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Welcome to a Hindu Village ..

  Asif Iqbal

Manohar Thana is one of the 6 blocks of District Jhalawar of Rajasthan. It comes under the Hadoti region of Rajasthan state in Western India . The block consists of around 250 villages with a mixed population of Lodhas, Tanwar (Lodas), Bhils, Kanjars and Mewatis. This is a semi-arid area that receives an average of 943 mm of rainfall annually. 40% of the total population is into cultivation and 26% of the population, mostly Dalits and Tribals work as agricultural labour. The Block is hardly 6-7 kilometers from the state boundary of Madhya Pradesh. Manohar Thana is sharing its border with Madhya Pradesh and therefore the villages are target of religious fanaticism like many other bordering region of Rajasthan.

A board highlighting communal polarization

Installation of the boards started from the year 2000 onwards & no cognizance from the administration had led to the RSS audacity to paint PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojna) boards in 2006. The boards were repainted by the administration after a period of 6-7 months but, one can still see several boards with such slogans on the same route. Couple of PMGSY boards is repainted with symbolic saffron colour. Devendra and Sudhi are associated with a sangathan (people's organization) viz. “Hum Kissan” and a school viz. Manthan in the region for last 17 years.

PMGSY board painted saffron

 

Devendra recollects presence of RSS Shakhas in few villages for last 20 years. Such Shakhas couldn't be continued due to difficulty in sustaining interest of rural youth towards sports and physical activities due to their exposure to intensive physical labour in their daily chores. But, recommencement of Shakhas is being witnessed in 4-5 villages from last year (2007) onwards, says Devendra. Laxmi Naraian, a teacher of Veer Savarkar Vidhyalaya at Gadawali informed that, there are middle level schools in 10 villages of the Block. There are 8 schools viz. Veer Savarkar Vidhyalayas/Adarsh Vidhya Mandir for boys and 2 are for girls and are called Veer Avantika Bai Vidhyalayas. These schools are being supported by Bhartiya Jan Sewa Pratishthan based at Banswara, Rajasthan since last 5-6 years.

Ram Phase

Veer Savarkar Vidhyalaya at Gadawali

Local leaders of the region recollect September 1985 as a vital turning point in the communal politics of the region. Jaganath Verma the present MLA from BJP is being held responsible by the Mewati (Muslim) leadership for the prevailing atmosphere of religious abhorrence in the region. According to them, he used a riot to change the socio-political scenario of the region in his favour. The riot has won him the MLA seat and he remains an undisputed champion for more than last 20 years. On the contrary, the same incident is claimed to be an emancipator of Hindus (particularly Lodhas) from their age old servitude to the atrocious Muslim (Mewatis) in the region. They proclaim a dignified life after organization of Hindus by RSS. The activists of RSS get administrative patronage from the MLA for their divisive acts.

Hum Kissan – A silver lining

Children at Manthan

Devendra decided to work with the marginalized families at his native place after doing his Mechanical Engineering from Jodhpur . He managed to form a discussion forum that took a concrete shape in '91-92 after some local people came together to protest against irregularities in processing of IRDP (Integrated Rural Development Plan) loans. Hum Kissan has a visible presence in Manohar Thana and being a sangathan that deals with issues of governance and social change, it is also facing the challenge of religious fanaticism since the very beginning.

Majority of the sangthan's membership comes from the Lodha community that makes almost 50 percent of the total block's population. Lodhas are listed amongst OBC category and they are the key members of the Sangathan. The sangathan is also running a school called Manthan for past 7 years in a small village named Jhiri. The school is contributing into perspective building of children from the vicinity, though education.

Lodhas have small landholdings of 1-2 acres. Monsoon is the main source of irrigation. The agricultural produce is sold to private dealers and Sahukars to repay their previous loans and take new ones. Most of the villagers are into perpetual debt cycle. The Sahukari (money lending) system is deeply entrenched and farmers are forced to sell their produce at prices dictated by the Sahukars. Migration of villagers is rampant due to seasonal farming and lack of other livelihood opportunities. Considering their plight, the sangathan initiated couple of cooperatives of Tendu Patta and Milk with the villagers to relieve them from the clutches of Sahukars (money lenders) and Baniyas (grain dealers and business community).

Clash of interest

The Sangathan initially started with the livelihood issues like agriculture and other petty issues of social awareness but, it gradually moved towards formation of Tendu Patta cooperative. Formation of Tendu Patta cooperative by the Sangathan started challenging the other business endevours of few influential people of the Block Manohar Thana. The cooperative formed by the Sangathan started raising the issues of exploitation of labour engaged in the business. Several villagers became members of the cooperative and the cooperative flourished for a decade (1993 – 2003). The income from the cooperative also helped several villagers in bailing out from the debt cycle of the local money lenders.

Devendra was proposed for joint business by the locals but, there was no question of merging the cooperative with other tendu patta business entities due to the basic difference in values and principles. The cooperative managed to purchase a plot in Manohar Thana. The estranged business fraternity sensed potential monitory threats and raised a hoax threat of land encroachment of a cremation ground that was adjacent to the purchased plot. The vested group managed to build pressure on the Sangathan and tried to forcefully evict them from the plot. The pressure resulted into concentration of cooperative members in the property premise for its protection. Finally, the property was unlawfully seized by the local administration under section 145 of CrPC. 15 members of the Sangathan including Devender were handcuffed and paraded in the Bazaar of the town.

Conflict of interests had landed the cooperative in direct confrontation with the vested group and they used the age old tested trick of mobilization on the name of “threat to faith”. Therefore, we can very well see that how an atrocious vested group used “faith” to maintain its hegemony against attempts for social change. But, the incident helped the leadership in the sangathan to be more determined towards the cause of the marginalized communities.

Split in the Sangathan

The sangathan came in conflict with the business community of the region that was enjoying a political support of parties like BJP and RSS. Viewing sangathan as a potential threat to their vested interest sangathan was branded as a group of “atheist” or “communist”. Its members were being cautioned about losing their faith on continuation of their membership of the sangathan. The sangathan also started organizing perspective building training with its core group and volunteers to understand the power nexus between religion and economy. During this period of mental and emotional churning, sangathan lost few of its fire brand leaders who were not ready to analyze the hegemony of religion and caste.

Devendra was termed “communist” and the activists associated with the sangathan were also called a “group of communists” by the RSS activists in the villages. The grass-root level workers of RSS that confronts with the sangathan, didn't know the meaning of the term “communist”. They are informed by their leadership that communist is like a filthy abuse or a ghost that needs to be kept away from their villages. RSS has 3 main enemies of Hindutva and they are Christians, Muslims and Communists. They couldn't relate Devendra to the first 2 enemies, but they found him suitable to be placed in the 3 rd category. They started searching for the instances that were in counter to or different from the stereotypical faiths affiliated to the caste and gender based hierarchies. They found them in plenty in the sangathan's endevours for social justice and equity

Challenges to Hum Kissan

The first confrontative experience from the RSS due to the growth of tendu patta cooperative during the initial years of the sangathan was experienced during 1992-95. Similar anarchic experiences were witnessed during 1998 from an attempt by the sangathan to reach out to a village viz. Gadavli with the help of a play on social evil. The sangathan's activists were forced to run for their life.

In the recent years the Hindu religious forces has again started feeling presence of the Sangathan through its endevours. Two major incidents can summarize the growing conflict. The sangathan uses plays as an effective tool of communication with villagers on various social issues. One such play highlighting the fate of superstitious belief in village Jhiri had resulted in an open conflict between the village Sarpanch and the Sangathan's activists. The play was based on a real incident where a woman lost her life due to a snake bite in the village. The plight of the victim's family was depicted where a husband lost the life of his wife by visiting a Bhairu Bhopa (traditional quack) for treatment and then later losing the money of compensation to the village Sarpanch. The Sarpanch termed the sangathan as anti-Hindu and termed few villagers hostile against the activists who according to him were trying to ridicule the age old cultural practices. He filed a police complaint against the Sangathan claiming an attempt to hurt religious sentiments by an anti-religion Sangathan. The Sangathan was projected as a career ruining organization for children with help and support from foreign (Christian) money. The school and the office of the Sangathan were under threat of attack for few days.

The sangathan tried to resume its social awareness plays by staging a play on illiteracy in village viz. Awalheda. But, the impact of resentment form RSS became obvious during the play and a hostile situation was averted due to presence of some sangathan's sympathizers in the village. The sangathan faced strong opposition during performances on social issues for 2 years and only limited plays were performed after seeking prior assurance from the villagers against any possible threat to the performers.

Similarly the Sangathan faces open challenge for its activities related to governance. The activists that were part of cycle rally for awareness campaign of NREGA (National Rural Employment Grantee Act) in the villages. The activists were wearing Kurtas and therefore, they were termed Muslims in one of a RSS stronghold village. They were harassed for 2-3 hours and were released with dire consequences on revisit to the village. The Sangathan organized a social audit of 5 Panchayats for effective implementation of NREGA that resulted in open conflict between the activists of the Hum Kissan & Bajrang Dal.

Conclusion

It will be foolish to throw an open challenge to the religious organizations like Bajrang Dal & RSS by Hum Kissan as

Youth managing a village library

Ensuring effective governance through implementation of government schemes is another excellent method of underlining the more pertinent issues of concern like livelihood, education, health etc. in comparison to other superficial issues of religious or caste based identity. Sangathan's ongoing campaign for implementation of NREGA is an obvious example for the same. The grass-root youth activists of RSS are in support of the campaign. Surprisingly, the villagers of Gadavli that were dead against the Sangathan also became part of the NREGA campaign during the present year (2008). Such unnoticeable attempts might not be seen as a vital response to religious fanaticism but are crucial in delaying its sudden upsurge in the region.

Devendra and Sudhi have also tried to initiate a dialogue with the top leadership of RSS of the region but, found it difficult as it is not open for it. The debate lands into personal vitiating remarks in a short period. The Sangathan had also tried to counter the claim of anti-national or Hinduism by challenging the hate-mongers to sing the complete Rastriya Geet (Vande Matram...) with the children of Manthan School . Mushrooming of Goushalas, boards with fanatic slogans and schools for children during the years is a clear indication of growing hegemony of Hindu fanaticism in the bordering and remote regions of the state.

“We should not leave the space to be captured by others” says Devendra. “We should learn to be critical to religious or cultural practice. Our actions should not be misinterpreted as an attempt to ridicule the practices of fellow villagers. Ridiculing leads to self-distancing from cultural symbols and practices that leaves space for others”. He says that, when an activists distance him/her self from such cultural practices, he/she leaves those practices for a different interpretation by religious fanatic forces and that interpretation is often divisive for the society. He feels that, it is not essential for the social activists to follow socio-religious practices like smearing of foreheads with Tilak or wearing of pious threads on wrist etc. But, if somebody does it then he/she should not be branded as untouchable or non progressive is equally fanatic. The debate on religion and its various aspects is still on and humanity has not reached to any conclusion on it. In short, an activist has to be a part of the system to fight for the existing anomalies in the system.

People's organization or NGO that are working for socio-political change in the society will always find itself in a confrontative position with fanatics of religion and caste. Therefore, it has to play a crucial role for social change in its own way. Hum Kissan is one such hope for just and equal society in Manohar Thana, Rajasthan.