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Location :Vikaspuri, Delhi

Ramendra Kumar & Anita Juneja started work in 1991 with slum dwellers in the West Delhi area of Vikaspuri. In the early years of their work, Anita & Ramendra's accent was on providing services health, education, and vocational training. Over the years, their emphasis has gradually shifted to encouraging communities to take the initiative for their own development. They have done this by setting in motion a process of collective reflection by the slum dwellers on the reasons for their present living conditions; and a corresponding search by the people themselves for solutions to their basic problems.

The results of this exploration have varied from cluster to cluster. The greatest headway has been made in Indira camp No.3. Here Anita & Ramendra had made it very clear from the outset that their role would be essentially that of facilitators and catalysts - activities, if any, would have to be managed and supported by the community itself. The residents of Indira Camp No.3 have been extremely responsive, and have taken the initiative to start their own savings programme. The Shramik Bachat Sangh, with over 100 members, has savings of over one and a half lakh rupees. This is rotated among the members to meet unforseen expenses, considerably reducing the dependence on money lenders who charge usurious interest rates. A parallel programme has been started by the women from all the three clusters, under the banner of Mahila Ekta Kosh.

In Indira Camp No.3, residents have also started their own school, with the teacher's salary and other expenses being borne by the community. All these efforts have had a unifying impact in what is otherwise a highly fractured environment. The slum dwellers are now gearing up to tackle other basic issues like sanitation and housing.

Fellow's Profile

During the year 1989 -1990 Anita started working in an NGO as a Balwadi Teacher, in Vikaspuri, West Delhi . While working in the project, she realized that without a pro-active approach towards changing the existing situation no directional change can be brought in the lives of children by merely teaching the children in a time bound project mode. Anita and Ramendra were from same organization and they shared similar perspective for social change. They teamed up to work in slums Vikaspuri, Delhi that came in existence in the year 1985-86 & 1991. The slums were formed by the settlements of labors brought for the construction work of DDA and various other housing societies.

BACKGROUND

The period from 1991-1994 was of rapport building with the bastis (communities) during which casual meetings and interactions with the people were carried out by Kislay. During this period, Kislay's emphasis was more on service delivery. Some of the major interventions were in the field of education, health and helping people to get basic services from the slums department.

During the initial years the focus of work was on education remedial centers & women self help groups with the name of Mahila Ekta Kosh. Later in 1994, the focus was shifted from service oriented work to people's organization for their rights after a long introspection process. Thus Kislaya started working on two pronged approach;

•  First, it started spreading awareness and understanding among people about the causes of their problems

•  Secondly, by initiating a thought process to improve the understanding about the need unite formation of a sangathan.

The initiatives had brought people together on their common concerns of livelihood, civic amenities in slums, corruption in government schemes, social evils like alcoholism and addiction in children etc. These frequent assimilations of people lead in formation of a Sangathan (people's organization) viz. DSS – Delhi Shramik Sangathan that organized meetings, discussions and successfully inculcated diversity appreciation as a core value among its members. Now, people are united, as they understand the meaning and value of unity. The values and the ideologies/perspective of sangathan have percolated the other members of the family of its workers. Formation of sangathan has also helped in building the self-esteem, confidence of the people in dealing with different govt. officials, especially with police. Earlier, the local police was a major repressor of the peoples from slums. People have improved their understanding about the various issues related to them due to their regular exposure to awareness programme.

Endevours of DSS

Governance
Housing Rights & Slum Policies
Vocational Training

GOVERNANCE  

Education

Education of children has been an emotive issue with the community. Realizing the importance of education, different segments within the slums were organized for streamlining government schools catering to children of slums. Parent teachers' forum was revamped through pressure from the community. Through the forums, issues of quality education as well as facilities were taken up. Delhi Shramik Sangathan is in the process of revitalising the parent teacher associations in different areas. For this they are trying to form parent forums in different slum areas and colonies. Two parent forums have been formed. Regular meetings of parent forums are taking place in which women are participating actively. This has resulted in regular meetings of Parent Teacher Association in two schools. Apart from this DSS has also focussed on enrolment in schools. Around 320 children have been enrolled in 7 schools. Due to their continuous efforts 8 children could clear their CBSE exam.

DSS has been instrumental in monitoring the school dropouts due to displacement and their persistent followup with the State Education Department and other government bodies has produced excellent results. DSS managed to curb school dropout rate from 40% to 10-15%, ensured admission of 2430 children from the newly relocated colony of Hastsal to Govt primary schools, pressurized the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to improve and upgrade infrastructural facilities in the primary school of Hastsal, pressurized the State Directorate of education for increase in teachers strength from 6 to 12 in primary school teachers, etc. Ramendra and Anita were one of the members of the core team constituted under the aegis of SCERT (State Council for Education, Research & Training) to ensure community participation in School admission campaign launched 1999. The self sustained initiatives of pre-primary education centers and supportive education classes by DSS have also led to new awakening towards education of children among the communities.

Children from slums are the worst suffers of illiteracy in cities. Eviction and resettlement of slums in Delhi is taking its toll on literacy of children. The evicted slum dwellers are allotted plots that are on the periphery of Delhi and the region doesn't have any provisions of basic amenities. Admission and education of children becomes the secondary need of the parents who had to struggle for resettlement issues. DSS took the issue of readmission of such children in the existing government schools of the new area of slums resettlement in Bawana, Narela, Hastsal etc. These schools are generally hostile to the new pupil due to various reasons. Now as the work is spreading, DSS is taking up this issue in other areas also.

Public Distribution System (PDS)

The PDS system was virtually non-functional and through pressure of DSS it has been revived. Vigilance committees for monitoring of PDS shops and kerosene shops were formed. The whole issue became political as most of the shops were controlled by local MLA's chosen people. There was large siphoning of ration and kerosene taking place. DSS successfully tackled the issue. In the whole process, capacities of people and volunteers were built up. The people stood up to the strong arm tactics of the shopkeepers while the food supply officers remained mere spectators. Only when people stood their ground the officers had to take action.

HOUSING RIGHTS & SLUM POLICIES

To spread the outreach of the sangathan and take the campaign forward, DSS undertook a 10 day cycle Yatra covering more than 109 slums. As part of the campaign, DSS mobilised the people to pressurize their MLAs and other people's representatives to get a commitment on the housing issue. In the whole process people are realizing that they have a voice and can demand their rights. They are not the illegal citizens of the city which the government, media and ruling class made them out to be. The eviction is taking place at Delhi in the name of development and beautification of the city. As the slum demolition took place under the govt. policies, people from the slums were rendered homeless. The Sangathan took up the issue and launched campaign of Right to Housing for Urban Poors and Workers.

Meeting of community leaders of different region

To spread the outreach of the sangathan and take the campaign forward, DSS undertook a 10 day cycle Yatra covering more than 109 slums. As part of the campaign, DSS mobilised the people to pressurize their MLAs and other people's representatives to get a commitment on the housing issue. In the whole process people are realizing that they have a voice and can demand their rights. They are not the illegal citizens of the city which the government, media and ruling class made them out to be. The eviction is taking place at Delhi in the name of development and beautification of the city. As the slum demolition took place under the govt. policies, people from the slums were rendered homeless. The Sangathan took up the issue and launched campaign of Right to Housing for Urban Poors and Workers.

Theatre Forum being used for organizing people

The Sangathan prepared critique on JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission) and shared the issue with the community. Reached out to different trade unions of MCD and other unorganized workers and get them to question the JNNURM.

The Sangathan looked at different issue from a political perspective and designed its strategy accordingly. This process has led to greater politicization of the people and slum dwellers. In the whole process witnessed strong women participation as they are an important constituent of the Sangathan. The vested group tried to break the Sangathan but due to continuous political education process and a team of active volunteers continued to strengthen the Sangathan.

Delhi Shramik Sanhgatan is leading the campaign on right to housing and slum policy for urban poor and workers. Continuous and sustained campaign has resulted in political parties taking notice of the housing issues being raised by the campaign. DSS has been invited by two main political parties for discussion on the issue of housing. Chief Minister of Delhi Shiela Dixit invited DSS and other people for discussions on the whole issue of housing for the urban poor and workers. The campaign met the Chief Minister and apprised of the issues facing the people and demanded positive action from her. She asked the campaign members to have further discussions with the Urban Affairs department of the Delhi government. Discussions with the senior department officials have taken place. DSS is planning a further strategy to take up this issue in the coming elections in Delhi . DSS has also continuously highlighted the issue in the print as well as visual media.

VOCATIONAL TRAINING

As the name Delhi Shramik Sangathan suggests, the sangathan consists of laborers, rickshaw pullers etc. living in slums of Delhi . Besides struggling for their rights they also aspire for a bright and dignified future for their children. Therefore, the sangathan had initiated few vocational training courses for the youth in slums.

Computer Course

Computer course was initiated in the year 2004 with the help of CRY (Child Relief and You). CRY helped the sangathan in getting a donation of 7 computers from a nationalized bank and British Gas India .

Language Course

Knowledge of English as a language is considered important in exploring livelihood opportunities by youth. Hence, a language course was started under MACS (Make a Child Smile) program initiated by the employees of Cadence Design Systems (I) Pvt. Ltd. in the year 2002. Under the MACS program few Cadence employees residing in Western Delhi have volunteered for teaching English to slums youth. The course was designed by a Reader of English subject in Delhi University . The selection of the students is carried out on the basis of their knowledge of English at the time of enrolment.

Cutting, Tailoring & Embroidery

The CBO is having 12 pedestal stitching machines that were in use for the course. This course was started from 1992 onwards that has enrolment 25 women and girls for 6 months. The classes are held between 2-5 p.m. as most of the women do not have pressure of household chores during the afternoon. Knowledge of cutting and tailoring skills is almost essential in the community and it also proves helpful in bringing women at common platform for other education and health awareness activities.

The Slums & JJ Dept. of MCD is in process of relocating all the identified slums of Delhi into resettlement areas like Hastsal, Bakarwala, Bawana, Narela etc. that are located in the outskirts of Delhi . Sant Ravi Das Camp one of the slums located in Vikaspuri that was demolished under the relocation drive of MCD in the year 2006. Unfortunately, the Sangathan also lost its office and the other infrastructural support for running its vocational training course (some of them mentioned below) during the demolished. They were working from the Basti Vikas Kendra (community centre) built by MCD in the slum hand had to shift their office to Dwarka. The sangathan is in the process of mobilizing resources for recommencement of the vocational courses.