| About Us | |About Chairperson | |Publications | |Awards | |Van Gujjar Primary School | |Links | |
|
'It is good to see that women have been able to come together on a common platform and are working together to address their common concerns," said Dr. Herman Van der Laan, Director for South Asia region of ILO (International Labour Organisation) office in New Delhi, in Lakhamandal village.
In an interactive session, with members of the 46 Self Help Groups (under the umbrella of a Federation) formed under the UNDP funded "Community Empowerment for Sustainable Development Programme" Dr. Laan was told that women are forging ahead with greater vigour with men remaining mere spectators. Lajja Devi, Secretary of SHG and Secretary of the Saathini Federation, pleaded that, "the money from the government should be routed through the Self Help Groups to prevent misappropriation by the government officials."
Dr. Laan, accompanied by his wife Mrs. Marza and colleague Coen Kompier, Specialist in International Labour Standards, were on a two-day field visit to the villages in Uttaranchal to acquaint themselves with the strategy adopted by the Dehra Dun based Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK) in running educational centers and developmental projects to break the vicious cycle of poverty and backwardness in this newly created hill state. Because ILO has an inherent interest in the preservation of human rights and traditional culture of life of the tribal and indigenous communities, the RLEK implemented schemes in the backward Jaunsar Bawar region of Dehra Dun district and Uttarkashi district were of relevance to this premier UN organisation.
Other members of the women's groups aired their grievances and problems including bureaucratic apathy, corruption, lack of education and health facilities as well as poorly developed road network. They were however much happy and proud over the fact that through the women's groups and the federation they were making progress in the right direction. Dr. Laan stressed on the importance of vocational training progammes for women's self help groups.
Thereafter ILO team visited Dhaura village, also in the Lakhamandal region, which can be, accessed only through a mud track, to the lay the foundation stone for the construction of school. Incidentally, Dhaura is a hamlet predominantly inhabited by the erstwhile bonded labourers and economically and socially depressed sections of the society. While the land for the construction of the school was donated by Mahipa Devi, a poor woman from a disadvantaged community, the financial support for the school building has come from a village community in far off Netherlands. After the foundation laying ceremony, Dr. Laan addressed the village gathering with a plea to move ahead with time. In a fit of excitement the ILO team bursted into "Hip- Hip-Hooray" that signifies best wishes in the true Dutch style. It is a coincidence that the both the fund for the school and foundation laying of the school had a Dutch connection.
On the same day the ILO team accompanied by Mr. Avdhash Kaushal and members of RLEK staff paid a visit to school built and run by RLEK at Seedi village, in the Gaura Ghati region, with the support from the Japanese Govt. This school accommodates more than 50 children drawn mostly from the economically backward and socially depressed communities. Here too the members of the Self Help Group while having an interactive session with the ILO team poured their woes over the poor facilities for health care, education as well as rampant bureaucratic corruption. As in other villages, members of self help groups here, pointed to the grim ground reality of women in labour pain, while on the way to a hospital in the nearest town, dying in harness halfway through the journey. Before departing Dr. Laan assured them that he would be trying to bring their problems to the notice of the power that be. When some women members of the Self Help Group expressed their displeasure over the fact that all the children from a family could not be accommodated in the school Dr. Laan suggested adding one more room to the school. He also observed that he would try his best to get the funds from a group in Geneva for putting up an additional room in the school. He also assured the group of women from nearby village that he would strive to get funds for a new school in the village.
The ILO team also visited the school at village Gaichwan in Uttarkashi and located inside the proposed Gobind Pashu Vihar. This school set up and run by RLEK, as part of the Japanese assistance, can be accessed with great difficulty through a rough village track. Of course, a move is on to put up a road connecting the village with Naitwar, the nearest town. This school, which went on stream in August this year has raised great expectation among the local community which is keen to see its younger generation educated and well placed in life.
Addressing the village community and women members of the Self Help Group here, Dr. Laan said, "one of the mandates of ILO is that every one should get quality education and decent employment to lead a dignified life and for meeting the needs of the family." He also emphasized the point, "ILO is concerned over the forest bureaucracy putting hurdles in their traditional occupations and preventing them from collecting firewood, grass and medicinal plants from the forests."
Obviously with the proposed notification for the formation of the Gobind Pashu Vihar, the traditional rights of the communities over the forest resources have not only been snatched away but also they are being subjected to harassment by the forest bureaucracy. On the other hand the Van Nigam (Forest Corporation) continues to freely pull down trees and market the logs in a big way.
As it is, the grouse of the local community was that in the absence of employment opportunities, many educated youths are forced to continue with sheep grazing and grass cutting while many educated youths have gone astray. The locals widely cheered Dr. Laan and his team when he declared that the world has to learn much and benefit immensely from their traditional knowledge and indigenous wisdom even as they have to learn many things from the outside world. He made an impassioned plea to the community to preserve their way of life and culture.