POLITICAL INTERVENTION BY THE ASHRAM

Two activities of the Asha Ashram at Lalpur have recently given it some political visibility. This on one hand has helped diminish the propaganda by the upper caste people of the area against the Ashram labeling it as a Christian organization and on the other has attracted the downtrodden, mostly dalits, who now see Ashram as their true sympathizer.

The children's magazine Sachchi-Muchchi has now been converted into a newspaper which has pieces written by activists working with Asha at various places and it is also allowing us to raise some local issues. Two incidents of atrocities against dalits, which the police was not willing to register, were reported in the January and February issues of Sachchi-Muchchi. The case of a government school teacher of the neighbouring Murauwa Kheda village who used to come late and eat Mungphali and Ganna during school hours was reported. The teacher was angry but had no option but to rectify his behaviour from the next day. The case of a Primary Health Care centre staff of Bharawan block who had accepted a bribe of Rs. 20 to treat a patient of Lalpur village was also reported. The people of various villages associated with the Ashram are now excited about putting any news about their village on which they want to attract the attention of the authorities in the newspaper. The structure of Sachchi-Muchchi allows anybody to write for it and anybody to be on its editorial board. It is a forum which people can use to communicate their message. Hopefully, it'll also motivate others in the area to become socially active and volunteer their time for some worthwhile causes. Presently 500 copies of Sachchi-Muchchi are being printed and distributed in Lalpur (Hardoi), Reoti (Ballia), Kaithi and Raja Talab (both Varanasi) areas apart from being mailed to the subscribers. The cost of the newpaper is Re. 1 but it is also given out free to a number of people.

In the wake of the forthcoming U.P. Assembly elections, after holding meetings in Lalpur and Murauwa Kheda villages, it was decided to put up a poster in the entire area mentioning some problems faced by the common people and attracting the attention of various candidates to them. Here is a translation of the poster, 250 copies of which are pasted in various villages of the Beniganj Assembly constituency, in which Lalpur and Murauwa Kheda villages fall.

Demands from Various Parties and Candidates contesting the forthcoming U.P.
Assembly election:-

· The minimum wages as determined by the U.P. government should be enforced.
· The corruption at Primary Health Centre should stop and medicines should become freely available. ANMs should visit the villages regularly to take care of pregnant women.
· The corruption at Police Station and Tehsil should end.
· The government should own up the responsibility for educating each boy and girl. Teachers should not sleep in classes and should teach sincerely. The scholarships meant for Harijan students should be distributed regularly.
· Clean drinking water should be made available to villages. More India Mark-II Hand Pumps should be installed.
· The roads should be made pucca. (for example, the road from Kothawan-Mal Road to Nathu Kheda-Sagar Gadhi Road via Jakhwa Power House work on which has stopped due to corruption).
· The government veterinary doctors should visit the villages and treat the cattles without asking for bribes.
· The Pradhans should distribute land titles to landless people without asking for bribes. The land earmarked for such distribution should be given out quickly. Encroachments on Gram Sabha land by outsiders should be removed.
· The villagers should not be unjustly overcharged for irrigation water which they never receive.
· The village Pradhans and other elected representatives should not ask people to pay illegal money for doing their work.
Asha Parivar, Village Lalpur, Post Atrauli, Dist. Hardoi.

The abovementioned poster has created some ripples in the area.
It has become a matter of discussion among people. Everybody who takes a look at it appreciates it. Some people wonder whether these things can be implemented at all.

Meanwhile some more meetings have taken place in other villages.
People of Banjra and Mathura Kheda too want to be part of this campaign. It has been decided to call all the candidates of various parties contesting this election to the Ashram on 12th February, 2002, and ask them to respond to this poster and other problems which will be raised by the people in the meeting.

People are very unhappy with state of affairs. Various political parties are fielding candidates not on merit but based on considerations of money and muscle power which can ensure that a particular candidate will win.
Candidates are buying votes by distributing free liquor, treating them to sumptuous meals and sometimes even offering hard cash. The people of the area still live without basic amenities of life. Whereas Lucknow wants to have no-headlight-zone highways, where motor vehicles can be driven without putting their lights on all night, villages like Lalpur, Banjra, Murauwa Kheda, Mathura Kheda have yet to see a wire form the electricity grid coming their way. The corrupt nexus of politicians-bureaucrats-contractors-criminals has ensured that nothing will reach the poor people.

With the new found strength of organization the people are in a mood to revolt. If they do not receive favourable response to their issues from the various candidates they are making up their minds to boycott the polls.