Food Crisis in the age of Land Grabbing

Food Crisis an outcome of failed agrarian reforms By Vidya Bhushan Rawat Much before the world could rise about the context of land grabbing, we in India, know it well how people’s land was already grabbed by the ruling Elites. These people who we called as Dalits or most marginalised found that whatever land they had in their possession was annexed by those village elite which claimed itself as ‘farmers’. Farmer in India, is a peculiar term. They too have castes. They too have rigidities of life. They too suffer from a hierarchical value system which considers the most marginalised as subhuman and untouchables. Indian villages live in darkness, in caste system and in nepotism Said Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar who guided our destiny in the post-independent India as he drafted our constitution and became the emancipator and liberator of millions of oppressed communities all over the country. While, we oppose all forms of discrimination by any one, and, all forms of land acquisition, a bit sophisticated terminology for land grabbing, we want to make it clear that we have become habitual of speaking the truth of convenience. Land grab is not just international phenomena but have been used by all the power elite in our societies. So, as I said in my opening statement, I am opposed to all forms of land acquisition including that by my own countrymen inside the country as well as outside it. Let me explain it further. Before 1990, most of the Dalits and Adivasis found their land being annexed by the upper castes and middle castes farmers. In many places, Indian state refused to act as those whose land was annexed did not matter much politically. The government knew it well that a large number of these communities need their protection yet nothing happened. The first generation of land reform failed miserably because inherent racist nature of our society which never considered these issues important. We still know millions of people in India mostly the Dalits, the tribal and the most backward communities, have in their hand, their land entitlement yet they fail to know where that exact portion of land is. Second failure of first generation of land reform was state’s failure to get the land ceiling laws implemented. Without active will of the state Land Ceiling Laws remain redundant. Most of the land still remains in the hands of power brutal village elite. We Know that they have used the Indian courts to make the Indian laws completely redundant. Many people talks about the Bhoodan Movement for land reform which was a complete eye wash actually to deviate people’s demand for land rights. We all know that these ruling elite would not give their own land at their own will that easily. To puncture the land rights movement, these elite trapped the whole social movements for land rights in Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh. We all know the out come of Bhoodan movement and how the land was used. Andhra Pradesh can give a better example of Bhoodan land. Interestingly, Land Ceiling is for 12 acres of irrigated land while 18 acres for semi irrigated land. Land in India, is a state subject hence these criteria’s change accordingly. But the commonality of these things is that you can procure land in the name of gods and goddesses, in the name of church, temple and mosques and no ceiling law would impact you as all these Gods do not live with in the Ceiling act. You can also procure enormous land for your cows. It is only for human being that we have put ceiling laws. To evade the land ceiling laws, the ruling elite turn to religion, use it as a tool to exploit the most marginalised one. Rule of law have failed to protect and honor the most margainslied communities from being exploited. In the post 1990s, when the Indian government went on Structural Adjustment programmes, became part of the WTO regime and abdicated all its responsibilities particularly related to land and agrarian reform, we saw a clamour for land acquisition in the name of ‘public interest’. Now, public interest during the British regime who drafted 1894 Land Acquisition Act, was much more different. At least the British created institutions in India, built our road networks and railways and hospitals were constructed but contrary to that our governments actually became ‘real estate agents’ and started land acquisition and handed them over to private companies. Most of the people who face this challenge are the communities of farmers, tribal and Dalits living in the villages and forest regions. Since 1950s, over 9 million tribal have become landless and displaced completely without rehabilitation. In fact, I call it, the annihilation of tribal culture and their land. It is criminal. Any protest for their rights and livelihood is being treated with much voracious state apparatus which criminalises the social movements and political protests. The tribal land is gone to mining mafias, timber contractors in the forest and then the environmental mafias who feel that the tribal are the biggest threat to environment. It does not care whether the tribal be honourably rehabilitated, or compensated for their sacrifices for making us live our today. The Indian state has failed to honor the tribal autonomy and continue to marginalise them. The second kind of threat today is to the farmers in India through the Land Acquisition for Special Economic Zones ( SEZs), for the big roads, malls, companies. All over the country, the farmers are protesting against this illegal land grab. The state acquires their land threatening them with dire consequences if they try to stop the authorities from acquiring their land. A report in the Times of India suggest that in 17 States of India, 40 districts will lose simply 3,69,000 acres of land for various projects. The fact is the numbers are quite big and I would term it great Indian land robbery much bigger than any bank robbery. And these robbers have not come from out side India, the record of Indian companies is worst than their external counterparts. For us this challenge is big. Though we know a large of number these farmers do not even consider Dalit and Adivasis as human being (caste being an important aspect of their arrogance) yet, if we have to understand the future of India and its food security, we must understand the conspiracy of the ruling elite and the powerful private owners who want to control our agriculture. Yes, India’s communal land is under the grab. It was meant for the communities and their cattle for grazing and sitting and discussing their issues. But it is in the hands of powerful caste forces in the villages. We do not talk about it as it would expose our own imperialist culture. It is easy to fight against an external enemy but very difficult to fight against our ‘own’ people and it is applicable to each one us including the communities who I am talking about. Each one of us is a victim of not only external forces wanting to control us but also our own people wanting to be a stooge in the hands of these forces, to exploit our sentiments. The issue of Food crisis is not just related to Food security. For us Food sovereignty is more important. We are not ready to accept that there is a food crisis and hence we need to import food to give it to our people. Food sovereignty is our food, our land and our farmers. You can not impose your waste food on our people in the name of food security. Food is a culture, it depends on local environment, it is developed over a period of time and hence our concern is food which is culturally conducive for our people. Many Indian companies are procuring land abroad particularly in Africa. I know about the land struggles going on in these countries against this kind of imperialism. That is why I mentioned in my remark that we must oppose all kind of imperialist tendencies and not particular kind. If India indulges in that kind of approach, we must not suffer with a false ‘nationalistic’ sentiment because the same companies are disinheriting our own people from their land and using it for non agricultural purposes and then procuring huge land abroad to get it imported to India. It is a conspiracy to make our farmers workless and complete beggars. We must oppose to it. We must also not lose sight of the fact that the current food crisis is not a day’s work. The issue of subsidy to the farm products and fertilisers are very important. If Europe and Americans are not ready to do away with it, they have no right to impose these conditions on our governments to kill our agriculture. It is because of this, we are witnessing farmers committing suicide as they are unable to face the market pressures. They are unable to produce their crop according to fancies of market. Not able to produce profit as we all know well, market gives you big dreams and yet in reality it works against the most marginalised one. It is monopolised by the big corporations hence how can a common farmer compete with them. The farmers have to procure the hybrid seeds to ‘increase’ their yields which has failed forcing them to commit suicide. Indian farmers’ continuous suicide is a direct out come the ‘green revolution’ where they shunned traditional practices and went following the ‘commercial’ practices. Scientific achievements were converted to commercial greed by the companies and we all know green revolution also undid the agrarian reform. It mocked at small land holding and compelled people to annex the land of the most marginalised. The most powerful regions of India’s ‘green belt’ have the worst record of violence against women and Dalits. It has the worst record of dilapidating our water resources. Today, the same farmers are willingly ready to sale their land for real estate purposes and the only struggle between them and the government is related to monitory compensation and the rehabilitation package. India’s poorest people are living in richest zones. Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, Oddisha, have rich wealth of natural resources. The companies are venturing there and sucking these resources while the indigenous people are on the road fighting in their own land for their own survival. Is it not an irony that in these rich mineral zones, people are still suffering from hunger? What have we given to them? Except than criminalising them, we have no shame in continuously marginalising and isolating them. A war is growing in the heart of people against this injustice. The state was supposed to protect and fulfil its duties towards its people but it has failed. Civil society failed in its duty. For social movements, it was plainly the issue of land but for millions of people it relate to their continuous marginalisation, cultural annihilation and social ostracisation with the rest of the country. We failed in our duty towards our indigenous people, our most marginalised communities and unable to accept them in our decision making so that they can speak about their issues and plan their future. The crisis is enormous. You can not force an unwilling people to your thought. The efforts to privatise the agrarian system in the name of Food security would not succeed. It is an effort to kill the indigenous system of agriculture. It will ruin millions of farmers, indigenous people from their traditional method of agriculture. Such a food produced by big companies using the most ‘modern’ ‘technology’ might be large in quantity but will never be a qualitative food and will be resulting in annihilating our food culture. If the governments world over have failed to fulfil their duties towards their farmers, their indigenous people then they have no right to seize the resources of people which they have protected, nurtured so beautifully over the years. Do not blame these communities who protected our environment, our natural wealth for your mistakes. It is time, we must apologise to these communities and hand over their land and resources to them so that they are protected better. Let the big companies not worry about our food security. Those corporations can not feed the world who are responsible for killing thousands of farmers, indigenous people on whose ruins they produce their resources. Let us all boycott those corporations and products that are the results of the ruins of the farmers and indigenous people. If people are allowed to access their resources, there would be no hunger deaths. Hunger deaths are the failure of modern states which acquired people’s resources in the name of public interest but could never fulfil those promises to the people it displaced and killed. It is time; we need an informative debate on the issue of Food Security, Food sovereignty and on Land Acquisition. For that, we need to place a complete moratorium on all forms of acquisition that displace people from their natural resources and make them landless and then respect community’s sovereignty over their land and other natural resources.

Need action for the perpetrators of the crime against woman in Jharkhand

A Fact Finding Report of Violence against a Dalit woman in Giridih, Jharkhand By Vidya Bhushan Rawat, Ramdev Vishwabandhu and Pradeep Paswan She is completely lost and thoroughly crushed as she comes in front of us and just sits on the floor unmindful of the dust on it. As happen in most of such cases, she has herself become a subject to be discussed and her family regularly being threatened. Just 17 years of age and married twice, Sugani’s tale is the story of how dangerous the guardians of morality could be in our villages. Unfortunately, despite a most gruesome case being reported in the media here in Giridih, not much noise has been made. The organisations working for the Dalits, of the Dalits, by the Dalits, community organisations of Ravidasis, human rights organisations and women’s rights organisations have kept mum. On its parts, administration is absolutely silent and did not even deem it fit to provide protection to the victim and her family who are living in absolute fear. That their economic condition is pethatic reflect from their inaction to take the girl for medication. Police and administration has failed to provide any safety and security to this family Ravidasis Dalits here in Ranidih village which is about 60 kilometer away from the district headquarter of Giridih in Jharkhand state. Sugani is an agricultural labour who was speaking to a known family person from another village who had come to attend a marriage in this village. Just when they were interacting, a village boy Lakhan Das, 22, ask her as ‘who was speaking with’, who is this man? Is he your husband? He abusing her and slapped several time. This incident is of May 5th evening time. Lakhan’s mother intervened and the matter ended there. But the news spread like wild fire in the village. Rumours spread and on May 6th early morning, member of Mahila Samiti gathered together and picked up the girl from her home which is her father’s home at around 10 am. Her hair untied and dragged her to the lanes to the village school. Her aunt try to stop them but they threaten her with dire consequences and similar fate if intervene. There were about 12 members of the Mahila Samiti which is a Self Help Group of the village. According to the victim, these women members then made her naked and cut her hair. She was forced to eat human excreta and garlanded with Chappals. The women asked the men of the village to go out of the place. The woman blame that her pubic hair were also cut by these women and they tried to play with her inner part. She was persistently abused during those five six hours hour. She was kept in the sun. The male members of the family were not at home as they had gone to brick kiln and came home during the day. When the family came and heard from their women about this incident then Kapil Dev, a man known to this family from the neighbouring village came and got this stopped. This humiliation of a woman happened till 3 pm and most shockingly by the women themselves from the same community. In the evening the family of the girl went to the police station Deori to lodge an FIR. This falls under the Jamua Assembly constituency which is a reserved constituency. The family of the girl is a Ravidasi community and are agricultural labour. They don’t even know as what is the FIR filed by the police. So far no action has been taken. When the Mahila Samiti people came to know that there might be investigation and they might have to go to Jail, they have started threatening these people. It is ironical that no medical has been conducted on the woman so far. Our Visit We came to know about the incident during a visit of mine to Giridih when some of the local informed us about the incident and the inability of the administration to take action against the culprits. According to them, these women of the same community are running a SHG group and are dominant and play moral police. They threaten every one with dire consequences. Since the humiliation of the Dalit girl was done by the women of her community, the police found it difficult to register them under the SC-ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. Now, this is an unfortunate situation as it is the woman who has to bear the brunt. Not even the community organisations or other groups came to her rescue so we decided to make a visit to the village and met the victim. We visited the victim’s house and met members of the family and neighbours on May 11th, 2011. We also tried to find out from neighbours, social activists and a few political activists about the incident. Daughter of Girdhari Das, an agricultural worker, Sugani has two brothers. Just at 17 she had faced many realities of life. Her first marriage was broken and her father got her married again. At the moment, she was staying with her father and other relatives. Her father is an angry man. Her mother cries to see the plight of her daughter. She has not eaten any food since the incident happen. Those horrible moments comes in her mind. Her aunts are angry with society, with government and with the political class as none has come to visit them. ‘Yes, the very unfortunate part of this incident is that we are continuously facing threatened by these Mahila Sanghathan i.e. women’s group to keep our mouth shut. They are very powerful people, we are poor so none come to us, said her aunt. The fact is that the girl is unable to recollect many things. Her confidence is completely lost by this event. The humiliation has shattered her body, mind and soul. It is like she does not know what will be her future. Her mother is quietly worried of her future. Till the writing of this, her husband had not known about this incident and the family did not know what could be his reaction. Our main findings were following: Findings 1. None in the village has denied the incident but the village was divided on nature. While the victim and her relatively were categorical that she was paraded naked and a stick with human excreta was forced on her mouth and her silver chain was snatched and hair were cut, the opposite side just felt that the hair were cut but all other things about parading naked was absolutely false. 2. A number of villagers pointed out that the girl was bad in character which clearly indicates that now the fear of an administrative action is forcing people to lie. While they are admitting that incident happen, they deny parading naked and all other charges levelled by the girl. 3. Most of the men actually deny having seen the incident and yet none of them were ready to condemn it even if it had happened. 4. The victim, her family and neighbours openly accused the Mahila Samiti members to have perpetrated this crime while the Mahila Samiti members flatly refused the same and said that a mad woman cut her hair. The victims family is facing threat from the girl. 5. Till the date of our visit, there was no trace of any police protection to the girl and her family. She was also not taken for medical examination. This is the criminal negligence on part of the police for not having done and action must be taken against them. 6. The victim actually named many people in front of us and there was virtual fight when people deny it yet it is true that villagers are divided on the issue. That does not reduce the importance of this incident and its wider repercussion. 7. One of the main reason for community unity in this case is that this is a case with in the community. The perpetrators of the crime of community women and hence it is a bit difficult for them to accept or involve the police in it. 8. The police and administration remain ineffective on this issue. No medical examination was done, no compensation was provided and no security to the girls family. She lives in constant fear from the threat of these powerful community women. Our Analysis of the situation This case is typical case as have been happening in our villages where the women are easy target of the ‘moral policing’. It is unfortunate that such things still happening and we have no police protection for those who become victim of it. After speaking to many witnesses or villagers, we realise that while people are saying that her hair were cut which were visible but she was not paraded naked. After I recorded her statement, it seems the message went across the village that they will now be traced and immediately they started sending us overtures that the woman is lying and no woman can be maltreated in our village. The young boys came to us said that the victim was ‘bad in character’. A man who the victim said did not come for her rescue said we must find out why she was paraded. It was clear that among themselves the villagers have justification of the incident. It is only because of fear of law that they retracted that she was not humiliated. My question to them was leave aside all other things, is cutting of her hair and placing a garland of chappals not humiliation ? When we were returning, some of these so called women’s group members met us and said that the girl was lying. One of the member said that the hair were cut by a mad woman. So, like any other incident of village pride, we will not find any witness to this incident also. We know that this incident happened with in the community and must be come with in the parameters of ‘crime for honor’ since it had happened with in the community and there is no chances of any SC-ST act being used in this case as it would have happened in the case of violence been perpetrated by non Dalits. The physical and mental condition of the girl is disturbing and need immediate medical attention. We know that in such cases the girls become victim of neglect and the families also consider them burden. It is time that the government must provide her due compensation. It is a shame that a Women’s group from the community perpetrated this ghastly crime. They must be arrested immediately and a message must be send across that such act of anti women violence by women or community would not be tolerated. It is not that only women were involved in the crime. Some men and the person Lakshman Das, who actually instigated the entire incident must be chargsheeted. Following names were given. The victim identified them with their husbands name. It is not the husbands who are the culprits but the wives who run the Mahila Sanghatan and Self Help Group. They are 1. Wife of Hira Lal Das 2. Wife of Dinesh Das 3. Rekha Devi 4. Krishna Devi 5. Savitri Devi 6. Geeta Devi 7. Bhutwa Devi 8. Dulari Devi 9. Anita Devi 10. Kunti Devi 11. Saraswati Devi 12. Suker Devi Ofcourse, the main culprit seems to be Lakhsman Das, who beat her up the previous day and then complained to the women members about the same. Our Demands 1. Immediate arrest of those who perpetrated the crime even if they happened to be Dalit women. Their organisation must be prohibited working in the community any more. 2. Action against police inaction and delays. 3. The victim must be rehabilitated. Full compensation must be given to her to make her life better. Medical treatment must be provided to her. 4. The Commission can send its own investigation team to find out further. 5. Provide protection to the family of victim as they live in continuous harassment. We would like to request the national bodies such as National Human Rights Commission, National Commission for Women, National Commission for Scheduled Castes and National Commission for Schedule Tribe to look into these matters seriously. Caste and gender related violence in India is rampant and all this happens in the name of community honour. We know fully well that the debate in the village start from the character of woman and our police force and those in administration some time feel the same way and hence rarely we reach to conclude such cases. These commissions should Now have specific duties to investigate these matters themselves and take them To logical conclusions otherwise like many other unknown deaths in India, this case will also die.

Time for left to widen its base and introspect its loss

It is a vote against loot of public resources: Land or money from exchequer Understanding the mandate of voters in recent assembly elections By Vidya Bhushan Rawat The 35 years old left front government in West Bengal finally bowed out of power in a massive reversal of fortunes which they never ever imagined. Mamata Banerjee and her alliance is ready to take up the new challenge in West Bengal. There is no need to argue against left except the fact that they had stayed in power for too long and for the good health of democracy the people must not allow any regime beyond two terms consequently. In fact, Parliament should pass a bill fixing up tenure of Prime Minister and Chief Ministers so not to allow any PM or CM beyond two terms whether consecutive or alternative like the system in United States fix terms for president. It will strengthen democracy and take us beyond the polity of individual ‘liberators’ which has become hall mark of our polity and political-social movements. That will pave the way for more democratisation of parties and leadership and further decentralise the power structure and develop new leadership. Therefore, defeat of left in West Bengal should not be considered as a jolt but as a break for the party leadership to think about their programmes and policies. None can deny the historic role of the left forces in West Bengal but there is also a grave reality that there was no efforts to bring the marginalised leadership into the party. The dark reality of West Bengal is the continuous marginalisation of Dalit-OBC-Muslim leadership in any of the political formulations. Hence if people are calling Mamata Banerjee the new liberator of West Bengal, it need to be seen whether people like Amit Mitra of CII, are going to liberate Bengal or will they create new Nandigrams and ‘manage’ media which had turn anti left in the past 10 years. It is important to know whether Mamata has any new agenda for the vast number of these marginalised sections of society which remain marginalised politically and in governance structure in West Bengal. Yesterday, Bengal was remarkably calm. In Bardwan, where I boarded a local train to reach Chandanagore, none was initiating a discussion, there was a pin drop silent in the trains and roads and streets were deserted. Only the regular vendors were selling their products. At one place, a coolie had virtually tears in his eyes telling ‘everything is lost’, Buddha Babu gone, most of his colleagues defeated’. His eyes spoke everything. I came here to understand the moods of people but I suppose so much has happened that it will take time for people to realise that things are changed. There were not much discussions on the streets. People were not much expressive. May be the defeat of Buddha Dev and his team shocked the people. Did he deserve this humiliation of losing in his own constituency? Mamata said the people of West Bengal are liberated. Well didi, we also want liberation from you, from the Railway ministry which you virtually killed with your over time involvement in West Bengal. Now, that you have to take charge of Writer’s Building in Kolkata, please give a break to Prime Minister to find a better Railway Minister so that we all can travel safe and better. In the evening, there was as mall procession of people with Vande Mataram in the air. Mamata’s flag hoist every where. Women and men played holi and colour each other yet the mood still was somewhat sombre. In the night when I walked on the side of Hooghly, not much was visible except the fact the some people went to see an exhibition on Tagore and his life. My friend Bhaskar suggested that political discussion seems to be reducing in West Bengal and youths are completely dejected with the overdose of politicisation process in the state. Did the CPM manipulate the caste equations in the state? The left had always have a position in favour class and not caste but the realities of Bengal showed that also came from powerful Bhadralok who seems to have drifted from the party towards Mamata for green pastures. The 26% Muslims of the state remained completely isolated and marginalised despite tall claims of ‘secular’ values. Muslims want participation in power structure and their job share in the government. Is not it a shame that such a huge number of Muslims have less share in governance structure in West Bengal than in Gujarat who we regularly vilify. Congress Party, the allied partner of Trinamul is happy today as it returned to power in Kerala and retained in Assam. The news analysts may be writing obituary of the left in West Bengal and glorifying Mamata Banerjee and her team but in democracy one has to win. Left lost after 35 years hence no need to feel sorry for them. None should get such a long ride if we want to strengthen democracy. We need left forces in the country as long as we have regimes of repression. Left is always great when in the opposition and one hope they will raise the issue of loot of land in the country and contribute in a much better way. The poll results have thrown some pertinent questions at the moment. Congress lead UPA at the centre continues to brazenly follow the neoliberal agenda and has corrupted the entire structure. It is time for them to do a rethink. In the din of celebrations, it must think that there lies the message of voters about policies and programme. One, that people want better living for them, better life and secure future for them. They want roads, infrastructure, schools, hospitals and not the political rhetoric against these. West Bengal lacked that shockingly and credit goes to some of the rhetorical statement that we in the left movement are habitual of making about development and welfare. Secondly, Nandigram and Singur sealed the fate of the left. The same CPM and its allies lost their credit among their own supporters and constituents as it smack of hypocrisy. None can support Mamata’s politicisation in Singur as most of the people wanted a better compensation and security of their jobs, and yet the government mishandled the situation and now faced the music. The struggle against land acquisition is a nation wide phenomenon apart from the question of tribal rights over forest and water resources. Those who want to celebrate at the ouster of left forces must not drift away from the reality of the current trends. The left forces in West Bengal got 42% of the total votes against 48% of Mamata Banerjee led alliance. Just 6% of shift in votes has changed the fortunes of the left in West Bengal reflect a serious concern of all of us that we need to discuss on the issue of electoral reform. How can a mere 6% difference create loss of 162 seats? So, even after 35 years of left rule, if Bengal electorate has still reposed faith in the left then we should appreciate their work and actions. Ofcourse, as I said earlier, time for introspection for the left themselves and hopefully this will give them more time to strengthen their social base and widen their network. The result of Kerala have shown the similar trends that even if UDF seems to have got the power, the fact is that it is not a resounding no to the policies of left, which brings us to other points as why are neo liberals celebrating this even when left is not decimated despite their tall claims. And the answer is clear that industries are looking Mamata to work for the industries in West Bengal which is fair enough but how she manages it would be seen in future. The rout of DMK in Tamilnadu is a great lesson for all the political leaders who feel that people are not going to entertain corruption. While Jayalalitha is no saint and definitely Karunanidhi had a better record as chief minister, the involvement of family in wide scale corruption is a matter of great concern and people have rejected them all. One thing that goes greatly in favour of the left parties is that despite such a long spell of serving in power in West Bengal and Kerala, their leaders were relatively cleaner and uncorrupted which is unique and must be acknowledged. The trend of people throwing their own community leaders who tend to be corrupt started from Haryana where Devi Lal felt that corruption was never an issue. It reached Bihar where Lalu’s brother in laws had field day and anointing Rabari Devi as chief minister of State was the biggest damage that he played though he might claim it was a ‘backward’ woman but the question is there are hundreds of backward community women, much better than Rabari Devi who could have become Chief minister if Lalu was so interested. Mulayam Singh Yadav has the same fate. Actually, that makes Mayawati must stronger and better than any of her opponent despite all allegation of corruption that she has not allowed her family members dominate the political space of BSP. Hence, the Tamilnadu and Puducherry results shows that the people will revolt against their leaders and that democracy will mature and none can take their own community for granted even if our intellectuals and political analysts try to glorify any misdeeds. The trends from these polls are clear that it is a vote against corruption and a vote for change, a vote for better life and not mere rhetoric. It is not that all those who have been elected are ‘revolutionaries’ or ‘change makers’. That is the biggest drawback of our democratic set up that elections are won on the negative votes. Jayalalitha came back to power because of excess of the Karunanidhi government in Tamilnadu. None will want a state to become the family domain of a party or an individual. The West Bengal’s mandate was for change as it is over 35 years left front rule and there was stagnation but that does not really mean power in the hands of marginalised. May be new forces of social justice have to emerge from West Bengal. Muslims continue to remain marginalised except promises by the political parties. They can not survive on the promises of the parties. The leadership has to emerge. West Bengal will need a social revolution of ‘vote hamara raj tumhara, nahi chalega’.. my vote your govt will not work. The OBCs, Dalits, Muslims can make a strong combine but alas they did not have a credible face and more over the first past the post system is certainly beneficial to powerful castes in India and does not favour the marginalised. India will have to switch to Proportionate Electorate System, if we want representative governments in true sense which could reflect the diversity of people in our governance structure. The manipulations and calculations of political parties will not work and they will have to function according to aspirations of the people and minorities whether linguistic or caste or religious will have more safety than they have today. The dismal percentage of Muslims in political structure will create unhealthy environment in all the states and further alienate them. It is time a serious thought is given to make their presence felt in the power structure. What makes it more important from the fact that despite tribal opposition and revolt Bastar goes to the same party and non tribal. How can you resolve a conflict where the Member of Parliament has no time to visit the people and speak on their issues? When the government can hold talks with ULFA and NSCN, what is wrong with speaking with those claiming to work for tribal or protecting them? That would give more time to government to reach in these areas and discuss autonomy of tribal regions It is time for Congress to think beyond Manmohan-Montek-Chidambaram agenda of development. The fire of Nandigram and Singur has now reached Noida where Congress General Secretary went and sat on a Dharana ignoring the vital fact that Congress governments in Andhra Pradesh and Maharastra had the worst record related to this where chief ministers became over enthusiastic in land grab. Late Y.S.Rajshekar Reddy lead it, acquired tribal land and the polarised the opinion in media and political circle by playing different caste, and regional cards. The ideologues in the Congress want government to dole out ‘entitlement’ based things to people and acquire their land clandestinely without any protest. By targeting the civil society and all those who are opposing these policies, the political parties are trying to shut the dissent. Mr Chidambaram would do well to think over his agenda of ‘tribal’ empowerment. There will never be any peace in India if we continue to elect our government based on minority votes and rejoice at the ‘dance’ of democracy. If in the past 20 years our parliament did not have time to discuss the land acquisition bill and despite presence of 350 odd Dalit, OBC and tribal Member of Parliament and our marginalised continue to be sold, then it is time, we must give a rethink to our current system. In the absence of these debates, everything that governments do is a justification of act in the form of violence against people. Every protest for protection of their land water and resources is being criminalised by indiscriminate use of police force, terming it as administrative problem. It is time to think over these issues seriously. At the end of the day, these election results have shown that people will fight against corruption which actually is loot of people’s resources whether it is in the form of Nandigram, Singur or monitory loss to the exchequer in the 3G spectrum. Not much should be expected from the political class who will always manipulate things and wait that people forget it. One is sure, in the coming days, things are becoming more difficult and there is a serious need to switch over to Proportionate Electorate System, at least a debate is needed so that we have genuine representation and wider protections of the rights of the tribals, Dalits and minorities and the seats one gains should be proportional to the vote polled by the party. Let the left initiate the debate on electoral system by involving more political parties and involve itself more on strengthening social political movements which is important against the illegal grab of our resources and growing corruption in our political life. Let Didi and Amma take charge of their state in hope that they would do justice to what they promised to their people.

Pain of the Expatriate Pakistanis

Time for Pakistan establishment to show some commitment to secularism and Justice By Vidya Bhushan Rawat It was raining heavily when I boarded the bus no 7 from square one to Toronto Airport to catch my flight back to Delhi. After several stops, I saw Anwar Bhai boarding the bus. It was relief for me as I wanted to meet him before leaving but our schedule were such that it was difficult. Anwar Bhai was born in Lucknow city but became a Pakistani citizen due to accident of circumstances. Pakistan could not attract him much and he migrated to Canada with his family. Speaking to him was a treat as he had so many memories of Delhi and Lucknow that one would always want to listen to him. He is a freak of the Hindustani movies being produced in Bombay which we claim to be ‘Hindi Movies’. ‘Why do we call them as Hindi movies, he says. ‘None of the old days writers, actors ever knew Hindi. The fact is they always wrote their script in Urdu and represented the great Hindustani tehjeeb of the subcontinent’, Anwar Bhai would suggest. He came to meet me at Shamshaad Bhai’s place and we had whole lot of discussion on our relations and the situation in both India and Pakistan. But on that day, when we met at the bus, I saw an anguish and pain in the eyes of Anwar Bhai. He did not know that I was leaving for Delhi but when I informed him that I am leaving for Delhi right now, he became pensive. We sat and chatted for a few minutes before he departed. ‘You see, this is the tragedy of Pakistani expatriates that none of us want to go back to Pakistan. Where shall we go? Are we safe there? It is difficult to live in that country which is in the grip of religious thugs and mafias. When I see you Indians craving to go for your country, I feel how fortunate you are. Each one of us loves our land. ‘I was fortunate to be born and brought up in Lucknow and see the supreme irony I can not even claim to be a citizen of India because I do not possess the relvent papers which got lost, he says. He wanted to say many things but I could realise that he had a lot to say. He narrated me stories of his Hindu neighbours and how they would help each other. India is a model for many of these countries where people help each other. Ofcourse, things are not that easier here I told him yet the people and the unity of Pasmanda Muslims, Dalits, the Adivasis and others is getting stronger day by day, I informed. Similar feelings were expressed by Iqbal bhai who came to drop me at Square one in his taxi. He belonged to Sambhal near Moradabad and would explain to me various things. He had been living in Canada for over 15 years and yet unable to visit his own country for many years. ‘ what do we do after going there. It is becoming risky day by day, he said. The expatriates Pakistanis whose roots are in India are actually praying for good relations between the two countries. They are feeling uprooted from their culture and language. India is providing them a link. The films, the songs, cricket, and politics everything is giving them happiness yet the pain of not being able to see their land is much bigger than any of these. And when they meet friends and compatriots from India, they realise how wrong was partition of India, which actually created artificial borders between three newly created states. Yes, now they are questioning the partition of India and say it was a conspiracy to divide us by the elites. ‘They looted us and gained from our dislocation. What did we get said many of them’, said one of them. Though, I do not personally believe that partition was avoidable as the circumstances that time were completely different and the things have taken a different turn now when the Muslims and others have seen the politics behind partition. There are hundreds of logics who can suggest that Partition was necessary, I said. If I see the condition of Muslims in India, their marginalisation in polity and decision making, I feel it was necessary but when I see the situation in Pakistan today, which can plainly be described as a country in war with itself, and then I say it was absolutely disaster. It did not help either. It was a disaster as many of our friends say seeing the situation today but if that had not happened, don’t we think that the forces of Jehad would have been operating in India demanding for the same. There would have been Hindu fanatics who are still targeting Muslims and Muslim fanatics would have been playing their games easily and we would have been in a much bloody situation today. After years of churning, there is a realisation that hatred does not bring anything. Today, the people of Pakistan have seen what have they got in the name of religion. ‘Well, a friend says, ‘we want to have Kashmir in the name of religion as every locality of Karachi has a collection centre in the name of Jehad in Kashmir. What should the govt do, I asked Butt Saheb, a Kashmiri, who met me at a shop in Toronto? ‘Why has the entire struggle of self respect of Kashmiris have turned into a hatred towards non-Muslims’, I asked. ‘You can not separate the Kashmiri Hindus from the Kashmir Muslims says Butt. You see, my surname is Butt and it reflect that we were originally Pandits who we spell as Bhutt. It is common thread between us. The whole thing has been created by politicians and government. There is tremendous good will among the people on both the sides of border. Though, I live in ‘Azad Kashmir’ yet I am proud to be born in Srinagar’, he says. ‘I asked him when should Pakistan give Azadi to the people in their part of Kashmir? Butt Saheb has not given a thought on this. He only says that it is the politicians who are dividing us. But one very interesting point that he referred was that it was not difficult for him to go to Kashmir as there are so many entry points. He feels proud of being a Kashmiri from Srinagar. Last night, US President Barak Obama declared that Osama Bin Laden is killed by the American troops in Abottabad, a calm military town near Pakistan capital Islamabad. Death of Bin Laden could be described in various ways by commentators. For Americans and their allies he was the person who made women widows, children orphaned and killed innocent, for many in the Islamic world, he was a hero who took on the Non Muslims who were trying to challenge the authority of Islam. It is not that every Muslim supported him but George W Bush’s doctrines of Islamic Fascist actually put the entire Muslim world against him. However, president Obama has been more than careful in describing this as a war against terrorism and not war against Islam. While, we agree that the Americans and others who entered in Iraq or Afghanistan are not there to bring ‘democracy’ which they often describe so proudly, but to serve their own interest, it is also time to look inwardly. Off late, the practice of blaming everything to your opponent seems the best strategy for despots, politicians and those who sale on victim mindset all the time. A victim mindset will never get any one justice but will only create more and more fanatics who at the end will not be damaging to any one but to their own societies. After all, who did Bin Laden kill more? Who are the victims of Talibans? Who are the victims of Gaddafi and Mubaraks? All these despots and fanatics were somewhere created by the American and their notorious agencies like CIA. At the end all of them actually damaged Islam more than they could damage the others. So, when I say we need to look inward, it is because unless our societies are internally stronger, we can not really do justice to our people and fight with the so-called enemy. We will only end up in killing ourselves. We have seen this in Afghanistan and now in Libya, Nigeria, and Bahrain where one ethnicity dominate over the other and unable to provide political alternative. Today, in Pakistan, the situation is grim. In most of these countries the rights of the people are crumpled under the heavy boots of the authoritarian regimes and society is completely collapsed. The morality brigade ensure that women are beaten on the street and do not go out in their own. It is this situation which has compelled many of the people to migrate to west. And coming to the west is a cultural shock to many as most of the immigrants bring their feudal values along with them. Hence, the largest numbers of honoured killings are being witnessed in United Kingdom and Canada. Yes, many of them go unreported. On the eve of Easter when I was travelling from Ottawa to Toronto, I met a Sudanese doctor who had migrated several years back from his country to Canada. With a wife and family, he started his life as a taxi driver and pursued his study in medicine. Sudanese name in the west has become synonymous with Islamic terror and despite humiliation at the airports and at immigration level, people still preferring to leave those isolated heavens of feudal lords where life has virtually become miserable to live. ‘I want to study here and make my life better said, Marry who was along with her husband. ‘We have been here for past 15 years and our children are now accustomed to live in the Western world. These people have allowed us to grow and given us opportunities to taste the success. I would not like to go there in Sudan where people are killing each other in the name of religion. Today, I can drive around and take my children at my own. None can stop me here taking a decision on my life. Why should I go there if as a woman my own identity is never respected’, explains Marry who felt that America would be the last in her list to visit as it humiliate all who are Sudanese. ‘At least, here in Canada we are much safer and not humiliated’, she adds. Two years ago, I met a few Pakistanis in London working with women and girls in UK who were victim of violence. I met Mehjabin, a Gujarati Muslim woman who married to a Pakistani much against the wishes of her family. They would have killed her yet the girl was too bold to handle and they decided to live separately. Yet, when their child was born, her husband forced him to go to learn Arabic and ‘Muslim culture’ which he was unable to respond. One day the boy was so scared with the highhandedness of the Maulvi that he pissed in his pant. The mother got angry with her husband and withdrew the child. The inability of South Asians to mix up with their counterparts in the western societies is creating a big gap in understanding. They want to come out their cultural shock yet fear isolation from the community push them back in the lap of those who want to ghettoise them. They crave for their language, music and traditions and some time turn more conservative. In the case of Pakistani friends, a number of them become depressed with the fact that there is so much to do in Pakistan yet very unfortunately they can not go and do any work for the women and poor there. Pakistan today is on the verge of collapse. Civil society is threatened and politicians are unable to take on the challenge of the religious right wings who are determined to convert Pakistan into another chaotic Islamic nation where women will virtually have no right and people would not be allowed to access the modern world. Speaking with friends and fellow activists in Pakistan makes you feel pensive on how a country has deteriorated. And most of them feel that the ruling establishment in Pakistan actually want such a scenario when democracy fail and military take over. While people have no love for Zia ul Haq kind of military men, definitely many of them have soft corner for Musharraf who they think was modernising Pakistan. The day Mukhtar Mai’s rapist were released on the order of Pakistan Supreme Court, I spoke to a friend in Sindh who was narrating me the growth of fundamentalist in Pakistan and their continuous assault on freedom of expression and religious beliefs. Pakistan is paying a heavy price for its flirtation with the hate mongers. The elite have shifted to other countries and are not bothered about it. The powerful military men who rules have their children abroad and know they are in safe heaven. Mukthar Mai and many like her do not get justice. The other South Asian particularly the caste Hindus try to avoid the Muslims from Pakistan. They would not like to be associated and counted in minorities and Muslims, informed a friend. The common refrain from the South Asian community in UK and USA is to avoid any linkages with Pakistanis. This has given rise to the growth of Hindu right wing among Indian expatriate as this is their fertile time when the anti Muslim propaganda is on full flow and war on terror has indirectly been a war on Islam despite Obama’s tall claim. A large part of this negative feeling for Muslims has happened because of inner power games in Pakistan’s power structure. It is time for them to change their attitude and stop supporting such notorious movement in the name of Islam. At the end it is isolating Muslims and only helping those who want to see them isolated further. We have seen the isolation of Mukthar Mai, and Salmaan Taseer whose death was celebrated by many. It is the meekness of the voices of secularism that the religious fanatics take things for granted and consider their strength. The fears of people like me is that if Pakistan and Bangladesh go to the right wing fundamentalist groups, it will only strengthen the process of radicalisation of other communities too and the end would be chaos and further destruction of lives in South Asia. Islam is not in danger but Muslims are facing persecution because of a few such fanatics. Justification of historic wrongs and blame games will only escalate tension. Ofcourse, things can not improve if the Americans continue to intervene and kill innocents in the Middle East. It will never improve with the hate propaganda of the US machinery who on the one hand call for reconciliation and the other side continue to harbour ill will and misconceived notion towards Muslims and Islam. A Pakistan of Jinnah’s dream can take the lead in it yet every expatriate is looking for that where minorities have equal rights and women do not face the victimisation like Mukthar Mai. Only a government with strong sense of justice to people and secularism can bring Pakistan near to the secular dream of Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Is Pakistan establishment prepared for that?

The Crisis of Zari Zardosi work in Uttar-Pradesh

Shabanam’s struggle for dignity and honor By Vidya Bhushan Rawat She is about 28 year old living in a very dilapidated structure of Muraintola near Lala Bazar, in the nondescript district Fatehpur of Uttar-Pradesh, about 150 kilometer from Allahabad and nearly 70 kilometer from Kanpur town. Once a constituency of former prime minister V.P.Singh, Fatehpur is a rural district lacking basic developmental facilities with a fairly large number of backward community people living along with Dalits and Muslims. Shabanam has graduated in Urdu language from a local women’s college. Two of her elder sisters got married many years back but now the burden of her family rest on her. She lost her father Babu Ali Khan when she was just studying in the IIIrd standard. None in her family was literate but she wanted to study. As the financial condition of her family was worst, a thought to get admission in the school was nearly impossible without a strong support. She had three brothers who were elder to her, too worked at the local shops and her mother worked as domestic labour. Somehow she completed her VIIIth and the family people asked her to stop then lacking financial resources. Fact is that more than the financial resources it is the labour resources that they want from their children. The family was in to Beedi making and also doing the zari-zardosi work which was actually not able to sustain the family as the payments were low and exploitation high. It is an organised crime against these unorganised people, a regular perpetuation of criminality mixed in class, gender and religious bias. One of her sisters actually understood her ambition to study further and promised that she would support her in studies. That helped Shabnam in completing her 10th standard. Unfortunately, her sister who supported her died leaving her future to further uncertainties. Yet, she decided that whatever happens she would study further. She understood well that for that she needed economic independence. She started making Beedis in the night and used to go college in the morning which helped her completing her graduation. Her three brothers were illiterate and did not show any interest in education. Two of them were into tailoring work while the third one was a carpenter. All of them got married somehow and were living with their families. In fact, running the family was solely the duty of Shabnam. In a sad turn of event, her younger brother died leaving his wife and child to be fetched by Shabnam. When we see the home they live in, it shows their desperation. In the absence of the state’s duty, most of the Muslims masses are destined to feed themselves in such a way as Shabnam is doing. They have no idea that they have certain rights too envisaged in the constitution and that the government need to honour them. It is tragic that the community is living in such a state that its political class has no time to look beyond its narrow and self cantered political agenda while those playing secular politics are just not able to look beyond their narrow political agenda. Shabnam’s trial did not end with the death of her brother. Nearly three months after her brother had died, her sister in law also passed away leaving her baby in her hands. One of her elder brother live with her family but his income is not enough to feed his three children. The macabre dance of deaths that Shabnam witnessed in her family can’t be just coincident but the brutal fact of prevailing health conditions among the artisans working in beedi and zardosi work. They suffer silently and before they could realise that some disease has caught them, it is too late. These young deaths are brutal reminder of complete failure of state, civil society and our governance system to look beyond the traditional work of ‘development’. Developmental agenda of our country has still remained biased towards Muslims and fail to provide them any alternatives and support despite their efforts to continue with age old traditions and occupations particularly in terms of arts and music which clearly is our national heritage. At the moment, Shabnam is actually the guardian of her mother, her elder sister who is not married and the 10 years old son of her brother. The family lives in a desperate situation. The rooms are dark with virtual no air or light. Looking like shell of an old jail, you can find here the aging and isolated Muslim population living in disgusting conditions, of course with smiling faces. Dr Salim, an old man in his seventies who claims to be a ‘doctor’ owns this dilapidated structure with about five tenants each paying nearly Rs 500/- as rent. One can understand what could be the living conditions of these houses in such an amount. The ‘doctor’ himself needs a doctor as age has caught him and his condition look grim and pathetic. The rent, perhaps, is the only source of his survival as one does not know whether he still ‘practices’ or not. Shabnam lives in one of these rooms with her family. The dirty lanes that leads to her home in Murain Tola, Fatehpur, openly speak about the seriousness of the local authorities related to Muslim community particularly those who are living in depressing conditions. Most of the occupants, here live in dark single rooms and mostly engaged in the handicraft work. At the rooftop, Shabnam introduce me to another zardosi worker Naseema Khatoon, who has started her morning work. It is just 9 am and yet most of the people had started working on their ‘projects’. Naseema has three children and her husband is a tailor master. I asked her about her life, her earnings, her fears and future which she feels remain uncertain at the moment. And according to her, ‘It is painful living with no security of life and family as each one suffer as running a home in these time of inflation is nearly impossible’. She does the Zardosi work and could earn Rs 20-25 per day. A deep sense of insecurity and uncertainty looms large over her face as she does not want to speak saying what is the outcome of speaking to you? People come and report but our plight remain the same, says, Naseema. With no fixed income and no social security such as a BPL card which could enable them to procure the essential commodities in fair prices, life is harder. One does not really know why the ‘pro poor’ programmes have not reached the Muslims. Shabnam says that so many houses were constructed in the name of poor like Kanshiram Shahari Avaas Yojna, Indira Awas Yojna, Balmiki Ambedkar Avas Yojana and nowhere did even a single person from her community got a house. Isn’t it a bias in our governance structure and its so-called anti-poverty programmes that have left the poor Muslim in the belief that she does not have right? As Shabnam takes me to another house of another family engaged in this work which does not fulfil their minimum daily needs, the same question comes in my mind as why despite hard work these families are most marginalised. Meena is on the work at the compound of her home in the early hours. Despite working all through the day, the four sisters still find it very difficult to get going. They have no support from any quarters for their survival. No ration card and no job security. ‘ We lost our father several years back. He was a scooter mechanic and my younger sister now looks after his work’, said a Meena who remains illiterate and yet has a zeal to study. They are five sisters in all in which one is married. At this small kuchcha home, these four sisters live together and earn their living. Meena’s elder sister Asma is looking after her father’s work in the mechanic shop and repair cycle and scooters. Actually, this family is related to Shabnam and like her these girls are taking care of their own families with all what they could do. I have the same question about their studies and most of them actually suggest that they want to study but circumstances have forced them to be in this work. ‘Don’t you think this art will die, if you people also leave this work in the absent of fair compensation?’, I ask. ‘You see the problem is not the work but our financial capacity. Most of the work is actually not coming directly to these artisans. The middlemen in Kanpur and Delhi actually procure orders from the businessmen and then give it to us on a very low rate, says Shabnam. In the market, the stuff created by these artisans is appreciated and have large buyers but behind these beautiful creations are some bitter truth of negligence, exploitation and painful living conditions. Most of the people engaged in this work suffer from eye sight problems, migraine etc. Since this work does not fetch enough money to run even a single person’s life, young woman like Shabanam take to other work of Beedi making which add to their miseries further. As an instant rehabilitation, it might help them earn some money but make them vulnerable to other diseases like tuberculosis and skin diseases. The women chose beedi making due to various social stigmas attach to her particularly when she venture out. In such a society, it would be difficult for a working woman to survive if any day her name is attached to someone. Most of the time, women do not feel safe in going out and as they are illiterate hence it would not be possible for them to get even a safe job except domestic worker which too is very limited in the town. Asma, elder sister of Meena runs a scooter and cycles repair shop in the market. As I go along with Shabnam to speak to her, she does not feel comfortable in speaking to me. She earn about Rs 3000 per month which goes in running her house. ‘Many reporters came here and written about me and appreciated of my work but I am not comfortable doing this work’, she says and adds that ‘ It is not a worthwhile work for woman like me as people gaze at me and speak about me when I lie down to repair the scooter or fix the puncture. I am not doing this work at my own’. ‘ If I get an opportunity and some funds, I will leave this work and venture into cosmetic shop which is more ‘respectable’, she says. This shows the concerns, pain and fears of Muslim women who do something different yet feel deeply disturbed with the turn of events. To run her living shabnam does zari-zardosi work and in the night from 9 pm till 1.30 she makes beedis so that she could earn some extra bucks to run her family. She works with a local nongovernmental organisation too but all this could not provide her a stable Rs 3,000 per month to run the family. It is tragic that such a hard working woman with great ideas has to suffer. The tension looks in her eyes. She is frustrated as nothing seems to be working at the moment. The art that we appreciate so much does not fetch her anything. Today, there are one thousand such zardosi workers in Fatehpur town and most of them living in deeply difficult situation. Life is virtual hell for them as they seem to have no way forward. They are destined to live in such inhuman condition. For the beautiful art work that they do on the salwar-kameez which might be appreciated at Delhi market as superb, these people get a meagre amount. They are able to complete the work in 4 days on a Kurta and that too not alone as other also support them but the returns are very low. It is rather unfortunate and exploitative that for this much of work a girl earns nearly Rs 40-60 per piece which is completed in four days. In a month period, most of them do not even earn Rs 400-500/-. The men have better chances as they are paid more but still their earning too is less than Rs 3,000 /- a month if everything goes fine and the work is regular. Last year, I was informed, that a majority of them suffered under the Chinese invasion. Most of the new work was coming from China virtually making these artisans workless but today the situation seems to change as the customers have realised that the hand work is much better in quality than the mechanical one. And therefore, this year there was more work though it too is seasonal. Shabanam want to unite the workers and start something for them. The frustration comes in hear heart and in her talks quite often. She is angry as nothing materialise here despite publication of articles and many people ‘photographing’ here. Newsmen come here and publish our stories in their newspapers but so far nothing has changed in their lives. The ‘developmental’ programmes have never reached pasmanda Muslims. They are virtually left out by the powerful leaders. None of these people have a BPL ration card even when most of them are living in abject poverty. Shabanam’s widowed mother has no pension, no other support. The family conditions forced Shabnam to apply for a job in the municipality but there too she was asked to pay Rs 70,000 as bribe for contract work which she was unable to pay. Shabanam moves around in Burqa but very confident of her own self as she is able to earn something but the anguish of having an elder sister who is not married yet and an old mother who does not get anything, reflects in her eyes. There is no fixed salary for her and earning even Rs 3,000 is a rare thing in today’s time. She mocks at the government schemes of pretending to provide support to people. ‘Where is the support’, she ask? We are not even asking government to pay us, all we want is a fair deal in creating these beautiful stuff. We all know that in the international market these things are sold at a very high price but we are unable to get anything. We suffer while making other joyous. While both men and women have faced tremendous pressure from the modern market here. She says, people appreciate art work and machine cannot really replace their art. But at the same point of time, people must pay for it. When I ask as why she has not been able to make a union of the people, she replies that now she is willing to work if people support the cause, she may take up. At the moment, she has her priorities to work for her family but definitely she does not want to sit silently and suffer. Most of the artisans cannot send their children to school as it is difficult to finish work on time and hence they engage their children too. There is no social security, health benefit and this art work actually affect their eye sight and beedi work makes them vulnerable to tuberculosis and breathing problems.They are always indebted and the contractors use it. Women are not able to go out and remain under tremendous social pressure. This work is seasonal and hence artisans remain workless for many months. The contractors do not pay on time and for many months. Their own money is treated as advance and used as a tool of exploitation. Shabanam’s eyes are asking various questions to me. But after hearing from many people she has this hope also that her voice and feeling will go to people who can think of saving this art. ‘Have you heard about Narega’, I ask. Yes, ‘ I know about it and they get Rs 100/- for their 8 hours work while we work to save this art and yet Rs 100 is a dream for us even in the three-four days. What an irony’, she says. I have refused to accept defeat even in the darkest hour of life as these circumstances are created by our society and apathy. Democracy does not mean anything to them as it failed to protect them. They do not even know whether they have rights to get a dignified return for their work. Those who fight in their names have failed to benefits as most of these war cry’s actually created leaders and do not really resolve the issues of the people. Travelling different parts of India and speaking to various path breakers such as Shabanam is always a refreshing experience that people are still hopeful and have that ability to live their life in happiness and whatever they possess. They are exploring new ways despite the marginalisation created by the system in the past so many years. They are hope of the country even in these hours of gloom that so-called liberalisation has brought in their lives. I have seen in the eyes of Shabanam the hope for future and the courage, which is essential in these moments of crisis. One is sincerely hoping that there will be people who will be able to support such initiatives which can bring cheers in the lives of these people, our own Zardosi workers, who makes our brides beautiful, our boys look handsome and have kept our art alive despite all their pains and troubles.

Initiative for Change in Fatehpur

Fatehpur's Balmikis fight for Life with dignity and honor By Vidya Bhushan Rawat Chanda is a happy woman today as she has more confidence in her ability as a human being which was degraded due to her work which she was forced to do by the caste forces. In the Lalauli village of feudal Muslims and other Hindu castes, she was engaged in picking up the human excreta for nothing. Two chapatis were the things which they got in lieu of their work. But that Chapatis for the most degrading work actually took away the freedom, liberty and dignity of Chanda. Yet, when the people like Dheeraj Balmiki entered in the area with an aim to pursuade people leaving this occupation they had to face a lot of resistance. Primarily, the people were upset as what would they do in the absence of an 'alternative' and secondly and most importantly on the retailation from local powerful community of Muslims which would feel threatened as who 'would clean' their toilets if these people leave the work. August 13th, 2010 , under the 'People's Alliance Against Untouchability' activist in different parts of Uttar-Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh took out rallies and protest marches against mannual scavenging and called for its total abolition and complete rehabilitation of the people engaged in this work. Chanda was in the forefront of that protest despite the known fact what would happen to her if things do not materialise. Actually, the confidence of Chanda had grown after participating in a conference against untouchability in Nagpur where she was asked to speak. For the first time, she ventured out of district headquarter of Fatehpur and stayed at Nagaloka Buddhist Center in Nagpur. She realised that life was much bigger outside her confined 'work' area and those domesticated world where she was always treated as untouchable and with utter contempt. Nobody would talk to her pleasanly and with respect but here in the conference for the first time she felt that she too was a human being and could shake hands with people and eat along with them at the same dining table. And then when she spoke to me, the fire in her started, ' Sir, I am now ready to fight. Now, I am changed completely. I will not at all do this work again even if I remain hungry. Even if the entire people kill me, I am not going to do this indignified work', she empahsied. Many months later when I met her in Fatehpur, one of the greatest victory for us was when the entire village of Lalauli was forced to leave the manual scavenging. After our memerendum to officials and continuous campaigning the government officials went to the village and souught clarification. The biggest threat was coming from those people who had these latrines but the officials threatened them with dire consequences if they do not close down their toielts. People like Chanda were already advocating for the community to come out of this mindset that their ancestors did this work hence they had to follow it. Its simply blackmailing of our community, she said. Dalit Yuva Swabhiman Manch was leading the movement in the Balmiki community for voluntary rejection of manual scavenging from with in community. ofcourse, it was also part of the 'People's Alliance against Untouchability' and campaigning to collect about one lakh signature from the State of Uttar-Pradesh to submit it to the government to rehabilitate the women from this community who leave manual scavenging with five acres of agricultural land so that they can live theirilife with dignity. Today nearly 6 villages voluntarily left the work of manual scavenging in Fatehpur and our campaign is growing says, Dheeraj. The only thing people face is 'future' and 'alternative' and we have to think about it, he quipped. 'While we all know how government function in this country and that the community can not be dependent on government. We should campaign with government and put pressure on her but at the same point of time the community must also prepare itself to leave this dirty work at their own. What we were looking was a community initiative against manual scavenging and we feel happy that this has happened in many of the villages in Fatehpur where people have voluntarily left the manual scavenging', says Praksh Balmiki. About 12 kilometer from Fatehpur is village Damapur which has a population of 1,500 people. In the five families of Balmikis 8 women were engaged in the manual scavenging who were cleaning the toilets at nearly 115 families of Muslims, Thakurs and Brahmins. Two of the families had 1/2 bigha agricultural land to cultivate. The women are now engaged as agricultural labour apart from work at the NREGA. Unfortunately, there is another grim reality of village life where even the basic facilities meant for them are not made available to them. None of the family have BPL cards to procure ration from the PDS shop. Most of them have got NREGA job card yet the payment made for the work done take three weeks to one month. Ganga Deiya has four sons and three daughters. She left manual scavenging but has no pain though life is tougher for her. Her husband make bamboo work. In the absence of resources the children could not get education. Most of them feel that if the government provide them at least two acres of land then it would be able to create a sense of ownership and dignity among them. Some of them even felt that soft loans should be provided for buffelo rearing, goat rearing and pig rearing etc. However, they also felt that starting tea shop or grocerie shop in the village is not an option as none would buy product from them. In the village Badanpur, which is about 6 kilometer from Fatehpur town nearly 9 women volutnarily left the work. These women were engaged in manual scavenging and after the intervention of Dalit Yuva Garima Manch, felt it important to leave the work. Here too they have the crisis of livelihood and most of them want to get some training whether in sewing or tailoring or Zardosi work. They are also demanding five acres of land from the state government so that they can live their lives in dignity and with honor. It was a difficult work but not impossible to make people think that their dignity and self respect was more important than such non payable work which degrade them virtualy and make them 'slave' of the feudal caste Hindus and upper caste Muslims who too are in large number in some of these localities where manual scavenging takes place. According to Prakash Balmiki, its easier to complaint to municipality and then get an action but that is dangerous as it would only add to the woes of the community. The Manual Scavenging Abolition Act actually justify the victimisation of the victim and hence on many ocassions whenever we made a visit, we were careful not to send these informations to the authorities, the main action would be against the people engaged. In the past few months, many women who were doing and whose names appeared in the papers faced problems as their husbands who were working in the Nagar-Palikas as Safai Karmcharis were suspended. Such campaigns are not good in the people's interest says Dheeraj Balmiki. We can not be instrumental in targetting our own people even the Nagar-Palika. We have to understand why our women whose husbands or children work in the Nagar-Palika were still engaged in the work says Dheeraj. Most of the workers these days are being appointed on 'adhoc' and contract basis. They do not have any social security or leave benefit. Many time the salaries backlog is of over 6 months which kills them virtually. Moreover, the salaries are so low and if there is a leave then you do not get the amount too, that forces the females of the family to do the business. Dheeraj says that ' We need to be careful in such work. I have been using negative thing in my work to bring people to positivity, like leave this work otherwise we will complaint or such as giving example of what a great health and mind would be there with doing this 'work'. Some time you have to speak 'the exact opposite' for the people to understand otherwise they do not understand, says Dheeraj.The battle is bigger for the Balmiki community as Malti Balmiki who has been constantly participating in the awareness programmes. From her personal life where pressure at home to now going outside for studies, she face oppression virtually daily, yet her head is high. ' It is not that only upper caste inflict untouchability on us, we are isolated in our own communities and they practice untouchability with us who claimed to be Scheduled Castes and backward communities too'. Malti devotes her time to social action too and persuing her studies too even after the marriage where she is living in a very traditional family where going out of home for work is not considered good. It is a fact that the Balmiki community was kept out of many developmental programmes. There may be many reasons for that includng local caste politics. Most of them are not even in the developmental agenda of the organisations. When issue of land redistribution comes, organisations are conspicuously silent and Balmikis outside its perview may be becasue a majority of them living in the urban centers yet a look at the rural areas would show how difficult is the life of those who have not got a job with municipality. Actually, municipality is the 'lifeline' of the community. It has worked well but also kept them isolated from other movements of the Dalit communities and when politics comes it become easier for 'leaders' to take sides. Majority of them are landless and live in the desperate situation. Yet, the new youngs have refused to accept the defeat. In Fatehpur people like Babulal have started their own band. Dheeraj himself did not go to do the same work while Prakash Balmiki is still persuing higher education. A number of girls are now learning computers and sewing along with other girls of different communities including Muslims. Today, at attempt has been made in Fatehpur to provide them literature of great writers and liberators such as Baba Saheb Ambedkar, Jyoti Ba Phule, Periyar and many others like them to bring awareness and change in their lives. The change is coming. Fatehpur's youngs are now not sitting idol and they are preparing a new , world of their own. The community is now looking forward. It does not sit and wait for something happen. As I write this Dheeraj informs me about a possible blockade by the upper caste people as they have closed the main passage of the community which link to the road. Such road blockade by the caste Hindus are open and blantant violation of human rights of the Dalits. The fact is they not only block the road but filed FIR against the people opposing it. In fact UP government will have to introduce such stringent laws that where ever the Dalits and other marginalised communities are not allowed passage by the caste Hindus or Muslims or OBC people, actions must be taken against them as they are blatant violation of human rights. In the village Vinobapuri, with the efforts of community mobilsation ( and here we have Kanjar community people), a link road is being developed and primary school also will soon be there in the locality. Ofcourse, just four kilometer from district headquarter and with in the local municiple area this does not have electricity at the moment. One can understand what could be the future of the people. As, I move a few yards from the village towards the main road, I find a locality which is called as 'Balmiki-Ambedkar Aawas Yojna' but most of the villagers say it is Duda colony. I decide to get down and want to have a look to only find to my utter dismay that there is not a single Balmiki family who have got a house here. There are a few of them who are from Chamar community but most others hail from relatively better background. Its tragic that such colonies too which are being built in the name of Balmiki-Ambedkar Awas does not have a space for people from the community. There is a dire need to stop this victimisation and isolation of communities. A large number of houses in such colonies are empty and most of those living there claims that 'powerful' people come here and 'enjoy' in the night. This has made the women feel threatned and unsafe in the entire area. Its tragic that when I leave this place, I found two old women ( mother and daughter) from Ravidasi community who wanted us to request the government provide them house. Living in pethatic conditions, now many of the families have got notices from the authorities to depoist the money which they have not. Actually, the Dalals i.e. middlemen with local political linkages take money from the people and promise them heaven. Most of the people who have got into these places felt that the government has gifted them these houses for a token amount of money but now they are realising that they are in a trap when huge bills piles up for them. In Lalauli and Dasauli village, the local Muslims were the culprits of forcing people into the scavenging work. It was painful when I saw even young girls of 7-8 years age in manual scavenging. Now both the villages have lef manual scavenging work. Ofcourse, we have to hard think what alternative could we provide to the people as well as how can we take our children further. That is a big challenge but as Maina who came into this work at a very young age of 8 years, is now liberaated and ready to fly. Though she does not know what to do as her parents did not have time to send her to school, even at this age of 17 years, she has dreams of future. Much of our battle is 'internal' says Malti, we can fight with outsiders, we know how to tackle but who will tell our parents and in laws to allow their girls to go to school, do work, learn professional courses. ' Our community is not that weak financially, as others might be, but still they do not want us to go out. At the young age of 15, the social pressure is so much that we have to get married. Malti has decided that she will work and work for the community. She put Baba Saheb Ambedkar and Buddha's photograph in her home despite reluctance of her in laws who worship the 'Hindu Gods'. Chanda is raring to go to fight against injustice. Dheeraj is already fighting for the community and now initiaed 'Prerna Kendra' for community girls and boys in Fatehpur along with Babu Prasad and Prakash to bring community boys and girls into the world of computers and literature of the Dalit movent. Dheeraj rightfully says that It is time for the community youth to come and join hand with other like minded people and combinely fight for their rights, dingity and freedom as well as be part of the revolution initiated by Baba Saheb Ambedkar.

Swami Achhutananda and his Adi-dharma movement

SWAMI ACHHUTANAND HARIHAR (1869--1933): A VOICE AGAINST SOCIAL EXCLUSION, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL MARGINALIZATION By Dr. Mahendra Pratap Rana INTRODUCTION: The emergence of untouchable consciousness and political voice spread across the country during the last quarter of the 19th century is a phenomenon that has received a very little attention by non-Dalits and Dalit scholars. Swami Achhutanand Harihar (original name Hirala) was born on 6th May, 1869 in District-Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh State. He was well worse in eight languages such as Hindi, Sanskrit, Pharsi, Marathi, Bangla, Gurumukhi, Urdu and English. Hiralal worked for Arya Samaj from 1905 to 1917 was honoured with the title of “Pandit Hariharanand” and made chief of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan unit. Witnessing the existing untouchability practiced by Arya Samaj, he not only resigned but also returned the title of Pandit Hariharanand to Arya Samaj and adopted a title of “Swami Achchutanand Harihar” as a mark of identity of the untouchables. He formed “Bharatiya Achhut Mahasabha” to address social, political and economic issues of untouchables and edited a monthly magazine ‘Achhut’ from Delhi in November, 1917 to awaken his people at village level. The untouchables can achieve everything if they are educated and Hindus have already closed the door of education for them. Therefore, untouchables should open schools. They should not leave their children uneducated if they want to live a human life. Adi-Dharma: An alternative to Hindu religion Swami Achchutanand Harihar was convinced that the Untouchables continue to suffer social, political and economic subjugation as long as they are Hindu. Therefore, he launched Adi-Dharma (a religion for original race of Bharat-Native Indians) an alternative religion for untouchables to uplift them socially, culturally, religiously and economically. He challenged every customs and laws which placed untouchables as lower castes in the society. Instead of worshiping Hindu gods, they should dedicate themselves to Bhakti (prayer) or devotion as alternative religious rites which had been practiced prior to the advent of the Aryans. The untouchables believe in a philosophy or dharma which they understand is Vyavaharik, Tarksangat or scientifically logical. Achhutanand Harihar focus on Truth and scientific philosophy seems he preaches the philosophy propounded by Gautam Buddha. Instead of throwing dead animals, carrying night soil and digging Hindu’s graveyards, they should adopt other means to come out from poverty and hunger. The untouchables and Shudra castes have to burry their differences if they want to rule the country. You have to demolish the exploitative structure and it will be possible only when you become a ruling race. Prince of Wales: 17 Points demands presented by Swami Achhutanand Harihar Achhutanand saw British rule, with the possibility of political representation and a source of salvation for the untouchables. Prince of Wales was on official visit to India in 1922. Swamiji utilized the opportunity and organized a conference” at Purana Quila (Old Fort) where more then ten thousands untouchables and Shudras attended. Prince of Wales was the Chief Guest in the conference. While welcoming the chief guest, Swami Achhutanand presented 17 point demands before Prince of Wales. Those demands were such as: 1. The Untouchable communities will progress with education only, therefore, it is most urgent that schools to be opened for them. 2. Law should be enacted and implemented in true spirit to eradicate Untouchability. 3. Separate Electorate granted political representation untouchables to be introduced and ensure their representation in proportion to their population. 4. Legal provisions to be made to ensure representation of untouchable communities/ native Indian communities in local bodies such as Municipal Corporations, District Boards, Town areas and Notified areas. 5. Educated Untouchables be appointed on Gazetted posts. 6. It should be made an official policy to promote native Indian communities to start their own trade and business. In addition, they must be given financial support from government to start that business. 7. Begar Pratha should be abolished. 8. The social, political and economic rights in terms of progress of Untouchable communities should not be left any more on Hindus and British Government should take extra care to protect their rights. 9. Representation to be given to them in proportion to their population in every Government and private controlled businesses. 10. The Untouchable communities are extremely poor and can not afford the cost of education; therefore, scholarship must be given to every child. 11. Separate school to be opened in villages where Untouchable communities live in majority. 12. The untouchable castes were not recruited to the subordinate ranks of the police force because of lack of awareness as well as social restrictions. Swami Achchutanand Harihar demanded that they must be recruited in police and armed forces. 13. There is need to enhance in wages. 14. The Chaukidar in the villages shall be appointed from the untouchable castes. 15. The untouchable communities should be given the Government lands belong to the Gram Sabhas. 16. The untouchable communities should be given representation in State Assemblies. 17. Women belong to the Brahmins and Kshatriyas have been exploited by their males only, therefore, provisions be made to ensure basic rights to them. Simon Commission: An alternative plans for socio-economic development of untouchables: Swami Acchutanand Harihar presented the “socio-economic conditions and alternative plans for the liberation of untouchables” before Simon Commission. He convinced the members that Congress and its leaders as Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Gandhi are representing Hindus; they can’t be representative of untouchables at national as well as international forums. Letters to the organisors of Round Table Conference, London to invite leaders of Untouchable Community: Acchutanand Harihar and his supporters sent several letters and Telegraphs to the organisors of Round Table Conference in London to extend official invitation to the untouchable leaders separately. He stated in one of his letter stated that untouchables have no faith in the leadership of Gandhi and Congress led movement in India and abroad as far as the issues of untouchables are concerned. It was a matter of a great satisfaction for him when he got a message that Dr. Ambedkar was officially invited for the Round Table Conference. Before living for Round Table Conference in 1930, Dr. Ambedkar met and discussed all those issues related to untouchables were raised in the conference. Separate Electorate, Gandhi’s Fast unto Death: A reply to Gandhi by Swami Acchutanand Harihar The British Premier granted separate seats in the Provincial Legislatures, and the right of double vote to the Untouchables under which they were to elect their own representatives under Communal Award on 20 August 1932. Gandhi sat on fast unto death 20 September, 1932 against the grant of separate electorate to the Untouchables Swami Acchutanand Harihar organized protest rallies in Prayag, Etawah, Lucknow and Kanpur against the fast of Gandhi. Addressing the rally as a chief guest Harihar said that “Gandhi’s fast unto death is a mischievous act against untouchables being granted political rights. We can not accept joint electorate at any cost. If Hindus consider untouchables their brother then why not they give some seats in Vidhan Sabhas and local wards. Joint electorate is a death nail for untouchables and we will go to any extent to ensure that separate electorate is to be given to them. Email : paus_india@hotmail.com> --

Stop agricultural land grabbing for corporate Greed

Raigad’s victory is Inspiring and a warning to greedy corporate By Vidya Bhushan Rawat With the Maharastra government denotifying the land acquired for Raigad SEZ of Mukesh Ambani led group Reliance Industries come an end to a historic protest movement of Raigad farmers who had deep faith in the democratic structure of the country despite its all weaknesses. They not only defied all the acquisition process which were constitutionally illegal but also organized a massive referendum against it which was not accepted by the government. A majority of farmers had actually rejected government’s offer to do away with their land. The land acquisition procedure for the proposed SEZ project, spread over 35,000 acres in Raigad was started in May 2006. But, the company managed to acquire only 13 per cent of the land within the stipulated period, as it faced strong opposition from farmers. In fact most of the farmers protested against forcible land acquisition and even organized a local referendum against the said acquisition and voted against the entire process. But the Maharastra government was determined to deliver it to Reliance unless the company could not acquire the other land in stipulated period of time in December 2009. It was the people’s movement that were continuously opposing the acquisition process and who went to the Supreme Court against the failure of the company to comply with the law related to SEZ. The question was why it wanted to acquire such a massive land but for the government officials that did not matter as they were overwhelmed by Reliance company. Even when The Raigad victory comes at a time when the country witnessed many things including the unabated violence in Chhatishgarh. While for the government it is easy to say that people must have faith in the government and its courts yet for the victims it’s very difficult to wait for years to get justice. We have witnessed many cases when the victims do not get justice for years and the government, the industries and the powerful have enough patience to wait as they have nothing to lose. India’s SEZ’s are nothing but new colonization process of our farmers, Adivasis and Dalits which are out of their purview and meant for export product. The land being acquired for these SEZs is enormously high quality agricultural land. Also, most of this land has rarely been used as the ration between the land acquired and its usage is very vast. The real face of this land grab is actually the vast housing market in India in the coming days. We all know once these conclaves come into picture; the industries will shift their focus on real estate. The second tenure of UPA have seen rabid rise in the land acquisition process throughout the country with scantiest regard for public norms and sentiments of the farmers. The government virtually became real estate agent and big companies enjoyed the curtsy. The result was growing unrest against the illegal land grabbing all over the country. The political parties failed to pick up the issue and were very opportunistic in their approach. Trinamool Congress opposed the process in West Bengal while kept quite on things happening in other parts. Similarly, CPM and other left parties could not mobilize people against this corporate greed as their own West Bengal experience was the most horrendous one. It is important to ask the question as why the corporate want land in thousands of acre. The same government which refuses to redistribute land to the landless people is readily agreeing it handover to the big corporations. They are coming with new ides to lure farmers. In various meeting when the farmers raised the issue of land prices, the builders, and business houses only complained that the prices rose when they start building a project. The issue is not that the land prices shot up after somebody started building up an SEZ. The insensitivity with which our officials deal the issue is shameful and reflects why it is happening. If in the government offices, we have least representation of Dalits, Backwards, Adivasis, how can we think of justice being done to them. Similar things needed in judiciary. As the upper caste bias is clearly reflected in the activities of the state and judgments of the courts. Of course, there is some oasis of fresh air which comes these days and we must celebrate that. Raigarh’s victory is a great motivator for all of us. Maharastra government has not withdrawn just because Supreme Court gave an order. I know many of the Supreme Court order have never been implemented. The political parties and their establishment address to the issue only when people are united. The government listens to the voices when people are united against their oppression. Raigad’s whole acquisition was illegal though unfortunately Supreme Court could not stop it but it stopped because of the company itself was unable to fulfill the mandate. Thankfully, the Supreme Court did not come under any emotional pressure of the company as they have the best lawyers at their disposal, and stuck to their stand that government must acquire the land. It is clear that the way which our political establishment went over handing over prime time land to corporate is perhaps independent India’s biggest scams. The farmers are a big power in India and no government can come to power by antagonizing them. SEZs clearly violated the policy of the government which says agricultural land will not be given for the non agricultural purposes. The industries grabbed these lands for throw away prices in close connivance with government officials who had the blessing of their political masters. I can say with full conviction that an audit of the land grab in India during past 20 years would prove that land acquisition will be the biggest scams in the history of independent India. Chief Ministers have collected huge money for their party in the name of ‘development’. Such acquisitions must be scrutinized and CAG must audit all the process. When the people are losing hope in our judicial process and our farmers are our deep stress, its time to think over the entire process which is simply called corporate land grabbing. At a time when our agricultural production is under serious threat, when corporate greed is ready to demolish and annihilate our agriculture and our farmers, this judgment is definitely going to help the people. This also proves that the people who are leading the movement must concentrate on their region, make linkages with national and international movements yet must do everything to reach to a logical conclusion. I know it is a difficult task. Temptation of visibility in the media and elsewhere some time actually put the activist somewhere else at the cost of the people. They forget the issue and take people for granted. Some time the activists become bigger than people or developed that notion and develop a larger than life image about them. They become obsessed with their mirror image and take a rigid position. Many of them start thinking that they would rest only when the entire system is changed and hence do not want to negotiate on anything. For the common men who lose their land, the major issue is not ideology but justice. Those who lose their livelihood, their culture and their homes do not wait for particular ideology but want to get justice. But in the din of ideological debates, activists change their track for their own benefits. It has happened on many places where the issues which made some one visible is forgotten and the hidden issues under national international agenda crops up to the great dismay of the people whose rights we claim to fight. Many times, the people leave the battle half way and shift some where else. Some time, people are unable to mobilize larger public opinion on it. The issue particularly caste based differences always occur in such movements and need to be handled with great care. Some time in the broader frame work of anti land acquisition process the landless farmers are completely marginalized. In the case of Raigad, the anti SEZ movement was constantly protesting with various new ideas and used every method of protest. It not only mobilized the farmers but also approached the courts, developed public opinion. Any movement needs multiple strategies to succeed. They need supporters in every sector including media, academics, human rights activists, social movements, political mobilization etc. However, unfortunately, the role of the opposition is not being played by political parties but by the social movements and hence things became a bit difficult as political establishment of the country continue to judge the social protest through a conspiracy angle. The campaign against civil society members, the FIR against activists and the threat to many RTI activists is example how the status-quoists feel threatened from them. There seems to be no opposition against these basic issues concerning our farmers and poor. Therefore, the faith of people is growing in the extra constitutional authorities. While the people of Raigad must be appreciated for their continuous effort to get justice, not every one is that fortunate to get justice. In the Raigad number mattered a lot while in many other cases the selection for land acquisition was very strategic. Hence the votes of the people never mattered as politicians always visited those areas which have substantial votes. Unfortunately, for Maharastra politicians this did not matter unless Supreme Court stuck down Reliance’s appeal for granting an extension. The government had no option to follow the court’s order. More importantly, the political climate in Delhi has changed and government was forced to take action in this matter. Raigad’s victory has gladdened the heart of people. Most importantly it has sent an important message that we will always win if we have faith in ourselves and are determined to take our battle to logical conclusion. For the government it is important not to push people to that extent that they pick up guns and lose faith in democracy. World over, people are protesting democratically and have defeated big despots and mighty armies. In India the despots come through corporate-bureaucrats-politicians’ nexus, in the form of forcible land acquisition. After Nandigram and Singur, this is perhaps the biggest victory of people’s movement. Nandigram and Singur might have been political yet Raigad victory will strengthen people’s faith in democratic process. The government must listen to these voices of people and not treat them their enemy. Political parties must relook into entire acquisition process and there should be a complete moratorium further acquisition unless they come to a conclusion after complete debate on it. Special sessions of Parliament and state assemblies should be convened to have a detailed discussion on our agricultural policy and land acquisition process in the country. In fact, the government must bring out a white paper on the land acquisition process and the losses it incurred after 1990s. At the moment, let us celebrate the victory in hope that the farmers will get their land soonest possible time without any hiccup from the government officials. The government must fine Reliance Industries for agricultural losses during this period and farmers must be compensated for the loss of their crop. After Nandigram and Singur, Raigad has sent clear signals that democracy is the best possible choice for justice despite all its shortcomings. People world over are fighting against tyrannical regimes so that they have a functioning demoracy.In our country people have to struggle against democratic governments for ignoring their problems. It all happens in the absence of a formidable opposition which speaks people’s voice. Fortunately, even when there are not much political opposition, people’s movements have succeeded in putting pressure on governments which have been united in grabbing their land. It is right time for them to read the writing on the wall otherwise they would decimate in next elections.