A Celebration of Women™

is elated to Celebrate the Life of this woman, one that has devoted her life to the betterment of the lives of others, with justice as one of her missions in life; working through her own foundation up through the grassroots of society, for the human rights of peasants and general labor force inside India.  In her government work, she poses the questions and lives the truth of a real leader by asking and answering through the power of example:

” What makes a true public servant? “

What makes someone become so passionate about making a change in society that he or she would go to great lengths, even so far as to go against the established, just so that she can incite a revolution that would drastically change the country for better?

… one of India’s most popular figures, would answer that question.

 

 

 

 

WOMEN of ACTION™

 

 

Aruna Roy

 

 

Aruna Roy, born 26 June 1946, is a well-known social and political activist in India.

She is most known for founding the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathana (which in English translates, “Workers and Peasants Strength Union”) which she also heads, and being the prominent leader of the Right to Information Movement, which became the catalyst for the enactment of the Right to Information Act that opened a way for the exposure of the corrupt practices in the government to the public. WRITINGS HERE

 

“Right to know, right to live – Building a campaign for the right to information and accountability.” – Sowmya Kidambi

 

Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS)- Championing the “Right to Information” in Rural India – Soumya Kidambi

Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan is a grassroots organization that was formed in 1990, working in rural Rajasthan. Its objective was to use modes of struggle and constructive action for changing the lives of its primary constituents — the rural poor.   DOWNLOAD HERE

In the period leading up to its formation it had taken up issues of re-distribution of land and minimum wages. These were seen as the two basic issues of the rural landless and the poor of the area.

To understand the reason why the demand for minimum wages and the subsequent demand for access to records came about, it is important to try and understand the geographical as well as the socio-political setup of the area where the MKSS works.

Rajasthan being a desert area, the people are faced more often than not with a drought. During the time that the rains fail, the only choices that people have to earn a living is to either migrate or work at the famine relief work sites.

A famine relief site is basically the work sites that are opened up by the government to provide employment for the people. This could be building a road, digging a well, or desilting ponds/lakes etc. In most of these work sites it is seen that women are there in larger numbers than men. Men tend to migrate in search of livelihoods and the women are left behind to tend the family.

It was seen initially that the laborers at the famine relief sites were not paid their full minimum wage. When they demanded to be paid minimum wages on public works, they were refused on the grounds that “they did not work.”

When the laborers questioned the authorities, they were told that the proof for the fact that they did not work lay in the records. The records in question were “measurement books” which were filled by the Junior Engineer.

The laborers then demanded to see the records. At this point of time they were told very clearly and in no uncertain terms by the administrators that they could not see the records, because according to the Official Secrets Act (1923), a colonial legacy, all these records were state secrets and could not be opened up to the public.

This infuriated the laborers who then said

“till we get access to those records, we will always be told that we don’t work and the administration can never be challenged on that account. If we are to prove that what they say is not true we need to get those records!”

It was at this point of time that the movement for the “right to information” began. The need to access records was established and people began to think of ways and means through which they could get the government to give them the “right to know”. The modes that were adopted were diverse and the one important aspect was that the people identified totally with the cause. For them it was their battle, a battle for their survival.

The struggle illustrated that the right to information was not just a component of people’s right to freedom of speech and expression but was also a part of their fundamental right under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution — the right to life and liberty.

The villagers understood and made a large section of enlightened opinion in the country understand that the access to records of development work in villages would help in obtaining the basic living wage, the entitlement under the ration quota, the medicines the poor should receive in public health centers, preventing abuse by the police, and even in preventing delay and subterfuge in implementation of other livelihood entitlements. And from the understanding of that struggle came about a number of slogans that have been used time and again by the MKSS in its various phases of agitation. Slogans such as “Our money, our account”, “the right to know, the right to live”, “this government belongs to you and me, its no one’s personal property!”

In demanding a law for the “right to information” the people were establishing their desire to be part of the democratic framework in which they would be given a fair hearing and their views would be taken into consideration while forming policies. The goal was to establish the concept of “participatory democracy,” to make the people who ruled understand that the common man now wanted his or her share in governance.

The strategies that were adopted to achieve these goals by the MKSS were many. These included sit-ins, rallies, as well as lobbying with government. Culture and innovative ways in communicating the ideas were also used through music, puppets, street theater etc.

When the initial phase of agitation began with a sit-in, the government of Rajasthan very reluctantly passed an order (after much pressure) whereby the people were given the right to inspect records and later to get certified photocopies. At the time of inspecting the records of a village council, the MKSS found that there were a great deal of irregularities and malpractices. From this emerged the technique of the public hearing which has been used as a tool in uncovering and bringing to light many scams in development works.

Usually, in a public hearing the MKSS first obtains the records pertaining to the public works carried out by the Village Council in the last five years.

Once the documents are accessed, the Sangathan then takes the records to each village where the work is said to have been executed and then testimonies are sought from the villagers and the laborers who were employed on the site.

Crusader Susheela who filed a 100 RTIs in Ajmer has brought development in her village in Rajasthan

The MKSS also does site verifications with the laborers and villagers, and then on the day of the public hearing in front of the general assembly of the villagers the details are read out and testimonies sought.

There is also the concept of having a panel of people who are invited to the public hearings, including lawyers, journalists, academicians and government officials. The panel is also allowed to cross- examine and ask for clarifications, and with the administration present attempts are made to try and bring about corrective measures for the irregularities identified. The malpractices usually uncovered are purchase overbilling, sale overbilling, fake labor rolls, under payment of wages and in some cases ghost works (works that are there on record but do not exist).

In many cases it has been seen that the public hearing causes a rapid escalation in payments. People who haven’t been paid for years, and have been denied payment after repeated visits to the Sarpanch (elected village council representative), all of a sudden find themselves being paid overnight. What is more in many cases the Sarpanch himself comes to the laborer and pays him, adding that now that the payment has been made there is no need for him/her to go and testify at the public hearing! There have also been cases where after the public hearing and an embezzlement being proved the Sarpanch has promised and has indeed paid back the amount into the panchayat exchequer. Action has been initiated against officials who have been found to be in compliance with the act of embezzlement.

The public hearing has been a rather effective tool in bringing to light corrupt practices and in trying to address the whole issue of leakages that exist within the system. The strength also lies in the truth that emerges in front of the people and their willingness to testify against the person in power, who very often belongs to a higher caste and has a social standing that can be intimidating.

The entire battle for rights and the fact that people, irrespective of gender, are willing to testify against those in power shows that here is great potential in the mode of public hearings and in the demand for a comprehensive law on the “right to information.”

Sourced from “Championing the ‘Right to Information’ in Rural India” by Soumya Kidambi. This piece originally appeared in Samar 16.

Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) from Skoch Consultancy Services on Vimeo.

Aruna also works with the Indian government as a part of the National Advisory Council, where she has become a voice for the masses. Through the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathana, Aruna is able to promote public awareness of the corrupt practices and inefficient processes of local governments by publishing articles online, the one place where information transfer could not be limited or hindered.

Prior to entering the world of activism, Aruna worked as a civil servant for the Indian Administrative Service, which gave her the skills and experience she needed when she turned to community service. Aruna has been instrumental in helping to persuade the legislatures of eight states in India, which include Tamil Nadu, Goa, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, in enacting the Right to Information Act in their own states.

Here are pictures from the Kaladeo wall painting campaign held on 21st January 2013 :The event was attended by the people, the local administration, MKSS and UNDP.

Through her active participation in promoting the Right to Information, more and more people living in states where the Right to Information Act has been implemented have started to use their right to question the government and the bureaucrats regarding the use of subsidies and public funds.

Through Aruna’s work in pushing the enactment of the Right to Information Act, the citizens have been given the right to demand access to a wide area of government information – from municipal budgets up to the records of state purchases. This encourages the common citizen to be involved in the governing of his locality, which is what democracy is all about.

Aruna’s dedication to help the lives of her fellow countrymen has greatly impacted the social and political sphere of her country. In addition to this, Aruna actions have set an example for other countries whose governments are withholding information from their citizens.

Due to her extraordinary accomplishments and influence in the social and the political realms of society, Aruna has received a number of accolades and awards, most notably the Ramon Magsaysay Award (which is widely known throughout the world as Asia’s Nobel Prize) and the prestigious Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award. These, among her other awards, have established Aruna as a world leader in promoting the right to information.

It is not so surprising as to why Aruna became truly well-known in her field of work.

It is those who use unorthodox or uncommon methods that get them the attention of many; and it seems that Aruna’s unorthodoxy is not really something new in her family.

Aruna learned a great deal in public service during her nine years of working with the SWRC. There, she learned a hands-on approach to helping society, applying her passion in service to one person at a time, as opposed to when she had a position in the government.

Aruna saw for herself the very things that caused people to hate the government, and became very determined to make a change in the nation that will truly benefit the people.

She also realized that having the ability to read and write was not the only way to tell whether a person is intelligent; she met people who did not have the luxury of being educated but were so quick at grasping the importance of things.

 
She said:

“We call people who work with mud and earth, and sand and stone, unskilled labor in India. I cannot in this lifetime wield the implements that they use either to dig the earth or to shovel the earth. I can’t carry the loads. That’s extremely specialized. But they are called unskilled, and I am called skilled because I can write with the pen. I cannot accept this. I find it extremely non-egalitarian to say they are unskilled and I am skilled. It’s only a way of looking at it. Knowledge is also like that.”

Currently, Aruna continues her fight against poverty and corruption; she is still a part of the NAC II and is working with the council to find more ways of improving the lives of her countrymen. Aruna’s example of what it means to become a real public servant is a powerful inspiration to those who believe that there are still those in the government who work for the good of the people.

Nearly 50 activists and organisations are coming together on a common platform to lobby for “issues of the people” with political parties ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

They include Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan’s (MKSS) Aruna Roy (a member of the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council); former NAC member Harsh Mander; Ekta Parishad’s P V Rajagopal, who recently led a march of tribals and others from MP to the Capital over land acquisition policies of the government; Greenpeace; and Medha Patkar’s National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM ).

“We want this initiative called Countdown to 2014 to be just that, reminding political formations that while lobbying in India now means mega-dollars influencing policy, they will have to come to the people to get our votes,” said Roy.

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A Celebration of Women™

is elated to welcome this tower of strength and vision into our global Alumni of Women of Action™ with open arms, and look forward to a life time of successful collaboration, creating positive change for women all over our world.

Brava Aruna!