tribal woman's tale
March 6, 2007
Tribal lady signifies women's empowerment
BY MRITYUNJAY BOSE
THANE: For nearly 22 years, her family members were bonded labourers in this district adjoining the hustling-bustling commercial capital of India. Today, 32-year-old Anita Ramu Dhangda, who was once part of this family of bonded labourers, is a symbol of women's empowerment and what the women force can do in the country.
A widow, and a mother of two, this Adivasi woman has done what in the last five years as a member of Thane Zilla Parishad, is an example today for others to follow. "I will continue to work," says Anita, who would not be contesting polls this time, but would remain politically active, and does not rules out contesting polls in near future.
She now lives in a two-room hutment at Mandvi village, 15 kms away from the taluka town of Vasai – which is nearly 55 from Mumbai, if one goes by suburban system, along with her two children – 13-year-old son Mahesh and 11-year-old daughter Preeti. She cannot afford to have a television in her house of have the luxury of maintaining a telephone.
More than Anita, her work speaks for her: from her ZP-individual member fund amounting nearly Rs. 7 to 8 lakh a year, Anita has helped construct a reservoir, seven drinking water wells, two village roads, two Kolhapur bandharas (small village dams), and undertake repairs of faulty bore-wells, during the last five years. Besides, she has –through the general development funds of ZP – ensured construction of toilets in at least seven schools in her ward, sinking of nearly 30 bore-wells and setting up of half a dozen Aganwadis during the same period.
Last time, she won the polls as a Congress nominee with the active support of Shramjeevi Sanghatana. "My tenure as a Zilla Parishad has brought me closer to people," she says confidently.
Shramjeevi Sanghatana's founder-President and local activist Vivek Pandit, who had spotted her talent as a child and sponsored her education, said: "Anita is today politically mature. What she was five years ago, and now, one can guage how much progress as a social worker and local politician, she has made."
She earns her living by being a full-time worker of Shramajeevi Sanghatana, an organisation crusading against bonded labour and fighting for the protection of tribal land rights – a job that fetches her a salary of Rs 1,500 a month.
She joined the Shramajeevi Sanghatana after the death of her husband. In fact, it was the Sanghatana which had, way back in 1989, freed 22 members of Dhangda family from the clutches of a landlord Bhagwan Desai, whose three generations had kept Ramu's family members, including Ramu, his father and mother as bonded labourers. This feat of Pandit was even recognised internationally.
At Sanghatana-level, Anita is currently in-charge of forming "bachat ghuts" (saving groups) among tribal women in Vasai taluka. "I go to as many villages as I can as part of my work. My job is to help tribal women forming their own saving groups, comprising 12 women each. The groups thus formed collect money from the member-women periodically and deposit it either in post offices or local co-operative banks. I am not directly involved in running of these groups. I come into picture as an arbitrator whenever there is a dispute among the group members," Anita says.
Adds Pandit showering praises on her: "Her work in organising people and starting savings groups is really great and is an example for others." Her constituency this time is under open category, but Pandit, in one of the neighbouring areas is making another tribal woman contest ZP elections. "The mission will continue," he adds humbly.
(This story was first published in The Maharashtra Herald, Pune)
Tribal lady signifies women's empowerment
BY MRITYUNJAY BOSE
THANE: For nearly 22 years, her family members were bonded labourers in this district adjoining the hustling-bustling commercial capital of India. Today, 32-year-old Anita Ramu Dhangda, who was once part of this family of bonded labourers, is a symbol of women's empowerment and what the women force can do in the country.
A widow, and a mother of two, this Adivasi woman has done what in the last five years as a member of Thane Zilla Parishad, is an example today for others to follow. "I will continue to work," says Anita, who would not be contesting polls this time, but would remain politically active, and does not rules out contesting polls in near future.
She now lives in a two-room hutment at Mandvi village, 15 kms away from the taluka town of Vasai – which is nearly 55 from Mumbai, if one goes by suburban system, along with her two children – 13-year-old son Mahesh and 11-year-old daughter Preeti. She cannot afford to have a television in her house of have the luxury of maintaining a telephone.
More than Anita, her work speaks for her: from her ZP-individual member fund amounting nearly Rs. 7 to 8 lakh a year, Anita has helped construct a reservoir, seven drinking water wells, two village roads, two Kolhapur bandharas (small village dams), and undertake repairs of faulty bore-wells, during the last five years. Besides, she has –through the general development funds of ZP – ensured construction of toilets in at least seven schools in her ward, sinking of nearly 30 bore-wells and setting up of half a dozen Aganwadis during the same period.
Last time, she won the polls as a Congress nominee with the active support of Shramjeevi Sanghatana. "My tenure as a Zilla Parishad has brought me closer to people," she says confidently.
Shramjeevi Sanghatana's founder-President and local activist Vivek Pandit, who had spotted her talent as a child and sponsored her education, said: "Anita is today politically mature. What she was five years ago, and now, one can guage how much progress as a social worker and local politician, she has made."
She earns her living by being a full-time worker of Shramajeevi Sanghatana, an organisation crusading against bonded labour and fighting for the protection of tribal land rights – a job that fetches her a salary of Rs 1,500 a month.
She joined the Shramajeevi Sanghatana after the death of her husband. In fact, it was the Sanghatana which had, way back in 1989, freed 22 members of Dhangda family from the clutches of a landlord Bhagwan Desai, whose three generations had kept Ramu's family members, including Ramu, his father and mother as bonded labourers. This feat of Pandit was even recognised internationally.
At Sanghatana-level, Anita is currently in-charge of forming "bachat ghuts" (saving groups) among tribal women in Vasai taluka. "I go to as many villages as I can as part of my work. My job is to help tribal women forming their own saving groups, comprising 12 women each. The groups thus formed collect money from the member-women periodically and deposit it either in post offices or local co-operative banks. I am not directly involved in running of these groups. I come into picture as an arbitrator whenever there is a dispute among the group members," Anita says.
Adds Pandit showering praises on her: "Her work in organising people and starting savings groups is really great and is an example for others." Her constituency this time is under open category, but Pandit, in one of the neighbouring areas is making another tribal woman contest ZP elections. "The mission will continue," he adds humbly.
(This story was first published in The Maharashtra Herald, Pune)
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