Dalit Rights & Empowerment

Dalits in Himalayas especially in Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal have socially, economically and environmentally deprived for time immemorial. There is sheer discrimination against them manifested in forms of untouchability. They cannot enter the houses of upper castes, nor they are given food in common utensils. Drinking water sources and temples/deities are also separate. Villages or habitations of dalits exist more on south-facing slopes, on wastelands, or surrounded by scarce natural resources. On the contrary, upper castes villages mostly enjoy plenty of natural resources including water and biomass. Dalit families have scanty landholdings. For centuries, dalit community in mountains has silently accepted subjugation avoiding any violent conflict (inter-community). Social deprivation is coupled with economic and social injustice. Majority of the families usually depend on NTFPs collection for bare survival. Women usually face brunt of the violation of human rights by the upper strata people. They are also often exploited physically and economically. Such situations are fierce and grievous in interiors of Kullu district where GIT has been implementing dalits empowerment activities. This issue of dalits human rights is more of social and economic than political or administrative. There is a need to alter the power relations in the society, which is only possible through organizing and empowering the suffering community.

Achievements }}

1. Pilot Study on Status of Dalits in Kullu: Dalits in mountains of Himalayas have socially, economically and environmentally deprived. Economic deprivation of dalits is coupled with ‘environmental injustice’. In a bid to organize dalits, Grassroots India Trust (GIT) commissioned a pilot study on dalits in 20 villages of Banjar block of Kullu district. The study came up with the following findings:
  • Dalits cannot enter the house of upper castes families, nor are they given food in common utensils. Untouchability and discrimination are very high in the rural society.
  • Dalits cannot name their children what the upper caste people keep the names of their children; rather dalit children have names mostly tuned in the names of days in a week (these names sound humiliating).
  • Drinking water sources and temples/deities are also separate. If dalits enter the deity place or temple, he/she is penalized economically to sacrifice a goat and offer the community with a time food. Upper caste people don’t consume water or eat food if cooked by dalit.
  • Dalits cannot wear straight cap on head; dalits cannot dance in the community festivals; dalit women cannot wear yellow/ red clothes. Dalits usually work as labor on lands of upper castes, and they are simply given food as wages.
  • Villages or habitations of dalits exist more on south-facing slopes, on wastelands, or surrounded by scarce natural resources. On the contrary, upper castes villages mostly enjoy plenty of natural resources including water and biomass.
  • Dalit families have scanty landholdings. If dalits borrow seed from upper caste farmers, they receive inferior quality of seeds only that hardly germinate in the fields.
  • Majority of the families usually depend on NTFPs collection for bare survival.
  • Dalits are not allowed to participate in any decision making process of the village community if the village has mixed population. Panchayats (local governance body) seldom includes a dalit in decision making or general governance.
  • If dalits possess cultivable lands, they remain unirrigated. Otherwise, most of lands of dalits are mortgaged for loans they have taken from upper caste people. And over generations dalits are not able to recover their lands.
2. To change the power relations in society of Kullu district, planned and strategic interventions were undertaken by GIT with the facilitation of SHARA at local level. There were identified the four areas of interventions: (i) organization and leadership, (ii) rights education, (iii) social empowerment, and (iv) improvement of economics of families.  Intensive awareness of Dalit families in 12 villages was done leading to the formation of women groups and Dalit Yuva Sangathans. Special component of Dalit rights was incorporated in ‘women empowerment’ package, which was delivered to women SHGs in 360 villages of Kullu district. Leadership development activities included the orientation programmes that were organized for large number of Dalit boys and girls. Rights education for Dalits is a constant process. An education manual in Hindi is also under preparation on rights of Dalits. Local self-governance institutions (gram panchayats) since are seldom sensitive to poor dalits, which is due to least representation/ participation of dalits. So shaping leadership capacities of dalits and enabling them to increase their representation in panchayats and other village institutions are given emphasis in dalits empowerment process. For socio-economic improvement of dalit families, the women and youths are linked with micro-credit activities and the government schemes of development. A guidebook is also under preparation on the government schemes available to rural youths and women and the benefits therein for scheduled castes. Intensive work of dalits empowerment is proposed to expand in 100 villages of Kullu district.


Tribal Land Rights

Land is life for the tribes. But the land is becoming scarcer to the tribes day by day as it is alienated by settlers and powerful co-existing communities or acquired in the wake of globalization by the government and corporations. Santal Parganas of Jharkhand is inhabited majorly by Santal and Paharia tribes. The non-tribal settlers and immigrants, industries and urban agglomerations have taken away the lands of tribes massively. As a result thousands of tribal families have become landless and live without any base of livelihood. Protecting tribal lives and livelihoods by litigating to liberate the lands is the action of urgent attention. GIT has tied up with a local tribal organization, Santal Education Trust, in Santal Parganas of Jharkhand.

Achievements }}

The alliance of GIT and SET has recovered about 250 bigha of tribal lands in a short period by litigating against the alienators. Trial for about 4600 bigha of tribal lands is going on. GIT helps SET undertake document the process and achievements in the cases, and compile and review the advocacy efforts on land issues in the country, and the legislative and court responses to the public pressure. GIT assists SET by costs of fighting suits.
 
 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIVELIHOODS & FOOD SECURITY      

GENDER RIGHTS & DEVELOPMENT

HUMAN RIGHTS & SOCIAL JUSTICE

GOVERNANCE & ACCOUNTABILITY

COMMUNICATION IN DEVELOPMENT

CAPACITY BUILDING & NETWORKING

RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS

STAFF TRAINING & PARTICIPATION

STRATEGIC PLAN 2008-11