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PRA in Malda district, West Bengal: a report of a training workshop for ActionAid India and Tagore Society for Rural Development

Thomas Joseph and Sam Joseph

· Introduction used PRA methods to cover all their programme villages.

ActionAid India and the Tagore Society for Rural Development are partners in a rural · Day one development project in the Malda District of West Bengal. Both felt that they needed to The participants were welcomed and then understand the villages in the project area from introduced to PRA with an exercise on the the villagers’ perspective. This, it was hoped, classification of information - what are the would lead to plans in which the client group differences between fact, opinion, hearsay, had participated. A PRA training exercise was inference, assumption. It was also emphasised organised which would cover 5 days (10-14 that villagers are experts in survival, and so Dec 1990) by Thomas Joseph (Northern India, different systems in villages such as soil, Field Director, ActionAid). Sam Joseph water, topography, cropping patterns, trees, (ActionAid) was invited to conduct the animals, food-flow, labour-flow, credit-flow, training. Mr B C Chatterjee, the Director of knowledge, social organisation need to be Tagore Society, was personally involved in the known to understand a village. To know the training as a participant. Another NGO, the village quickly, the first PRA techniques to be Tajmahal Society, sent three of their senior used are social maps, resource maps, transects staff for this training. and time-lines. The participants divided into 3 groups (social, resource and time-line) and The participants camped at the project base in then visited Chanduhati village in the evening. Tapan. The training followed a pattern of discussion, practic e and reflection. First, a · Day two method was discussed at the base. Then the participants divided into teams with the Social and resource maps assignment to attempt specific methods. The teams visited selected villages and attempted the methods. They then met again at the One group called on an elderly person and said project base, prepared their information on they had come to learn about the village as a large sheets and present their reports to the part of the training. Three more persons were entire group. Their presentations emphasised also asked to help. It was explained that the both the process and content. team were ignorant of the village, and so needed help to draw a map. The house where This report is an English translation of the group was sitting was at first plotted on the presentations in Hindi/Bengali which were sheet and then the neighbouring houses were taped concurrently. The exercise started at plotted with names and members of village Chanduhati on the first day. However, households and then subsequently the road the village was changed to Kharamdanga from (east-west), ponds, cultivated land, burial the second day onwards. After the completion ground, mosque, co-op society, etc. were of the training, the Tagore Society staff have shown. The local people also marked the ______1

Source: RRA Notes (1991), Issue 13, pp.59–64, IIED London PLA Notes CD-ROM 1988–2001 ______house/location of the quack doctor, panchayat during the day. On this suggestion, the team member, maulvi, CHG, tube-well, ring-well, were able to move back to the site. grocery shop etc. There was no school except an NFE centre run by TSRD. Electric poles At Chanduhati the team started with 3 or 4 were present without connections. The informants and asked them to help draw the position of the village was located in reference outline of the village. The informants could to metalled road and surrounding villages. All not agree. Then the team started drawing from the information was first obtained from one the house where they were sitting. The informant and then confirmed by other informants were Muslims and scheduled caste. villagers present. The team left the place after While drawing the tribal area, they were found thanking the informants. It was noted that: to be less interested though they were well aware. The team collected information on · While locating the tube-wells, some of the ponds, tube-wells, ring-wells, crops, etc. No outsiders drew attention to some locations land except areas adjacent to the ponds is which were ignored by the informants, and cultivated for vegetables. Generally, one so these team members were requested by leading informant was replying, while the the trainers to be silent. others were nodding approvingly. After the · At first they started with one elderly entire drawing was over, the team showed this person who was not able to provide the to the villagers for their confirmation. information. When the junior members aged 25-30 came, the interview ran In another mapping exercise the team was smoothly. helped by a boy of Class IX, who did the drawing. Other villagers were checking and if · The informants were Muslims, and so necessary rectifying the locations. The place were not at first readily responding to the where they sat was located at first, then ponds, questions relating to the tribals. After 2 or tube-wells, ground-wells, etc. The facilities 3 requests they gave the replies. not available within the villages were also · When asked about the availability of found out from the villagers. doctor/health worker etc, they said ‘no’. After some delay, they said in a lighter The key lessons arising during discussions tone that there was one CGH, implying from this exercise were: that the usefulness and impression of the · the team asked no questions about the CGH were not good. nature of the ownership of the ponds, · For education the NFE centre was all that names of cultivators in winter, availability was referred too. After repeating the of pumpset; question 2 or 3 times it came out that there · if some facilities are not available in the was one primary school just outside the village, questions may be asked about boundary of the village. where and how local people could avail of them; One informant led the group to the next village. During collection of information, the · one should start with the place of sitting, group realised this but as it was not possible to not with the village boundary; and, stop the information gathering, they kept on. · a copy of the map combining the two After some time, one of the informants said resource maps should be handed over to that it would have been better had you come the village (display at NFE/panchayat).

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Source: RRA Notes (1991), Issue 13, pp.59–64, IIED London PLA Notes CD-ROM 1988–2001 ______

Figure 28. Social map of Kharamdanga village

Figure 29. Resource map of Kharamdanga village

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Figure 30. Map of village of Kharamdanga

NFE teacher (from the next village) drew the · Day three map starting from the house where the interview took place (Figure 30). Social and resource maps A time-line was produced during an interview with an informant of 105 years of age (Figure Better social maps were produced on the third 31). To make this time line better, it was day, in which all households were identified agreed that indirect questions should be asked and named (Figure 28). A second social map to avoid past glorification, and approximate was drawn by an informant, who at first dates with each event given. plotted his house, and then the house was located in reference to the pucca road. The On the third day some of the groups could not team then went to an adivasi family to draw a complete the field tasks for want of informants resource map. The drawing was done by the who were away for their ‘hat’ (weekly informant whose choice of scale meant that market). The group was reminded that two pieces of chart paper had to be added to embracing-error and flexibility are central accommodate the map (Figure 29). To cross- parts of PRA. check findings, another resource map was drawn by informants from scheduled castes. A

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Source: RRA Notes (1991), Issue 13, pp.59–64, IIED London PLA Notes CD-ROM 1988–2001 ______

Figure 31. Time line fro Kharamdanga village

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for verification of the month; a suitable picture · Day four could be drawn above each month; each problem should be thoroughly investigated Transects before going to the next. Coming out in the course discussion were major problems, including unemployment, gender-based wage One group located an informant willing to differences, animal diseases, human diseases accompany them for the entire process. Even in the rainy season, and food availability; and though they started from the north, eventually the opportunity for double cropping. their transect was from west to east. The findings are recorded in Figure 32. The second Wealth ranking transect was only partly completed as the informant was in a hurry to go to the market. The informant was a housewife. After sometime her husband replaced her. As he had Seasonal analyses to go elsewhere, another informant was brought in. Cards were prepared with one This exercise with a group of 4 or 5 women name per card, the names having been derived started with cultivation. Once again we could from social map. However, 20 names could not complete this exercise, as the women not be identified. The informant arranged became busy with their household chores cards in many groups but the team chose to (Figure 33). This diagram could have been reduce number of groups. On reflection, it was bettered by drawing a continuous line for one felt that informants should be permitted to crop from sowing to harvesting; using separate choose as many groups as they like. lines for each variety of fodder, fuel etc; and identifying the festivals, special occasions, etc

Figure 32. Transect of Kharamdanga

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Figure 33. Seasonal analysis of crops, animals, fuel and income in Kharamdanga

· Day five Social organisation

Wealth ranking One group went to the house of a scheduled tribe, to discuss social organisation through the

use of chapati diagrams. The informant called One team went to a house where many people two others to join him (one SC and one ST). assembled, but the wealth ranking did not The team intended to use chalk (for circles) on work. After abandoning that interview, the the ground used for threshing paddy. The team selected a separate informant. The informants were very articulate and justifications were also noted before putting considerable information was discovered each villager into a group. The informant was about conflict resolution in the village and the well-off and aged around 45. He could not different options open to different groups. recognise 5 names. Cross-checking was made. When there are disputes, for arbitration STs go The entire exercise took 30 minutes. The to Moral (Chieftain) and SCs to Hiralal informant’s name was included in the ranking, Chowdhury, general castes to Natai Babu, but it was subsequently felt that this should be Muslims to Tamijuddin (who is Panchayat avoided. member as well). When different parties are

involved Netai Babu holds the highest Another team went to a tribal house where authority and then Tamijuddin and after that there were three persons. One person went out. Hiralal; ST Moral not so much. But the group 63 out of 73 names were recognised. During of women informants put Natai Babu and grouping, land holding and other assets were Tamijuddin at par. Mahila Samity was not noted by the team. Questions were asked “why mentioned by the male group. Usually all is this family being placed in this disputes are settled within the village (Figure group/category?”. Some details like number of 34). In the place of circles (chapatis), marks members, land holding, etc. may be included. (out of 10) can be utilised. Distance represents usefulness of the institution.

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Source: RRA Notes (1991), Issue 13, pp.59–64, IIED London PLA Notes CD-ROM 1988–2001 ______

Figure 34. Venn diagram of social organisation

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Figure 35. Seasonal analysis of crops, employment opportunities income, expenditure and credit of a scheduled tribe farmer. Note horizontal scales differ between top and bottom sections

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Figurre 36. Seasonal analysis of crops, labour income, fodder availability and purchasing, and happiness and unhappiness

Figure 37. Seasonal analysis by women of Kharamdanga

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Figure 38. Transect of a pond and a matrix ranking of eight species of fish

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Figure 39. Village field map of Kharamdanga

Seasonal analysis Another seasonal interview began almost at dusk. The informant was working in a potato One group went to a ST family having 2-3 field. The team members helped him to bring a working members who work in the fields of heavy battery (used for tape recorder) to his others. Bengali months were known to them. house situated next to his field. First a bench The team made use of the technique of was brought for the team, but they asked him breaking lengths of sticks to represent relative to bring a mat instead. The interview began quantities of employment and income (Figure with the questions “When did you sow 35). potatoes?”; “When will you get potatoes?”. The answers confirmed his knowledge of We noted an information gap in the month of Bengali calendar months. One member was Ashar (June-July), and it was agreed that the drawing the information on the ground while method is best when fully participatory. For another was taking it down in his notebook. this reason, the process of information When it was too dark, the chart paper was collection should be within the villagers’ sight. utilised. At first he did not agree that he took a The gaps should be filled up with information loan. On analysing the income and expenditure from village. Only after that may our opinion it was found that was greater expenditure in be used. Bhadra and onwards. He then confirmed that he takes a loan for the above months. The ______12

Source: RRA Notes (1991), Issue 13, pp.59–64, IIED London PLA Notes CD-ROM 1988–2001 ______informant was fumbling in response to direct achieving the above. The principal methods questions on income and expenditure (Figure that should be used are: 36). There was direct relationship between · Social Map - to locate the villagers, income-expenditure and happiness. We reflected that everybody would fumble when various organisations/institutions; asked about one’s income-expenditure. · Resource Map - to know the location of all Hesitancy is normal. the facilities available in and outside the village; Another group discussed seasonality with a group of Muslim women. Bengali months · Time-Line - to know which helps in were known to them, which was confirmed by understanding each other (villagers and identifying months with different festivals project people); (Id), activities (rain) etc. As women are not · Wealth Ranking - 7-8 variables may be directly connected, the information on income considered to find out the target group. It collected was based on the perception of the will also avoid confusion and women (like purchasing pattern of the man). misapprehension in the minds of the Being responsible for fuel, informants villagers; provided considerable details for fuel (Figure 37). Additional information included family · Social Organisation - to understand the planning, rainfall, happiness, diseases, loans, interacting forces involved in village times for marriage. management; · Transect - opportunities/difficulties are Preferences for fish known. Possible and feasibles are assessed; One group found a fish eating person and took · Field Mapping - land ownership and him to a ST house. The interview started with access are known; and, questions like “How many and what type of fishes have you seen eaten or eaten?”, etc. In · Seasonal analysis/Preference ranking/Flow the course of such informal discussion eight chart - very useful if collected through different fish were identified together with different cross-section. seven attributes. These were ranked in a matrix ranking exercise (Figure 38). This was a most In PRA all the information collated is taken to important learning for our staff. There was village and planning emerges through their clearly a need to plan to release a mix of fish, involvement. The information is open, not rather than focus on just high yielders. closed and this makes it most potent.

Field mapping for ownership · Thomas Joseph and Sam Joseph, ActionAid, India, 3 Rest House Road, One group focussed on land ownership by Bangalore, Karnataka, India. interviewing a group of informants. The panchayat member started with pencil from a NOTES corner of Resource Map. He proceeded after getting confirmation from another informant. The participants of the workshop were: To save time and space in resource map details, notes like names of share croppers, etc B C Chatterjee, Kalipada Haldar, Aparna Saha, Sadhana Mandal, Bijali Das, Suren were taken separately by the team member. Biha, Habibur Rahaman, Hamidur Rahaman, The final product was a detailed map of fields, Jiten Barman, Sachin Sarkar, Ramesh locations and ownership (Figure 39). Chakraborty of Tagore Society for Rural Development (TSRD); A C Qadir, Mohim Molla · Conclusions and Trishna Jana of the Tajmahal Society (TMGBK); Sam Joseph, Thomas Joseph, Nilim Baruah, Meenu Vadera and Tarun ActionAid’s relationship with TSRD and TM Debnath of ActionAid. is for sustainable poverty alleviation. PRA is not only research. It is a strong weapon for

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Source: RRA Notes (1991), Issue 13, pp.59–64, IIED London