MOVING UP THE SCALE

Development
This is a story of how cobblers have turned into agriculturists in some villages of Jaipur district. Osama Manzar reports
We did not know how to cultivate the ground or how to milk a cow, but we gradually started learning,” says Susheela An, a 35-year-old widow of Naharwali-Dhani, one of the 13 gramdan’ villages belonging to the Chaksu block in Jaipur district.
The one-time cobblers of Chaksu block now know all about irrigation, water harvesting and making organic manure for their lands. This metamorphosis is gradually making them self-reliant and giving them a better social status.
The gramdan villagers, most of whom belong to the Bairawa Samaj schedule caste, started cultivating and animal breeding only a decade ago, despite the fact that they had been given lands in 1955 as gift by the Rajasthan government under the Gramdan Act, for cultivation, because they were landless.
However, the Bairawas and other tribes like the Meena and Gujjars had given up their traditional profession of making leather footwear as early as the 1940s, mainly under the influence of the Arya Samaj. Not because their profession was not paying, but because it was considered to be socially back ward. It took more than a decade for the villagers to realise that cultivation is not only necessary but also more beneficial.
Observes Awadh Prasad, 45, the director of Kumarappa Institute of Gram Sawaraj (KIGS), a voluntary organisation of Gandhian thought, working for community development in 33 villages, including that of 13 gramdan villages for over two decades, “They are basically new farmers. After rigorous training they changed over to agriculture, and their efforts are commendable.”
In the agriculture camp, organised every year by KIGS, the villagers are still learning cultivation, seed sampling, water harvesting, scientific use of fuel and fodder and studying the local environment and its behaviour. However, amidst this metamorphosis there is one village, Bhurutia-ki-Dhani, where the villagers still survive on hunting and nomading.
Under the influence of KIGS the gramdan kisan organised themselves for the development of their village and started cultivation and animal rearing. Says Dhanna Lal of village Beed Santoshpura, “The gram sabha’s work follows. Problems of water, fertilisers or seeds are discussed. Every project is pro perlyscrutinised by the villagers in the assembly before it is implemented.”
“We do not implement any program me without the physical and financial contribution of the villagers,” says Prasad.
“For agricultural development we first took into consideration programmes like construction of irrigation wells and the deepening of old wells. Level ling of lands and bun- ding are some other activities, as the lands, here, are unproductive, uneven and lack facilities for production,” says Hiralal Arya, 78, the adhyaksh or president of Naharwali-Dhani village.
But, today, there are 20 irrigation wells, each benefitting four to six families in 15 villages of the block. Besides, 40 old wells have been deepened upto 15 to 20 feet. Many villagers now cultivate vegatables, like, cauliflower, carrot and ground nut as an ‘agricultural extension work’. However, the vegetable produce makes up only five per cent of the total crop produce.
The main crops of the gramdan villages are wheat and bajra (maize), which make up 80 per cent of the total agriculture pro duce. Many villages have become self-sufficient. So much, that Pappu Lal of Santoshpura says, ‘When we produce more than our requirement we sell it to mandi.”
On their own, many gramdan kisan are prepare their own organic manure from cattle dung. The dung was previously used as fuel. Now, 30 families of Naharwali-Dhani have made as many as 18 compost pits. “In the last seven years, the agricultural production has beefl increased “ektihai i e (thrice),’ informs Hiralal. Despite the fact that in the total block area of 79.294 ha the irrigation facility is available to only 23 per cent of the area, compared to the total cultivable area of 88.69 per cent.
Out of the 13 gramdan villages in Chaksu, Naharwali Dhani has literally been a path 3000 rupees,” says Sushila proudly. The Bairawas prefer making ghee as it gives them chhanch (butter milk) free of cost.
But Naharwali-Dhani has a reason to be the most developed gramdan village. Out of the 100- acre common land (the lands of ‘gramdan’ villages are recorded as comrrion property of all the villagers in the government’s land revenue record, and can neither be sold nor be bought). Only 15 acres of this are uncultivable, and the population of 200 live on four acres. ‘The rest of 80 acres of land are cultivated and give enough produce for the villagers. However, we have not calculated the amount of total pro duce,” says Prasad.
“We want a sewing centre to be opened in every village so that we women can learn and earn through the centre,” says Sushila An. Men have a lot of ways to earn, but the women stay at home doing nothing. We must be given an opportunity to earn our independent livelihood. Money that is made by sel ling milk and ghee goes lo the men and they do not share it with the family. They take the hisaab (account) of every penny given to their women,” she complains.
The women, here, are more aware and demanding about their needs and rights than others in the area. They hold their own, separate meetings. But Prasad observes, “The village women expect more and deliver less.”
“We have entered into the developmental work only a decade ago,” says Jawahanlal Jam. “The reason why we start ed KIGS is to make Gandhi’s decentralised democracy a. household phenomenon in terms of over all development.