Policy Intervention: Anti WTO Campaign
There are many policies and programmes create more
crisis for down trodden people. The policies in favour of previlaged
few increse poverty rate. We seek to reduce poverty and implement
policies that achieve a higher rate of growth. There are three potential
sources of pro-poor growth: (1) a high rate of growth of average
incomes; (2) a high sensitivity of poverty to growth in average
incomes; and (3) a poverty-reducing pattern of growth in relative
incomes. Keeping this vision in mind JCS interven substancially
in policy making and implementing process, thus the Policy Intervention
programme is on the priority agenda.
Workshop on SSA: Two days workshop with the tribal teachers,
education officers, and other NGO workers was organized to discuss
about the educational status of the tribal children and steps that
can be taken to improve its condition. Issues related to education
of tribal children were discussed. The lop-sided development of
tribal people has not shown much difference in their attitude. Even
today a tribal boy feels ashamed to call himself an Adivasi. The
Block Education Officer said that for every village they have appointed
a School Development and Management Committee to look after the
overall development of the school but the irony is that even the
committee members do not know that they are the members of this
committee. An appeal to the government bodies, NGOs and other stakeholders
were made to improve the situation of education of Abu Road block.
Dharna at Jantar Mantar: In the context of Right based
approach of the Tribal landholdings, a dharna was organized at Jantar
Mantar at New Delhi. The main aim behind this dharna was to fight
for the forest rights of the tribals and to pass the bill of forest
right recognition for the tribals. In this dharna, about 50 tribals
from the Abu Road block participated during 7th to 9th March 2005
to make it a successful event. The Secretary of Bandhuwa Mukti Morcha,
Swami Agniwesh, Baba Adab and political leaders, addressed this
dharna. They enforced upon the aspects like the passing of the bill
of forest landholdings of the tribals in the parliament and in favour
of the tribal rights.
Networking Rally: A rally of Unorganized Workers
was held from Ramlila ground to Sansad Street in New Delhi. In this
rally about 20,000 workers from different segments of unorganized
sector participated. Workers from twelve states, mostly from outside
Delhi were present in the rally. The chairperson of the reception
committee, Prof. Madhu Dhandevate, led this delegation NCC-USW.
Two members of Parliament had also participated in this meeting.
The delegation included eminent persons from NCC-USW, Bandhua Mukti
Morcha, Astha- Udaipur, Majdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan and Jan Chetna
Sansthan. It was decided to consolidate the existing state level
joint action committees of Unorganised Sector Workers and then call
a National Convention to fortify the demands. 42 members from BBAVM
participated in this rally.
Anti WTO Campaign
Jan Caravan: With the advent of WTO ministerial
meeting in Hong Kong, an anti WTO caravan was taken out from Abu
Road on 3rd December 2005. In this ministerial meeting decisions
regarding some of the important decisions related to the rural sector
like agriculture, poultry seeds, subsidy etc, were going to be taken
in the commercial interest of the country completely ignoring the
plight of 70% of the Indian population. In order to stop this havoc
a jan caravan was taken out starting from Madhya Pradesh to Maharashtra,
Gujrat, Rajasthan and Delhi. Jan Chetna Sansthan received the caravan
in Abu Road at the Gujrat border. Our organization led the caravan
in eight districts of Rajasthan. 45 members of BBAVM from Abu Road
were with the rally throughout 12 day. It finally culminated in
Kaladera (a place near Jaipur) where Coca Cola plant is situated.
It was an act to oppose the wrong policy of WTO by bringing all
small and big organizations, farmers and artisans under a single
umbrella. Other issues like migration, contract farming, and problems
of small traders were also addressed in this 12 days rally.
Jail Bharo Andolan: Tribals of Abu Road block took out
a rally in Sirohi to provide an impetus to the Tribals’ Right on
Forest Land on 30th November 2005. A huge procession of 1500 people
shouting slogans for passing Tribals Forest Rights Bill 2005 was
taken out from Rajmata Dharmshala to the Collectorate office. People
demanded to “either pass the bill and give us our rights or
send us to jail”. This was a step towards ensuring rights of
tribals on the local natural resources. Jail Bharo Andolan is related
to Jangal Jameen issue, which our organization has been working
for the last nine years.
Jangal Jameen Jan Andolan: Inspite of the government
order, tribals are continuously being removed of their landholdings.
On the Jangal Jameen issue, almost 2500 people of southern Rajasthan
gathered at Udaipur for the purpose of taking out a huge rally on
Jangal Jameen Jan Andolan in which 52 people of Abu Road block participated.
The Commissioner was handed over the various demands of the tribals
regarding their losing of the landholdings.
State Level Networking Meeting: A meeting of all
the organizations working in South Rajasthan was held in Udaipur
wherein Nikhil Dey, Jean Drez, and Shankar from Majdoor Kisan Shakti
Sangathan, Khemraj from PRAYAS, Kavita Srivastava from PUCL, representative
from Jan Chetna Sansthan and many other persons from different organizations
had participated. The points, which were discussed in this meeting,
were:
1. Employment Guarantee Act
2. Right to Information
3. National Food for Work Programme
Dalit Adhikar Rally: In order to address the issues
of Dalits a rally was taken out in Abu Road block on 29th November
2005. This rally started from Falaudi on 22nd December and reached
Abu Road on 29th. Dalits and tribals of this area participated in
huge number. Around 500 dalits assembled at Madhwa Ji, Mungthala
and discussed the plight of Dalit community in the country in general
and village in particular. It was decided that no more discrimination
and humiliation will be tolerated and they all will fight back with
full strength and vigor. The next day, rally went to Sirohi and
gave a memorandum to the Collector regarding Dalit and Tribal Rights.
Public Hearing at Pali: Center for Dalit Human
Rights, Jaipur organized a public hearing in Pali in association
with Jan Chetna Sansthan and the issue was Dalit Women Atrocities
(Dalit Mahila Utpidan). Jan Chetna Sansthan joined in as a major
supporter of his issue and showed its solidarity with full vigor
and promised to be together in every fight against any violence
and atrocities done on Dalit Women. Different types of cases came
in this public hearing and Jan Chetna Sansthan resolved follow-up
of these cases and see that they get justice.