UPDATE 18: PUBLIC HEARINGS GALORE (May 2003)

Dear friends,

The main purpose of this Update is to alert you to a series of "public hearings" that are coming up very soon in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Orissa. These public hearings involve some of India's most marginalised communities, such as the Sahariyas and Baigas of Madhya Pradesh. In several cases, vested interests are working overtime to obstruct these creative initiatives to assert the right to food and work. This is particularly the case in Chittaurgarh (Rajasthan), where 16 activists have already landed in jail for instigating "a class war", as the District Collector put it. Please keep an eye on the campaign website (www.righttofood.com) for occasional reports of these events during the next two weeks.

Five public hearings are expected within the next two weeks: in Chittaurgarh (Rajasthan) on 28 May; in Sendhwa (Madhya Pradesh) on 29 May; in Shivpuri (M.P.) on 30 May; in Kalahandi (Orissa) on 4 June; and in Dindori (Madhya Pradesh) on or around 10 June. These five hearings span wide-ranging aspects of the right to food and work, including the nutrition situation among tribal communities, corruption in relief works, the predicament of "forest villages", the use of labour-displacing machines in public works programmes, and more.

We take this opportunity to copy below a note on "the importance of public hearings". This is lifted from the source book prepared for the public hearing on "Living with Hunger" convened in Delhi on 10 January 2003. Further material on the process and significance of public hearings will be added to the website quite soon. 

With this, we take you to today's headlines:

		Exposing Corruption in Relief Works: Public Hearing inChittaurgarh, Rajasthan (28 May 2003)
		Against the use of Machines in 'Relief Works': Public Hearing in Barwani District, Madhya Pradesh(29 May 2003)
		Sahariyas stand up for their Right to Life: Public Hearing in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh (30 May 2003)
		Exploitation of Tribals: Public Hearing in Kalahandi(4 JUNE 2003)
		Predicament of 'Primitve Tribes' and 'Forest Villages': Public Hearing in Dindori, Madhya Pradesh (June 2003)
		The importance of Public Hearings

1. Exposing Corruption in Relief Works: Public Hearing inChittaurgarh, Rajasthan (28 May 2003)

On Wednesday 28 May, a public hearing will be held in village Karjali of Chittaurgarh district (Rajasthan). The main objective of this public hearing is to expose corruption in relief works.

This public hearing is convened by PRAYAS, a local NGO with a long-standing record of grassroots activism in the area. The initiative has been staunchly opposed by local sarpanchs. Forty of them have formed a coalition to scuttle the hearing. Among other obstruction tactics, they have appealed to the District Collector, who sent a letter to the organisers asking them not to hold the hearing and accusing them of instigating a "class war" in the area. Sixteen activists have recently been arrested and are still in jail. However, the hearing is expected to take place in spite of these hurdles and intimidation tactics.

The hearing is due to start at 11 am on 28 May. Karjali is 43 kms away from Chittaurgarh. For further details, please contact Khem Raj (PRAYAS) at 01472-243 788.

2. Against the use of Machines in 'Relief Works': Public Hearing in Barwani District, Madhya Pradesh (29 May 2003)

Adivasi Mukti Sangathan has been working in Barwani district for many years, and the right to work is high on the organisation's agenda. The sangathan has recently taken up issues related to the implementation of Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (SGRY) in Sendhwa Block and nearby areas. In a nexus of issues wages are being paid late, labour is illegally being displaced by machines, and Sarpanches are victimised by Junior Engineers in evaluation procedures, etc. Prime among these problems is the use of labour-displacing machines in SGRY projects. This practice is illegal and also runs contrary to the very idea of providing employment. But it is a convenient way to make money for the contractors who take up large programmes. In Madhya Pradesh, programmes costing over Rs. 5 lakhs are not executed by the Panchayats. These are handled by various departments including the Rural Engineering Services, Irrigation Department, Forest Department, etc. Many of these programmes are large in scale. The lack of transparency in these programmes have enabled these departments to carry out much of the work using tractors, JCVs, and other labour-displacing machinery. 

The public hearing is seen as a means to bring out these issues and at the same time, be a platform for further action in the near future. It is expected that participants will also come from various neighbouring districts for the hearing. For further details, please contact Vijay Bhai at 07281-222184. 

3. Sahariyas stand up for their Right to Life: Public Hearing in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh (30 May 2003)

There has been active mobilisation among the Sahariyas of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh in recent months. In Shahbad (Baran district, Rajasthan), Jagrat Mahila Sangathan organised a very successful indefinite dharna against sexual exploitation and police violence at the end of April, which led to the dismissal of the local tehsildar. This success paved the way to a huge Sahariya Sammelan on 18 May, which gave a major boost to the right to work campaign in Rajasthan. In Sheopur district, on the other side of the Rajasthan-MP border, Sahariyas have participated in large numbers in dharnas, rallies and other agitations initiated by Ekta Parishad. On 1 May (Labour Day), an all-night "Sahariya panchayat" took place in Sheopur, with participation from 65 villages.

Much has also happened in the neighbouring districts of Morena, Shivpuri, Gwalior, etc. On 30 May, a public hearing on the right to food will be held in Pohri block of Shivpuri district, one of the most deprived areas of this impoverished and drought-stricken region. This event is convened by SAMBHAV, a local NGO. Details are awaited, meanwhile the organisers can be contacted through the SAMBHAV office in Gwalior (tel/fax 0751-341995/511379, e-mail (sambhavgwr@hotmail.com).

4. Exploitation of Tribals: Public Hearing in Kalahandi (4 JUNE 2003)

A public hearing will be held in Kerpai panchayat of Kalahandi district (Orissa) on 4 June 2003. This is a follow-up to earlier activities, including several public hearings, initiated in this area by Lok Adhikar Sammukhya, ANTODAY and other organisations based in Kalahandi. Kerpai is the most remote panchayat of Kalahandi, itself of a highly marginalized region. Findings a detailed survey of the food situation in Kerpai, including the status of recent Supreme Court orders, will be presented at the hearing. Special guests include Prof. Pulin Nayak, head of the Department of Economics at the Delhi School of Economics. For further details, please contact Rajkishor Mishra (tel 06670-231075 or 9437047270, e-mail(rajkishor_mishra@hotmail.com) or Dillip (tel 06670-232038 or 9437070038).

5. Predicament of 'Primitve Tribes' and 'Forest Villages': Public Hearing in Dindori, Madhya Pradesh (June 2003)

The Baigas, a so-called "primitive tribe", live in desperate conditions in the Mandla-Dindori region of Madhya Pradesh. An organisation of the Baigas, the BAIGA MAHAPANCHAYAT, is working in the "Baigachak" area of Dindori district. They are addressing problems such as:

1. The communal attack on Baiga culture; 
2. The obstacles being faced by Gram Panchayats in carrying out any development activity in the "forest villages"; 
3. The critical food security situation of the Baigas following 3 successive years of drought.

The Baiga Mahapanchayat will hold a public hearing on all these issues in Dindori district during the second week of June (tentatively on 10 June, 2003). A large number of sarpanches, Janpad and Zila Panchayat members are likely to gather to voice their grievances. It is learned that the Baiga Mahapanchayat retains the trust and the faith of all elected Panchayat representatives. Expected participants include a panel of eminent academics and Dr. Mihir Shah, advisor to the Commissioner in Madhya Pradesh. The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Digvijay Singh, has also been invited and there is a good chance that he will attend the hearing. For further details, please contact the organisers via Mihir Shah (samprag@sify.com).

6. The importance of Public Hearings

Public hearings (jan sunwais) are a useful tool of assertion of the right to food. They help to make people aware of their entitlements, to expose corruption in food-related programmes, and to hold the state accountable to its responsibilities.

Many public hearings have been held in 2002 as part of the Right to Food Campaign, notably in Shankargarh (UP) on 9 April, Palamau (Jharkhand) on 9 July, Kalahandi (Orissa) on 22 October, and Kelwada (Rajasthan) on 4 December. These gatherings serve at least five distinct purposes:

Voice: Jan sunwais give ordinary citizens an opportunity to share their experiences and voice their concerns. In particular, the process enables them to identify and convey the flaws of food-related programmes. One such example, which was stressed in many jan sunwais, is the faulty selection of BPL households. Recent jan sunwais also brought to light many violations of Supreme Court orders: in Kalahandi, for instance, people were getting only 16 kg of rice from the PDS as opposed to the 35 kg ordered by the Supreme Court. By giving all sides a platform to put forth their understanding of the problem, the public hearing is also a tool to remove these anomalies and identify coherent alternatives.

Accountability: The public nature of the event, magnified by wide participation and media interest, makes it very difficult for governments to dodge criticism, as they routinely do when disadvantaged people seek redress on their own. At the Palamau hearing the BDO, who generally is available only twice a week in Manatu, had no alternative but to participate as thousands of villagers descended on the block headquarters. At the Kelwada jan sunwai, attended by more than 30 IAS officers, government officials were confronted with a detailed and accurate picture of ground realities. The local BDO took active part in the process and helped to address the problems identified at the public hearing. 

Mobilisation: The testimonies heard at the hearing provide a strong basis for follow-up enquiries and redressal. The Palamau hearing ended with a resolve to follow up the event with concerted action in the future. The interest it fosters among local officials, media persons, political leaders, social activists and others can also be channelled towards further action. The Campaign has used them to place the issue at the centre of mainstream political debate. As a result of the surveys and public hearings, the Supreme Court pulled up those states that were being slack in implementation of the Courts' orders.

Empowerment: A public hearing is an opportunity for people to realise that things need not continue the way they are. It gives them a sense of their collective power and of the possibility of change. Public hearings also alert government officials and vested interests to the fact that people are waking up and getting organised. Recent public hearings in Shankargarh, Palamau, Kelwada and other deprived areas generated considerable enthusiasm and hope among dalits, adivasis and other disadvantaged communities.

Education: Last but not least, jan sunwais are a form of political education. They give the participants new insights into processes and institutions that are normally beyond their reach. A public hearing is also a practical form of people's participation in the democratic process. This experience of "learning by doing" is a step towards participatory democracy.