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Sanjeev |
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Fellow's Profile
Sanjeev is a native of Khagaria. He was born and graduated from Ranchi . Sanjeev moved to Delhi after graduation and worked in the field of modeling and marketing for 9 years. 2 particular incidences moved him emotionally at his village last year during his visit to attend a condolence meeting. The 1 st incidence was the struggle between the dogs, pigs and Doms for the leftover food at the leaf plates dumping pit. The 2 nd incidence was of village viz. Agwani where the Dom families were not allowed to take drinking water from the hand pump situated at the upper caste habitation. Witnessing these incidences he decided to stay back in the village and work with Doms, Chamaars and Musahar (untouchable castes). After working with Doms for some time he realized that it is extremely difficult for him to continue working from his village due to resistance and threats from the Bhumihar and Sawarna community. Therefore, he shifted to a rented accommodation in a village near his own village.
Work Area Profile
Khagadia is one of the most deprived Districts in Bihar . There are 7 Blocks (including Khagadia) in this District viz. Parbatta, Gogri, Choutham, Khagadia, Mansi, Alouli and Beldour. Floods are a regular yearly feature (June to October) in Beldour, Choutham, Khagadia, Alouli and Gogri and the state government helps the families affected by floods by providing 10 kgs. of flaked rice, 1 kg. of sugar and 1 polyethylene. This state help is offered to the families with an average family strength of 9-10 people.
Khagadia is located in North-Central Bihar and is situated close to NH-31. Kosi and Bagmati are the 2 rivers that flow from the North and Ganges is the 3 rd river that passes from the Southern part of Khagadia. The rivers have made the land fertile enough to grow wheat, rice, maize, sugarcane, pulses and vegetables. But due to the land holding patterns most of the people works as waged labour at fields and migration to the Delhi , Haryana and Punjab is a common feature of the region. 70% of the population consists of Dalits and OBCs.
Politically this area is very sensitive because many political parties are active in the region. RJD, BJP, Left & Ultra-Left all are in action Khagadia. Although, the Ultra- Left groups are not active in Block Parbatta. Most of the political bigwigs are from Sawarn communities. According to Sanjeev, bureaucracy and political leaders are working hand-in- gloves for their vested interests.
Sangathan Profile
Bahishkrit Hitkari Sangathan (BHS) is a people's organization working with ‘Doms' and Dalit communities. Since inception, Sangathan has taken up the issues of untouchability and discrimination, the scenario has changed. There is a consciousness among the people that what is happening is wrong and are ready to stand up. The younger generation is more responsive than the older generation in the ‘Dom' community. Among dalits there is more exposure and they realize the value of freedom and rights.
Since the Sangathan has worked against feudalism in the area, the Sangathan has to face threats. Moreover as the Sangathan has grown up the alienated section of the community is now more open and vocal for their rights. Upper castes are slowly facing resistance from the Dalit community and they have to think twice before they take any action. In many cases many Dalit families are dependent on upper castes for their livelihood and they are used by the upper castes to spread rumors and create dissensions in the Sangathan.
Endevours of BHS –
Education
Alleviating Untouchability
Women Empowerment
Effective Governance
Struggle for Livelihood
Sanjeev started his work by teaching children of Dom community. Majority of children from the alienated community of the region were not going to the schools due their oblivion parents. Those who tried testing their culture of illiteracy by sending their children to government schools faced severe caste based discrimination that resulted in drop-out of their children. Sanjeev started educating Dom children in their locality. Initially the education was focused on health and hygiene as he used to give them bath personally. The intervention and moral support had helped in enrollment of few children in government schools. The popularity of school attracted women from marginalized communities and several women also grabbed the opportunity to be literate. The school is shifting places due to pressure from dominant caste of the region.
The society is practicing the Verna-Vyavastha since Vedic period. Bahishkrit Hitkari Sangathan has started its work against such rigid system. Working with most vulnerable group of the society, the ‘Doms, the Sangathan has tried to open the space for such societies in the mainstream society. Sanjiv's work is quite new and in a short time he has been able to achieve a lot. ‘Doms' today have decided to abandon age old tradition of eating left overs from the marriages and functions. With an emphasis on maintaining personal hygiene, they are trying slowly to get their rights in the society and fight discrimination. The problem is that they are scattered all over the place and critical numbers for taking up the issues is lacking. Other dalit community extends support to the struggle of the ‘Doms'.
Womens' exposure to the literacy classes and other petty livelihood initiatives like poultry, goat rearing and micro-credit had helped them in their organization. They emerged as a major political force that challenged the age old patriarchal society for the 1 st time in the history of the region. 2 instances have highlighted their strength. One, women came together as a political force against a rape case. It was a case of incest in which a minor girl was the victim. The women worked against all odds to get the convict arrested. Second, a Dalit woman filed her candidature for Panchayat election. Although, she couldn't win the election but, her determination has conveyed a lot to others.
The sangathan is also picking up the issue of corruption in implementation of government schemes like NREGA & PDS. The activity is not a continuous process due the dominance of upper caste in implementation of schemes in form off dealers & contractors. People are now more aware to the policies due to the intervention of the Sangathan. The sangathan's intervention has resulted in removal of a contractor under a NREGA program and confiscation of a truck with PDS ration, which was heading for a black market.
The Sangathan is organizing people against feudalism in the society. Khagaria is the district where feudalism still exists as it was in the feudal age. The so-called upper caste communities such as Bhumihar, Rajpoot and Yadav are dominating the other caste people. They have large amount of land and also have encroached upon the lands distributed to dalits and poor families by state government under land ceiling. They have occupied approximately 180 acres of land forcefully from dalit communities. As a strategy to avoid unrest in the landless, the landlords have given the land for cultivation under lease to Dalit families only. Most of them are forced to work as labours on their own land. Worst among the sufferers are women. The obvious plight is in the minimum wages being given to them. A man gets Rs.50 per day while a woman gets only Rs.25 for the same work. Majority of the population are illiterate. The Sangathan identified the issue and initiated sharing with the people for their rights. The continuous perspective building process initiated by the sangathan has helped people in understanding their economic, political, social rights.
