“It is not enough to be compassionate – you must act.”
- His Holiness The Dalai Lama
In this world, which is embroiled with avarice, embellished with paucity of time and inundated in the ocean of solipsistic desires and buried under the shroud of egotism, the humane characteristics, that once st us apart from our ancestors-the primates- act as a fuel of hope to humanity and goodwill.
One of the many heroic stories that we come across; pertaining to changing the social demographics, ameliorating the condition of the poor and the neglected and becoming of revolutionaries and harbingers of peace and prosperity, one tale is of a young Gujarati crusader, Mittal Patel.
Barely 30, she gave up the comforts of a comfortable office job as a journalist in the city and decided to fight against the bureaucracy and the constitution that had denied the rights of the nomadic and the backward tribes. Her organisation, VSSM was instrumental in bringing out a change through innovation and determined goal-oriented approach.
With the amendments in the revered Constitution of India in 1952, the status of the nomadic and de-notified tribes was manifested and they were exculpated, but unfortunately these provisions were apocryphal. On the hindsight they were still ostracized and treated as vexatious species, those who had to be devoid of any civil liberty and privilege. The fate of 10 crore people was under grave danger. Danger of being born and wiped out without a stain or tear. There existence was not even ephemeral , it was the lack of it.
Taking the troglodyte approach even into the age of space science and information technology, the lawmakers were determined not to allow these inferior communities be an integral part of India. Ignored in the census stats, deprived of any formal education or skill, with the gradual devaluation of their traditional skills like that snake charmer or a knife mender and the advent of alternative modes of entertainment, the situation worsened further. It eventually culminated to a stage where the female members of the community resorted to flesh trade. The apathetic so called " privileged" classes still undermined this atrocity. With the tradition of 'no marriage for girls', the future overlooked a giant precipice, the doom was nearing.
The state of constant consternation was accentuated by the indifferent and indolent attitude of the people who are responsible for providing basic rights and amenities to human beings.
The intransigent law makers as well as the law- implementors were so prejudiced about what they shouldn't have, that they forgot what they ought to have: the right to live and breathe with a certain degree of pride.Seeing the abysmal conditions of the hinterland, Mittal Patel had her work cut out. With her team, she did a detailed study of the eugenics of the issue and found how deep the fissures were into the flesh of these people. She knew that he had to fight it out vehemently with the forces who had coerced unthinkable ignominy to these communities and tribes.
The url http://www.ftideacaravan.com/ gives us a detailed analysis as to what Mittal Patel had to encounter during her course of action against the obnoxious governing agencies. Due to her consistent efforts, the government finally succumbed to their demands and gave election cards to 20,000 people from these nomadic tribes. Now, they had a rudimentary proof of their existence: an address. The next major change was emancipation of the women in Vadiya, the town staring down the abyss because of flesh trade and trafficking. The age long tradition of abstaining from sex trade once married was utilized by Mittal Patel. Her resolve resulted in about 8 marriages and 10 engagements (first of a kind) ,thereby giving a new ray of light to these depleted women VSSM also runs alternate schools about 1500 students; also 30,000 members of these tribes have got addresses. VSSM also has provided schemes that grant lands to the nomads. Her mission has been accomplished but their is still territory left to be explored....
This might be one of the gazillion issues that have entrenched the mainland of India waiting to be sorted out. The video of the TED-X event where the harbinger of change, Ms Mittal Patel vents out the difficulties might make ones eyes moist. But, a change is not caused by being sympathetic towards an issue. A change is caused when one swipes those tears and with a crystal clear objective treads down on a harsh terrain to achieve the improbable.
Hats off to the iron lady.
A country is elevated only when the society is elevated and efforts such as VSSM truly serve the cause. We talk about strengthening the defence, launching supersonic missiles and producing more engineers and doctors, but what about the grassroot level. It is rhetoric but the irony is that villages which formed the crux of our nation through the history have been despised. The emergence of urban India has overshadowed the significance of villages. But, the stark reality is that we need villages and villagers to feel at an ease and treated with equality as respected citizen of our country. Only then can we talk about holistic development.
Initiatives like Gramya Manthan, Teach for India and others work for women emancipation and education of the underprivileged. Youth needs to become a core participant in all these endeavors. Afterall, the future lies in our hands.
This article has been written for the Indiblogger initiative the ideal Caravan. Check the you tube video: http://www.ftideacaravan.com/ for more.
Udit Bhatia
- His Holiness The Dalai Lama
In this world, which is embroiled with avarice, embellished with paucity of time and inundated in the ocean of solipsistic desires and buried under the shroud of egotism, the humane characteristics, that once st us apart from our ancestors-the primates- act as a fuel of hope to humanity and goodwill.
One of the many heroic stories that we come across; pertaining to changing the social demographics, ameliorating the condition of the poor and the neglected and becoming of revolutionaries and harbingers of peace and prosperity, one tale is of a young Gujarati crusader, Mittal Patel.
Barely 30, she gave up the comforts of a comfortable office job as a journalist in the city and decided to fight against the bureaucracy and the constitution that had denied the rights of the nomadic and the backward tribes. Her organisation, VSSM was instrumental in bringing out a change through innovation and determined goal-oriented approach.
With the amendments in the revered Constitution of India in 1952, the status of the nomadic and de-notified tribes was manifested and they were exculpated, but unfortunately these provisions were apocryphal. On the hindsight they were still ostracized and treated as vexatious species, those who had to be devoid of any civil liberty and privilege. The fate of 10 crore people was under grave danger. Danger of being born and wiped out without a stain or tear. There existence was not even ephemeral , it was the lack of it.
Taking the troglodyte approach even into the age of space science and information technology, the lawmakers were determined not to allow these inferior communities be an integral part of India. Ignored in the census stats, deprived of any formal education or skill, with the gradual devaluation of their traditional skills like that snake charmer or a knife mender and the advent of alternative modes of entertainment, the situation worsened further. It eventually culminated to a stage where the female members of the community resorted to flesh trade. The apathetic so called " privileged" classes still undermined this atrocity. With the tradition of 'no marriage for girls', the future overlooked a giant precipice, the doom was nearing.
The state of constant consternation was accentuated by the indifferent and indolent attitude of the people who are responsible for providing basic rights and amenities to human beings.
The intransigent law makers as well as the law- implementors were so prejudiced about what they shouldn't have, that they forgot what they ought to have: the right to live and breathe with a certain degree of pride.Seeing the abysmal conditions of the hinterland, Mittal Patel had her work cut out. With her team, she did a detailed study of the eugenics of the issue and found how deep the fissures were into the flesh of these people. She knew that he had to fight it out vehemently with the forces who had coerced unthinkable ignominy to these communities and tribes.
The url http://www.ftideacaravan.com/ gives us a detailed analysis as to what Mittal Patel had to encounter during her course of action against the obnoxious governing agencies. Due to her consistent efforts, the government finally succumbed to their demands and gave election cards to 20,000 people from these nomadic tribes. Now, they had a rudimentary proof of their existence: an address. The next major change was emancipation of the women in Vadiya, the town staring down the abyss because of flesh trade and trafficking. The age long tradition of abstaining from sex trade once married was utilized by Mittal Patel. Her resolve resulted in about 8 marriages and 10 engagements (first of a kind) ,thereby giving a new ray of light to these depleted women VSSM also runs alternate schools about 1500 students; also 30,000 members of these tribes have got addresses. VSSM also has provided schemes that grant lands to the nomads. Her mission has been accomplished but their is still territory left to be explored....
Hats off to the iron lady.
A country is elevated only when the society is elevated and efforts such as VSSM truly serve the cause. We talk about strengthening the defence, launching supersonic missiles and producing more engineers and doctors, but what about the grassroot level. It is rhetoric but the irony is that villages which formed the crux of our nation through the history have been despised. The emergence of urban India has overshadowed the significance of villages. But, the stark reality is that we need villages and villagers to feel at an ease and treated with equality as respected citizen of our country. Only then can we talk about holistic development.
Initiatives like Gramya Manthan, Teach for India and others work for women emancipation and education of the underprivileged. Youth needs to become a core participant in all these endeavors. Afterall, the future lies in our hands.
This article has been written for the Indiblogger initiative the ideal Caravan. Check the you tube video: http://www.ftideacaravan.com/ for more.
Udit Bhatia
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