The Bagariyas of Rajasthan are one of the poorest and least literate tribes in India. While they are barely eking out an existence, their children don’t go to school, they have no electricity, or in fact, any facilities that make life easier. Most developmental schemes seem to have bypassed them. But we see here, how a little money and a lot of initiative, can have a large impact on people’s lives.

For centuries they led a semi-nomadic existence, surviving mainly by hunting and guarding other people’s fields. Considered among the poorest and least literate castes in Rajasthan, most Bagariyas live in miserable little settlements outside villages, setting up their huts, made of baked mud, thorny branches and plastic sheets, on bits of barren land.

A Bagariya family in the outskirts of Ajmer

The dozen-odd Bagariya families who live on the outskirts of Kotri, in the north-eastern corner of the Ajmer district, are among the poorest inhabitants of the village. None of them owns more than a small parcel of land, compelling them to work as lowly-paid labourers or as guards in other people’s fields, in return for wages in kind. Some eke out a livelihood making coal from wild bushes. While several other inhabitants of Kotri have borewells and pumps in their fields, enabling them to grow two crops a year, no Bagariya can afford these. Most houses in Kotri have electricity, but not a single Bagariya house does. Although electricity poles have been installed near the Bagariya settlement, so far no Bagariya family has arranged for a connection to their home.

Living as they do on the fringes of Kotri, the Bagariyas have been almost completely by-passed in development schemes meant for the village. Says Chhotu Bagariya, ‘As long as I can remember, we never received any help from the government, except for two small toilets some years ago—planks of stone put together—which no one uses, and are now filled with dirt. It was only last year that we got forty-five thousand rupees under the Indira Gandhi Housing Scheme to set up pakka houses.’

A Bagaria woman outside her hut of baked mud and thorny branches

The money sanctioned to the Bagariyas under the housing scheme isn’t sufficient to build the two-roomed structure that Chhotu is dreaming of making for his family of eleven members, including his nine children. ‘I’ll have to take a loan of some thirty-five thousand rupees to cover the rest of the cost, at a two per cent monthly rate of interest,’ he says.

Chhotu’s neighbor, Mangu Ram Bagariya, adds, ‘I’ve had to pawn my own and my wife’s jewellery to get a loan to cover the rest of the expense of building a pakka house. But the trouble is well worth it, because when it rains our mud houses inevitably cave in and collapse.’

Bagariya men sitting outside their hut. Most of them own no more than a small parcel of land, compelling them to work as lowly-paid labourers or as guards in other people’s fields.

Chhotu and Mangu have no idea how long it will take to repay the loans. It might even take several years. After all, their sources of income, like other Bagariyas’, are meagre. They own only a small patch of land, which yields just one crop a year, and that, too, only if it rains sufficiently – which isn’t at all definite in this semi-desert part of Rajasthan. They possess some goats, but not enough to generate much of an income for their families. They might have to spend two or three years working as labourers in the salt pans in the nearby Sambhar lake region to save enough to repay the debts they’ve taken to have the pakka house that they have long dreamed of. ‘Being in debt is nothing new for us, though’ says 22 year old Ugam Ram Bagariya. ‘Almost all the Bagariya families here are deep in debt, borrowing mainly from local moneylenders at high rates of interest. Sometimes, we borrow even simply to buy rations. My family has a debt of some two lakh rupees, which we had taken to arrange for a marriage in the family. We’ll have to spend years laboring to repay it.’

Despite being desperately poor, most Bagariyas have large families, with upto nine or ten children. Not a single Bagariya child studies in school. Only a few Bagariya children can somehow manage to read a few letters of the Hindi alphabet, having studied for a few years in a night school run by Manthan, a local people’s organization located in Kotri. But none of them is literate in the real sense of the term.

A bagariya mother with her child. Most of the children don’t go to school.

‘Our kids simply sit around, playing in the mud all day or grazing goats,’ says Manna Devi, mother of eight. Adds Mangu Ram, ‘Some of our children began going to the government school, but after a few days they began to skip classes and then they stopped going completely.’ He points to a group of Bagariya children, dressed in tatters, their faces caked with mud, running about, and muses, ‘What is the use of going them going to school since in any case they aren’t going to get a government job?’

Says Teja Ram, coordinator of Manthan, ‘We have been trying to convince the Bagariyas of the importance of education, but we haven’t had much luck. Maybe their children, like most other village children, find the curriculum alien and boring. But at least the Bagaraiyas now send some of their kids to the crèche we’ve started in their locality. Who knows, these children might one day go on to join regular school.’

Some 20 Bagariya children attend the crèche daily. ‘At the crèche they get nutritious food and learn songs and games. But that’s not the only purpose that the crèche serves’, explains Teja Ram. ‘The two women, both from other castes, who run the crèche serve as a means to link the Bagariyas with the rest of the village. They interact closely with the Bagariya women, learn about their problems, provide them information about health-related issues and family planning and the like.’

Some 20 Bagaria children attend the creche started by Manthan, a timely intervention that not only provides nutritious food and basic education, but also helps the outside world understand their problems

Potable drinking water is a major problem in this arid region. Located near the rim of the giant Sambhar lake, a major centre of salt production, much of the underground water sources here are extremely high in salt content. The burgeoning salt industry has led to the drying up of village wells, increasing brackishness of available water and a sharp fall in the water table across the area, hitting vulnerable communities like the Bagariyas the hardest. ‘For decades we took water from two wells located close by,’ says Manna Devi, ‘but one of them is now dry and the water in the other, which was once sweet, is now too salty to drink. The water from the local hand-pump is also now full of salt.’

Till recently, the Bagariyas had no alternative but to drink the water from the hand-pump located in their locality, even though it is far too salty for human consumption. A recent intervention by Manthan, in association with Forrad, a Delhi-based organization working on water-related issues, has made a major difference in the lives of the Bagariyas in this regard. Under the innovative ‘Back to Basics’ programme, funds were collected from well-wishers for constructing water tanks (called ‘haud’ in the local dialect) outside each house in the Bagariya settlement. The cost of sponsoring one water tank, with a capacity of some 6000 litres, was around Rs.10,000. With this money, Manthan purchased the material necessary for the tank and paid the mason’s fee, while each Bagariya family provided the labour for installing their own tank. Work was finished in just a week.

With ‘hauds’ installed in every house, the women and girls are saved the trouble of trekking long distances for potable water

Thanks to the ‘Back to Basics’ intervention, every Bagariya house now has its own haud, saving girls and women the onerous task of trekking a long distance to fetch water and the compulsion of drinking the harmful brackish water from the hand-pump that the Bagariyas once used to rely on. But although Manthan’s effort means a lot to the Bagariyas, each family still needs to spend some 350 rupees a month – a huge sum for them – to purchase a tanker-load of water from a businessman in a neighbouring village and arrange for it to be poured into their tanks.

Says Teja Ram, “There’s much that can be done through local-level initiatives for people like the Bagariyas who often get completely left out in the planning and implementation of development schemes. Often, small gestures, like the tanks in the Bagariya settlement, can have a large impact on people’s lives and health, although they don’t cost very much. As the ‘Back to Basics’ programme shows, with just a few rupees one can help bring about major changes in the lives of entire families.”

All photographs: Yoginder Sikand

Women in rural as well as many urban parts of Rajasthan may not have much formal education, but the one skill they possess is sewing. With the help of an organization, many of these women now have the opportunity to put this skill to good use and generate additional household income. This is empowering them in ways unthinkable a few years ago, and changing the very fabric of their lives.

The garments and artefacts catch the eye as they hang in the Sadhna showroom in the old Udaipur locality of Fatehpura – ‘dupattas’ of every hue, ‘kurtas’ for every size, soft quilts and coverlets made of the finest cotton, handicrafts fashioned out of cloth. Look at the products more closely and the simple, fine hand work that has gone into them becomes apparent. Tiny running stitches embellish the yoke of a ‘kurti’, colourful appliqué work runs along the length of a ‘dupatta’, painstaking patchwork animates a quilt. Whose hands have plied the needle to create these objects of beauty and comfort? Behind that question lies a tale of hard work, entrepreneurship and institution building.

Leela Vijaynergia, chief executive of Sadhna, traces its evolution:

The year 1988 was a period of great distress in Rajasthan because of persistent drought. The men had migrated for work but often couldn’t send enough money home and the women left behind were desperate to make a little extra to keep their families going. That was why Seva Mandir, the Udaipur-based voluntary organisation working on social issues, thought of providing an income-generating programme for women. It was called the Patchwork Programme because much of the work centred on patchwork.

That first group comprised 15 women, some of whom had earlier worked as manual scavengers. Today, that group has evolved into a mutual benefit trust called Sadhna and currently represents 700 women artisans in 16 urban, peri-urban and rural locations in the Rajasthan districts of Udaipur and Rajsamand. Each artisan is an owner member of the organisation, participating in its decision-making process through a representative. Their husbands are farm workers or migrants who drive rickshaws or do plumbing, painting and masonry work in the cities and often the women themselves are farm workers.

Visit Dilwara around mid-day and chances are that you will
find many women sitting in the courtyards of their homes, plying their
needle. (Credit: WFS)

Sadhna’s products reflect the age-old traditions of local women. They may not have much formal education but the one skill they possessed is sewing. Priya Khan, Social Manager, Sadhna, explains, “Traditionally, quilting and the running stitch was very much a part of the domestic scene in these parts. ‘Razais’ (Quilts), bedcovers, ‘dupattas’ and other household knick-knacks were made from old cloth placed one layer over the other and stitched together. We built on that base. Every Sadhna member first undergoes a three-month training programme. Improvised methods were used to train them, for instance the distance between one row and the other is often measured by using the span of four fingers. Over the training period they learn to use finer, neater stitches for a better finish.”

But tradition had to combine with modernity because Sadhna’s products cater to the urban market. “What we chose to develop was also based on the consideration that since Udaipur is a centre for tourism there is scope to add value to local products and sell them. Today, all our work revolves around three crafts – the running stitch, appliqué work and patchwork, using natural fibres as well as natural dyes. But we also take orders, and sometimes these are for synthetics,”

As the institution changed, so did the women. Manjula Singh, Design Executive, Sadhna, recalls how, in the early days, the women artisans hid themselves behind their saris and would not step out of their homes.

But as they earned their own money and interacted with others, as their status within the family grew because of the income they brought in, they themselves got transformed. Earnings are linked to output, which in turn is related to the time the women can spare for sewing – some make Rs 5,000 a month, others barely Rs 200.

Nowadays, some artisans ride scooters and report that their husbands help them with household chores – something that was unthinkable earlier! They have also learnt to operate their own bank accounts and participate in exhibitions during which they are required to handle material worth lakhs of rupees, all the while keeping accounts scrupulously. On a couple of occasions, Sadhna’s artisans have even participated in fashion shows to showcase their garments, and have done this with the panache of true runway ‘ranis’!

“We have tried to make this organisation as representative as possible,” states Vijaynergia. In order to do this, Sadhna’s 700 women artisans are divided into 49 groups, each of which has a leader, who functions as the interface between the artisans and the organisation. These leaders – rotated every three years – are part of the organisation’s management committee and participate in the decision-making process. They also ensure that the material to be sewn reaches the women in the community.

Stitch by stitch, as the organisation grew, it ensured that norms were followed – including the strict ban on child labour. Most of the artisans are between the ages of 25 to 40, although the older ones could be anywhere between 55 and 60. In 2011-2012, Sadhna had a sales figure of Rs 3.35 crore, with 60 per cent of all profits going to the artisans directly.

Local Rajasthani women may not have much formal education
but the one skill they possess is sewing. (Credit: WFS)

While Sadhna’s head office is in Udaipur – 250 of its members are located there – it has an equally large presence in the attractive heritage town of Dilwara, in Rajsamand district, which is about 25 kilometres from Udaipur city. Sadhna has now set up a common facility centre here where trainings and meetings are regularly held.

Visit Dilwara around mid-day and chances are that you will find many women sitting in the courtyards of their homes, plying their needle. Just like Sita Devi, 38, mother of two girls and a boy, who lives a few streets away from Dilwara’s famous 450-year-old Jain temple complex. She, along with her sister-in-law, Sangeeta, sit together, tracing chalk lines made on pieces of ochre cloth with a fine running stitch, even as Sangeeta’s eight-month-old toddler mewls and cooes in one corner of the courtyard.

“I sit down to my work after the morning chores are done – usually around 10 am. Our leader is Laxmi and she brings us work. I work for six to seven hours a day – not at a stretch but off and on, as time permits,” reveals Sita.

Earlier she was very dependent on the money that her husband, an autorickshaw driver in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, used to send. Not anymore. Last month, for instance, she received a sum of Rs 5,970 in her bank account, thanks to the Sadhna work. The money is useful to cope with everyday expenses like the children’s schooling. “There are always needs to be met,” says Sita. “Recently, I got my elder daughter married. Now I want to build two extra rooms in my home and this money will help.”

Accidents sometimes happen. Sangeeta reports how a cow once chewed on a piece of cloth she was working on which led to the loss of a month’s earnings. “Now, of course, I am very careful and keep the work away from stray animals and children!” she smiles. There are also occupational hazards associated with sewing, like deteriorating eyesight. Conscious of this aspect, Sadhna provides free spectacles and access to ophthalmic care.

Vijaynergia and her colleagues would like to scale up Sadhna’s operations but they have to contend with multiple challenges, ranging from caste and gender barriers to resource constraints and a capricious market in recessionary times. But they are also acutely conscious that income generation is not the only reason for the existence of an organisation like Sadhna – it is also about empowering ordinary women. Women like Sita Devi who, because of her association with Sadhna, can now keep her aspirations alive. Says she,

All I have is my needle and my ability to stitch. With this I have been able to re-build my life.

Govind Singh Rathore was 14 years old when he realised that in his patriarchal society widows have no status, respect or any rights! Together with his family and friends, he took steps to raise the status of Dalit women in the caste-prejudiced state of Rajasthan, and so Sambhali Trust was born in 2007.

Sambhali means the ‘Rising of the deprived women’. The essence of Sambhali is its personal and needs-based approach and fulfilling the needs of the women and girls who come to Sambhali for help. Sambhali Trust aims to make these women and girls independent so that they don’t need Sambhali anymore through providing them with vocational training and education that also improves their self-confidence and self-esteem.

Sambhali Trust works for a better life for women

Govind Singh Rathore, the founder, talks about his trust and vision.

Throughout all projects, the main aim of Sambhali Trust is to improve gender equality; to make women become independent in decision-making and looking after themselves and their families. Besides offering a vocational training in sewing and embroidery skills and teaching them Hindi, English and Maths, every participant is known to us personally; their reasons for coming to Sambhali and how we can help them through training with the increased potential of earning an income through their improved skills.

Govind Singh Rathore was just 14 years old when his father died and his mother took him out of school and made him head of the household. He found that suddenly his mother became an outcast from her friends and disrespected in her community. That was when he felt that he really wanted to do something to help women. He persuaded his Dalit maid, to bring her three girl children to his house and started to teach them to read and write. The next day, Meera, the maid, brought 18 girls with her.

Govind Singh Rathore with Setrawa kids

Six months later, Sambhali Trust was born with the help of his family and friends; a non-profit charitable organisation to help with the empowerment of Dalit women and girls, the most vulnerable in this society.

Sambhali takes a holistic approach with all its participants to help with their welfare and that of their children. We have a Shelter Home Service which helps Dalit women and girls in the face of suffering received from domestic abuse; where they can stay in a refuge, receive support, counselling and advice. We support women who want to fight for justice in the courts. We have been on rallies campaigning in support of women’s issues. We provide workshops on Women’s Rights, Health and Awareness issues through presentations given in the Empowerment Centres including a Breast Cancer Awareness Workshop.

Sambhali Trust makes women self reliant by giving them training in Sewing

And there’s so much more that Sambhali Trust does – They provide self-defence classes and regular medical health-camps for check-ups and advice on health and nutrition. They have also provided the children in the boarding-home with free dental check-ups and treatment as well as eye-sight tests, and provided the means for an ear-drum operation for one of the girls. The Trust has been very impactful in all its endeavours.

From its earliest beginnings 6 years ago, Sambhali Trust has now developed into 12 projects; including 4 Empowerment Centres all providing vocational training in sewing skills as well as tuition in Hindi, English and Maths. We have 2 Graduates Sewing Centres, a Boutique outlet to be able to sell the items the Centres produce, a Self-Help Group project running for the last 4 years in the rural areas in the Thar Desert area, helping 89 women to save money and run their own small businesses. We have an Educational Project where 20 village children receive accommodation in Jodhpur so they can get an education in a good school, as well as sponsoring 135 children to go to school through direct sponsorship from individual donors. 11 ex-students have also been employed by Sambhali in one role or another.

The Trust believes in working with the administration, and has forged links with the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment as well as the Child Welfare Committee in Jodhpur. Sambhali has also been asked to provide education and activities in a government-run shelter for girls, and provided training for previously-run government Self-Help Group Projects in Jodhpur.

Computer classes run by Sambhali Trust

Sambhali Trust has won many awards for its part in working with Women’s Empowerment in Jodhpur and Govind Singh feels that there is a lot that needs to be accomplished in the future as well.

We are at present strengthening our organisation by developing associate organisations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland to help support us by encouraging more volunteers to come and work in our projects as well as support us in different areas of Education (sponsoring children to go to school), enabling village women to start small businesses by helping them to buy a goat, cow etc. Within the next year, we are aiming to maintain our current projects and open a new sewing centre with the women who have already completed a 6 month vocational training course; we want to develop their techniques for them to create well-made products that will be sold in the Sambhali Boutique.

It takes a lot of perseverance to get the trust of the women; Govind’s vision and commitment is worth a standing ovation. He has been successful in understanding the problems of the people who come to Sambhali in need of help and tries to support them in any way possible. He is not put off by minor obstacles and achieves what is necessary in a very short time, thus creating a dynamic force behind the organisation, continually driving it forward.

Digital media can help us to engage support in terms of attracting more volunteers to come and work in our projects as well as in gaining support. Secondly, we would like the public to know that we run a service where we work with professional counselors and psychologists for any woman who has suffered domestic abuse. We want your readers to know about our recent one-day conference on “No Bad Touch” – Awareness of Child Sexual Abuse which has brought several interested parties together from the areas of Health and Education in Jodhpur.

Awareness is the beginning of all changes so let us all make people aware about this revolutionary rising of the deprived women. To know more about them, you could visit their website.

This is a story of fighting huge odds stacked against you. This is a story of sheer grit and perseverance. This is a story of putting Science and Technology to good use. This is a story of overcoming obstacles like corruption and red tape without compromising on your ethics. This is a story of transforming 95 acres of the ‘worst land in Rajasthan’ into a green campus of an educational institute. Read on.

Once upon a time in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, there used to be this vast land, forsaken by one and all. The highly saline wasteland had been rendered useless, infertile and barren. There was a reason why this 95 acres of plot had the distinction of being ‘the worst land in Rajasthan’. Nothing could be grown, nothing could be constructed and there was no water available on this land. That was in 2005. And then, suddenly it seemed that God showered his blessings like rainfall on this thirsty land.

The parched and arid land, where on non-rainy days, there was no underground water also.

Eight years later, in 2013, a different entity stands at the same spot, at Village Kaparda, Tehsil Bilara, District Jodhpur in Rajasthan. A bright, cheerful campus site greets you today. The land has transformed in colour, appearance and spirit altogether. It has become a greenbelt consisting of over 6000 plants and trees which have grown up to 12 feet. With a total of 15 lakes, made through rain water harvesting, it has a capacity to store around 6 crore litres of water with fishes, frogs and even tortoises in these. It has two large bridges constituting the rain water harvesting structures. This apart, the campus has three large size lawns of 2.5 acres each, with solar lights on the periphery of each and 60 benches made of fibre glass.

Highly uneven patches of land.

The campus that belongs to the Aravali Institute of Management is spread across 28,000 sq. feet of built up space housing the library, computer centre, classrooms, offices, guestrooms with attached bath rooms, electricity room, guard room and stores. There’s also a natural meditation centre, with a capacity to seat around 2000 persons, surrounded by 1500 plants. Today, the site not only invites several thousand students and guests, but also winged visitors in the form of migratory birds visiting the beautiful lakes.

Salt pan with deteriorated soil around.

The person behind this miracle, Varun Arya is a proud man as he recalls how this makeover was brought about, with the trials and tribulations that he faced in the process. However, the change didn’t happen overnight. The start to this difficult journey, for this IIT Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad alumnus, was marred with pessimism from all quarters. He says,

When I left a high paying senior position with the American multinational DuPont 12 years back, people called me a fool. When I chose Jodhpur in Rajasthan as a location for establishing the top-quality educational complex, people called me a big fool. And when I purchased the above wasteland, people called me a bloody fool!

Salt, salt everywhere!

The land where the Aravali Institute of Management stands today was geologically given the thumbs down by experts, recalls Mr Arya. According to ISRO, the campus land was an extreme wasteland and the development of the same for academic purpose was going to cost enormous effort and money. As per the Central Arid Zone Research Institute (Jodhpur), Ministry of Agriculture, the plot lay in a wasteland with high inherent salinity. The salinity also made building construction risky because of corrosion. The Arid Forest Research Institute also came up up with some unfavourable data classifying the sand texture as loamy and the soil depth as 25 to 40 cm (rock beneath).

The fifth lake that was constructed on the site: Water now so pure, so sublime. There are now 15 lakes there, all filled to the brim!

Yet, he went ahead with this land. He reasons,

We really had no choice but to purchase this land since no one else was willing to give us the land with entire payment by cheque. When we got into this educational entrepreneurial venture 14 years back, we had told ourselves that education, by definition, was based on ethics. No compromise under any circumstances irrespective of the difficulties, hardships, sacrifices and struggles.

Tackling the problems one at a time

While everyone was busy, pointing out the problems, Varun was focused on finding and implementing the solutions. In Varun’s words,

This painstaking transformation from wasteland to wonderland has meant a lot of learning from the first principles, many intuitive experiments which fortunately succeeded, enormous efforts with patience and perseverance and investing reasonably large finances.

The following were the problems faced and tackled:

The execution of transformation plans began in right earnest : Water harvesting structures being erected.

English Babool: The purchased land was infested with English Babool, a plant that hindered the growth of other plants and made the land infertile. They had Magsaysay awardee waterman, Mr Rajendra Singh, called in to identify and repair the damage. Following this, they got a JCB machine to remove around 1500 English Babool from the site after several days of hard work.

Land earmarking: It wasn’t easy to construct cemented walls to mark the boundary of the land. The board declaring ownership would be destroyed by local protestors, engaging in reckless vandalism. Also, for the value conscious Varun Arya, paying sizeable cash amounts was never an option to get rid of this problem. Instead, on the advice of an elderly villager, they resorted to speaking to Darbar, ie Maharaja Gaj Singh of Marwah-Jodhpur, who sympathized with the situation. He amicably and peacefully settled matters with the local people, ensuring their co-operation in the project in future. Today, Maharaja Gaj Singh is not only a well-wisher of the project but also the Chairman of the Institute’s Board of Governors. The campus site is currently demarcated by a 3 kms long boundary wall.

The formation of lakes taking place under the guidance of Magsaysay awardee ‘waterman’ Mr. Rajendra Singh.

Water harvesting: Cultivating the flora and fauna of the area was a task that required water. The team had dug up areas in the land for 6 lakes, each up to 10 ft deep, for rainwater harvesting on the advice of Mr Rajendra Singh. This was indeed a testing period. Remembers Mr. Arya:

We had to extensively use blasting since at most places there were rocks beneath. People laughed at seeing the dug up areas, questioning where so much of water would come from in the scanty rains of Rajasthan.

To their happiness, the 6 dug up lake pits got filled with 2.5 crore litres of water in a matter of an hour, with the heavy rains in July 2006. In fact, the water started to overflow with more than a month of incessant rain. But the excitement was short lived as within 3 months, the water had become saline. Saline water was of no use for either construction purpose or for growing plants. They had avoided lining the pits as it was a cost-intensive, non-environment friendly and temporary way of preventing salinity, besides blocking the underground seepage of water. So they relied on Nature to filter out salinity, and they waited for six long years. The salinity gradually decreased with every passing year, till in the sixth year, the water remained sweet throughout the year! Sweet are the fruits of patience and hard work! Encouraged by this success, the team went on to make more lakes on the land and the nearby areas.

The water harvesting structure: The inlet of rain
water at the first rains.

Bridges: Another significant problem on this plot was that there was no proper inlet and outlet for excessive rainwater. The resultant (almost shoulder level) water passage would also make commuting an issue within the land premises. To sort this out, two bridges were constructed on both sides of the boundary in the line of this water passage. Today, these large bridges not only constitute the rainwater harvesting structures, but also enhance the beauty of the campus.

Plantations: Even thinking about plantations in a barren, highly degraded, saline land required courage. With the support of some experts however, this dream became a reality. With the advise and help of Dr. R. L. Srivastava, Indian Forest Service officer of 1978 Batch who was Director of Arid Forest Research Institute (AFRI) at Jodhpur, Mr. Narayan Dass Prajapati, Managing Trustee of Asian Medical Plants & Healthcare Trust at Jodhpur and Mr. Jagdish Kishwan, IFS, Director General, Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education of Ministry of Environment & Forests in the Government of India who advised AFRI to make the plot their experimental site, the team planted around 25 varieties of plants, some salt resistant and some normal ones. The major plants were Khara Jal, Karanj, Kasod, Neem, Peepal and Kumat. Mr Arya explains:

For all the plants, we first dug up a 1m x 1m x 1m pit in the rocky land using JCB. Then we got sweet soil from quite a distance and filled each pit with it after mixing it with traditional fertilizer made of cow dung and goat bits. Then the plant was placed surrounded by the tree guard. The tree guard helped us to place jute cloth around the plant in extreme summer to protect it. We also planted low roots, high foliage plants like castor and sunflower around each plant to protect these from the extreme heat in the summer. At those locations in our land where the salinity was the highest, we first placed a large multilayer jumbo bag and then put the sweet soil inside the said jumbo bag. This multilayer jumbo bag helped greatly in insulating the plant from the seepage of salinity and thus safeguarding its longevity.

Today, the site boasts of 6000 plants, growing up to 12 feet.

Maharaja Gaj Singh-II of Marwar-Jodhpur guiding on the water harvesting structures. He is also the Chairman of Jal Bhagirathi Foundation, set up by him jointly with Magsaysay awardee waterman Mr. Rajendra Singh.

Lawns: In spite of saline land, the team was able to make lawns, initially of around 25 feet by 25 feet in less saline areas. Then they made lawns of similar dimensions in more saline areas as well by demarcating the peripheries of the lawn area with pebbles to raise the level of the lawn and placing sweet soil there. They made 5 such lawns. Gradually, they increased the lawn dimensions for 2 more lawns to 100 m by 100 m each. They installed the sprinkler system to water these lawns, planted Neem trees and also placed solar lights around the lawns. Today these lawns are a key attraction for students (for various activities and sports too) and visitors alike.

First experimental lawn successfully developed, flanked by trees that were planted and nicely grown on the wasteland.

Salinity: When the land was purchased in 2005, it was thickly coated with salt. The problem was primarily combated with natural means that included rainwater harvesting, salt-resistant and salt-absorbent trees and plants and dhencha, a highly nitrogenous plant that greatly reduced salinity.

Construction: Salt blends with lime construction easily, but eats into cement construction, but construction with mudia lime (not easily available either) was 5 times costlier than construction with cement. So the team planned to use lime for construction only till the plinth level, where salinity came into contact. Above plinth level, cement was used for construction. The strength of construction with lime is the least initially but it increases over the passage of time. The strong 550 year old Meherangarh Fort in Jodhpur made with conventional lime is a prime example of this. On the other hand, the strength of construction made with cement is highest initially but it reduces over the period of time. Mr Arya reminisces:

Historically in Rajasthan, the mudia lime was processed using camels. Since we did not have camels, we again did our reasearch. We found a person in Didwana near Nagaur who used to make the machines for processing the mudia lime. We got two such machines custom-made from him. These were made operational using the tractor motor and it really worked.

The success of this experiment was proven to one and all when 3 years later, heavy rains in the region damaged the nearby Pichyak dam and other buildings, creating havoc in the surrounding villages and even came up to their site but could cause no harm thanks to the constructed 3 km long boundary wall.

Use of machine specially got made from Didwana,
near Nagaur, to process the raw lime, which used
to be traditionally processed using camels.

Vegetation: With all the work carried out in the area so far, they have successfully been able to grow a wide variety of vegetables including aloe vera, cucumber, spinach, ladies finger, tomatoes, brinjals, radishes, carrots, etc. The extra effort put in to be able to grow these vegetables involved bringing sweet soil from outside and mixing it with the conventional fertilizer of cow dung and goat bits. The result was that the quality and taste of the vegetables was better than even their market variants. The quality was even lauded by Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission of India and his wife Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia, who visited their site in November, 2008.

Migratory birds flock to the campus site in plenty, and are seen cooling off on the many lakes

Land conversion: Corruption was probably the most difficult obstacle that had to be overcome in setting up the institute. Mr Arya was neither prepared nor willing to compromise on his ethics to secure land meant for as sacred a cause as education. This, in spite of the fact that hurdles loomed large in the form of bribe- and ‘negotiations’-hungry politicians and top-ranking governmental authorities. Illuminating on his plight, Mr Arya says:

I met the highest authorities in the government but none of this helped in any way. Instead, with full force of state, the government unleashed against us several enquiries and false cases including concocted cases even for disturbing peace in the city of Jodhpur, death and molestation. There were attacks on me and my family members to make me surrender to the wishes of the netas and babus. However, I refused to buckle and continued to strive for results while persistently refusing to make any compromise.

Mr. Varun Arya in the Natural Meditation Centre at the site.

It was only after several months of struggle and strife (including a period of fasting at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi) over what rightfully belonged to them and with the extensive support of IITs & IIMs alumni and faculty members, former judges & Chief Justices of High Courts, top officials, academicians, defence officers, social activists, media, lawyers, staff and students of the institute, and also the villagers there, were they finally able to get their due. That is, now they have successfully acquired the conversion approval for the entire 236 bigha of their campus site land.

The students of AIM walking along one of the lakes

Today, their quest for educational entrepreneurship as well as various other societal benefits continues. And they pledge to do this without compromising on their morals. The success story of the Aravali Institute of Management strengthens the belief that it is not only possible to transform a barren land into a greenbelt with hard work and determination, but also challenge corruption with the right ethos and positive values.

Photographs: Courtesy Aravali Institute of Management

Started five years ago, Educate Girls aims to get as many girls as possible into school so they can benefit from a good education, improve their lives and become an asset to their communities. And what started with just 500 schools has now spread to 4425 schools! Safeena Husain, the founder and Chief Executive Officer, tells us all about it.

Educate Girls started five years ago when Safeena Husain decided to promote girls’ education in rural Rajasthan. She designed a sustainable model where the whole community works hand in hand to enroll girls into government schools. As the whole community was meant to take part into the process, it was meant to succeed. No wonder, the number of school rose from 500 schools in 2008 to over 4,425 schools currently!

Educate Girls has designed a sustainable model where the whole community works hand in hand to enroll girls into government schools.

Safeena Hussain has always been committed to girls’ education in India and has worked extensively in this field even in the third-world countries of South America, Africa and Asia. The lady has been born and brought up in New Delhi and holds a B.S. from the London School of Economics. She has also been elected as one of the Asia 21 Young Leaders by the Asia Society. When asked about how and why she became so concerned about girls’ education, she replied thoughtfully:

I have always felt that when you educate a girl, you end up empowering the whole society. Educated women contribute to improving the whole community; they have fewer and healthier children, are three times less likely to be HIV+ and marry three years later. ‘Educate Girls’ envisions to achieve behavioral, social and economic transformation for all girls towards an India where all children have equal opportunities to access quality education. We started by reforming government schools for girls’ education. The idea was to leverage existing community and government resources so as to improve access and quality of education for 4 million children living in marginalized communities.

We asked Safeena to share about the kind of people who have been associated with ‘Educate Girls’. Has Indian youth and society’s intellectual population come forward to support the cause?

As Educate Girls welcomes all good will, we end up working with a wide variety of profiles. Most of our Team Balika members are young locals who feel strongly about the well-being of their community. They help enrolling girls into schools and assist teachers in the classroom. They usually volunteer with us several years and are well-respected inside their community. We try to open some volunteer positions to students from the cities and get them to participate in our communications campaigns.

In 5 years, Educate Girls has expanded from school rose from 500 schools to over 4,425 schools currently!

Safeena also talked in detail about the TEAM BALIKA initiative.

Team Balika members are educated youth in the village who work as champions for girls’ education and catalysts for school reform. Team Balika animates the principles of ‘My Village, My Problem and I am the Solution’. They are at the core of our work in the field as they spread awareness on the importance of girl child education and strengthen girls enrollment, attendance and school management. We count an average of one Team Balika member per village where we operate.

Educate Girls has achieved tremendous success in Pali and Jalore village of Rajasthan and has recently started operations in Sirohi. In three years’ time, they are aiming at working in 6 gender-gap districts.

That means a total of 1.6 million children will be impacted and a whole society will be changed. Safeena elaborated on future plans:

We are about to open our programs in Sirohi, and will then launch in three other new districts starting in 2014. We rely on the communities and on the local government to scale. We help the villages improve their schools (adding female bathrooms and ensuring drinking water for instance), get parents to feel strongly about their daughter’s education and recruit dedicated volunteers in the field. After the activities are implemented over two years, Educate Girls works to handover the project to the community during the third year. By 2014, we aim to cover as many as 13,303 schools in 6 different districts. This means developing our programs in four new districts and recruiting more than 3,300 new Team Balika members to work in the field.

Educate Girls aims to get as many girls as possible into school so they can benefit from a good education, improve their lives and become an asset to their communities.

It is worth mentioning that Educate Girls has set up a sustainable funding model that requires 2.41 INR per child at the moment but will only require 1.36 INR in 2016 as the costs will be divided by a larger number of beneficiaries. The initiative is financed by government contribution and private funding (individual donors as well as philanthropic foundations) to manage their large portfolio of activities.

In anticipation of rapid budget expansion, the organization has instilled robust accounting, control and reporting systems to accurately measure cash flow, track expenditures and government receivables. Secondly, an impact assessment system has been implemented to track the effectiveness of Educate Girls’ efforts, provide formal reports to current and future donors, and most importantly, enable senior management and the board to improve upon existing implementation by closely monitoring the programs.

A noble initiative like this can never remain unrewarded and unappreciated! Educate Girls is a winner of the 3rd EdelGive Social Social Innovation Honors 2011, The World Bank’s India Development Marketplace award in the same year and the Dasra Village Capital award in 2010. The latest ones include Women Change Makers Award and Rotary’s Anita Parekh Award in 2012. But for Safeena, the biggest award is the public support she has garnered in all these years.

In three years’ time, they are aiming at working in 6 gender-gap district, impacting 1.6 million children.

We all can be a part of this initiative as well; let us come forward to support and promote Educate Girls. We stand up against gender-based discrimination in education because we can empower the future generation of women in India only if we give them quality education.

The only time you might have heard of Kheechan before is when you appreciated the remarkable efforts of ONE man, Ratanlal Maloo, in bringing over 15,000 Demoiselle Cranes to his little hamlet in Rajasthan from their homes in Mongolia and Eurasia, year after year! Today, Gangadharan Menon takes you on a little trip down the lanes of history and shows you the beautiful havelis that form part of Kheechan’s landscape.

1. Five centuries ago, Western Rajasthan was ruled by the Rajputs, the valiant warrior clan of India. They believed in violence, and lived and died by the sword. So the peace-loving Jains were not very comfortable settling in these parts.

If you can look beyond the dust and the grime, you may find yourself surrounded by history, beauty and heritage in Churu, says Harnoor Channi-Tiwary.

Living in Delhi, there have always been plenty of options for weekend getaways. But the tried and tested destinations get boring after a point.

It is not often that one stumbles upon something new and unexplored, especially in a tourism-friendly state like Rajasthan. With its abundance of forts and palaces, the tourist map of Rajasthan is already too crowded. So it is no surprise that a tiny unpolished gem like the town of Churu fell off the radar almost a century ago.

Domes of a haveli in Churu

I’m glad I discovered it to tell the tale of times gone by. Churu is about 280km from Delhi, enroute to Bikaner. A tiny dusty town, with no infrastructure for tourists, there are ample reasons for you to give it a miss in your travel plans. But for a lover of architecture like me or an avid photographer like my husband, this is nothing less than wonderland.

Unlike most of the state, Churu has no history of kings or palaces. It was the hub for prosperous Marwari merchants who traded in textile, spices and opium. These merchants travelled across the world and brought back stories of what they experienced,depicting them in paintings on walls across the town.

Hotel Malji Ka Kamra

Each merchant’s home, called a haveli, was a sprawling mansion with 50-100 rooms. As time progressed, these merchants moved their business to Kolkata, New Delhi and Mumbai, leaving their ancestral properties behind in disrepair.

If you’re in Delhi, Churu is well-connected by trains and is the perfect weekend getaway without having to take leave from work. We took an early morning train on Saturday and were back late Sunday night.

Walking through Churu is like walking through a ghost town. There are more than 100 havelis within a short radius, each grander than the other. The paintings and frescos on these depict the lives of the owners and new concepts of that time like travelling in a train, driving a car, etc.

Chhatris in Ramgarh a small town near Churu

The frescos are vivid and bright, as if painted only recently, despite wasting away from decades. Walking through the lanes of the town, we could only imagine it in all its glory, when it would have been the bustling centre of commerce.

For a photographer or anyone keen on photography, the havelis of Churu are a visual delight. Wherever our eyes roamed, there was a sight perfect enough to be a postcard. The skyline, unlike the dull skyscrapers of cities, boasts of terraces, arches and domes.

For someone who appreciates antiques, even the doors of these havelis are something you can spend an entire day admiring. Grand in scale and in terms of the work on them, no two doors are alike or ordinary.

Arches of a haveli are architectural marvels

Our haveli walking tour took us to the grand Jain temple in the middle of town. In sharp contrast to the decrepit town, the Jain temple built and managed by the Kothari family is absolutely stunning. The opulence inside this temple strongly contradicts the simplicity of a typical Jain temple but is a true reflection of the wealthy citizens of the town.

The white marble exteriors led into an inner sanctorum which very well could have been a room in the Palace of Versailles. There are strong European influences in the designing of the temple and the effect is a sight to behold.

Opulence inside the Jain temple

With only two days to see everything, there were so many little places that begged to be explored here. Our hotel arranged for our evening tea at the Sethani ka Johra, a water reservoir built 150 years ago by the widow of richest merchant in town of the Bagla family.

A perfect place to view the sunset, the sky changing hues over the horizon on one side and the moon rising over the water on the other, this was a sight to behold. It was the perfect spot to just sit, sip on a cup of tea and listen to the sound of silence.

Sethani ka Johra

We were pleasantly surprised to find out that Churu also happened to be on the threshold of the Thar Desert. A mere 30-minute drive took us into the heart of the desert with shifting sand dunes as far as the eye could see. We were able to arrange for a bonfire in the middle of the desert at night which was a surreal experience in itself.

Well connected by trains, Churu is less than five hours away from Delhi. A perfect weekend getaway, I would not recommend Churu to the unadventurous traveler.

If you can look beyond the dust and the grime, you may find yourself surrounded by history, beauty and heritage.

And if you listen hard enough, the silent lanes of this sleepy town may sing ballads and tell you legends of days gone by, of riches and fame, of love and tradition and of a part of India that till date, remains forgotten.

A man walks through the desolate havelis

How to reach

280kms from Delhi, Churu is connected by 3 trains starting from Sarai Rohilla Station. One may also choose to drive down, driving time approximately 6 hours.

Where to stay and eat

There is only one good hotel in town, a lovely heritage property called Malji ka Kamra.

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A wizard once cursed the town which led to its destruction – one of the many ghost stories and supernatural experiences you will hear about when you visit Bhangarh, the “ghost town” of India which is considered to be one of the most haunted places in the country.

We all love listening to stories and the thrill of a horror story can’t be expressed. Even though we are scared with every new detail that is revealed, we still continue to listen with great interest. Supernatural activities never fail to attract some extra attention, and when you get a chance to visit a place which is believed to be one of the most haunted places in the country, I’m sure you will be reluctant but wouldn’t be able to stop yourself from going there at least once!

Bhangarh Fort

India is a country of stories. We have millions of folk tales and stories to share. And some stories take on the identity of a place. This is the story of Bhangarh, one of the India’s most haunted places. It is believed that the place is home to many spirits and ghosts and no one dares to enter the fort after sunset.

Bhangarh is located between Jaipur and Alwar in Rajasthan. The fort is ruined but still looks beautiful due to the calm and green surroundings. It is now merely the deserted remains of what once was a beautiful kingdom built by Madho Singh, younger brother of the great Mughal general, Man Singh of Amber.

My first trip to Bhangarh was full of curiosity and anxiety. As we came closer, the way became more isolated with every passing minute and we became more and more thrilled as we approached the much-hyped destination.

The fort has many haunted and interesting stories attached to it.

We did not have any rendezvous with the ghosts but there was an unusual vibe that we could only feel but not express. The regular visitors and locals talked about the stories of the town and the ghosts that reside in the fort. We listened with great interest to all the fascinating stories of how people have gone missing and how unknown voices are heard from inside the fort.

As the sun was about to set we hopped onto our vehicles and went back to the city as the board put up by the Archaeological Survey of India (who are in charge of its upkeep) at the entrance said “Entering the borders of Bhangarh before sunrise and after sunset is strictly prohibited.”

There are many stories behind this haunted fort. One story goes back to a time when a wizard lived in the village and commanded that no house on the grounds of the fort should be taller than his house. The moment the shadow of a taller house touches his house, the whole town will be destroyed. Ajab Singh, grandson of Madho Singh, ignored this warning and greatly raised the height of the fort. As a result, the shadow of the fort touched the forbidden house of the wizard and led to destruction of the town.

Inside the “spooky” Bhangarh Fort (Credit: Arindambasu2, Courtesy: Wikepedia)

Another version of the story states that the wizard who had black magic powers fell in love with Ratnavati. One day the wizard replaced the princess’s scent with some potion  to make her fall in love with him. Ratnavati discovered the wizard’s trickery and threw the bowl of potion on a boulder nearby, which started rolling down and killed the wizard.  Before dying the wizard cursed that Bhangarh would be destroyed and no one will ever be able to live here.

These are some fascinating stories that make the place even more attractive for a visit. The main gate that leads to the fort is followed by the ruined parts of the city and gives a bizarre feeling. The fort has various havelis, temples and deserted marketplaces within the premises.

Many visitors and tourists have confirmed that there is a strange feeling of restlessness and unusual energy in the fort. There have been many documentaries made on this unique site of Rajasthan.

Bhangarh is the only place in India which is recognized as “legally haunted” and one has to take permission from the government to enter the premises after sunset or before sunrise. Locals believe that whoever has entered the fort in the dark has never been found again.

Many film makers have made documentaries on the mystery of the fort.

How to reach there?

Bhangarh is around 78 kms from Jaipur. You can book a cab to the destination and don’t forget to carry a spare tyre as there are high chances of flat tyres along the way.

The nearest airport is Jaipur International airport which is around 88 kms.  Nearest major bus stop and railway stations are also in Jaipur. Know more such fascinating and unusual places of India? Do share with us in the comments below.

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They may have initially contested from the women’s quota, but these ladies have proved themselves so well that they have been winning in the general quota ever since. And why not – when one woman sarpanch is all it takes to get a proper road, electricity, 25 hand pumps, four tube wells, old age pension for 50 women, and much, much more! Meet some amazing women sarpanches of Rajasthan.

As a child she used to keenly observe the government officials and leaders who came to her village Bassi, near Jaipur, Rajasthan, for official functions on occasions like Independence Day or Republic Day. Sitting in the audience, she used to watch in fascination as they addressed large crowds. She even had the urge to join them at the dais but knew she needed to become “someone important” in order to be able to do that.

Born into a family of daily wagers, it never really seemed likely that Murli Meena would achieve this desire. Although she was a natural leader, there simply were no opportunities for her to distinguish herself. Her fortunes, however, changed when she got married to someone who lived in the neighbouring village of Dehlala and decided to discard the ‘ghunghat‘ (veil traditionally required for all married women). Looking back, Murli says she wanted to “live as freely as the daughters and daughters-in-law of the Brahmin and Jain communities in my neighbourhood”.

Says she, “During the ‘pheras’ (Hindu marriage ritual) when my mother pulled my ‘pallu’ (free end of the sari covering the head up to the waist) down, I pulled it back with equal force – and this happened quite a few times!”

While initially no one liked her “bold move” – for quite some time she had to bear the criticism and nasty comments of her family and friends – slowly everyone reconciled to the change. What young Murli didn’t know at the time was that her “audacity to stand up for what she believed in” would actually become the stepping stone she was looking for to fulfill her dream.

Murli Meena, 37, is the Sarpanch of Dehlala Gram Panchayat today, elected for three consecutive terms because she has a reputation for getting things done. (Credit: Abha Sharma\WFS)

In the year 2000, when Dehlala Gram Panchayat in Chaksu tehsil became a reserved seat for women for panchayat elections, the villagers instantly saw in Murli a capable candidate. She was elected unopposed to the post of Sarpanch (village panchayat head) and she did so well in her maiden term that she was elected for a second consecutive term – that too from a general seat. Presently, Murli is in her third term; having defeated nine men and two women to emerge victorious.

Over the last 12 years, this dynamic woman, who has only studied up to Class Eight, has gained a sound understanding of village administration. Confident and active, Murli, now 37, is managing her responsibilities effortlessly. In fact, she was invited by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia for a 10-day visit to Australia – her first trip overseas – to share her experiences of grassroots democracy and leadership.

Over the years, Murli has truly done some remarkable work in her panchayat. She has managed to get 295 women registered under the government’s Indira Aawas Yojna that provides housing for the rural poor; she has pursued various development projects with the help of the Pradhan, the Block Development Officer (BDO), Zila Parishad members and, at times, even the local Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA).

Today, Murli is one of the many women who have become the flag bearers of women’s empowerment at the village-level in Rajasthan, a state still deeply rooted in a feudal culture. What has enabled women like her to step out of their homes and make a real difference to their community is the fact that in Rajasthan there has been 50 per cent reservations for women in local government bodies since early 2010.

The change such a quota brought about was not instant. Initially, it was hard to find women candidates who expressed willingness to enter village politics. This is not because of their incapability but their inherent lack of confidence and fear of annoying family members.

For the last few years, agencies such as the Hunger Project and the Centre for Community Economics and Development Consultants Society (CECOEDECON) have been working with grassroots women in the desert state to train and build their capacities. Observes Virendra Shrimali, Convenor of Hunger Project in Rajasthan, “In the beginning, in order to overcome existing cultural norms, we would request elderly women of the village to step in and fight the elections. Now we no longer need to do this.”

With greater awareness, the scenario has changed significantly. It is not unusual to find anywhere between five to ten women candidates contesting for one panchayat seat. “In a sense, women have realised that they have an advantage. Where men can contest in only 50 per cent of the seats, women can contest all of them,” says Shrimali.

That’s why many more women representatives are now winning from general seats. Like Murli herself or Laxmi Bai from Morthala village in Rajasthan’s Sirohi district, who may have suffered defeat the first time she contested, but has been able to register three consecutive wins thereafter.

Badam Bairwa, 35, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste community in Luhara Panchayat of Tonk district, is yet another inspiring grassroots leader. She is illiterate but that hasn’t deterred her from carrying out extensive development work in her panchayat ever since she was elected Sarpanch in 2010. A proper road, electricity, 25 hand pumps, four tube wells, old age pension for 50 women – she has made all this happen. How does she get things done when she can’t read or write? Pat comes her reply, “Padhe likhe nahin hain, par dimag to hai na (I may not be literate but I do have a brain).”

Badam Bairwa, 35, of Luhara Panchayat in Tonk district, may be illiterate but ever since she became Sarpanch in 2010 her community has flourished. (Credit: Abha Sharma\WFS)

For young Sunita Rajawat, ward panch from Vanasthali Gram Panchayat in Tonk, coming to power has given her the sanction to shed her veil. Hailing from a Rajput family, she admits that the ‘ghunghat’ is often a major roadblock for women in Rajasthan. Women, according to Rajawat, face a strange social paradox. “On the one hand, they are expected to stay behind the ‘ghunghat’, on the other hand, men never fail to take a dig at us by saying ‘ghughat wali kya kar sakti hain’ (what can you expect from veiled women)?” she reveals.

In the 19-member panchayat that Rajawat represents, there are nine women. In the very first meeting, the male members occupied all the front chairs as if to suggest that the women should continue to play second fiddle to them. Rajawat, however, asked all her female colleagues not to take this lying down. Their persistence paid off – now the seating arrangement has changed forever. “There has been no attempt to discriminate against women since then,” she laughs.

This matriculate ward panch reiterates that while women need lots of guts and courage to make a place for themselves in the male-dominated political arena, if women public representatives have “janhit” (public interest) as their top priority, respect is bound to follow.

“First, my identity was of a ‘ghunghat’-clad woman confined to the realm of her household. I have now found a platform where I can speak out my mind and do something worthwhile,” she says.

Rajasthan has historic links with the Panchayati Raj system. It was in Nagaur district that the country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had laid its foundations on October 2, 1959. The recommendations of the Balwant Rai Mehta Committee, set up to examine the community development programme, were accepted by the National Development Council in January 1958. But the concept of “democratic decentralisation” initially failed in other states except Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. Since Rajasthan was one of the pioneering states in adopting Panchayati Raj after the recommendations of the Committee, Nagaur was selected for the official inauguration.

The state has not looked back since then. This year, it received the Panchayati Raj Award for outstanding performance that carries a cash award of Rs 1.5 crore. As for the women who made this possible, they have been given a historic chance to explore the world beyond their homes – and help make a difference.

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When death and hardship knocked at her door, Manju did not let it knock her down. Instead, she decided to enter the male bastion of the Jaipur Railway station and take up the decidedly male profession of “coolie” (porter) – the first woman in the entire North Western Railway region to do so! Here she talks about her insecurities, her views and her sources of strength in dealing with surely one of the toughest jobs in the world.

In the hustle and bustle of a railway station, one needs grit and courage to survive as a porter. Right from negotiating a fee with passengers to carrying heavy loads on the head while expertly weaving one’s way through the jostling crowds, the job is all about tough work, patience and people skills. For a lone woman porter, trying to make a place for herself in this completely male-dominated profession, the burden – not just physical but emotional and psychological as well – is only bigger.

Manju, 34, works at the Jaipur Railway Station in Rajasthan’s state capital. She is the lone female porter of the 177-strong porter force working there. A mother of three, she was living a quiet, carefree life in the village of Sunderpura village in Jaipur district’s Phulera block, until the sudden death of her husband turned her world upside down. Mahadev, who was a porter, had an untimely demise due to liver dysfunction. It was his income that had enabled Manju to feed her family and educate her two daughters and one son. With her husband dead and no support from his family, how could this 34-year-old with little education and three children, survive with dignity?

Manju, 34, is the first female porter at the Jaipur Railway
Station in Rajasthan’s state capital. (Credit: Abha Sharma\WFS)

Pushed into a corner, Manju packed her bags around a year ago and moved to Jaipur with her children. With the help of her husband’s former colleagues, she approached the Northern Western Railway authorities to find out if she could get his job.

“My only brother and six sisters barely manage to fend for themselves so how could they feed me and my children? That’s when I took the tough decision to step out of the home and work. It was not that I liked the idea of becoming a porter but sheer necessity drove me to this male bastion. How I wished I had been educated enough to take up a small job in an office but I realised for an illiterate woman from the village there were not many options to earn a decent living,” says the young woman.

The railway authorities had no real objections to her signing up. So, after a brief training stint, Manju donned Mahadev’s Badge No. 15 and was ready to start her new life as a working woman. Of course getting the job proved to be far simpler than actually doing it. Being the only female porter, it was really awkward for her to sit all day among the men. There was no one to talk to or with whom she could share her thoughts and insecurities. Recalls Manju, in her rustic Rajasthani dialect, “I hesitated a lot in the beginning. It was tough to sit with all the coolies waiting for my turn to get work. I felt embarrassed when out of sheer curiosity people came to see me pick up luggage. I was always on display. Sometimes, dealing with the heavier bags, I would stumble more times than I care to remember.”

During the first six months Manju says she “cried more and worked less”, constantly questioning her decision, doubting her abilities and wondering whether she would ever be any good at being a porter. “Initially, even a small suitcase seemed like a mountain to me. But it wasn’t just the physical strain that was pulling me down; I was unable to get over my hesitation of working with men. I hardly ate or slept properly and as a result got really sick. I even had to be hospitalised for a few days,” she reveals.

This was when her mother came to spend some time with her. “She counselled me a lot and told me to buckle down and get over my inhibitions. By then I too was gradually coming to terms with the reality and decided to give this profession a serious go,” she adds. From then on things became better.

While earlier Manju used to find it tough trying to work
alongside male porters, today she is comfortable in their company.
(Credit: Abha Sharma\WFS)

Once she was back at the station she started interacting more with her male colleagues and with their support and under the guidance of the president of the coolie union she gained enough confidence to strike out on her own.

“I no longer find it difficult to interact with my colleagues, chat with them as we wait for our turn, or consult them if I have a problem. Physically I am much stronger now and have learnt to carry loads of bags into the various compartments and arrange them for the passengers. But that doesn’t mean that if I find it tough going unloading bags I don’t take some help from the male porters. It’s a difficult job because the platform is always crowded and one has to maintain both balance and speed,” she says.

During winters Manju works in three shifts – from 5 am to 8 am, then from noon to three in the afternoon and again from 5 to 8 in the evening. In the scorching summers, however, she works in the morning and evening only when it is not very hot. For trains originating from Jaipur, she waits with others at the entrance to the station to negotiate her coolie services with passengers. When the train arrives, she waits for customers on the platform.

A busy day entails doing a minimum of six rounds up and down the platforms. By the end of her shift, she is bone tired. But then there are also times when an entire day goes by with no ‘kamai’ (earning) worth the name. According to her fellow porter ,Vijay, who has been working at the station for many years, the introduction of the escalators at the station and the stroller-style bags has greatly affected their earnings. “It is so disappointing when passengers just walk past us with their suitcases and we keep waiting,” he rues.

When men have their share of woes, it is obviously a tough battle being a woman. Manju has her limitations and she is still not smart enough to negotiate a good rate for herself. Talking about the income, Manju says, “There’s no real fixed rate. Even today it differs from passenger to passenger. If they are reasonable and fair, they themselves give what is due, respecting our hard work. But that’s not always the case.”

In between her shifts Manju quickly swings by her home – a rented room in a building close by where the residents are mostly porters. A narrow, rickety iron staircase leads to her small accommodation on the fourth floor where her three children eagerly wait for their mother. Her eldest, Puja, is currently studying in Class Eight, while Aarti and Rahul, are in Class Five and Two, respectively. She is educating them with the help from a philanthropic family she knows.

Tarun Kumar Jain, spokesperson of the North Western Railway (NWR) region is proud of Manju’s work and achievement. He says, “She is not just the first female porter in Rajasthan, but in the whole North Western Railway region.”

On her part, this gritty woman is conscious of her responsibilities as a mother and a working professional. She concludes, “I am tougher than I was before and my life has started moving on the right track. I want to motivate other women like me. Nothing is impossible, if you think you can do it.”

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We have all heard of the amazing Hawa Mahal and the breathtaking forts of Rajasthan. Here is a Rajasthan you have probably never seen before. This year, stay away from the popular tourist circuit and explore these five hidden and offbeat destinations. You’ll not regret it!

A good traveler is one who is willing to experiment and constantly trying to expand his horizons. And you definitely cannot expand your horizons and broaden your world-view by continuing to visit the same old popular places over and over again. Because there is also a world outside the so-called popular destinations and they too have intriguing tales to tell; be it related to history, valor, or spirituality.

And who can tell for sure that some of these low-key destinations may not transform into major tourist destinations tomorrow? So, why not travel to these lesser-known but equally beautiful places now so that you may have bragging rights when they actually make it big!

There is another very positive side to these destinations. The fact that they are normally ignored by the average traveler ensures that they are visited by less number of travelers. So they tend to be less crowed and chaotic. You will hardly find people going crazy finding accommodations, rushing to catch a bus after being caught in traffic, and waiting for ages to get their bookings done. In addition, many of these places happen to be well-maintained and are neat and clean with very little trace of anthropogenic footprints.

When it comes to Rajasthan, it has many popular destinations like Ajmer, Jaipur, Udaipur, and Jaisalmer, to name a few. But if you are ready to look beyond these touristy places, you will find that there are many offbeat destinations that can give you a taste of everything that Rajasthan is famous for –palaces, forts, camels, and elephants.

Here are a few offbeat destinations in Rajasthan that you must include in your bucket list:

1. Barmer

Barmer

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The district of Barmer is a place where the richness of color, the warmth of the locals, and the sweetness of age-old traditions combine together to produce an amazing cocktail that travelers don’t seem to get enough of. The history of the district can be traced back to the 13th century when Bahada Rao, a.k.a Bar Rao, founded it and gave it the name Barmer –the hill fort of Bar.

Earlier, the district was known as Mallani. Barmer as we see today was formed in 1949 and has all the traits of a typical district in Rajasthan – long stretches of barren land, harsh weather, rough terrain – it has everything. So, you better come prepared. Rajasthan is also renowned for its rich crafts and you will find enough evidence of that here. Some items that might impress you include wood carvings, carpets, intricate embroidery, etc.

Best time to visit: This desert town comes to life during the Barmer festival which is held in March; so if you want to marry your goal of exploring Rajasthan with fun, come in March.

2. Banswara

Banswara

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You will find the district of Banwara covered with bamboo grooves, a trait which was responsible for its nomenclature. It is tribal country inhabited mostly by the Bhils community. Locked between Udaipur and Chittaurgarh, Banswara bears witness to an ancient city that lies in ruins today. The city is surrounded by a stone wall. A palace of the former rulers stands majestically overlooking the ruins below. Some of the important places you can visit here are the City Palace, which is a typical example of Rajput architecture; Anand Sagar Lake, an artificial lake located on the eastern parts of the district; and Madareshwar, a grand temple of Lord Shiva which sits majestically amidst picturesque natural beauty.

3. Kuchaman

Pushkar Fair

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Founded in 1781 AD by Thakur Zalim Singh, Kuchaman, which is approximately 100 kilometers from Pushkar, is a small village that houses an impressive-looking fort. The fort still retains much of its grandeur and maintains a safe distance from the nasty affects of commercialization. As such, the fort is a perfect getaway for anyone who is looking to escape from the monotony and restlessness of modern life.

The rural setting just adds to the joy of staying in the fort as you feel like you are in a different planet altogether, with peace and tranquility being your best companions. The scenery surrounding the fort is charming and the sky a radiant blue, unlike in the cities where pollution has taken its toll and a clear sky is often a mirage. The fort has a unique way to keep you occupied as well; just go visit its collection of semi-precious stones, glass and gold paint on display in the inlay work.

Even the Sheesh Mahal inside the fort is no less a masterpiece. And if you want to buy souvenirs, all you need to do is head to the bazaar located below the fort. If you are planning to visit Kuchaman during the winter season, then don’t forget to experience the colourful rendezvous of the Pushkar Camel Festival held in Pushkar. The Pushkar Camel Festival or Pushkar Fair (Pushkar Ka Mela) is a 5 days of extravaganza that attracts tourists from all over the world.

4. Mahansar

Mahansar Fort

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The quaint little town of Mahansar is located in Shekhawati, which is relatively a greenhorn when it comes to the travel circuit. The town, which was established in 1768, is located about 40 km from Jhunjhunu and never fails to put a smile on your face with its amazing collection of intricate artwork and paintings.

The distinction of being the most popular attraction in Mahansar however belongs to Sone Chand ki Dukan dating back to the 18th century. The walls of the haveli are covered with brilliant paintings with intricate golden leaves woven across them.

In addition, there are three vaulted ceilings with images from the Ramayana and the life of Krishna carved on them giving the haveli a stunning look. Apart from Sone Chand ki Dukan, there are many more havelis that would grab your attention. Other key attractions you may like to visit include Raghunath Temple and the Dancing Halls.

5. Rawla Narlai

Rawla Narlai

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If you want to explore the hidden treasures of Rajasthan without falling into the same old routine of visiting the tried and tasted places, you must consider visiting Rawla Narlai. Located in southern Rajasthan, it is a 17th century fortress located beneath a massive 350 ft high rock. The fort now is used as a heritage hotel, but you will still find that it retains much of the same elegance and grandeur of yore.

This Rajput architecture is another example of the rare brilliance of Rajput rulers and boasts huge courtyards, gardens, balconies, verandahs and porches. The guests don’t just get to stay in a royal setting, but get served in a royal manner as well, which in a way is an extension of a tradition that was in vogue centuries ago. So, staying in this fort is like reliving the days of the kings and queens.

To add to the charm, the fort sits prettily among hillocks and temples. Temples to seek blessings and feed your spiritual yearnings, and natural beauty all around to make you feel revitalized –what more could one want? As you can see, it is traveler’s delight, so don’t miss it!

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While we mostly hear of instances where RTE is not being implemented properly, there are several cases in which it has greatly benefited the marginalised sections of society. Here are examples of the significant positive changes this Act has brought into lives of poor children in Rajasthan. From better confidence to higher grades, the students benefiting from this are gradually coming at par with the mainstream students. Here is how it’s happening. 

In Dausa district, 55 kilometres east of Jaipur city, the state capital of Rajasthan, Akangsha More, 4, is registered in the nursery class of a local public school under the reserved quota. With her eyes tight shut, she sits to meditate along with her classmates on the terrace of their school, which is still under construction. Both her parents work as labourers in Jaipur and the little one stays with her grandparents, who are cobblers. Akangsha has got a shot at gaining good quality education thanks to a provision under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which has sought 25 per cent reservation in private schools for children coming from impoverished homes.

Unlike Akangsha, her two sisters and brother were unable to utilise this scheme to their advantage because the elders simply didn’t know about it. “Even when we had gone for Akangsha’s admission, we had no idea of this policy. It was the school administration that told us that my granddaughter could gain entry into the institution and we wouldn’t have to pay the high fees,” says Ram Swarup, her grandfather, with a great sense of relief.

The Right to Education (RTE) makes it mandatory for all government/aided/and non-minority unaided schools to have 25 per cent reservation for those who belong to poor, disadvantaged groups and face psychological and financial barriers while seeking an education (Credit: Colros on Flickr under Creative Commons)

On her part, the child has not disappointed the family – in her, they see the hope of a brighter future for them all. Says Swarup proudly, “She is a focused and diligent child. When she comes home from school she gets down to completing home assignments and revising her class work. Only once that is done she has food or steps out to play.”

In a country where it’s not uncommon to find instances of discrimination against the weaker sections of society, the government, in a bid to offer equal opportunities to all, has enacted the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, which, as is evident from the name itself, ensures free and compulsory education for children aged between 6 and 14 years. The RTE makes it mandatory for all government/aided/and non-minority unaided schools to have 25 per cent reservation for those who belong to poor, disadvantaged groups and face psychological and financial barriers while seeking an education. In Rajasthan, the scheme was launched in 2012-13 and uses the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) as the implementing vehicle with assistance from the UNICEF.

According to Sulagna Roy, Education and Child Protection Specialist at UNICEF, who has been overseeing RTE’s implementation in Jaipur district, “The government has enumerated six categories under the weaker sections of society for reservation. It is tailored to benefit the poorest of the poor at the entry level, which can be Lower Kindergarten (LKG) or Class One.”

Students like Akangsha have been enrolled due to the extensive advocacy efforts undertaken by officials from the Education Department as well as non-government organisations that have reached out to schools and the community, informing them about the provision. Till now 14,555 schools have been involved and 1,40,000 children have benefited from this move. Of these, 58.9 per cent are boys while 41.1 per cent are girls.

Headmaster Prem Ballab Khulve of the Government Upper Primary School in Jaipur’s Gopalpura Devri strongly believes that the reservation is helping children across Rajasthan’s 33 districts to realise their true potential. “It’s good for the child’s self-esteem. S/he can get greater exposure by interacting with students from different backgrounds. There was a time when poor parents couldn’t even dream of sending their children to an expensive private school. That’s not the case anymore,” he states.

Incidentally, the Act particularly provides for orphans, for whom the quota exceeds the 25 per cent limit. In Jaipur, Samarthan Sanstha has given a home to 27 girls and four boys, who, in the absence of family, used to work as domestic workers, garbage collectors, plastic sorters or beggars to survive. Nowadays, they all go to school. As Anand Acharya, a sadhvi (Hindu holy woman) who runs the facility shows off their notebooks with impeccable writing, shares, “Earlier, these children couldn’t afford to go to school but they are doing exceeding well in their studies.”

Indeed, the enforcement of this reservation is not bereft of challenges. Sunil Sharma, APC (RTE), Jaipur, talks about a basic problem they face, “In the cities, private schools have a high fee structure and the incentive of reimbursement from the state may not work for them. So there are higher chances of resistance on their part. Initially, the state used to reimburse Rs 9,000 per child per year. From 2014, the amount has increased to Rs 11,700.”

However, the difficulties don’t end there. Once these children are admitted, their teachers have to take on the mantle of finding ways of including them in the general fold. Amita Saraswat, who has been a nursery school teacher for the last three decades, says, “The children who come from poorer homes take a lot of time to adjust – their mannerisms and language are distinct from the rest. As their teacher it becomes my responsibility to ensure that they come up to speed with the rest. We get involved with parents, too. All this takes time but eventually the changes do become evident,“ she explains.

Sushil Sharma, secretary of Indian Cambridge School in Jaipur, agrees, “Teachers have to use different methods of communication with those who come from the reserved quota. With proper guidance though, the children soon come up to the level of the rest.” In order to mitigate the social differences schools like his adopt certain practices – “we don’t allow children to distribute or exchange gifts in class. Moreover, we often counsel parents so that they can keep their children motivated”.

In Rajasthan, till now 14,555 schools have been involved in the implementation of Right to Education and 1,40,000 children have benefited from the advocacy efforts undertaken by officials from the Education Department as well as non-government organisations. (Credit: Pamela Philipose\WFS)

With an idea to make educational services more accessible to schools and parents and, at the same time, keep the RTE figures in check as well as verify the data given by people to claim the special status, the state government started a portal in 2013. The recently retired Rampal Sharma, who was instrumental in the inception and the implementation of the Act in the state, says,

“We have come up with an excellent portal to monitor the RTE. After feedback from users, we have been able to plug most of the loopholes. Schools can easily feed their students’ data into the website. The online application is useful for parents too in case the school refuses to give application forms.”

A proper daily register of a child’s performance is maintained and the parents, who form a part of the School Management Committee (SMC), are kept updated through the website that is bilingual (Hindi and English). Till now, 35,000 private schools have been identified on it, of which officials have authenticated 26,686.

“Any state can replicate it. We have trained office staff at the state, block and district levels to handle their respective domains by verifying the information fed by schools. We have permitted schools to log in thrice in a year to update the profiles of the students. The best part is that the site can be accessed from a mobile phone or a cyber café so that it’s not system-dependent,” he shares.

Pooja Kumari, an LKG student of St Edmund’s School in Jaipur, comes from an impoverished home but has been making straight As in class, much like Anjali Kumari, who studies in Class Four in the same school. The girls mingle freely and are not afraid to ask or answer questions.

Dr Anoop Singh, director of the school, breaks into a smile when he sees them, “I’m happy to say the students we’ve admitted under the RTE provision are extremely hardworking and scoring good grades.” Divya Nair, a nursery teacher, concurs with Singh’s view, “The RTE concept is slowly working. We are thrilled with the progress we’ve made.”

Here is the RTE Anthem, launched by the Ministry of Human Resource Development –

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Did you think that fire fighting was something that only men could do? Think again, as you meet these fearless female fire fighters of Rajasthan who are living on the edge. From dousing the most horrific fires to consoling the victims, these women are proving their mettle in a profession largely considered a male bastion.

“Dousing the hungry flames is certainly not an easy task. It’s a test of one’s physical strength as well as courage and agility. But if one is determined, one can overcome any risks, however daunting they may look,” says Sita Khatik, an officer with the fire department in the desert state of Rajasthan.

While her namesake in the mythological epic ‘Ramayana’ had given the ‘agnipareeksha’ once in her lifetime, for Sita, the fire fighter, every day is like a trial by fire.

Stationed in Jaipur, the state capital, she is one of the 155 female fire fighters recruited by the state government in March this year. Six from this first batch are serving in the city at present and they are simple, all smiles and, yes, armed with that tremendously daring spirit that makes them perfect for the job.

Stationed in Jaipur, (from left) Sunita, Manoj, Nirma, Sita and Nirmala are five of the 155 female fire fighters recruited by the Rajasthan government this year. (Credit: Abha Sharma\WFS)

Sita was working with a medical insurance company before she decided to join the fire service. Although it had been a “nice and easy” job that also brought home a tidy salary, it had been her childhood dream to distinguish herself by doing something “brave and courageous”. Once she got married, albeit at a rather early age, her passion only increased – at the time her husband was working in home guards and civil defence, and his assignments really fascinated her.

It was purely on impulse that Sita, who has a post graduate degree in political science as well as a professional Bachelor of Education (B.Ed), made up her mind to enrol for a 48-day civil defence day training course when her son was just 20 days old.

While the whole family was upset and shocked with her, it was the unwavering support of her husband that helped her fulfil her ambitions.

“He not only supported me but even took leave from office to take care of the baby. It is said that behind every successful man, there is a woman. But in my case, it is the opposite,” she says with pride and great admiration for her husband.

Sita, however, had to wait a few years before she got a shot at securing her favoured career. In 2011, when the Rajasthan government advertised posts for female candidates in the fire tending services, she applied immediately. Once her application was shortlisted, she went on to do the six months long Fireman Elementary Course training programme that she cleared with flying colours.

Related Read: These 15 Women Dared To Break The Mould And Took Unconventional Career Paths

During the interview stage, Sita recalls the question that decided her fate, “They asked me why I had opted for a risky job like fire fighting when I could have easily continued with what I was doing. Was I not afraid? I simply told them, if I was afraid, would I have even applied? I have this desire to prove wrong the people who think that women can’t be fire fighters.”

Most of Sita’s female colleagues hail from the small towns and villages of Rajasthan.

For them, it was not easy to opt for a profession that is traditionally seen as a male bastion. Yet, they all had the will not only to convince their parents and, in many cases, their in-laws, and then also successfully get through the tough exams and training.

Sita Khatik used to work with a medical insurance company before she decided to join the fire service. (Credit: Abha Sharma\WFS)

The selection process was certainly no cakewalk. Out of over 1,000 applicants, just 155 finally managed to clear all the rounds. Many contenders couldn’t qualify during the initial stages itself because they were either underweight or overweight.

Sunita Devi, who joined the Jaipur fire station along with Sita, says, “Having the right weight is important. Several candidates had found the physical strain too much to bear. But it is important to be in top shape to do what we do. Our job is quite risky. For instance, during the fire that broke out at a chemical factory recently, we all would have been trapped had there been a delay of even a few seconds.”

Nirma, who originally hails from a small village in the interiors of Sikar district, adds, “It is absolutely essential to keep oneself fighting fit so daily exercise is a must. We have been intensively trained to use the water hoses, carry the scale ladder and rescue and evacuate people to safety from buildings under fire. In the beginning, most of us found it quite difficult to hold the pressure running nozzle but with practice, we can now handle it on our own.”

By successfully completing their training, while they have definitely established beyond doubt that they are the right women for the service, overcoming perceptions has thrown its own set of challenges in their way.

“Our chief initially felt quite hesitant and perhaps kept his fingers crossed as he sent us on the assignments with the team. But credit to him that we got the opportunity to do our duty in some of the worst fire incidents in the city soon after we joined. Now, after a couple of assignments, he is comfortable and confident of our capabilities,” they say.

Sita (left) and her colleagues wanted to break the stereotypes by joining the fire department which had been the only one in the state where women had not been given a chance to serve, owing to the serious risks involved. (Credit: Abha Sharma\WFS)

On his part, Chief Ishwar Lal Jat is full of pride and praise for his new recruits, “These female officers are working very well. They have very sincerely and boldly taken active part in dealing with all the fire accidents they have been sent for.”

According to Raju Burdak, who belongs to Dataramgarh town in Sikar, till they joined service, the fire department had been the only one in the state where women had not been given a chance to serve, owing to the serious risks involved.

But she and her colleagues are “here to break the stereotypes” and they are more than prepared for it.

Shares Sita, “We have to be well informed of all the equipment and vehicles needed for operation. If it is a chemical fire, we need a different type of dousing material. For small lanes and streets, we have to take smaller vehicles because we won’t be able to access the accident spot with the big fire tenders.”

It is crucial to know the exact cause of fire and materials present on site to determine the type of fire extinguisher that should be used, whether water, foam or dry powder, because wrong information could actually make things worse.

Okay, so whereas they knew what they were doing and had won the confidence of their seniors, it was another thing going out into the city and doing their duty.

They recall how in the early days when they used to go into localities to put out fires, people used to fear for their safety and demand that their male colleagues keep them away. At present, of course, things are quite different.

In fact, during one of the fires, where the belongings of a household had been completely gutted in the flames, the presence of the female fire fighters was really comforting. Seeing them, the lady of the house hugged one of them and started crying uncontrollably. “We did our duty properly and then also sat with the woman for some time sharing her pain. I realised then that our male officers would never have encountered such a situation,” says Sunita.

Whenever there is a fire incident, goods and property worth crores are reduced to ashes in no time. If there is any casualty, the circumstances are even more painful. “It gives us a sense of great satisfaction if we are able to save lives and people’s homes and belongings,” she goes on.

In a conservative and patriarchal state like Rajasthan, women are definitely breaking the glass ceiling in professions that were earlier considered a male domain. Audacious, gritty and determined, they are setting new trends for others to follow.

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A special flour is helping rural Rajasthan get better nutrition, health and energy. Know all about how it is leaving a great impact on the lives of people in the tribal belt.

“The children in my village are now actively participating in sports and they all love running. I have noticed this change ever since they started eating the special ‘rotis’,” says Vijay Joshi, a physical training instructor at a government school in Sheshpur village.

There is a quiet health revolution underway across several villages in the tribal-dominated Salumbar and Sarada blocks of Udaipur district in Rajasthan, where widespread malnutrition, especially among the women and children, has had devastating effects on their physical well-being. Since September 2012, households dotting the arid countryside have been motivated to consume wheat flour fortified with micronutrients, such as iron, folic acid and vitamin B₁₂, as part of a novel initiative introduced in the region by Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and Institute of Health Management Research (IHMR), Jaipur, which is being implemented by the Bhoruka Charitable Trust (BCT).

The National Family Health Survey-3 has noted high levels of anaemia among both women and men in the state, in addition to registering very high rates of stunting and wasting thus creating a need for fortification in their food.

Nutritional deficiencies are rampant in Rajasthan. The National Family Health Survey-3 has noted high levels of anaemia among both women and men in the state, in addition to registering very high rates of stunting and wasting. That’s because a typical home-cooked meal here is imbalanced: it includes high quantities of cereal – that are cheap and provide energy – and very little pulses and fruits and vegetables, which are rich sources of vitamins and minerals, critical for proper growth and building immunity.

“Considering that the diets of these population groups are not diversified, provision of staple foods, such as wheat, oil and milk, that have been fortified with vitamins and minerals has been recognised as one of the best ways of improving the overall health indicators of a population. Not only is food fortification easy and cost-effective for the food producers to implement, it is also an inexpensive way to provide good nutrition to the consumers, too. This is one way of ensuring that people get sufficient vitamins and minerals through their diets, to improve their health in a short period of time,” points out Deepti Gulati, Senior Associate, GAIN.

In Udaipur, Salumbar and Sarada blocks were identified for action after a baseline survey indicated that the locals were suffering from high levels of micronutrient deficiencies. Rahul Sharma, Director, Food Fortification Project, IHMR, elaborates: “We chose wheat flour as the vehicle for fortification because it is the major staple cereal and its consumption is very high in this region.”

The next step was to make sure that people in the villages start using fortified flour (‘atta’). For this, reaching out to the friendly neighbourhood ‘chakki wallahs’, or millers, from where the households generally get their wheat grains milled, became imperative. The idea was to convince them of the advantages of adding the micronutrient-rich premix to the flour so that they could become “agents of change” and lead the community in improving their health and by recommending fortification of wheat flour to their regular customers.

“I don’t get tired very soon these days and even my husband’s knee pain has reduced considerably. It’s great to be healthy and energetic,” shares Sumitra, 30, the anganwadi worker of Singhavat village.

Wheat flour is chosen as the vehicle for fortification with vitamins and minerals because it is the major staple cereal and its consumption is very high in this region.

Two hundred chakki-owners were identified from Salumbar and Sarada blocks of Udaipur district and were actively engaged in the nutrition and health issues through the formal and informal discussions. These discussions also highlighted the role in reduction of malnutrition reduction through the fortification of wheat flour milled at their chakkis was highlighted.

“We trained the millers on how and when to add the premix while grinding, and provided them with 10 kilos of the premix along with two spoons, calibrated to fortify five kilos and one kilo of grain, respectively, so that the quantity of micronutrient premix added to the grains added is accurate and consistent – one spoonful to five kilos of flour,” explains Sharma.

Adds Shivendra Kumar Jha, BCT Project Manager, who is supervising the implementation of the intervention on the ground, “Initially, the millers had several questions and apprehensions like ‘why should I do it?’; ‘do I get anything for doing it?’; ‘will the quality of flour get affected such that my business would get impacted?’; etc. So even as we gave them all the requisite information that would enable them to motivate their customers to go in for fortified flour, we also made them realise that it was their social duty to contribute in this fight against malnutrition.”

Apart from explaining to the millers about why the premix was good for health and training them on its proper use, the millers were trained on the proper way of storing the premix and keeping a record of the premix utilisation at their ‘chakki’.

Of course, simply teaching them the right way to use the premix was not enough. As is common in any community-based projects, there were many challenges that started emerging soon enough. Some people started complaining that the dough made from the fortified flour was turning black and that the ‘rotis’ were very dry in texture.

“At first, we found it quite baffling. But, when we looked into the matter we realised that a few millers, in their enthusiasm of improving nutrition, were mixing higher quantity of premix to the wheat flour, as they felt that if it is good for health then why stop at adding just one spoon! It was then explained to the millers that adding higher quantity of premix would affect the colour and texture of flour and hence would impact the acceptability. It was reiterated that it was of utmost importance to adhere to the correct dosing of premix while milling the grains to ensure that the quality of flour is not compromised. These issues have been successfully addressed and now both the millers and the consumers are happy and satisfied,” he informs.

To fill in the information gaps the BCT has been conducting various awareness building activities. “In addition to the millers who directly talk to the people, we have put up wall writings and posters to publicise the advantages of consuming fortified wheat flour to improve health and reduce anaemia. Along with this we organise community meetings, school-level campaigns and street plays to discuss this issue,” says Jha.

 “Till just a few months back, there was not a day when I didn’t feel listless or feverish. Carrying out my duties as a government school teacher and helping out in serving the mid day meal, one of the tasks assigned to me, wasn’t easy. Thankfully, I feel much better and stronger,” reports Varsha Sevak, 26, a government school teacher in Banora village.

Since September 2012, households dotting the arid countryside of Rajasthan have been motivated to consume wheat flour fortified with micronutrients, such as iron, folic acid and vitamin B12.

Despite all these concerted efforts, in some villages the usage of fortified flour is taking time to pick up. “I serve about 100 households and only 60-65 of them regularly ask for their flour to be fortified,” says Khajhrulal Jain, 55, who is one of the three millers in Jhallara village of Salumber block. “I add the premix when customers ask for it. Therefore, those who consume fortified wheat flour are generally the ones who are more educated and aware and have learnt about these through the wall writings or from the flex board at the ‘chakki’,” he adds.

On their part, the anganwadi workers and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), who give valuable nutritional advice to village women, are pitching in to increase the usage of fortified flour.

After going through capacity building sessions organised by the BCT, Anita, 25, a committed ASHA of Dhoodhar, a small village in Salumbar, is a changed woman. Of all the critical responsibilities that fall on her as a grassroots government health worker, she takes on the task of counselling families on the importance of eating nutritious meals very seriously. In fact, since the last two years she has played a key role in convincing women of the benefits of consuming the fortified wheat flour. “I tell them how it helps in reducing anaemia among women and gives ‘takat’ (strength) to their children. And the best part: there are no extra costs involved yet people can enjoy better health,” she says.

Like Anita, in Singhavat village, Sumitra, 30, an anganwadi worker, has not only been making ‘rotis’ from fortified wheat for her own family but has been conscientiously motivating others to follow her example.

Today, Jha is happy to share that in the last eight-nine months, usage of fortified flour has stabilised. “There are altogether 6,600 homes in Salumbar and Sarada where fortified flour is being used regularly. All those people who have felt its health benefits are recommending it to their friends and acquaintances,” he concludes.

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Read how communities, especially the women, in Rajasthan are making the best use of government funds and getting amazing maternal healthcare facilities and other infrastructure in their villages. Know all about these hardworking women and how they are safeguarding the vulnerable, especially mothers.

An hour’s drive from the bustling town of Chittorgarh, the celebrated land of heroic warriors in Rajasthan, meet Suman Jain, a modern-day “soldier”, from Bheru Singhji ka Kheda village, who is striving to provide equitable healthcare to mothers and children in the area.

Meetings like these are a regular affair in Bheru Singhji ka Kheda village in Chittorgarh block of Chittorgarh district in Rajasthan, where Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Committee members interact with the people to seek their opinion on the best way to utilise the annual untied funds. (Credit: Annapurna Jha\WFS)

As a conscientious member of the Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Committee (VHSNC), she is working closely with the community to enhance the quality of services provided at the nearby Health Sub-Centre, in addition to improving the state of sanitation and hygiene in their quaint hamlet.

Being the Accredited Social Heath Activist (ASHA), Jain was anyway motivating women to opt for institutional deliveries, get their children immunised as well as go in for family planning, as part of her regular duties. Now, however, as the official signatory to the bank account that dispenses funds for the general upkeep of the village and its people she is thrilled that she has been able to affect some real transformation.

She says, “Since 2012-13, the VHSNC has been receiving Rs 10,000 annually as untied funds, which we are free to utilise as per the needs of our village. Ward Panch Pushpa Devi Prajapat, who is also a VHSNC member, and I are the authorised signatories of this account. From making available adequate medical supplies at the Health Sub-Centre (HSC) to cleaning up drains and building pucca roads we have managed to do a lot in the last couple of years. All this will contribute to keeping our expectant and new mothers safe. If there is a functional health facility at close hand then women don’t have to think twice before going to one. Moreover, making improvements in the basic infrastructure, such as roads or water, tanks only add to their comfort level.”

Although this valuable fund, provided by the National Health Mission, has been available to communities since 2008, earlier the money was directly being transferred to the HSCs, with the Sarpanch (village head) and the Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) responsible for withdrawing as well as finding ways for using it. As one HSC caters to at least four to five villages it received a consolidated sum of Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 per year, which was invariably left unused.

“We did not even know that there was this money coming in for our use. Thankfully, we know of our rights and entitlements now,” shares Jain.

Photo: www.gatesfoundation.org

Helping to boost people’s awareness levels regarding their right to healthcare in Bheru Singhji ka Kheda as well as 28 other villages in Chittorgarh block is Prayas that has been actively engaging on the issue throughout southern Rajasthan.

Says Ritesh Laddha, senior programme coordinator, Prayas, “Since 2012, we have partnered with Oxfam India on an initiative that aims to improve maternal health in the region. With their technical guidance and financial support from DFID’s Global Poverty Action Fund (GPAF) we are working in 95 villages – 29 in Chittorgarh and 66 in the adjoining Pratapgarh district – where we have been speaking to VHSNC members so that they can independently demand and increase people’s access to various schemes meant for them. This has enabled them to use the untied funds well, which has made a significant impact. There is a visible sense of ownership regarding decision-making among the people.”

In Bheru Singhji ka Kheda, home to 250 families, things have moved along pretty fast. “We have bought a weighing scale, a blood pressure machine and chairs for the HSC. Apart from this, some of the money was spent on sourcing strips for checking haemoglobin and urine samples. We also got the anganwadi centre painted,” reveals Jain, adding, “From the fund earmarked for 2014-15, we plan to install a water tank and a tube well. We even want to build a water trough for the cattle. With these in place, there will be minimal wastage and less water logging.”

Suman Jain, the Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) of Bheru Singhji ka Kheda village is a VHSNC member and one of the authorised signatories to the untied fund account. She encourages people to participate in the VHSNC meetings. (Credit: Annapurna Jha\WFS)

These are some concrete plans for a community that, till some time back, was conscious of the changes they wanted to see in their hamlet but were not really sure of how to make it happen. “Earlier, since the sarpanch and ANM were the signatories on this account, the residents did not know that such an endowment existed let alone use it. The money mostly remained unspent due to which fresh funds were not given. Nowadays, a proper meeting of the VHSNC is held in all our project villages where there is an open discussion on what to do with the money,” elaborates Laddha.

There are a plethora of options available. Elaborates, Laddha, “The money can be used to purchase a BP machine, a scale for weighing infants or tables and chairs for the anganwadi. Some of it can be put aside to transport poor villagers in need of urgent medical treatment to the nearest big hospital or provide medicines at a subsidised rate. Moreover, it can be used to clean up the drains and repair or build roads. A small sum of Rs 100 is given to the ASHA to encourage people to attend the VHSNC meeting as well.”

Thanks to regular meetings and informed deliberations, the VHSNC of Eral, too, has been able to get some good work done in their village.

Reveals Ganga Devi Bhil, ASHA, “We have got a weighing scale and a BP machine as we know this would facilitate the check up of pregnant women and young children. In addition, we have got a tank with tap installed at the HSC from the money allotted for the year 2013-14.”

Photo: gyaanyatra.affp.org.uk

Manohar, ward panch and VHSNC member in Eral, adds, “To check the spread of malaria, we have covered a drain that was previously a breeding ground for mosquitoes. After consulting with the villagers we got insecticide sprayed there as well. To facilitate the movement of people coming to the HSC we spent Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 to build a paved road. There was some talk of constructing toilets with the untied fund but we decided against it as it was felt that we should tap into the Nirmal Gram Scheme for that.” Although 50 toilets have been constructed for Below Poverty Line (BPL) families, the rest don’t have any.

“Though it creates hygiene issues and increases vulnerability of women, the VHSNC took the call to postpone toilet building for now as we have to first figure out how to keep them clean and running,” points out Ganga.

Of course, building consensus on using funds is certainly not an easy task. There are many differences of opinion. Jain recalls an incident in Bheru Singhji ka Kheda when Prem Kanwar, an upper caste woman, had come to a meeting and accused the VHSNC members of not involving upper caste villagers in the discussions. “However, VHSNC member Pushpa Devi Prajapat countered her argument and told her that unlike tribal women, those from the upper caste were reluctant to come for the meetings. When she demanded that a water tank be installed near their locality the members pointed out the irresponsible act of her own brother destroying a tube well. Such conflicts are quite common and require some sensitive handling,” remarks Jain.

Despite the occasional skirmishes there is a general sense of enthusiasm and accomplishment among the VHSNC members. “Personally, I feel happy when I see villagers thinking of ways to better their life using this money. This way, there are no unnecessary delays in getting things done,” says Jain.

The women of Eral village are forthcoming with suggestions when it comes to using the money received by the VHSNC to shore up healthcare facilities and refurbish critical infrastructure like building roads or proper water tanks, which largely benefit them. (Credit: Annapurna Jha\WFS)

Dr N. Gupta, founder of Prayas, who has been observing this process of empowerment unfold, concludes, “Making the ASHA and ward panch co-signatories to the untied fund has unleashed the potential of the community to get things done. The process has begun but there is a long way to go.”

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Crippling rains, lack of transport facilities and poverty are just a few issues that stop children from attending school regularly. This innovative tribal community is coming up with unique and interesting ways to make their kids reach school on time in spite of all the difficulties. 

Khushi Mena, a student of Rajkiya Unch Prathmik Vidyalaya, Kitoda, walks no less than five kilometres every day to get to school along with her siblings, Prakash and Mukesh. Whereas it’s not uncommon for children of Kitoda village in Girwa block of Rajasthan’s Udaipur district to drop out because of the long distances they have to traverse, Khushi is determined to stick on.

Highlighting the kind of perils they endure during their daily trek, Khushi quietly mentions their run in with a wild animal one afternoon. “It was around 4 pm and we were returning home. We spotted the animal from far and were scared. Thankfully, it simply saw us and turned away. At times we have had to save ourselves from snakes, too,” she says, matter-of-fact.

Long distances and wild animals are not their only challenges though. Come monsoon and they have to cross several natural streams that spring up along the way.

“As the water levels rise we have to patiently wade through them to get to class. Many a time we arrive late but we still make it a point to go,” she adds.

With rampant illiteracy and poverty, parents in remote tribal hamlets are not inclined to send their kids to school and, in fact, prioritise survival over education and end up pushing them into doing paid work in mines or agricultural labour. (Credit: WFS)

Of course, not everyone is able to beat these tough odds. Surmal, a resident of Amarpura, 40 kilometres from Udaipur, is a father of four and his greatest worry is the poor attendance of his children. “When the weather is rough they have to stay at home. We do not have affordable transportation facilities around here and I can’t take the chance of anything untoward happening to them. I want them to study well but I fear that one day they might lose their admission as they miss school frequently,” he remarks.

Fortunately, across the region, both the panchayats and the local civil society organisations have been trying to introduce different incentives, ranging from providing affordable transportation to singing motivational songs at night meetings for parents, to forming groups of all-women escorts to improve enrolment and keep the drop-out rates in check.

Take for instance, the Udaipur-based non government organisation, Unnati Sanstha, which is working towards ensuring quality education for students like Khushi, Prakash and Mukesh. According to a study conducted by Unnati Sanstha across eight panchayats of Girwa, Sarada and Kherwada blocks, only 59 per cent children between 6 and14 years attend school and 46 per cent parents are discouraged from sending their children to school because of the unsafe terrain.

Marjorie Aziz, secretary of Unnati Sanstha, shares the grim realities on the ground: “This is a tribal area and illiteracy and poverty are rampant. Parents are not inclined to send their kids to school. In fact, they prioritise survival over education and end up pushing them into doing paid work in mines or agricultural labour. Even if this hurdle is overcome successfully there is the question of safety. Schools are located several kilometres from settlements and wild animals roam freely in this mountainous region. This makes them apprehensive and it contributes to the drop-out rate.”

This is where the innovative measures jointly implemented by the School Management Committees (SMCs) and NGO volunteers, in coordination with the panchayats, have managed to steer parents towards not just sending their children to school but also going all out to make sure they stay there.

To check the high drop-out rates in schools in rural areas, Innovative measures, like providing affordable transportation and singing motivational songs are being implemented to encourage parents to send their children to school and keep the high drop-out rates in check. (Credit: WFS)

Realising the need to constantly keep the elders motivated Unnati Sanstha organises regular meetings. Elaborates Aziz: “We ask families not to use their children as assets and put them to work either at home or in the marble mines, at construction sites or the cotton fields. Since 2008, by conducting one-on-one sessions with parents, creating ‘bhajan mandalis’ (prayer groups) that sing about merits of education, and holding meetings with the nodal officer in the Education Department we have brought about a noticeable positive change in attitudes.”

Essentially, tribals here have small land holdings that cannot provide for their large families. Consequently, they have to migrate to find work. In the villages along the Gujarat border there is heavy migration, especially during the harvest season. Children are recruited to work in cotton fields, at highway restaurants and on construction sites.

Panchayat coordinator Silwans Patel, who has been working with village communities for over six years, sings inspirational songs to promote education. He has realised that this is an effective way to get his point across, “We work within the community and pass on our message through songs and poems. Parents, who are mostly labourers, don’t mind listening to a song or two on the merits of education at the end of a crushing day’s work. They desperately want a different life for their children.”

As far as interventions go, government schools, too, have come up with some out-of-the-box ideas. Government Secondary School, Kaya, located 17 kilometres from Udaipur, has students from the sixth to the tenth grade. Out of the 293 children enrolled, 200 come from distant villages. Anand Mehta, who teaches mathematics, observes that children study up to Class Eight and then go to the city to earn a living. “During the summer vacations, even the younger children go to work with their parents,” he says.

However, Principal Laxmi Joshi has found that offering incentives to children who show up on time works well.

The community is making a lot of efforts to get the kids to school.

Photo for representation purpose only. Courtesy: fxbsuraksha.in

“Some of them cannot afford to buy pens so we give them out as prizes. During the prayer assembly, we felicitate them so that they remain motivated. We even talk to the parents whose children have missed a few days of school so that the gap remains minimal.”

Additionally, the school ensures that students from the marginalised SC/ST community get the government scholarships they are entitled to. “Each teacher takes out the time to go to the bank to fill out scholarship forms for children as their parents are illiterate,” says Joshi.

Sohanlal, who hails from Lai village, seven kilometres from Kaya, is a Class Eight student. He has benefited tremendously from his school’s proactive approach. “The boy, who has six siblings, lost his father years back so their financial situation has always been poor. But he is bright. He takes care of the family and even arranged the marriage of his elder brother. He wanted to drop out to earn but we intervened and he’s still with us,” says Mehta with a smile.

Like Mehta, Laxmilal Mena, who teaches 45 students at the Hamabal Primary School in remote Khajuri village, “negotiates” with parents on a daily basis. “I have to constantly engage with them. When kids miss school for several weeks they are hesitant to return. When I inquire with the elders, they give excuses like that their uniforms were not washed, so I end up negotiating as per the demands of the situation,” he laughs.

In places where the lack of transport poses a major problem, Unnati Sanstha had introduced a system under which children in far flung hamlets get a pick and drop.

Photo for representation purpose only. Courtesy: www.globalgujaratnews.in

Four years ago, support was provided to five panchayats to improve the enrolment and retention rates. Approximately 700 children, including little Khushi Mena, benefitted from this. As the retention levels rose to 90 per cent the state government also decided to come on board. “Today, the government has temporarily halted its contribution but the community is actively demanding it. We are working with the authorities and I’m sure they will reinstate the scheme soon,” says Aziz.

Times have truly changed around these parts and so have people’s perception of education. Amarpura’s Ward Panch Baalal recalls how there were no schools when he was young but things are very different now. Concludes Ramesh Chandra Mena, father of four and an SMC member in Amarpura, “We want our children to study well so that they don’t have to work as labourers like we do. At least they will have a better, more secure, future.”

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Nupur Ghuliani left her chartered accountant degree midway and shifted base to a remote village in Rajasthan where she is making biomass briquettes to provide the villagers with an alternative, cost-effective and eco-friendly fuel. Know more about why and how she took the plunge. 

Nupur Ghuliani had got it all sorted. She did her Bachelors in Commerce and was on her way to becoming a Chartered Accountant soon. This is what you expect from a regular 22-year old who has just finished her college: to finish studies and get a good job.

Ghuliani too had bagged a great internship opportunity at Ernst & Young while she was pursuing her CA. But her story is not about that.

Her story is about change, the courage to choose a different path, and not just for herself but for thousands of underprivileged people in rural India.

Nupur left her CA degree and shifted to rural Rajasthan.

On one regular corporate day, when she was attending a conference, she came across the SBI Youth for India fellowship that would allow her to alter the course of her life and make an actual on-ground impact. She didn’t think twice and grabbed the opportunity with both hands, leaving her “secure” career behind.

“I thought it was the perfect opportunity to work in a socially inclined sector, which I always wanted to do. Becoming a CA did not quite align with my passion in life,” says Ghuliani.

Today, she works in a remote village named Kaya in Udaipur, Rajasthan, and is on her way to providing an alternative fuel to the community.

Nupur Ghuliani wanted to know people which brought her to a remote village in Rajasthan.

Ghuliani did not have a science background. But her dedication was enough to give shape to her idea of introducing locally produced biomass briquettes. She read many books, researched online, talked to experts and spent many hours just to get the fundamental principles right.

“Initially I had to struggle a lot to understand it. But I read, researched, and got the basics right first,” she recalls.

Nupur had always been socially inclined and SBI fellowship gave her the right platform to explore her passion.

The next step was to understand the lifestyle of villagers and find out what kind of fuel they used regularly. She found that while the world over, agricultural residue was being used as fuel, but in India it mainly served the purpose of animal fodder. The villagers here were mostly using firewood for their energy needs, which was fast depleting the forest cover around them. So, she thought of coming up with a better alternative.

“In this region, agricultural residue is used to feed the animals. I didn’t want to deprive villagers of their source of fodder. So I thought of using waste material and came up with an idea of using dry leaves to prepare briquettes,” she says.

Using dry leaves and sawdust, Ghuliani is now ready with her first prototype of biomass briquettes, that can be used as an efficient fuel by the villagers who were mostly dependent upon firewood until now.

She is ready with first prototype of briquettes.

Every year, for one entire month, the ladies of the village go to the nearby forest to collect firewood. They carry 20-30 kgs of firewood on their head and walk for around 8-10 kms one way every day for a month to collect enough fuel for the entire year.

“When I heard this, I was shocked. Imagine how difficult it must be. I think my idea will help in reducing the hard work, and if it picks up, it might also become an income generation activity for the villagers,” she says.

Her idea is unique because it uses just waste materials and is also eco-friendly as it will enable villagers to purchase it as a commodity rather than cutting down the trees.

The briquettes are made out of dry leaves and sawdust.

Ghuliani is all set to send her prototype briquette for testing and is looking forward to positive results after which she plans to scale the production up and help villagers to locally produce these briquettes.

“I have just finished creating the prototype. I guess impact and reach will be assessed only after the results, about which I am really positive,” she says.

What now seems like a great journey was not as simple to begin with. Especially for a city-bred kid like Ghuliani, who had always seen crowds around her, working in a village where there were only 10-11 people per square kilometre was quite a challenge. “It would take so much time to travel from one place to another and meeting different people. It would be exhausting sometimes,” she recalls.

But what worked in her favour was her association with Seva Mandir, an Udaipur-based NGO. As people already knew about the NGO and trusted its work, Ghuliani too received a warm welcome and acceptance from the villagers.

Nupur is working with the rural community to make biomass briquettes.

When asked why she chose a life in a remote village over a well-paying corporate job, Ghuliani answers instantly, “I want to know people inside out. So many people in India live in rural areas. I think it is very crucial to know and understand this side of Indian life too. At the end of this fellowship, I want to be able to say that yes, I know people and I have created an impact.”

As Ghuliani is on her way to popularising the amazing biomass briquettes in the village, she advises young graduates like her to just take the plunge. “It is a great learning experience and you will never forget it your entire life,” she concludes.

She hopes for positive impact of her project and wants to see people using better fuel.

For someone from a completely different background, it is incredible to see such hard work and passion towards creating an impact. We hope to see many more young people like her coming forward and becoming change agents.

To know more about her work, contact her at – ghuliani.nupur@gmail.com

Do you want to make real impact too? Then click here to join the SBI Youth For India program.

A small village in Rajasthan finally got its due – a fully functional primary health centre – when the villagers came together as one to fight for their rights. Read what the might of a united community can achieve.

This story has all the elements of a typical Hindi film potboiler: there’s high-voltage drama, spirited agitation and swift action, nicely rounded off with the triumph of people power. The only difference is that this is not make-believe spun by an imaginative writer, but a true account of fearless activism spearheaded by an empowered community. The setting is the nondescript village of Devgarh in Rajasthan’s Pratapgarh district, where under the leadership of Sarpanch (village head) Hariram Meena, people decided to take the matter of securing their health rights into their own hands.

For years, the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Devgarh, which provides basic healthcare and emergency medical services to 36 villages in the area, had been functioning erratically.

Devgarh in Pratapgarh district of Rajasthan is home to a sizeable tribal community that displayed remarkable courage and determination as they got together to revive their poorly functional primary health centre, which provides basic healthcare services to 36 villages in the area.

Whereas the building and grounds were in a dilapidated, overgrown condition, the staff was either absent or unresponsive.

Adesh Kumar Jain, Devgarh’s passionate Up-Sarpanch (deputy village head), narrates, “Everyone knows that rural residents cannot do without a functioning PHC and even though it is rare to find one that doesn’t have any problems the situation at Devgarh’s PHC was simply deplorable. At most times, the doctor on duty and the support staff used to either be missing or reporting late, so patients were usually turned away. It was not uncommon to see stray cattle roaming freely. Moreover, the toilets used to be filthy, there was no water supply and the patient waiting area was being used to store junk. We were putting up with all this but it was difficult to see expectant women suffering on this account. Every time one of them was refused admission, it used to really bother us. Then one day, when the desperate pleas of the relatives of a young pregnant woman in need of immediate attention were ignored, something snapped. We decided: enough is enough.”

To deal with the problem at hand, in early July 2013, the Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Committee (VHSNC), which includes the Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) and the Anganwadi Worker, sat together and came up with a rather drastic solution.

After taking the entire village into confidence, on July 15, they set their radical plan into motion. The villagers surrounded the PHC and locked it up with the staff still inside.

Before July 2013, stray cattle instead of patients were a common sight at the Devgarh Primary Health Centre (PHC).

“We knew what we were doing was rather unconventional but the situation was dire and we needed to shake up the authorities. The siege had gone on till the Chief Medical and Health Office (CHMO), the district officials and the Tehsildar [district revenue administrative officer] came and assured us of action. They told everyone that relevant steps to improve the PHC would be taken in a matter of days,” elaborates Jain.

That collective effort can enable a community to secure their rightful entitlements is the one important lesson that the residents of Devgarh, as well as villagers in the adjoining areas, learnt when they became part of a unique initiative to improve maternal health underway in the region.

In 2012, Prayas, a non-profit organisation that has been actively engaging on the issue throughout southern Rajasthan, and Oxfam India got together to implement a maternal health programme through the DFID’s Global Poverty Action Fund (GPAF), across 29 villages of Chittorgarh district and 66 villages in Pratapgarh district.

According to Ritesh Laddha, senior programme coordinator, Prayas, “The problem of substandard services at the PHC, which caters to hundreds of people, emerged as a key issue during our discussions with the VHSNC and the community. They were deeply upset by the fact that they had to make a trip all the way to the district hospital just because the PHC staff was callous. Gradually, by building their confidence and capacity, we have been able to empower them to demand their rights, take ownership of local healthcare resources and decide on how best to utilise them.”

The determined protests in Devgarh had a dramatic effect. In a matter of days, the stray cattle had been removed from the PHC premises, the toilets were cleaned out, the water supply properly restored.

The infrastructure at Devgarh’s PHC was simply deplorable – the toilets used to be filthy, there was no water supply and the waiting area was being used to store junk.

At the same time, the doctor and other staff, too, made it a point to come on time. Consequently, impoverished villagers, a majority of them tribals, who were earlier forced to visit private doctors or even quacks that overcharged for treatment, started visiting the PHC once again.

“I cannot describe the happiness the VHSNC members feel today when we see people lining up at the health centre. Those who were previously borrowing money to buy medicines and get diagnostic tests done are free from their debt burden. We are all availing of a state government scheme that provisions for distributing generic medicines and getting tests done free of charge at the centre,” says Jain, who runs a grocery shop near the PHC.

Mindful of the growing awareness levels of the community towards their health entitlements, the district authorities have declared the Devgarh PHC as a 24-hour facility. What’s more, an ambulance has been stationed to ferry pregnant women from 36 villages for institutional delivery.

When Laali’s daughter-in-law had become pregnant, the tribal woman from Sovani village had spent a few sleepless nights worrying about how she would gather enough money to take her to the district hospital for delivery.

“But, thankfully, the PHC at Devgarh became operational by the time she was ready to give birth. Our ASHA arranged for the ambulance to take her there and within a few hours we had a healthy baby in our hands,” says the beaming grandmother.

Not only was Laali’s daughter-in-law saved the expense and exertion of going to the hospital at Pratapgarh, the institutional delivery also made this Below Poverty Line (BPL) woman eligible for a number of benefits.

“I had made up my mind to take her to a hospital. We did not have to pay for the ambulance, delivery or the medicines and since it was her first child she was sanctioned five kilos of ghee (clarified butter) that helped her in regaining her health. I would not have been able to afford it myself,” Laali points out.

Acknowledging the difference an up-and-running PHC has made to their already tough lives, Kala, who makes earthen pots to earn a living, says, “We don’t have to pay for medicines or treatment now and even the PHC staff dare not ask for a bribe. All of us are fully aware of what is due to us under the government system.”

Quality healthcare for free is now available for the villagers.

Photo for representation purpose only. Courtesy: www.ruralmarketing.in

Vijaypal Singh, District Coordinator, Prayas, observes, “That the otherwise illiterate tribal women like Laali or Kala now understand their entitlements, prefer to go for hospital delivery and are quite vocal about their health needs is largely the result of concerted efforts at spreading awareness and encouraging greater community involvement. Once the VHSNC sends a call for action, they respond wholeheartedly.”

Yet, it’s not like there are no difficulties anymore. “Constant monitoring by the VHSNC is needed to ensure everything runs smoothly. For instance, although this is supposed to be a 24-hour PHC, at present, we only have one allopathic and one ayurvedic doctor so it doesn’t work in the evenings. The two GNMs (General Nurse-Midwives) stationed here manage everything in their absence. This is posing to be a grave problem as very often there is a delivery late in the night that cannot be handled here. We have been told that there is a shortage of doctors in the district but we are trying to work out a solution,” assures Sarpanch Hariram Meena.

This new-found assertive and positive attitude of Meena and others is inspiring, “The villagers have many aspirations with regard to this PHC. They want a proper delivery room, 24-hour treatment and a pucca boundary wall as well. We hope to live up to these expectations in the future,” signs off Meena.

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Rajeev Sharma was heavily influenced by the ideas and life of Prophet Muhammad and decided to write his biography into Marwari. The book is called “Paigambar Ro Paigam” and is available online for free download. Here’s what influenced him to take on this commendable task, after translating several Hindu texts and running an online library.

Rajeev Sharma was just in 9th grade when he started a library, “Ganv ka Gurukul”, in his village called Kolsiya in Rajasthan. His love for reading made him read a lot of books on various topics and people. But it was when he read about Prophet Muhammad that he got heavily influenced and wrote a book on him in Marwari, a regional language of Rajasthan.

The book is called “Paigambar ro Paigaam”, and it talks about the life of Prophet Muhammad in 112 pages. Also, Sharma claims that this is probably the first biography of Muhammad to be written in Marwari language.

Rajeev Sharma

Often, we read about a religion and get influenced by its ideals. But how often does it happen that in a country like India, where religion plays such an important role in defining your identity and place in society, a Hindu boy not just got inspired by a Muslim leader but also wrote an entire book on Him.

“When I was a kid, our teachers would tell us to read books as part of our course. Since those days I spent a lot of time reading. I read Muhammad’s biography too and I thought that I should write about this amazing personality,” he says.

Sharma recall a personal experience where one of his relatives got married at a very young age of 5. The girl’s husband died during the last phera (ritualistic circle taken by bride and groom in an Indian wedding), and she had to spend her entire life as a widow.

“She did not even know the meaning of marriage and she had to live as a widow for her entire life. It was a long time ago and I wasn’t even born then, but I have heard about her hardships. I leant that Muhammad was against child marriage and supported women empowerment. I was highly influenced by this,” he recalls.

After reading many books about him and doing a good amount of research, Sharma was all set to write the book. A book on a Muslim prophet who had left a great impact on the life of this Hindu Marwari boy.

“I didn’t consider religion to be a big deal here. If we think about our past, all religions would live with mutual harmony. It is recently that the intolerance levels have increased. Also, it didn’t occur to me that being a Hindu boy, writing a book on a Muslim leader can create an issue as I am not hurting anyone’s sentiments here. I am just inspired by him and writing the truth. And I received a great response and encouragement from all my friends,” he says.

Paigambar Ro Paigam,  is available for free on Sharma’s E-library, which has collection of over 300 books.

The book is available for free download on his blog.

When Sharma met with an accident, he came to Jaipur and had to shut down his village’s “Ganv ka Gurukul” which had almost 1,500 books in it. He started an e-version of the same.

He studied Naturopathy in the city and started selling herbs which earned him some money to run the new version of the library.

“Paigambar Ro Paigam is already being appreciated by many. I have already received over 12,000 hits on my website for this. People across the globe have downloaded it,” he says. If he finds a good publisher, he is all ready to print the book too.

Highly influenced by the Quran and Muhammad’s ideas, Sharma says there is no other book that talks about peace and harmony better than the Quran. In the future, he is planning to translate it in Marwari too.

Having translated other Hindu religious books in Marwari, Sharma’s first experiment with a different religion has already created a stir. “I want to create libraries in all the villages of India. Books are the best thing one can have and children should inculcate the habit of reading,” he says.

You can read and download the book here.

For more information contact Rajeev Sharma at – write4mylibrary@gmail.com or check out his e-library Ganv Ka Gurukul.

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Muslim women in Rajasthan are finally breaking age old traditions for better health after child birth. Thanks to a timely intervention, with the support of local religious leaders and conscientious community volunteers, exclusive breastfeeding in the golden hour has increased to 86.4 per cent. Here’s how it was made possible.

Until a few years back, there was no way that mothers like Salma, Nagma or Zebunnisa in Tonk, a small town in Rajasthan, could feed their newborn till an elder in the family came over to whisper the ‘azan’, or prayer, into the ears of the little one. Only after this ritual was duly performed could they breastfeed their baby.

Many a time, if the wait became long, it would invariably lead to the child losing out on the crucial opportunity of being breastfed within the first hour of birth, said to be the golden hour.

(From left) Saira, Shahjahan and Sameena are three of the many conscientious community volunteers who have joined hands with religious leaders under a special initiative that aims to improve the overall health of the over 1.6 lakh Muslims living in Tonk, in Rajasthan. (Credit: Abha Sharma/WFS)

Research has shown that nursing within the first hour of life not only improves infant survival rate but helps in developing immunity to various infections and diseases.

Tonk is home to 1.65 lakh Muslims, who live by strict, conservative social rules that have had devastating consequences for mother and child health. Widespread poverty, lack of education and limited awareness about health issues and government schemes did not help either.

Muslim women were especially barred from visiting the government health centre for counselling or antenatal care. Vaccinations were simply out of question. Consequently, the levels of child mortality were consistently high. The Annual Health Survey 2011-12 recorded the neonatal mortality rate (NMR) at 35/1000 per live births and infant mortality rate (IMR) at 55/1000 per live births. The under-five mortality rate was no better at 78/1000 live births, while the maternal mortality ratio was 293 per 100,000 live births.

Concerned about these dismal numbers, Save the Children, an international non-profit, joined hands with PepsiCo Foundation and the Centre for Community Economics and Development Consultants Society (CECOEDECON), a local non-government organisation, to work towards bringing about positive behavioural changes in the community.

The primary aim of this intervention, ‘Aapno Swasthya Aapne Haath (Our Health In Our Hands), initiated in 13 wards in the city, was to transform attitudes and boost the use of the government-provided essential health and nutrition services.

Imam Aziz is one of the 26 religious leaders from Tonk district, who have been spreading the word on the importance of providing adequate nutrition to expectant women and new mothers by engaging with their fathers or husbands after prayers at the mosque. (Courtesy: Save The Children)

To make these a lived reality, help was sought from religious leaders as well as conscientious volunteers from within the community.

Imam Abdul Aziz of Azam Shah Masjid in Tonk may seem like an unusual advocate for safe maternal and child health and, yet, this is an issue that is close to his heart today. He makes it a point to talk to families about the importance of providing adequate nutrition to expectant women and new mothers, the need for institutional delivery and the significance of ensuring that a newborn is given mother’s milk, all of which were previously being rejected on religious grounds.

“Maa ka doodh mufeed hai, sehatmand hai (mother’s milk is the best for the health of the child),” he reiterates. Imam Aziz says he read about the virtues of colostrum (mother’s first milk) in a “risala” (message in Arabic) and he tells families that any delay in feeding the newborn is not desirable.

“Azan [prayers] can wait but the child must get the mother’s milk at the earliest,” he asserts.

Apart from this, he speaks to parents in favour of educating the girls because he is convinced that formal education can help women become better mothers.

Nadeem Akhtar (left), a committed volunteer, feels repeated counselling is an absolute must since most families refuse to let go of their regressive traditional beliefs. (Credit: Abha Sharma/WFS)

“Deeni taaleem ke saath duniyavi taleem bhi zaruri hai (along with the knowledge of Urdu and the holy Quran, the children, particularly girls, must attend schools),” he says.

Imam Aziz is one of the 26 religious leaders, who have been sensitised on contemporary health, nutrition and sanitation issues, enabling them to effectively spread the word on related best practices. But even for these men of God, it was tricky to directly convey the messages to the women. So they adopted the strategy of engaging with the fathers and husbands after prayers at the mosque. They, in turn, spoke to women in their families. As a result, an effective partnership between people and religious leaders could be forged.

If involving Imams in the maternal and child health campaign appeared to be the best way to reach the community, considering the fact that their advice is sure to have a lasting impact, then creating a cadre of female community volunteers was necessary to influence people from within and take the message forward.

While Shahjahan is proud to be a health volunteer, for her, the responsibility has been fraught with challenges. Says the middle-aged woman, “Due to the prevalent ‘purdah’ system, Muslim women are often not allowed to step out of their home without the presence of a male member. So, naturally, availing of services at the health centre is out of the question.”

Recalling her experience with one Shabana in her locality, she says, “She had had seven children and they all had been delivered at home since her mother-in-law and husband were against going to the hospital. When she became pregnant for the eighth time, I decided to take matters into my hands for her sake.”

Shahjahan had a tough time first convincing the couple to go in for institutional delivery and, thereafter, adopting a family planning method.

The exclusive breastfeeding in the golden hour has increased to over 86 percent.

Photo for representation purpose only. Courtesy: gyaanyatra.affp.org.uk

Even though what she was doing was for their own well-being, those days, Shahjahan was the most unwelcome guest in Shabana’s home. She shares, “Whenever I went, her mother-in-law would loudly declare, ‘Yeh hamari bahu ko sikhaane-bhadkaane aa gayin (look, she has come to provoke our daughter-in-law to go against us).”

The atmosphere was hostile, to say the least, but she kept showing up at their door. “Ultimately, my persistence has paid off. Shabana went to the hospital for a safe childbirth. These days, I am welcomed into the family room with a hot cup of tea,” says Shahjahan, with a wide smile.

As a committed volunteer, Nadeem Akhtar has had her share of trying moments. She feels repeated counselling is an absolute must. Being largely illiterate and ignorant of their rights and entitlements, most families refuse to let go of their traditional beliefs that are more often than not regressive. “I remember a family that had realised the importance of caring for their pregnant daughter-in-law and being regular with her check-ups. But when the child was born they flatly refused to let the nurse weigh it. ‘Nazar lag jaayegi’ (Its bad luck) they said,” recalls Akhtar.

Another major problem, she feels, is mainly the result of their absolute impoverishment. “Around 80 per cent of the households are able to keep the home fires burning because women take time out to make ‘bidis’ (country cigarettes). Subsequently, even if the mother and child are weak and need to be in the hospital for longer the family is hesitant for the fear of missing out on the earnings,” she elaborates.

Like Shahjahan and Akhtar, Sameena has had “lots of difficulties in winning confidence” because she was considered “faltu” (good for nothing). Nonetheless, Raashida, 25, is glad that Sameena did not give up on her. “I am grateful that Sameena counselled me. Thanks to her, I could avail of free medicines and immunisation. I even got the cheque of Rs 3,350 under the Shubh Laxmi Yojna on the birth of our daughter,” she says.

Things are definitely looking up now. The registration for antenatal check-ups (ANC) has reached 98 per cent and institutional deliveries are at 92.7 per cent.

The women are becoming more aware and empowered.

Photo for representation purpose only. Courtesy: www.gatesfoundation.org

Regular health check-ups have increased by 10 per cent and children’s health status has gone up from 23 to 50 per cent. Says Hemant Acharya of Save the Children, Rajasthan,

“When we started in 2009, consciousness towards hygiene, nutrition, immunisation and institutional deliveries was low. Presently, there is visible change. Exclusive breastfeeding within an hour of birth has increased to 86.4 per cent.”

Besides this, a Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre at the district hospital and a 100-bedded maternity hospital, which is now ready for action, are expected to give a fillip to their efforts.

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