णास्वामी को मध्यप्रदेश शासन ने 6 जिलों से जिला बदर कर दिया है। कसूर क्या है माधुरी का, यहीं कि वे आदिवासियों को उनके संवैधानिक आधिकार दिलाने के लिये कार्यरत है, वे जनता को जागरूक कर रही है, लोगों के मौन को मुखर कर रही है, उनकी फुसफुसाहटों को स्वर दे रही है, उन्होंने जनता को जागरूक बनाने के लिए, स्थानीय प्रशासन को जवाबदेह बनाने के लिए महानरेगा को बचाने के लिए, खाद्य योजनाओं के बेहतर क्रियान्वयन करने के लिए तथा ग्राम सभा को अधिकार सम्पन्न बनाने और वन भूमि पर परम्परागत वन निवासियों को बसाने व अवैध शराब की बिक्री के खिलाफ प्रचण्ड जन आन्दोलन चलाए तथा आज भी जन अधिकारों के लिये संघर्षरत है।
दिसम्बर 2006 में महानरेगा मजदूरों को काम नहीं देने पर बेरोजगारी भत्ता चुकाने वाला देश का पहला जिला बना था बड़वानी। यह माधुरी व उनके संगठन का ही कमाल था कि उन्होंने मजदूरों को कुल 4,75,386 रुपए का बेरोजगारी भत्ता दिलाया था। भ्रष्टाचार के खिलाफ जबरदस्त आवाज माधुरी ने उठाई, वे दलितों व आदिवासियों के विरूद्ध हो रहे अन्याय व अत्याचार के खिलाफ भी पूरी शिद्दत से लड़ती आई है, बड़वानी ही नहीं बल्कि आदिवासी बहुल कई अन्य जिलों के गरीब मजदूर किसान आदिवासियों के लिए माधुरी बहन आशा की किरण बन कर काम कर रही है, वे वहां है तो इन गरीब गुरबों में लड़ने का जोश रहता है और आततायी भयभीत रहते है। शायद इसीलिये शासन, प्रशासन और माफिया की जुगलबंदी के चलते मध्यप्रदेश सरकार ने माधुरी जैसी सक्रिय समाजकर्मी को जिला बदर करने का निन्दनीय कार्य किया है जिसकी देश व्यापी भत्र्सना हो रही है।
पता चला है कि यह निर्वासन आदेश मध्यप्रदेश सुरक्षा अधिनियम 1950 के तहत दिया गया है, कहा गया है कि ‘‘असामाजिक तत्वों’’ से ‘‘आदिवासी समूहों’’ की रक्षा करने के लिए यह आदेश दिया गया है, कानून की कितनी विकृत व मनमानी व्याख्या है यह ! हर कोई जानता है कि एक दशक से भी अधिक समय से माधुरी आदिवासी समूहों को अपने हकों के प्रति जागरूक कर रही है, वे यकायक ‘असामाजिक तत्वों’ में शुमार हो गई ! मध्यप्रदेश के सत्तारूढ़ दल के कई विधायक, सांसद व मंत्रियों के किस्से मीडिया में जोर शोर से उछल रहे है, वे असामाजिक तत्व नहीं है ? मगर कोई इंसान सादगीपूर्ण तरीके से गरीबों के बीच अपना सम्पूर्ण जीवन लगा रही है, वह शासन की आंखों में चुभ रही है, इस प्रकरण ने साबित कर दिया कि शिवराज सिंह की सरकार जनविरोधी सरकार है।
जाग्रत आदिवासी दलित संगठन तथा मजदूर किसान शक्ति संगठन सहित देश भर के मानव अधिकार संगठनों ने शिवराज सिंह सरकार से माधुरी के निर्वासन आदेश को तुरन्त वापस लेने की मांग की है अन्यथा देश व्यापी आन्दोलन की चेतावनी दी है।