Collective strength to uplift Musahars of Puraina
Thanks to a communal grain bank where villagers deposit wheat or post-harvest rice, and to which ActionAid contributes four quintals of grain a year, on most days she can now put rice or chapattis on their plates. But there is still a long way to go.
"Monsoon is a time of crisis for us," says 24-year-old Ramesh Musahar, who, like most of Puraina's men, toils in brick kilns to supplement income from agricultural work. Weeding earns 25 rupees (60 US cents) a day. "If we get to earn, there is food, otherwise…" His voice trails off.
Work halts during monsoon rains. During the rainy season, families seek loans from kiln owners or landlords. If family heads are unable to repay the advance, they mortgage their tiny plots. Some are forced to become bonded labourers to repay their debts.
Monsoon is not the only harbinger of insecurity. A wedding or an illness in the family is enough to unhinge whatever little financial stability Musahars have achieved.
Government ration cards are supposed to provide a safety net but the net is full of holes. Less than half of Musahar families in Puraina have ration cards that enable them to buy subsidised grains from the government's public distribution system. E ven those who own cards have not seen them for months – in January, they were asked to deposit their cards at the ration shop for renewal and have not yet received new ones.
Another "safety net" is India's ground breaking National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), which promises villagers a minimum of 100 days of paid work a year. But in Puraina, several Musahar families had reported that their NREGA job cards were being withheld, and that they were receiving Rs 50 for a day's work, when they should legally be getting Rs 58. With continued lobbying from members of the ActionAid project, Musahar Vikas Pahal, the cards were returned to their rightful owners in the first week of August.
Vibhuti Prasad Chauhan, a 55-year-old activist, refuses to ignore corruption. His work with Musahar communities across Kushinagar district for over three decades has earned him the title Netaji or leader. For two years, ActionAid has been working with Chauhan to build confidence and collective spirit in downtrodden Musahar communities.
The Musahars of Puraina have little self-esteem and find it hard to believe that they can change things. "Can we ever come together? Can we ever improve our situation?" wonders one resident.
In contrast, in Gauri Sriram, another village in the district, the confidence is palpable. People have seen opportunities for change and seized them. A non-Musahar chief recently had to seek forgiveness from the Musahars for confiscating their NREGA job cards. A dishonest ration official from the village was jailed for overcharging for grain.
"Action against offenders was taken because there is awareness about rights among Musahars in Gauri Sriram. They may be short of food but they are not willing to silently stomach exploitation," says Arvind Kumar of ActionAid's Uttar Pradesh team.
Chauhan and ActionAid have a new strategy to help shift the atmosphere in Puraina from helplessness to determination.
"We're planning to increase interaction between villages that are lagging behind and those that are well-informed about their rights. Hopefully, the enthusiasm will rub off," says Ram Briksh Giri, who works with ActionAid in Kushinagar.
Seeds of hope are already planted in some minds. "We have to start talking with each other, we have to meet and congregate and then start the fight for what is ours", says Koleswari, who firmly believes her grandchildren will have a better future. Through women like Koleswari, a new dawn for Puraina's Musahar will surely come.
