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DELHI SHOWS THE WAY
By Shiv Kumar
Delhi's right to Information Act is doing wonders for people like
Ashok Gupta, on whose door officials came knocking to offer him
the power connection he applied for five years ago. The human resident
of Sundernagari, a working class neighbourhood on the out skirts
of the capital, Gupta says officals from the Delhi Vidyut Board
(DVB), the local power utility, rushed to arrange for an electrical
connection for his residence, with just one condition- that Gupta
withdraw his application under the right to Information Act. Though
he applied for a power connection in 1998, Gupta did not get one
because, according to him, he refused to pay a bribe of Rs. 5,000.
"Nothing happened despite numerous visits to the offices of
DVB" Gupta told journalists here. Things got better in 2001
when he applied for information under the newly enacted Right to
Information Act about the status of his application. Hundreds of
people living in Delhi's slum clusters, the infamous 'jhuggis' are
suddenly using the Right to Information Act to goad reluctant bureaucrats
into action.
The government has brought in over 120 departments under the ambit
of the law. "One senior officer is designated as the competent
authority in each department and is required to provide information
within 30 days on payment of Rs.50," says Arvind Kejriwal,who
heads a non government organization Parivartan) Change), which aims
to empower the poor in the capital. Officials who refuse to provide
satisfactory information are fined Rs.50 per day, to be deducted
from their salary under the law. The punishment prescribed under
the law act as a deterrent against officials who delay files hoping
to be bribed by beneficiaries, says Kejriwal, who is also a deputy
commissioner of income tax, on a leave of absence to work for the
NGO. This law has helped poor women like Triveni, who was cheated
of her quota of rice by the owner of a fiar-price shop. "The
shopkeeper sold my quota in the black market after getting someone
to affix a thumb impression on the documents," says Triveni,
who is educated. After she put in an application for details of
foodgrains sold in her name, the shopkeeper pleaded for a compromise
and promised not to divert her share of rice and wheat to others.
According to Kejwal, activists are learning from the experience
of Parivartan, which have helped people from low income groups to
obtain information from government bodies. "We consider Sundarnagri
a laboratory for experiments to be replicated elsewhere," Kejriwal
said.
Source: The Sahara Times.
THIS COLLEGE IS A STUDY IN SELF-SUFFICIENCY
By Jatinder Kaurtur
Baba Aya Singh Riyarki college for women at Tughalwala is special.
Step into it, and you can feel the difference. The guard is a student
and so is the gardener working the soil, the teacher in the class,
the cook in the kitchen, the women doing the dishes and so on. Set
up in 1976. Principal Swaran Singh says the idea is to run an institution
which is self-sufficient in every way and also teaches the students
to lead a simple and religious life. Which is why the .students
do every everything themselves. Right from growing vegetables and
milking cows to preparing their own meals. Wander into the kitchen
garden and you will see a bunch of girls with their hands deep in
the soil. It's a horticulture class in progress. The girls are also
great mechanics. " We've taught them the essentials of electrical
work," says the principal, adding how the money they save on
electrician is utilised for buying more accessories. The students
run a 15 acre farm, complete with a dairy unit and a bio-gas plant
whose refuge is used as fertiliser. "We tend to around 30 cattle
in the dairy," says Suman, a student of Plus One. Kulbir Kaur,
a BA final year student from Jagdevkalan near Amritsar, enjoys her
stint in the community kitchen. Later they wash their own utensils.
Whats more, the college is run on solar power most of the time.
"We don't have TV," the principal grins as your brows
shoot up. Jagdish Kaur, the warden, says the dried grass, twigs,
and wood collected from the campus fuels their breakfast, while
biogas is used for lunch and dinner. This is not all. "Toppers
of senior teach their juniors and so on. "Students os B.A-111
also hold other charges such as those of assembly , kitchen, garden
ect. It was started by Swaran Singh Virk with just 14 students,
the college today boasts a strength of 5,000 with about 2,000 hostellers.
The result is 100 percent.
Source: The Indian Express
IT'S NEVER TOO LATE, PROVES RAEESE.
By Swati R Sharma
A 28-year old mother of three, Raeesa goes to school, along with
her own children, to become literate. "I wonder why one should
be hesitant in going to school, even at this age" said a smiling
Raeesa and added; ''I neither feel hesitant nor ashamed in studying
at school with small children.'' Women of her community are not
allowed to go to school and educate themselves. They are, instead,
sent to Madrasas, where they get only education on religion.
Unlike other women of my community and locality, I always had a
hidden desire to read and write,'' she told The Statesman. ''School
and college going girls always attracted me .I wanted to be like
them and eliminate the curse of illiteracy from my life", she
said.
Two years back in July, when Raeesa went to Mahirshi Dayanand High
Secondary School (MDHSS) to admit her sons, she could not stop expressing
her desire of getting education, said Mrs Kamlesh Arya, MDHSS manager.
"Seeing her enthusiasm, I encouraged her, soon she became a
regular student of the school;" said Mrs Arya. Initially, Raeesa's
family did not support her, but when the school staff and others
convinced them they relented.
Raeesa's husband is in medical service and is presently posted at
Shahjahanpur. "He is a great support to me and he is convinced
that I am properly utilizing my time in his absence." she said.
"Though Raeesa is not regular in school due to her domestic
responsibilities, she has never been careless about exams",
said Mrs. Arya.
Raeesa enjoys solving her homework problems with her elder son Danish
(11), studying in the same class as his mother. Her other son, nine-year-old
Arif, a class 6th student, too helps his mother in her studies.
Raeesa's dedication and courage inspire the youngest son, eight-year-old
Azim, a class 3rd student.
When her children became old enough to look after them- selves,
Raeesa decided to turn her dreams into reality. Education has helped
Raeesa in many ways. Not only has her confidence level gone up,
but also it has greatly influenced her family life in terms of health,
hygiene and diet, she said.
Moreover Raeesa has become a role model for the women of the area
as well.
Courtesy: The Statesman
GRASSROOTS- SHE KNITS COURAGE WITH GRIT
"It is ironic that the worst tragedy in my life brought out
the best in me", says 72-year old Asha Mattewal from Bhalla
Colony (Chheharta), who started afresh in life as an entrepreneur
at the ripe age of 60. In 1992, her husband was killed at the hands
of the militants.
"My husband used to fend for the entire family. Even three
months after his death the family was in a state of shock. Survival
had become a problem. It was then that we moved out of the village
to Amritsar in search of a livelihood."
"One day, our neighbor's son, who called me Bhuaji, saw me
crying and consoled me. He suggested that I should try and do something.
He inspired me to take my husbands place and earn to feed the family.
He gave me some wool and suggested that I knit some pullovers for
him. I made four pullovers for which I was paid Rs.20 per piece.
Those Rs.80 were the first time I had earned anything in my life.
It felt less compared to the labor I put in, but nevertheless I
got some direction in life for which I will always be indebted to
him".
"Then I started taking outside work too. Friends and relatives
began giving me wool to knit sweaters and shawls for them. I never
had to go anywhere to ask for work or to deliver. Respecting my
age, my customers come to me on their own", says Ms. Mattewal.
Now, Asha has also become a small time social activist. She has
become a member of 'Punjab Istri Sabha' run by veteran politician
Vimla Dang. "Besides doing something for money, it has given
me pride that I am doing something to help women in distress. The
meetings that are held every week give me a new inspiration to live
and to help other women like me, live on their own."
SWEET SUCCESS OF MEETHIBERI.
BY Madhu and Bharat Dogra
Meethiberi means sweet berries. How Meethiberi village in Sahaspur block of Dehradun (Uttaranchal) got this name is not known. But what is certainly true is that this village's inspiring faith in women's leadership has already yielded a harvest of very sweet fruit in the form of both development and social harmony. The post of pradhan here is not reserved for a women candidate. Yet this village has twice elected a women, Radha Devi as pradhan. What is more after the latest election, as many as five out of six other panchayat posts are also occupied by women. This is partly a tribute to the good work done by Radha Devi in her first tenure as pradhan.
Radha Devi faced opposition from tough male candidates who distributed liquor and used other tricks to ensure their victory in elections. On the other hand, Radha Devi remained committed to ethical practice. She faced taunt and insulting remarks when she started her door to door campaign. Despite all this, she emerged victorious on both occasions with convincing margins. In the face of numerous problems Radha Devi emerged victorious because of the support of ordinary villagers, particularly women like Ramvati and Leelavati. Radha helped Ramrati to get an old age pension and to get some housing assistance under the Indira Awas Scheme. People know that, in case of an injustice or distress she'll do the most to help them. This is particularly valuable for village women, and has brought them closer to the village panchayat. For Brijnath and Brijal it is the development work done during Radha Devi tenure, such as construction of roads, village paths and drain, construction of a school building, and improvement of the drinking water situation which are the more important achievements of the panchayat during the last six years.
She has a women's strong appreciation for social harmony and conflict resolution. She has played a widely appreciated role in resoing several conflict involving families. Apart from ensuring better utilization of government funds, Radha Devi also tried to establish contacts with voluntary organisations and compassionate doctors to get more help for her people. Radha Devi presents an inspiring example of what an ordinary woman can do for her village. Fighting a bitter battle with higher officials to protect her village rights, or soothing tempers to resolve patiently a conflict in her own village, Radha Devi's success as a village pradhan has led to increasing recognition of women's leadership role village community affairs.
Source: Grassroots Feature Network
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