Agrarian Prosperity Programme

Pithertoli is one of the village comes under Dahupani  panchayat, Palkot block, Gumla district of Jharkhand state. The village is surrounded by forest and mountains. The mountain is like wall for the villagers. Due to the forest and mountain inhabitants of the village feel morally secured from outside attacks. Since the area is fully covered by forest the physical structure of land is not plain. Everywhere village lands are up and down. There are several streams without bridge. Villagers have to find their own way to reach their desired place.

However, with collective efforts with villagers and panchayat leaders village got the scheme of bridge. The bridge is under construction.  In order to complete the bridge the Monsi (the supervisor) cut 500 hundred trees from the forest without the permission of villagers. The villager knew about cutting of the 500 hundred trees. Villagers directly enquired about the cutting of the 500 hundred trees but the Monsi (supervisor) denied and said he had not cut any trees from the nearest forest.

After few days the villagers summoned the Gram Sabha meeting to find out the person who had cut the trees. In the meeting the supervisor said that he was asked to do so by the contractor to cut down the trees. When the villagers asked the contractor, the contractor also denied and said that he neither ordered to cut the trees nor knew anything on the matter.

The Gram Sabha gave the responsibility to supervisor to protect the 500 hundred cut woods and when the villagers need woods the supervisor should give to the villagers. After a month villagers needed some wood and requested supervisor to present the wood to villagers.  But supervisor said that the woods had been stolen. But the reality was that supervisor had hidden all the woods in the river under the sand. The villager filed the case against the supervisor and handed over to the forest department.  Once the FIR was done, the supervisor accepted that he had cut the 500 hundred trees without the permission of any responsible groups or person. The case against supervisor is still on the process.

If the villagers had not taken any action against the supervisor then he would have sold all the woods and got benefited but the Gram Sabha did not leave any space to miss use the community good for individual gain.  

Rokedega is one of the village comes under Dahupani  panchayat, Palkot block, Gumla district, Jharkhand. The women of the village are limited to their own household and agriculture activities. The active participation of women seen in both indoor and outdoor activities but  all the decisions are taken by male head of the family. Though women like to be associated with those activities where money and status could be earned but due to men suppression women were left behind.  Likewise, in meetings women cannot express their thoughts due to the lack of opportunities and ignorance. There are some religious taboos which do not permit women to get them involved actively. Above all it could be said that various circumstance force and deprive women from their rights duties and practices in the society.

 However, after the entry and constant efforts of Naya Sawera Vikas Kendra villagers have been mobilized and united.  Women have formed SHG and discussing on the several development issues. One of the women’s decision making in the family has been seen and experienced.

Chindrika Devi is the wife of Shyam Sunder (Rokedega) and the animator of Rokedega. She is the mother of three children.

Since 4 to 5 years the family was fully in disarray due to her husband’s lack of proper cooperation. There was neither systematic function nor peace in the family. There was misunderstanding and quarrels in the family. Frequently husband used to come home after drinking and create dispute atmosphere in the family. Head of the family had right to take decision in all types of activities. He neither respected nor considered his wife’s ideas and suggestion nor listened his children’s views. Husband never worried about children education. Above all, the male dominated in family’s affair. 

However, once she became the member of SHG groups and shared her problems with members, the members of SHG group gave moral support. The moral support helped her to be strong in the family despite of quarrel and dispute. Within few meetings with SHG members she started to put the other village level issues in the meeting and discuses taking the leading role in the SHG groups. Looking at her performance in the SHG meetings, the members of SHG’s and villagers proposed her to take the leading role in the village as village point person and wrote an application to the project coordinator to give her an opportunity to serve community as an animator of Rokedega. 

The participation of both husband and wife at village and block level gender training brought drastic changes in the family atmosphere. Husband changed his drinking habits and started to go for work and earn money for the family. Today the husband reduced drinking habits, respects her, and helps her in indoor and outdoor activities. All the decisions are taken together and children are sent to school for education. Moreover she is the one who took decision to practice SRI method of cultivation. Today family live together happily and peacefully.