JOURNEY SANTOSH KUMAR MANDAL My Experiences with the Kulhaiya Community Initiating a women’s group in this Muslim-dominated area of Bihar and introducing cucumber cultivation as an alternative farm-based livelihood was challenging and sometimes frustrating for the new team. Their success is their reward T WAS AN EXCITING DAY. My team ne dekhlo chili (Brother, this is a dream come true. members—Trisha, Anup, Tarannum—and I I have never seen such cucumbers in my life).” were going to visit the successfully initiated Fatima’s words provided us with respite from the cucumber field. An intervention of this sort concerns that we had had during the exposure visit was taking place for the first time in the of this village to Jalalgarh, a cucumber production operational area of PRADAN’s Araria team area in the Purnia district. In fact, these words were in Bihar. On arriving in the village, we were immensely satisfying; it was like our dream was glad to see the people in the cucumber field. A pick- finally taking shape. up van was parked beside the road; women, men and I Dream! What was the dream? Where did the word children were plucking the cucumbers in the field, while the traders at the collection point were busy ‘dream’ come from? To respond fully, let’s travel two packaging the produce in gunny bags. years back in time when a new team was started in Araria and I became a part of it. The socio-economic Fatima, the owner of field, expressed her sheer condition that we encountered, the various joy, “Bhaia ji sapna pura ho gelei, aisan kheera kabhi struggles, challenges and excitement we faced, and 42 NEWSREACH MAY_JUNE 2017 I heard many stories about their struggle to mobilize women. I was aware about such challenges with this community, having heard stories about it from my colleagues at Kishanganj how we overcame these, and cent in Jokihat, 62.70 per cent in divided over time, leading to moved forward as a team—all Araria and 46.8 per cent in Palasi many families becoming landless. need to be chronicled. blocks. The Kulhaiya women observe the purdah (veil) system, are mostly I have had much experience Although 60 per cent of engaged in household chores and in working with the SC and the families are involved in do not participate in agriculture. ST communities of Bihar and agriculture, only 30 per cent of The health condition and the Jharkhand but I had not had them have their own land. The literacy rate (20 per cent) of the any experience of working with other 70 per cent are landless women are very poor in the area. Muslims, especially in north- families whose livelihoods are east Bihar where the conditions dependent on wage earning in the I became a part of this new team were very different. Therefore, landlords’ field. About 30 per cent in April 2015. My colleagues, it would be appropriate to talk of the landless households also Abhishek, Jyoti and Drasti, briefly about Araria and describe engage in agriculture through who joined earlier, had started my journey with Muslims. I leasing land. Agriculture is not the initial discussions with the would also like to talk about the the mainstay of the household villagers. At that time, mobilizing team’s intervention in cucumber income, which is reflected in the the women into an SHG was a big cultivation: how and why it subsistence level of cropping challenge and only two SHGs had started in the area, and the practices. Migration is a been formed in Araria till March, impact of this initiative. prominent source of income for 2015. I heard many stories the majority of the households. about their struggle to mobilize Team Araria was initiated in You will find people saying, “If we women. I was aware about such December 2014. This area was don’t migrate, we won’t be able to challenges with this community, chosen because it is one of the feed our families.” having heard stories about it most backward and flood-affected from my colleagues at Kishanganj districts of Bihar and stands at The majority of the community (Abhishek, Sachin, Sudarshan). At the bottom of the 90 minority is Kulhaiya Muslims. Kulhaiyas the same time, I was also excited concentrated districts of India. It are one of the four sub-groups because for the first time I was is backward, both in terms of its of the Shaikh community in the going to be a part of a newly socio-economic standing and its area. The overall condition of formed team. infrastructure indicators. There the community is poor, in terms is a substantial proportion of of educational, financial, social I started to understand the Muslims in the district. Against and political status. And it is area through my development the state average of 16.2 per one of the fastest growing castes perspective. However, there was cent, the Muslims constitute of Muslims. The prime source some fear in my mind. How do I 44.4 per cent of the total rural of income of this community work with Muslim women? How population in Araria. In the three is agriculture. However, owing will the villagers react? What type blocks that PRADAN is operating, to population growth and the of approach should we use in a the proportion of the Muslim growing number of nuclear new place? Such questions passed population stands at 77.5 per families, the land has been through my mind, considering JOURNEY MY EXPERIENCES WITH THE KULHAIYA COMMUNITY 43 I started a discussion with the villagers and tried to mobilize the women to form an SHG but for the first 25 days I was not able to form a single SHG. During my field visit, the women were not even ready to talk to me that we had a lot of experience conversing with them. I started bearing fruit. On 28 April, 2015, working with the ST, SC and OBC visiting the villages at around 6 I received a very heartening families but only a very limited a.m. in the morning and after response from Kudus, a former experience in working with 6 p.m. in the evening because mukhiya of Bagdehra panchayat, Muslims. it was difficult to meet these giving some much-needed hope. people in the day time. Many a I started a discussion with the times, I stood near the mosque He said about me, “Ye neik banda villagers and tried to mobilize the and tried to initiate a discussion hai aur neik irade se aaya hai, ye women to form an SHG but for but the responses were always hamare gaon ko sudharne aaya the first 25 days I was not able disheartening like, “Hamari aurte hai (He is a good person. He has to form a single SHG. During my noor hoti hai paraye murd ke samne come up with good ideas. He has field visit, the women were not nakhun dikhana bhi napak hota hai come to develop our village).” even ready to talk to me. I got (Our women are divine, and for He told me to visit him again various kinds of responses from them to even show their nails to after two days and assured me the community, “Jo baat karna hai other men is immoral).” “Jo kaam of lending his help in organizing hamara malik se kijiye (Whatever karne aaye hai hum mardo se boliye the people in the village. I was you want to discuss, do so with aurto ka kya kaam (Whatever you excited to hear this response my husband).” “Humlog bahut have come for, talk to us, what and immediately went back to paisa jama kiye lekin sab bhag gaya is the need of women)?” “Jaldi the location and discussed the (We deposited a lot of money se yahan se bhagiye warna masjid development with my colleagues. earlier, but the organizations fled se elan kar denge ki kafir aaya hai away).” “Ye sab sirf thagne ka tarika ek bhi haddi wapas nahi jayega After two days, on 30 April, hai (These are different ways of (Go away quickly from here, else Abhishek and I went to the deceiving us).” “Yahan ye sab nahi we will announce through the Gamharia village, where Kudus chal sakta hai (Here, these things Mosques that a disbeliever has gathered around 15 women and don’t work),” and so on and so come, you will not be able to go briefed them about our objective. forth. I became frustrated and back).” Afterwards, some more women anxious because I was unable to and men joined the discussion. find a way to mobilize Muslim Such comments were utterly Sensing the opportunity, women, who were not even ready frustrating; yet I never lost hope. we showed them a video of to talk to me because I was a man. I strongly believed that one day PRADAN’s outreach programmes. the people would understand. I, We then facilitated a discussion, During my field visits, I therefore, continued to approach which generated so many understood that without the men from different hamlets. questions among the community convincing the men and the so- Whenever I sensed some such as: What is the profit in called important persons of the openness, I showed them various forming an SHG? How many days village such as the Maulvi and videos on my laptop. Finally, the will we have to continue to save? the Hafij, it would be difficult to day arrived when my relentless What benefit will we get from the proceed with our work.