DOWN to EARTH

How many youngsters do you know who not only wax eloquent on the Gandhian ideal of ‘Gram Swaraj’, but also put their words into action? Well, if you don’t know any, you haven’t met this breed of new-age Gandhians, who are trying to revive the Mahatma’s dream of making villages self-reliant. Vijaysinh Parmar met four students of Gandhian institute, affiliated to Gujarat Vidhyapith who have been working in villages as part of the Vidhyapith’s ‘Gramshilpi’ scheme. Under the scheme, students have to live in remote and backward villages and try and make it self-reliant for which they get a monthly stipend of Rs 5,000 for two years. After this they have to themselves become self-reliant and devote their life for construtive work in villages. For the record, all of them could have easily got a cushy job in a corporate or NGO, which they turned down for this challenge.

Jaldeep Thakar, 23 Village Pedhamali, Mehsana Challenges Healthcare, high drop-out rate in primary school, unemployment Ayear ago, Jaldeep Thakar used a unique Gandhian way of convincing a small girl, Asmita Raval from Padhamali village, who had dropped out of school, to start attending classes again. He told her he would fast in the true Gandhian tradition until she returned to class VII in school. By evening, the girl’s family had decided to send her back to school. A post graduated in rural management, Jaldeep says, “There are 20 children who are not going to school in the village. Their fathers hardly get Rs 70 as daily wage. Most children suffer from one disease or another. I want to address these issue.” Vinod Vaghari, 13, was suffering from ear aches. His father, a labourer, could not afford the Rs 50,000 that doctors asked to treat the boy. Jaldeep brought him to Ahmedabad civil hospital. The procedure was completed in Rs 500! Jaldeep has even started a savings bank for children called ‘Sva Shilp Bal Bachat Bank’ which has 60 members. He was given land by social worker Sanjay-Tula.

Chandrika Solanki, 26 Village Bhagapur, Detroj Challenges Caste discrimination, drinking water, sanitation, school drop-out rate Gambling and a serious liquor problem - these issues are a major struggle in this village. Only five families have proper sanitation facilities. Chandrika took up the challenge of providing a better life to these villagers. So under-developed is this village that it is not even on the map of state transport buses. Chandrika started working here after forming a self-help group. “I took up sanitation first. After meeting local officials, I took advantage of various government schemes, which villagers were unaware of.” Chandrika , who hails from the Rajput community, has now chalked out a plan of providing toilets to 22 families in the first phase. “My efforts would be to bring Dalits into the mainstream. I know this is a slow process and I have just one life to do it in.” After her day’s work, Chandrika keeps herself busy by teaching children as there are just two teachers in the village school with 76 students from standard I to VII.

Nikhil Prajapati, 24 Village Rampura, Gandhinagar Challenges Irrigation, loan for farmers, education, unemployment Nikhil Prajapati, a post graduate in rural management is ushering silent revolution in small Rampura village near Gandhinagar. “Banks don’t lend money to these villagers, either because they are landless or are debtridden. So, six month ago we started two self help groups — one for men and another for women. Within a short period, we are getting results,’’ says Nikhil, whose selfless work has got him a house by villagers. Four women members of the group have already acquired three acres land on lease. “On half the land we experimented with organic farming and on the other, we used fertilisers and realized that the organic way was more beneficial for us. We spend only Rs 8,000 to cultivate juvar crop and got Rs 25,000 from the harvest,” says Bhikhiben Thakore, one of the members of the group. “Every month, 21 women members give 50 Rs to the group, while 12 members give Rs 100. “The total savings of two banks is about to Rs 45,000. We are now going to established a dairy in village. For this our groups will give us loans to purchase cows, establish, bio-gas systems and vermicompost banks. All three systems help in self-sustenance,” adds Nikhil.

Mahesh Maheria, 24 Village Amarapur, Gandhinagar Challenges Irrigation , Loan for small farmers, unemployment Mahesh’s family condition doesn’t permit him to do social work. He lost his father in young age and his mother, a farm labourer manages to earn two meals a day. But for him there are people who need him and are in more trouble then himself and has decided to give life to margizalised in the Gandhian way. Farmers in his village don’t have water for irrigation and is working on a low-cost permanent solution for it with villagers “We started a self-help group with 32 young villagers called ‘The Rathod Yuvan Mandal’ and have collected Rs 15,000. We will use the money to set up a floormill. This group will also fuel the further developmental activities for the village.” The village also has large tract of land, which can not be titled due to water scarcity. “I am having meeting with villagers and studying models adapted by different villages to get the proper irrigation facilities. My goal is that in two years time I get farmers all the resources to cultivate their farms.’’ Rathod believes that though times have changed fast Gandhian thoughts and way of working are still relevant for developmental activities.