DAY 3 of the WALK FOR MEANINGFUL LIFE
Dushkaal Hatawu :
Manoos Jagawu
(Eradicate Drought : Save Humanity)
January 01, to February 28, 2006
The Padayatra left Jamkhed yesterday morning. It was seen off by The
Ramon Magasaysay award winner Dr. Rajanikant Arole and his team of community
health workers. After a long walk the padayatra reached Dhangarjawalka at
around 2 30 in the afternoon. The water-man Rajendrasinghji (photo alongside)
had reached earlier. He walked around the village and looked at the water
sources and use closely. His findings, communicated to the people of the
village, are that there is no water shortage in this village – only
mismanagement.
The
Padayatra was the first social event in the history of the village. In the
meeting in the village over 80% of all villagers had turned out. This in itself
was unheard of. The assessment team
presented its findings before this assembly. Women and school going children
spoke up. Issues such as need for sanitation blocks, library, livelihood
options for youth and alcohol prohibition came up. These discussions were an
unexpected development to the Sarpanch who had never before had to face people
and discuss decisions in public. Today he had youth questioning his decisions
in public. The villagers will be passing a resolution for alcohol and ghutka
(chewing tobacco) prohibition in the gramsabha on the 26th of
January. A local activist, Arun Jadhav, will take the responsibility of
following up. Responding to the issues, the Padayatris have assured the village
that they would send 100 Marathi books as a contribution to the library. 25 of
these have been collected yesterday and will be sent over soon. One team
visited the school, another the EGS site (reported earlier) and yet another
went to the neighbouring village of Shikharwadi where 70% of the village has
migrated (see story on the blog).
Even as we send this on the morning of
the 4th, the Padayatra will be entering the village of Palwan, 3 km
from Beed city. This small village is characterized by a ‘complete lack of
co-ordination and co-operation amongst people’. These are not our words –
that’s what people in the village say. Nowhere was the assessment team and
local activists able to get more than 5 people to discuss any issue. The
village is almost like a suburb of Beed city, with over 75% of people going
there for work each day. The Sarpanch is from the dalit community but no one
seems to know or care about him or his opinion. Everywhere one sees groups of
men and boys (around 10-15 years old) gambling away in the middle of the
afternoon. They start early and go on for the whole day. The situation of water
is grim. The only drinking water source is likely to run dry within the next 15
days. There is a large lake nearby but it supplies water to Beed city and is
not accessible to this village. People are hapless. They believe that no
government scheme can run without corruption.
They also believe that their lives cannot be changed. This village is
going to be a challenge, when compared to the response in Dhangarjawalka.
The
preliminary legal processes for the formation of the MAHARASHTRA VIKAS NIDHI (MAHARASHTRA DEVELOPMENT FUND) have
been put into motion. A temporary registration will be obtained with the office
of the Charity Commissioner in Pune. To begin with three members namely Prof
Sharad Kulkarni, Vinita Tatke and myself will be nominally on the board. A bank
account will also be opened in the name of the Fund. There will be no
disbursements / expenses incurred from the monies collected until the Trust is
formally formed (by end of April). As
of yesterday, Rs.13,000/- has been collected for the fund. This amount will be
deposited in the bank as soon as the account is opened. You are all invited to participate and contribute towards
the fund.
We will
strive to keep you abreast of the developments. Watch this space for further
updates. Also watch the blog at www.greenearthconsulting.org/padayatra.htm
Makarand Sahasrabuddhe
grnearth@vsnl.com, 020-25466103,
09422521703
On behalf
of Dushkaal Hatawu : Manoos Jagawu
January 04,
2006