Hindustan Times, July 3, 2002

CM'S FREE-PLOT PLAN FOR THE LANDLESS

Pradhans mint money, fool villagers

By Tarannum Manjul

LALPUR IS just a few kilometers from Lucknow. But Chief Minister 
Ms Mayawati's announcements have had little impact here. In fact, 
those of the upper caste continue with impunity to fool the poor 
villagers.

The village has no roads, no electricity and no water. The CM's 
recent directive to provide pattas to the landless had bought some 
ray of hope for the Dalit villagers. But they would receive the 
benefits if those of the upper caste let them.

After the CM's announcement, residents of Lalpur, who had been 
working in the fields of those of the upper case, applied for the 
pattas.

However, when they went to the pradhan and lekhpal, they were in 
for a big shock. The pradhan, the villagers say, demanded Rs. 
2,500 per bigha (kuchcha) and Rs. 7,500 per bigha (pucca) to give 
them the patta.

"We were shocked when he asked us for money. All we knew was that 
the land was to be given to the landless for free. We had no idea 
about the money which he was demanding," says Ramsewak of Lalpur 
Bideshi, a villager from the adjoining Kakimau village had a 
similar complaint. "When we went for our pattas, were told that 
as the pradhan has to bribe the burra babus, he wants money." The 
villagers then went to the lekhpal, who too demanded money.

This was not all. Those Dalit villagers who had old pattas were 
told that their documents had been misplaced and instead, the 
pattas were handed to those of the upper caste, says Somvati.

Those villagers, with support from activist Sandeep Pandey, have 
decided to raise their voice against corruption. "We want that 
the pattas should be given to someone who needs it and is landless. 
After all, the Chief Minister had made the announcement for our 
benefit. And we can't give money as we don't earn that much in 
a month," says Ramsewak. The villagers of Lalpur, along with a 
few others from villages like Kakimau, Aira and Basantpur, have 
decided to write to the CM and district magistrate. "We are 
hopeful that if our application reaches the CM, something may 
happen," says Somvati.

(Front Page Headlines)

Hindustan Times, Lucknow, July 3, 2002

For this village, 'flesh' fetches bread and butter

By Tarannum Manjul

(names have been changed)

Natpurwa (Sandila): IT'S THE flesh that matters here. It's the 
flesh trade, which fills tummies here. Everyday.

Nobody has objected to it for the past 300 years. This is 
Natpurwa - about 60-odd km away from Lucknow. The village, 
with a population of 1200, does not know what development 
is all about. From a 13-year-old Rukma to a 65-year-old Rajjo, 
they all form part of the accepted vicious circle.

"I don't know since when I started it. This was always there 
in my family, " says Aajji, a 55-year-old woman, who, due to 
ill health, is no longer a 'hot bargain' Anita, a fresh entrant 
adds: "My mother did this, and so did my bua (aunt). So why 
can't I?" But, Radhia bluntly refuses to answer any query. 
Reason - she has a customer waiting inside. And she doesn't 
want to be "disturbed".

While women are always dressed up gaudily ("Saaman ahchcha 
rakhna padta hai, we must look customer-friendly"), men are 
seen playing cards or drinking liquor. Children, including 
young girls, are barely clad. They play around unaware of the 
entire scenario.

Men work as pimps for the women in their families. And those 
who don't accept this, have to do farming on the little 
pieces of land and suffer silently. "When my daughters grew 
up, people told me to send them off for business. When I refused,
they threatened me with dire consequences. I finally got both 
my daughter married off to far-off villages and haven't met them 
since," says Lalaram.

Customers do not belong to Lucknow alone. "The best girls go to 
Mumbai, while others have to be contended with nearby townships 
like Hardoi," says Razia, who, along with her mother and two 
sisters, is a regular one to Lucknow. Ask them about the role 
of the police, and a sly smile lights their faces. "Main toh 
ek policewale ki hi hoon," (I have a policeman for a regular 
customer)" says Ramdulari. But, others complain of cops barging 
into their houses and getting off without paying for the 'services' 

Some have refused to be sucked into the system forever. "When 
my son grew up, he felt ashamed of my profession and asked me 
to stop all this. He works as a mechanic and we live on his 
earnings," says Nira, adding, I wish that someone could bring 
hope in our lives."

A separate blurb next to the story:

DM, SP unaware

DISTRICT MAGISTRATE (Hardoi) Dr. MAA Khan is unaware of what all 
is going on Natpurwa. "In fact, I do not know about any such place. 
But now that you have informed me, I will enquire about it," he 
said, talking to Hindustan Times.

Similarly, Superintendent of Police, Hardoi, RV Singh said, "I have 
not been informed about any such village" But he added he would 
now "initiate action".

Hindustan Times, Lucknow, July 5, 2002, (CITY Section)

Asha Ashram: Hope for a village

By Tarannum Manjul

NO ELECTRICITY, no drinking water, no proper roads and no pucca 
houses. This is Lalpur, a village situated 60kms from Lucknow, 
which on papers may be an Ambedkar Village, but development here 
is yet to peep in here. But hope for the village comes as Asha 
Ashram, a place where villagers are being provided with all that 
the government is not giving them.

The central cabin is constructed with detachable ferro-cement 
blocks, with solar chips on the roof to provide electricity. A 
stationary cycle helps recharge the solar batteries, while another 
one helps in filling water in the overhead tanks. There is a 
special press, which helps in making strong compressed bricks 
from a mixture of sand, mud and cement.

The campus has a school, a dispensary that gives homeopathic 
medicines for the poor, screen-printing unit, a biogas plant and 
a bee-farming unit to help youths earn a decent living. And all 
this is being done sans any aid from the state government!

Founded by Dr. Sandeep of Asha Foundation, Lucknow, the Asha 
Ashram in Hardoi is bringing a new light into the lives of hundreds 
of dalits living in and around Lalpur. Incidentally, Lalpur is 
an Ambedkar Village as every house bears the words 'Jai Beehn 
(for BR Ambedkar) Jai Bharat'

Says Dr. Pandey, who has been a teacher in Berkley (USA) before 
setting up Asha Foundation in India with chapters in the US, "When 
I came to Lalpur, I couldn't believe that this village existed 
in independent India. The residents over here hadn't even seen a 
train. And upper caste dominance was quite evident too." Initially, 
Pandey had a tough time as the upper caste tried to push him out 
of the village employing fair and even unfair means. But two years 
down the line, Asha Ashram has become a symbol of new hope for 
the poor villagers.

"They not only come to learn things, but also to find a solution 
to their problems. Dalit oppression quite common and they often 
come to Asha for help," says Pandey.

The volunteers in Asha Ashram are mostly the villagers themselves, 
who have been trained to teach others. "Our aim is not to make 
them dependent on us, but self-reliant," adds Pandey.

For Meena, Asha Ashram transformed her life. "My whole life has 
changed. I have realized how important it is to be educated," 
she says. Many others, who are part of the Asha family, too 
opined similar views.

This is not all. Asha has also helped villagers get justice in 
several cases of oppression. In fact, Asha now plans to help the 
prostitutes of Natpurwa, find a new way of life. With all this 
and a lot more, Asha has definitely brought a new 'Asha' (hope) 
for Lalpur.