A Field Worker’s Diary _ Part 49
” Though I had already observed the weird phenomena of people not coming forward to work together even on aspects that have collective benefits for all individuals, it was a case that dispelled my illusion that all poor people belong to same category.”
When I first started working in the Andhra Pradesh Rural Poverty Reduction Project (APRPRP) as a Community Coordinator (in 2003), I had to stay in one of the villages allotted to me for a month, and had to join all the poor people in the village into Self Help Groups (SHGs), federate them into a Village Organization (VO). In addition to those things, I was also given the task to start a collective activity there.
At that time, I had stayed at the home of an auto driver named Yakub in Orvakal village in Atchampet mandal. Yakub was the eldest son of that household. His mother, father and two younger sisters live along with Yakub in that small hut. But still, they gave me a place to stay and welcomed me with big hearts. In fact, I wasn’t acquainted with them at all before that. While going on Yakub’s auto from Atchampet to Orvakal, I told him that I planned to stay in that village for a month and asked him to recommend me a place for my stay. He replied that I can stay with his family and took me to his house.
The main quality of the SHGs is their homogeneity. Establishing these groups with similar members in the village was no big deal. Identifying poor people in the village, making them form into SHGs and opening their bank accounts took only a few days to complete. Only establishing a Village Organisation (VO) was left. For that, two members from each SHG were required to represent their groups in the VO. While these representatives together become the general body of the VO, and they select five office members and committee members from among them. There is no homogeneity here. This was a process that had to be done by the members together. We have to facilitate that process. Much before the meeting, I had informed all the SHGs to come to the meeting organized by the VO. The vast space needed to seat all these people was near the church in the colony I was staying, so I told everyone to come there.
However, none of the groups except for those of the colony were there at the appointed hour of the meeting. Due to that, I had to postpone the meeting that day, and go and meet the other groups’ members the next day. I made them all sit together at one house and asked them as to why they didn’t come. They had an objection to holding a meeting in the colony of scheduled caste people near the church. They were all from poor families. Only if they were to be members of the VO will they get any project benefits. Firstly, I told them about all the schemes that will be implemented by the project in the future and the benefits that they are likely to get from them, and then. Later, I gave them all an ultimatum — I was going to hold the meeting again that night and if they didn’t attend it, I would form the VO with the rest of the groups.
I was just starting to leave, when the woman who came to send me off at the gate started asking me about my background details, such as, my native place, my caste, etc.. I told her that I belonged to the Kapu caste. We tend to go to various villages to do our work and ask all households various personal details religion, caste, etc.; Therefore, don’t hesitate to answer them when they question back, was what our first project director J. Murali (Murali sir served in various capacities as an IAS officer and has recently retired) used to tell us.
‘You belong to our caste, why are you staying at that place?’ she asked immediately. I plainly replied, ‘I was fine in the place I was, it would be even more good if you could come there as well’, and went back.
I don’t know whether they came because I belonged to their caste or because I warned them that they would not get any benefits from the project, but all the SHGs attended the meeting that night. The VO was also formed. Though I had already observed the weird phenomena of people not coming forward to work together even on aspects that have collective benefits for all individuals, it was a case that dispelled my illusion that all poor people belong to same category.
@ Bharathi Kode