Report of Manoj, October 2014
A journey of around 26 kilometers from our center at Sabli village in the Chamba Block of Tehri Garhwal is Chamthari Village. Om Prakesh drove us to the village on the 13th of October 2014 in the evening crossing the Henwal River through the rough mountainous terrain. Our small group comprising of Rakesh, Reeta, Manoj and Om were travelling this time to capture a small story of the village Chamthari where Dalit or Backward caste group people live.
It is a community that faces social and economic discrimination from the so called higher castes. It is interesting to note that for the first time after India’s independence a women from this dalit community has been elected as a village Head Person (Gram Pradhan ) in the recent Panchayat ( Constitutionally Elected Village Body ) elections.
Ms. Sunita Devi who has been elected unopposed this time since it was made a reserved seat for the Dalits in this Panchayat election, was very happy to interact with us along with the other members of the community. This was not the first time we were visiting this group as in the last five years since 2008 we have been going there to motivate the community for conserving its forest cover while reviving its springs and water sources.
We have been told that the village community is in a debt trap from the bank loans for various schemes the benefit of which never actually reached them and was siphoned off by the corrupt middle men, officials and the affluent in the system. Our team has been working with them to regenerate the confidence to fight for their rights and honor and this time we feel it is a good opportunity for them as they have a chance to be lead by a women leader for the first time after independence.
A women mutual support group has also been formed by us in the village having around twenty women members and we have helped them in opening a SHG group account for them in a bank so that they can keep their collective monthly saving in it and then use it for inter-loaning when in need . This SHG would also be working for water and sanitation issues in their village. The women SHG (Self help group) has elected a President and secretary from among themselves who will maintain the records and books for the financial transactions they will be making within the group from their own savings and earnings.
The community in the village has made efforts with our involvement in the last years for protecting a good forest cover with mixed species that conserve water there by rejuvenating the springs emerging from its water catchment zone. We have helped by providing broad-leaf species saplings to the village community of Chamthari Gaon and even bushes and shrubs that conserve water in the recharge zone.
To make the water safe for drinking we are constructing a slow sand filter on the spring that provides water to the village and we see that the community is enthusiastic about it. We are making efforts to campaign with the schools nearby to cover the younger generation and educate them about the value and need for safe drinking water that can resolve the frequent health problems faced by the community till now.
Most of the village households here do not have a toilet and go for open defecation causing unhygienic conditions and health hazards especially for women and children and we are discussing with them to take steps to change this situation which is essential to improve the water and sanitation situation in their village.
