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Place of Workshop : Chitrakoot Seva Ashram, Mission Road, Karvi ( Chitrakoot) UP

Composition of Participants : There were about 40 participants from different walks of life who have been directly working on the issue of land rights. Some of them belong to Kol community, others from Dalit groups and a large number of them belong to peasantry backward communities. About 4 women also participated in the deliberations. These women’s have been working on the women’s rights in the area. Some of them have been victim of social ostracisation because they challenge the powerful male dominant society and its norms.

Panel of trainers :

V.B.Rawat, human rights activist and co-ordinator of the programme
Sanjay Rai, a Dalit activist from Uttar-Pradesh, with wide experience on the issue of dalit rights and grass root struggles
Sanjay Vijayvergia : A human rights activist from Uttar-Pradesh and trained in the economic social rights of the people.
Mr Hari Shankar Singh : Convenor of Chitrakoot Seva Ashram and a land measurement expert
Prof. Vinod Shankar Singh : Head of the department, Political Science, Mahatma Gandhi Gramodyog Vishwavidyalaya ( Chitrakoot),
Prof. Amarjeet Singh, Department of Social Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi Graomodyog Vishvavidyalaya ( Chitrakoot), an expert on Panchayati Raj System
Ms Madhavi Kukereja, from Vanangana ( a women’s group working for the rights of women)

Workshop report : Day 1 : Inaugurating the workshop, the co-ordinator of Social Development Foundation dealt extensively on the issue of Agrarian Reform campaign being organised by the Agrarian Reform Network. The problem of the landless agriculture labour is manifold and has many dimensions. Agrarian reform has wider meaning and much beyond the old land reform. Accordingly, a state cannot sit silent by just providing half an acre land to the farmers. He sought the example of South Africa where a National land committee was formed by the government to look in to this issue with a wider frame work. The main objective of the land reform are the following :
  Redressing the historical injustices,
  Restructuring power relations,
  The alleviation of rural poverty, and
  Contribute to economic growth
Since in India, landless agricultural workers are mainly belonging to Dalit and tribal communities who have been socially outcasts and there was a need today to bring the agrarian reform back to the agenda of the government. Rawat informed the delegates the details of Tagaytay meeting held on 6-7 October 1999 where delegates express need to strive on three important sector for common effort :
revive agrarian reform on national and international agendas,
support the struggles of peasants to gain access to productive assets and
popularise the need to empower the rural poor by insuring their secure access land,
water, common property, credit, technology and markets,
Rawat was critical in his opinion about the so-called farmers movement in India which was feudal in nature and has everything in contradiction with those who actually do the farming work. Hence there is dire need to provide the landless agricultural wage labour and marginal farmers a platform where they can voice their concern. The big farmers would not be interested in land reform as it will jeopardise their own interest. The entire land reform movement ( if it there) has been hampered in the court proceedings and none of them have ever resolved so far. Court has therefore become shelter place for the land-owners who file writ petition and it never come for judgement during the life time of the poor peasant. He/she does not have any recourse except to blame it to his luck and misfortune. Hence land laws need to be effectively implemented and documentation need to be done not at the government level but also at the NGO level. Let us train the activists and people about land laws and the legal recourse that they have. But a community which cannot struggle for its land right cannot win just sitting ideally. They need to assert where they get a chance. In a democratic society, elections, and elected representatives are the best people to be questioned about their motive and planning. Let the people do this and question their representatives. Why cannot he pressurise the government.

Mr Amarjeet Singh, from department of political science, Mahatma Gandhi Gramodhyog University, trained the participants about their could be role in Panchayat bodies ( local self government at the village level). Singh said that Panchayat has become a power instrument to govern the village after the government passed the 73rd-74th amendments bills in Parliament which gave immense power to Panchayats and their representatives. It was a republic at village he opined. Number of women are being elected to Panchayats and they need to know about their rights and duties so that they can help the people and society by strictly following them. In many villages some hitherto unrepresented sections of society like the Dalits and backward classes have also been elected to Panchayats and they have performed excellent. He said that the activists should also seek and advice the Panchayat representatives and do the needful and better planning for the villages. It is therefore important for social activists at the village level to use their democratic rights through Panchayat and participate in its activities. They can guide the Panchayat representatives about their rights and duties and develop plans for the development of community and society.

In the post noon session, Sanjay Rai spoke about the rights of Dalits and tribals in the constitution. He also spoke extensively about the democratic movement in India for the rights of have nots. Sanjay cited examples from various clauses from the Indian constitution which give special protection to Dalits and tribals like Protection of civil rights act, SC-CT atrocities act, land alienation act and other such acts. He informed the activists how they can mobilise support for their cause and what could be the best way to get them heard. How they can network their cause in the State capital in Lucknow and union capital in Delhi.

Sanjay Vijayvergia, an expert on Economic social rights dealt extensively on the issue of food security and how it is being hampered by the globalisation process. He gave example from the local experiences how the government lease the big forest to the multinational giants and tap their resources while the poor tribals are displaced in the name of environment. The government has also found a new way to displace the tribal by declaring the forest as the revenue forest and National Park. This is a dangerous trend and affect the food security of the tribal. We must resist this at the local, state, national and international level.

V.B.Rawat trained the participants about the international of human rights and how it could be effective at the national level. He said that we must know about international obligation of the government as this help the people that rights are not charity but government obligation to international community. He spoke about the international covenants on civil and political rights and later on Economic Social Cultural Rights. Indian government has ratified all the government and how it the duty of the government to fulfil its obligation made to international community.

Workshop Day 2 : In the first session, Mr Romesh Chandra of Chitrakoot Seva Ashram spoke the constitutional rights of women. Many participants had narrated the incident on harassment of women and hence it became important for us to inform them about their rights. Romesh said that Indian constitution was the first one which gave the voting rights to women, equal job opportunities. If they are not paid fair wages they can challenge the person in the court of law. According to law, wife has share in property rights and daughters also has a right in the property of father.

The debate during this session was interesting and was joined by renowned social activist on atrocities against women : Madhavi Kukrejea participated in the deliberations. People talked about cultural onslaught being created by the globalisation. The issues also came during the discussion that though women have constitutional guarantee yet we have failed to implement because of social prejudices. Because our societies in South Asia are still run mostly by the religio-ethnic laws rather than the constitution of our countries hence despite tall claims of secular and progressive constitutions we still lag far behind to those of European countries and Americas as literacy has not reached to the lowest of the low in our society. And despite education, the prescribed social practices are so powerful that most the women feel it safe, not to revolt against it. Madhavi spoke on violence against women after marriage but forgot to mention about the domestic violence on unmarried women at own home. Which was an important issue she said but still empowerment have helped the women. Fortunately, the Indian rural women is more powerful than the city based educated women who have been swept away by the change of globlaisation. In the rural India women may be illiterate but they do more physical work than men and can even fight to save their honour in case of any assault. Chitrakoot itself is an example how the dalit and Aadivasi women are doing some of the most unorthodox work as far as women as are concern. Most of these Aadivasi women are doing meson work and repairing work of the handpumps in the villages which is still a male domain in cities and elsewhere. This is a sign of change, she said.

In the second session, Sanjay Rai trained the participants about how to write protest letters to authorities which we have been using for the FIAN purpose. The participants were divided in five groups and given time frame to make their presentation In the after noon, V.B.Rawat trained them about writing report on atrocities and violation of human rights and who should they write and contact. It was a very fruitful session and the participants were again divided to five working groups and were given specific time to prepare a report of violation and give atleast three examples which they can claim the violation of human rights. The afternoon session was devoted to presentation and debates.

In the final session, which was of utmost importance not for the participants but for us also who have come from outside. It was a session, lectured by Hari Shankar Singh, who was a government employee in the revenue department and who was incharge on several occasion on how to measure the land. Hari informed us about how the authorities play foul with the land measurement and what should be done. it was the most important session as far as the programme was concerned. Hari need to be given more time to train the intellectuals and NGOs about the forgery done in the land issue as it is not just the land given by the government or entitlement problem. The problem lies somewhere else. There are cases where the land at the paper is something and measured much less that what is the legal entitlement because the land official, as we do not understand the language and measurement units of the revenue officials. We are told that it differ from each district in the same state. Agrarian Reform Network, now has the duty to spread this task and do the needful, said Hari Shankar. He offered his unconditional support for the cause of the land issue and agrarian reform campaign. Hari has faced dismissal on various occasion due to his social leaning and work.

Resolution : The workshop unanimously passed a resolution thanking the Social Development Foundation, New Delhi , FIAN (UP) and Agrarian Reform Network for raising the issue of marginal farmers, landless peasants which they hope will highlight their problems The participants felt that the land problem in Uttar-Pradesh need to be on the top of agenda for the civil society organisation but has the most difficult task as the land Mafia involve the political leadership of the state also. It is therefore difficult for any district or village to fight this issue in isolation. Hence, the issue be raised at the national and international level so that the struggling masses get moral support for their cause. The participants also condemned the onslaught of the New Economic Policies which was destroying their natural resources. Alternative methods of income generation was one of the main demands of the workshop. There is a dire need to aware the people on the issue of training on measurement, legal entitlement and the real entitlement. We need to strengthen our legal cell and documentation cell. Social Development foundation was authorise to plan carefully for a village project which can help the rural poor.

The participants gave some suggestion at the end of the workshop which are included herewith.

Suggestions :
1. Documentation of the land violation at the village level.
2. Awareness about legality of land rights in the villages first.
3. Lack of information. People do not know about their own land. It has to be in their understandable language.
4. Indigenous production need to be increased.
5. Right management of the land
6. Use of Chemical fertilisers should be banned in the villages
7. the fields should be properly carved
8. No need for land revenue
9. the measurement of land should be proper
10. Importance of education
11. Importance to involve women in the entire system
12. land need to be planed
13. irrigation resources need to be made available to the villages
14. measurement has to be unified.
15. Water management be done by the government
16. govt organise water, seeds and fertilisers
17. The beneficiary should get land not on papers but in actual and measurement be done in front of him
18. Awareness need to done on the issue of allotted land
19. the prices of the crop be in the hands of farmers
20. the community land in the villages be distributed to landless Dalits and tribals
21. Agricultural labours must be paid as per labour laws rule and government must ensure that agricultural-wage labour has the social security that any industrial labour enjoys.
22. Govt must form special court to resolve the land issue. Special court need to redress the land related issue as court have become the biggest shelter place for the feudal elements who file writ which is never decided during the life time.

Coverage in Local Media and our visit to struggling masses : The workshop was reported in the local Hindi media. The team of activist spoke to the people who are fighting with for their land rights and went to such remote areas at considerable risk. At one place we were escorted by the arms guards to prevent us from any attack by the feudal elements. People are still fighting for the cause. The plus point of our workshop was that it has instilled a new confidence among the grass-root people, the victim of our civilisation, that there are people who care for them, listen their grievances and are ready to support for their cause. Our visit to those remote areas, where no other team ever visited, where people are struggling to earn their basic livelihood, was a moral booster in their cause. If we are able to produce some alternative resources mobilisation programme in the second phase of Agrarian Reform Network programme, it will be a great achievement. People have offered their support for the programme, they need a platform , a support group who has ideas and not just agitationist mind. It is our earnest hope that the endeavour of the AR Network, FIAN international and other rights group will help attain these people the basic human rights. In the 21st century, people must have a land to live and earn. People must have right to natural resources and agricultural worker must be paid fully as per the labour laws of the country.

Report on two days Land Literacy workshop organised by Social Development Foundation on the Land Rights for the Tharus and Mushhar communities in Madhuban ( Mau) Uttar Pradesh Under the Agrarian Reform Network of Popular Coalition.

Date : May 23rd and 24th,2000

Recourse Persons : V.B.Rawat, Ms Namita Rawat and Lav Kush Vishwakarma
Guest : Richards Trenchards from Popular Coalition
Programm Schedule :
1. A Note on the progress report of Agrarian Reform Network by V.B.Rawat
2. Introduction by participants
3. What are rights ? Details of International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and Economic Social Cultural Rights by Namita Rawat
4. Our Constitutional Rights
5. How to write protest letters by Namita Rawat
6. How to write the report of violation of human rights by V.B.Rawat
7. Experience sharing dialogue conducted by V.B.Rawat
8. Expectation and future plan of action as suggested by participants

In the beginning of the programme, the co-ordinator of the Social Development Foundation V.B.Rawat welcomed the guest from the Popular Coalition Mr Richard Trenchards for his zeal and enthusiasm that despite his tight schedule he made it possible to be in the workshop right from the morning. Rawat, later on informed the participants about the Popular Coalition and its programmes. How far we have succeeded in diseminating the information to the people of the world. It is a fact that land in India is the most important issue though the hostile media and intellectual’s dishonesty continue to deny it that importance which it should have got. Agrarian Reform Network was formed to share the knowledge of information regarding the success stories in the land struggle in different parts of the world so that people from other parts of the world could learn a lesson from them and may replicate those things in their own countries. This network has already generated sufficient no of expectation from the victim groups which are a part of social development foundation’s campaign for Agrarian Reform. Rawat also informed the meaning of Agrarian Reform and why it was necessary for the people and why we are not just talking in the sense of land reform. Land reform is somewhat narrow, he said while the Agrarian Reform is a broader meaning in which not only the right of an agricultural labour to acquire land is included but right to education, health and shelter also form the part of human rights of the landless agricultural labour. The government cannot and should not feel vindicated even if they have just given a small piece of land to the farmer whose fertility is not established and which is economically not viable. Another important issue of Agrarian Reform is that it consist of agricultural labour, wage labour, fishermen, boatmen, and all other landless workers who are skilled workers and whose right to land and natural resources are under threat. The aim of Agrarian Reform network is not only share information but also to strengthen the grass-root movements in the country and try to get them help from international agencies in their hour of crisis.

So far more than 100 countries in 7 continents form the part of the network. Social Development Foundation has been honoured with the task of building up the network programme in Uttar-Pradesh. We have already finished our human rights workshop on the land issue specially related to Kol tribals in Chitrakoot district of Uttar-Pradesh. The Foundation was also instrumental in organising in Lucknow the South Asian Seminar on Agrarian Reform under the network in April this year. The foundation is also making a documentry on the land struggle of Tharus, Kols and Mushhars in Uttar-Pradesh, he said.

What are Rights : Namita Rawat gave a through description of rights prescribed by the UN Declaration of human rights. She told the participants that all men are born equal and that there have two important documents as far as human rights are concern, at the international forum which have set the standard of human rights all over the world and which make it obligatory to the state who have ratified those covenants to honour and protect them. She spoke at length on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and later on International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights. ‘ Rights are not a favour from the government but a constitutional guaranttee and you must know about your rights in the constitution so that no body could exploit you,” she remarked. There had been a long history of human rights movement in the country and we must learn lesson from that. Today, when you are denied of your right to access land, forest and water, that constitute a serious violation of your constitutional rights which our government has solemnly affirmed during the making of the constitution of India. She also informed the participants about the fundamental rights provided in the constitution as well as the directive principles of our constitution which make it obligatory on the state to fulfil those directives which are meant to provide protection to the oppressed communities in the country.

The participants were very attentive to the information. Hence to make these things more effective five groups of participants were formed to discuss among themselves the practical aspect of Economic, Social, Cultural, Civil and Political rights in their local circumstances. What do they think of those rights ? Every group was supposed to make a presentation during the Lunch time. All the groups discussed these issues in details and later made their presentations. It reflected their understanding of human rights. It was heartening to see the Tharu woman explaining the meaning of human rights to the participants. A new dawn has thus appeared on the horizon as women’s outnumbered men in the workshop and participated enthusiastically.

How to write Letter
It is important for the participants to know the art of letter writing since they face the wrath of the authorities and if there is no protest on the activities of the authorities and solidarity expressed by the supporters, then the situation become more exploitative in nature and hence one of the most important thing of these workshops is imparting training to the participants on writing protest letter. Executive Secretary of Social Development Foundation Namita Rawat, imparted this important training to the participants. Later, the participants were divided in to several groups and were asked to discuss and write do the mock exercise of letter writing. They were expected to make their presentation during the post tea session.

Most of the participants narrated the real life incidents of their areas which they felt were violation of human rights. It was really an enlightening experience for us.

Field Visit by Richard Trenchard : In the evening the representative from Popular Coalition Mr Richard Trenchard made a field visit along with V.B.Rawat, Namita Rawat and Lav Kush Vishwakarma to village Lathia which does not have any electricity as well road connection with the rest of the world. It was dark outside. As the news spread of our coming to the area, hundreds of men, women and children came to narrate their problems. Even in the dark people were ready to offer us hospitality, sweet water and wanted us to sit there and listen to their grievances. These were the areas where not even the socalled NGOs have reached leave alone the political leaders. Even in the dark the women, children people kept shouting slogan for women’s liberation and Developmental work. The village is the typical example of our neglect to the indegenous population. More than 200 families live in the village and they do not even have an electricity, school, Primary Health Center and road connection. The most important thing for the villagers have become the connecting road which is being objected by the similar oppressed groups of the other village whose fields the road pass on. We promised them that the network would make every effort to solve their problem.

Later on we drove to another village, this time belonging to Mushahar community, perhaps most oppressed community of Uttar-Pradesh at this point of time, who are not only denied the status of being tribal but who donot own any land. Mushhar are a sheer minority community which cannot even effect the political outcome of an election and hence this antipathy for them in the region. They have always been hounded by the landlords, the Police and the mafias. Never got any wage as per the government rules and have nothing to live.

Their houses and village is to be seen and to be believed by ones own eyes. What do you talk of human rights when we are not even considered human, said a villager.” In front of the fire on which they were cooking the evening meal, a young boy of sleeping perhaps he had slept without eating. I asked what are you cooking and replied one of them that they were cooking some Jwar, a local inferior product which is often given to them in kind by the land lords without paying the wages. What was their problem, I asked, and pat came the reply : survival of life. There is no forest now on which they were dependent heavily. The entire forest area has been developed into a township and hence no source of forest produce now for them.

What do they do I asked. They no nothing except working as agricultural labour which is on the mercy of the landlord who exploit them.

2nd Day
Report Writing
Part of our programme is contributed to strengthen the skill of the people to make protest and exploit the protest like writing protest letters and making reports on the violation of human rights. V.B.Rawat has been instrumental in making many reports on the violation of human rights in India and on various occasion has a wide range of interaction with the victim groups and hence he has been trying hard to train the villagers to write these report themselves so that they are not dependent for everything on the city people. The aim of this report is to enable the village level activist make an efficient report for his supporter in Delhi or abroad who maynot visit the affected areas immediately. This report this save a lot of time of the people and activists who come all the way from far away. After this was done, the participants were divided in groups and were asked to present a report in the day time. Most of the participants prepared the fact finding report which they were witness in their own areas.

Sharing of Experiences: In the afternoon, as per the schedule a dialogue was conducted by V.B.Rawat with the participants. They were asked various question related to them and their villages. In this session, a large number of issues came which the participants felt utmost important for their life.

Hemvati, a young Tharu girl from Lakhimpur reported that the landlords do not allow the Tharu girls go outside their fields during the harvesting season. They are kept bonded and forced to sleep in the open sky during the night with danger of being sexually molested by the landlords. They do not even get 50 cent a day for their 24 hours work in the field of the landlords.

An interesting question put by Rawat was what do they think of Land ? Most of the participants felt Land is their mother. It is the source of everything for them. This is an immoveable property, a source of employment. It is also related to politics. Political leaders take money in the name of land since politics in India starts from land. Land, forest and water are the main sources of life but we do not have any control, was the answer from another group which discussed the issue.

The story from Mushahars was that the local revenue official was not implementing the Panchayat resolution which has granted them agricultural land. According to them the revenue officials were under tremendous pressure from the landlords and hence is not willing to give the Mushhar the community land which has been legally granted by the Panchayat which is an autonomous local self government.

During the discussion several issues which were specific to several communities came up. Like the main problem for the Tharus were the following :
a. All the land owned by Tharus is in the hand of the government
b. Most of their land is unirrigated
c. Due to declaration of forest village, Tharus are forced to leave the village
d. The land mortaged to landlords never returns

Main obstacles: Revenue officials, LekhPals ( local revenue officer), Sub District Magistrate, Political leaders, village Panchayat leaders and the Revenue Policy.

Suggestions : Government does the boring of tube well, open up new canal, animal husbandry. The Tharus grow spices and
Hence it would be appropriate for the government to support them in this venture for initiating a small scale industry for the same. There is a dire need to spread land literacy among the Tharus.

2. issues for Mushahars
When we do not have land then where is the problem. We are not even of aware of what land do we have. Whereever we are staying is full of filth and dirt. The dirty water and waste comes from the landlords to our side and we cannot do anything. We have to live on that.
Main obstacles : Revenue Officials, Police Officials, local political leaders
Suggestion : Either NGOs or the government contribute land to them.
3. Issues of the villages as emerged during the dialogue
a. No schools, No panchayat building, toilet facilities and connecting roads, no water unlogging system, no house to live, no eletricity and potable water

Main obstacles : Landlords, police and revenue officials, Panchayats working in league with the administration and hence not willing to work for the landless
Suggestions : Distribute the land and give the possession to the landless, give them better seeds and train them in the management skills. Ensure minimum wages act in the villages. There should be proper water management system in the villages. Land literacy programme should be vigorously pursued. Marginalised communities like Tharus, Mushhars and other Most backward classes should be supported by the government and the NGOs for their development so that they can compete with others.

Field Visit : There was a second visit to the area of fisherman community which has fought a very big battle to regain the Pool about 600 acre in area from 1960 and finally they got the entitlement in 1994. It was a great achievment for the union of 22 villages fishermen committee. Richards Trenchard, V.B.Rawat and Lavkush went along with the local fisherfolks to see the Taal where this great event has taken place. The entire muddied stretch of about more than two kilometer was covered by all the three and finally they were taken in the mid of the Taal to show them how the Taal is facing the antipathy of the government and local bodies who do not want it to grow. The story is that the government wanted to take control of the Taal ( pool) but the fisherfolk decided to fight. More than one Lakh rupees costed to them in the litigation in the local court. They hired one of the best lawyers of the district to represent them and who could present their view point fairly. After years of battle today the fisherfolk have some sense of achievement. But not before telling that if the oppressed communities have enough monintory resources, they can fight every battle in this country as there is every instrument available here but only thing is lack of fund. Who will fight their case free of cost. If we want a professional lawyers to consider our cases than we have to pay according to the profession and market value of the lawyer.