Social Transformation Through Voluntary Action the Badlao Experience
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Social Transformation Through Voluntary Action The Badlao Experience Social Transformation Through Voluntary Action The Badlao Experience Arun Srivastava Centre for Research and Development Studies YASH PUBLICATIONS New Delhi/Mumbai CONTENTS Forwords ........................................................................ 7 Flowing of a Vision ......................................................... 15 Chapter I Identifying the Priorities .................................................. 45 Chapter II Land and the People ........................................................ 56 Chapter III True Face of Development in Jharkhand ............................. 80 Published by : hapter IV YASH PUBLICATIONS X/909, Chand Mohalla, Agriculture & Natural Resource Generation ...................... 92 Gandhi Nagar, Delhi-110031 Chapter V Mob. 09899938522, 09899828223 Sustainable Rural Livelihoods Programme ........................ 112 Mumbai Branch : 25/704 Phase III Mira Road, Chapter VI Mumbai thane-401107 Email : [email protected] Community Health, Nutrition & Sanitation ........................ 133 Website:www.yashpublications.com Chapter VII © Author Education and Human Resource Development ................... 164 Chapter VIII First Edition : 2011 Struggle for Empowering Women ................................... 188 ISBN : 81- Chapter IX Price : Building Institutions for Intervention.............................. 233 Printed by : Vikas Computer & Printers Naveen Shahdara, Delhi-110032 Foreword This book is a tale of social transformation taking place in Santhal Parganas in. Jharkhand during the past thirty years. The change has been initiated by Sri Bajrang Singh, a social worker with a difference. He has not graduated from one of social work schools. He is not an anthropologist either. He began as a political activist inspired by the ideals of Jayaprakash Narayan and Ram Manohar Lohia. After a short stint as a journalist, he chose to move in tribals in Santhal Parganas. He is endowed with strong motivation and commitment to the cause of tribal development through voluntary action. He began with a non-formal education, health programmes, Khadi work and Mahila Sabhas as his flagship interventions. He experimented with development strategies and subjected them to periodical checks through evaluation by outside agencies. He is open ideas and suggestions from experts in different fields. These periodical self appraisals have constantly rejuvenated his larger objectives and strategies. The basic premiese of Badlo organisation is to involve the potential beneficiaries in the development process through community based organisations set up for this purpose. In course of time more institutions with distinct legal entities have been registered as trusts to meet the expanding vision of the mother institution. As the area of operation expanded, decentralisation in decision making became one of the key organisational dimensions. Serious efforts were made for gender mainstreaming through a series of gender workships for its workers. Sometimes efforts at women’s empowerment were frustrated by the prevailing societal values. It 8 / Social Transformation Through Voluntary Action Foreword / 9 involved a cahnge in the thoughtways of both men and women in sanitation, education and human resource development. This task has their dual capacities as agents of change as well as beneficiaries of been performed with care and sincerity by Shri Arun Srivastava, a change. This was seen in resistance to woman leadership of several senior journalist in a style chastended by years of experience in places. This was blunted by appointing more women to key jobs in inclusion and exclusion of raw data. He has brought out the difference the organisation. Based on the principles of democracy, justice, in the face of development offered by Sate government in erstwhile equality and human dignity, the Badlao Foundation organises Bihar and later Jharkhand administration and the one attempted by women’s group as vehicles for change. It views its own role not voluntary action through the Badlao Foundation. In the former, the only as implementer of change, as in most voluntary agencies but as success of development effort was measured by the amount of money facilitators in the change process. With more experience, the spent and not by the total outcome. The government pattern was rent by workers can evolve a balance between the two roles. Efforts have apathy, lack of sincerity, and rampant corrupption. In voluntary action, been made to promote transparency and accountability at the it was engineered by hope, optimism, enthusiasm and people’s operational leval. Unlike most voluntary agencies in the country participarion. The amount of success was assessed by the changes which are run by a centralised leadership, Badlao believes in perceived in the material culture, the style of living and also changes in collective leadership and team work at all levles. It has an effective the attitude and mindset of the people, gender sensibilities and human feedback mechanism. Periodical analysis of this feedback leads to relations at large. changes in priorities, policies and programmes. Sustainability, In the field of natural resources generation, conservation. organisational sustainability and financial stability are matters of conceited steps were taken for forest conservation and plantation great concern in the debate on the role of voluntary agencies in the and advocacy for people’s right to control natural resources in development process in modernising societies and economies. the land development and control of water resources through Badlao has made conscious efforts to widen its own institutional watershed project. Under the livelihood promotional resource base. This will reduce undue dependability on any one programmes the focus has on Zameen Jungle and Janwar. source of funding, national or international. It is good that the first Indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers concerning soil chapter been penned by the Funder Secretary of Badlao. Although erosion. erratic rain fall, lack of alternative irrigation facilities he is not a social scientist but an ardent activist, the chapter brings led to a large destruction of land fertility. On account of this, out his vision, mission and dreams, his troubles and travails. It is large scale migration began to take place. To meet this crisis, indeed an exercise in action anthropology in which the entire three Badlao Foundation took the initiative to press for the survival of decade experience has been put in time frame punctuated by action eco friendly practices, use of green manure and plantation of 12 and reflection, in pursuit of a cause, it is a kind of case study which varieties of local paddy seeds. Organic farming became popular should find a place as a teaching material in a school of tribal and results achieved were discussed in seminars and conferences devlopment. at the national level. I participated in one of the seminars on this The rest of the book is an elaboration of the theoretical issues issue at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Arts in 1995 in New Delhi. raised in the earlier chapter. It is based on the data available in the The concept of sustainable rural household has become central Foundation’s reports, project reports sent to funding agencies, to the rural development discourse, alleviation and environmental proceedings of internal meetings and the decision taken in meetings management. Inspite of huge natural resources. Jharkhand is one of of the parents and subsidiaries bodies. It is a sympathetic account of the poorest states in India. According to a recent estimate, out of all activities and programmes relating to natural resource 3.77 million rural families, 2.32 million live below the poverty line. generation, sustainable livelihood programmes, health, nutrition and To meet this situation the Badlao Foundation decided to 10 / Social Transformation Through Voluntary Action Foreword / 11 supplement the agro-forest based economy of the region any Khadi important component of any programme for removal of production and Tasar cultivation and income generation activities backwardness of any society and any area. It opens the door to like animal husbandry, vegetable gardening and petty business. winds of change and is an instrument for removal of poverty and With the help of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission. elimination of exploitation, discrimination and oppression. Badlao took up the cultivation of plants on which silk worms grow. Education was in a very poor state. On account of its hilly This was followed up by training tribals in spinning, reeling and terrain and spread population, school were few and far between. weaving. Starting from Kewatjali this programme was introduced in Even those that existed were non-functional. Education was far all regional centres by 1990. A large number of tribal women were behind in the priority list of the government and the people at large. engaged in this activity. Form the very beginning the Foundation Badlao took up this task seriously and started with awareness statrted small income generation activities through menbers of the building for education for both men and women. Non formal Mahila Sabhas. Credit support was provided for a range of education centres were started to create an enabling environment for activities, such as Khadi work, piggery, goat rearing, poultry, schooling and to mainstream children from N.F.E. Centres to pisciculture,