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Saroja Biradar |
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Pandurang is a native of village viz. Chanhipparga of Devni Taluka, district Latur. He completed his graduation in Arts from Pune and is 41 years old at present. He started working with Gareeb Dongri Sangathana based at Mulsi Taluka of Pune during his education. He worked with a couple of NGOs initially but has shifted to struggle based work after becoming District Coordinator (Latur) for Campaign for Human Rights – Marathwada in 1997 after shifting to Shiroor Anantpal. He married Saroja in 1991 and they have two children who are studying in class 10th and 6th. SRUTI is supporting him since 2001.
Political economy of the region
Electoral politics of Marathwada are dominated by heavy weights from the sugarcane lobby. Rupatai Nilangekar from BJP is presently the MP from Latur district. She is the daughter-in-law of former CM Shivaji Rao Patil Nilangekar, while his son Shambhaji Rao Patil Nilangekar (husband of Rupatai Nilangekar) is MLA for Nilanga Block. He is also a BJP candidate. T.P. Kamle, again a Dalit BJP candidate is MLA from Block Shiroor Anantpal. The Present Home Minister in the UPA government at the centre, Shivraj Patil Chakorkar is a native of village Chakorkar in Latur. The Present CM, Vilas Rao Deshmukh also hails from Latur.
Marathas (Deshmukh, Patil etc.) are in control of the economy of the region. Major cash crops like sugarcane, sunflower, Soyabeen etc. and sugar mills are under their control. Komtis and Marwadis are into petty and retail business. Lingayats are also a dominant Brahmin caste in the region. There is a large number of unemployed educated youth who are forced to migrate for jobs to the neighbouring cities and towns.
Demographic profile of the region
Total rural population of 2 Blocks of Shiroor Anantpal and Nilanga is 3.3 lakhs. Dalit population accounts for 22% of the total whereas tribal population is limited to 4% only. 74% of total dalit population and 79% of total tribal population of 2 Blocks is concentrated in Nilanga only. Shiroor Anantpal is better developed Block in education and infrastructure and therefore has poor sex-ratio of 938 in comparison to 950 in Nilanga. Geographical location (adjacent to Karnataka) of Nilanga is a cause of administrative and political negligence.
Shoshit Kamgar Sangathana (SKS)
Shoshit Kamgar Sangathana is a registered trade union since 1999. Marathwada is a region of Maharashtra, which corresponds to Maharashtra's Aurangabad Division. Latur is one of the 7 districts of Marathawada region and the Sangathan is working in 2 Blocks of Shiroor Anantpal and Nilanga of Latur district. Latur is situated on the boundary of Maharashtra and Karnataka. The Sangathan is reaching out to 80-90 villages on various issues of livelihood resources, human rights and effective governance such as; Gairan (grazing) land, Public Distribution System (PDS), Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS), Dalit rights, education the poor, women empowerment etc. All these interrelated issues are rooted in the landless and marginalized sections of the society. People in the two Blocks of Latur are engaged in agriculture and labour. These issues find ground not only in local regions but across state borders as the migration for work is quite prevalent in the area.
The sangathan is having informal structures of Core Committee, Taluka Samiti (Block level committees) and Gram Samiti (Village committees). The core committee consists of 6-7 members and they meet on a monthly basis to assess the nature and direction of work. The core group also meets for some issues as per the urgency. A team of 20 to 30 volunteers form Taluka Samiti meets at least once in 3 months for regular meetings. The village level committee is a team of 3-4 individuals in each village that are actively involved in the endeavours of Sangathan in their village. Several micro-credit groups of women are being made and monitored by the sangathan, they are also part of village committees.
The village and Taluka level committees in Shiroor Anantpal have sizable women representation, whereas the committees in Nilanga have mixed representation. Decision making process takes place at Taluka Committee meetings, in consultation with Village Committees. The Sangathan has a strong local support base that is partly taking care of various expenses being met for programs like trainings, dharnas, travel and office rent. An annual local contribution of Rupees 25-30 thousand is generated through members of the sangathan in addition to the contribution in kind (grain).
Endevours of SKS –
Scholarship for Girl Child
Livelihood Opportunities for Women
Implementation of Government Schemes
Dalit Empowerment
Land Rights
The Sangathan is fighting for the regularization of 360 Hectares of Gairan (grazing) land being cultivated by 186 families in the region since its conception in 1999. It has networked with other sangathans around such as, Manavi Hak Abhiyan, Samvichari Sangathana, Zameen Adhikar Andolan, Samaj Jagriti Sangathan and Bal Hak Abhiyan on the issue. The issue of Gairan Zameen was raised in the winter session of the Vidhan Sabha through an organization called “Sampark”. The information on the status of Gairan Zameen was given by the DM, SDO and Tehsildar but, still the local administration has taken no action albeit the issue is being seriously persued by the Sangathan.
EGS (Employment Guarantee Scheme)
The sangathan is ensuring effective governance through implementation of EGS for the villagers. Village level committees are formed to monitor transparent implementation of EGS. 5347 applications from 40 villages were submitted for getting job and job cards. Approximate wages worth Rs.245000 was ensured for 245 villagers during last financial year.
PDS (Public Distribution Scheme)
The Sangathan has taken up the issue for the last 3 years. Ration Committees and women micro-credit groups are ensuring different provisions under Public Distribution System (PDS) being run by State Government. The issue of corruption in PDS system is getting strong local support and is one of the major activities of community mobilization. The Gram Panchayats are pressurized to display the list of beneficiaries by using the sangathan’s strength and RTI (right to information). Regular interventions have pressurized the MLAs to hold meetings with Tehsildars and surprise visits by Tehsildars to the PDS shops. Rates of kerosene and other grains were brought down close to the government prescribed rate. Receipts for payments for purchased ration are issued to the volunteers of the sangathans and rate list of the available ration is being displayed in almost 50% of the PDS outlets. The sangathan is member of Rashanik Kruti Samitee of Maharashtra and is the only people’s organization in Marathwada that is working on the issue at present.
The state government has launched a scheme, “Savitri Bai Phule Dattak Palak Yojna” since 1995 that offers scholarships to dalit girls studying in government schools. The sangathan has taken it as another important issue for implementation. The sangathan has collected GR about state’s list of different castes identified under SC category and the state scholarship scheme through RTI. Copies of GRs were sent to 105 schools in 65 villages of Block Nilanga and Shiroor Anantpal during last financial year. Scholarship of Rs.2.83 lakhs was disbursed to 708 girls in 32 schools of 17 villages during the last year. Applications of another 660 girls of 35 schools have been submitted for the present financial year.
Micro-credit
Around 50% of total rural population is dependent on agriculture, agricultural labour and other petty labour. A sizable 40% of rural population is involved in agricultural labour. Considering the regular demand of work and lack of livelihood opportunities for villagers the sangathan has formed 220 women micro-credit groups in the two 2 Blocks. The groups are being linked with local banks for savings and loans. A total of Rs.5 – 6 lakhs is received by 5-6 groups on credit under livelihood opportunities through cattle rearing. The groups are a major source of local support in each village to carry on the oter endeavours of the sangathan.
Caste discrimination towards dalits was a regular phenomenon till late 80’s. Basic human rights were denied to Dalits in Marathwada. The sangathan joined Manvi Hak Abhiyan initiated by Action Aid and RDC from 1990 – 98. It took up the issues of Dalit discrimination and livelihood through creating an awareness and implementation of SC/ST atrocity act, networking and advocacy.
The Sangathan is actively taking up the issues of Dalit Atrocities and human rights from the beginning itself. Most of the activist’s of the sangathan were associated with the Manavi Hak Abhiyan launched in Marathwada in 90’s. Protests, dharnas, publicity and lobbying are used to deal with the identified cases. A decade of dalit movements in the region and presence of Shoshit Kamgar Sangathan has resulted in a sharp decline in the dalit atrocity cases. But, one could easily notice the caste based power dynamics in the region.
