“Social service gives meaning to your life”
As a young girl, she travelled all the way from Kerala to Bihar to help the underprivileged and little known Musahar community, about whom she had read in newspapers. Her two-decade work and efforts at uplifting the community from its backwardness won her a Padma Shri in 2006. The Musahar community is now her family. Sr. Sudha Varghese spoke to Rajlakshmi Pillai about the challenges of her work and future plans.
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From Kottayam to Jamsaut - how did a young girl from Kerala pick up the courage to work all alone in a far off place in Bihar?
Since childhood, I was very sensitive towards the poor around me. My parents were a strong influence in this regard. We were an agricultural family and many workers worked on our fields. My parents were very kind to them and their children, who accompanied the elders. These acts of kindness had a deep impact on me. When I was in high school, I read about Bihar and the poor condition of Musahar community. I read that these people had to live in hutments on roadsides and they neither had enough food nor access to any other basic necessities. It aroused a curiosity in me and I wanted to go to Bihar and meet them. I got this opportunity after my SSC examination. I heard about a group of sisters who were interviewing candidates to join their organisation. I applied and was selected. It was with them that I first came to Bihar.
Did your family not stop you?
My family objected. Since I was the eldest among the siblings my parents must have had different plans for me. My father said that I could study as much as I wanted to and take up something else, not this. My mother too did not want me to go but I had made my decision. I did not relent and finally they let me go.
Over the years, they have been seeing my work and even appreciating it. My brothers and sisters too are happy for me and support my cause whole heartedly.
Not many of us have heard about the Musahar community. Can you tell us about them and why did you empathise with them?
The Musahar community is mainly from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Originally, they were tribals but they left their ancestral land and settled in the Gangetic plains. Till today we do not know why they had to leave their land. From there on, they settled wherever they could find some place and worked as agricultural labourers. Many of them lived on railway lands, irrigation lands, on bunds and even roadsides.
Now they are not classified as tribals but as scheduled castes. They are the last in the caste ladder and are the most marginalised, economically backward and socially exploited and excluded. Culturally too, they do not have an identity. Uneducated and uninformed, they are exploited everywhere. For politicians they are merely vote banks. During elections, they are lured with alcohol and food for votes. Most of the Musahar homes sell liquor and the men are drunk most of the time. Women are the ones who bear the brunt as they often fall prey to sexual harassment, which often goes unreported.
What were the work challenges you faced in the beginning? How did you connect with the people and get their cooperation?
Yes, there were many challenges. Bihar for me was a totally new place. I should admit it was a frightening situation. The dirt, the poverty – I was coming face to face with such a situation for the first time in my life. I wondered how long I would be able to stay. But slowly, my apprehensions and fears faded away, when I saw the smile on the children’s faces and the women’s growing interest in improving their living conditions.
Language too was a barrier. I knew only a little bit of written Hindi thanks to my high school education. The Musahars spoke a different dialect which was difficult to comprehend. But slowly I learnt the language.
The challenges never ceased to exist though. When I started taking up sexual harassment cases, a group of people came to me and threatened to kill me. I told them if their problems will end by killing me, they should do it but they would be able to get rid of only one Sudha, as later hundreds of women will challenge them and stand up against what is wrong. It was not easy for me to confront them; I was very frightened but I have learnt that the moment you show that you are scared, you cannot move ahead.
Another opposition I face is from the higher caste groups who do not like to see the lower caste people progressing, getting educated or talking about their rights.
But living with the Musahars, I have learnt to overcome the challenges and also get them to face oppression and demand their rights. It was a hard and challenging journey for me but it has given a lot of meaning to my life. I have devoted my life to those who deserve it. So all the difficulties and obstacles were worth encountering!
What significant changes have you been able to bring about in their lives?
The adolescent girls here are the most exploited, both in the society and family. They are also uneducated. I have started an education programme that comprises components like health, sanitation, nutrition and small savings. The response to this programme has been overwhelming. Today I have almost 1600 girls in the education programme in around 67 centres. There are girls from other dalit communities as well. We also have self help groups for women where we conduct awareness programmes for them. This programme has helped in making a difference. A young Musahar girl even fought the Panchayat elections. Though she polled the highest number of votes, she lost because of some foul play. But her contesting elections has made a big impact.
Earlier we used to have a tough time convincing them to register cases against caste violence, rape and other injustices, but now they themselves go to the police station to register complaints. They are also aware of the government schemes available to them like NREGA and also fight for job cards.
Some illnesses like TB, malaria are prevalent in this community. So we have health awareness programmes to tell them how the diseases can be prevented. We also have maternal health programmes. Though we have been able to achieve quite a bit, much more needs to be done.
Tell us about your NGO ‘Nari Gunjan’ and its work.
Nari Gunjan is a women’s organisation that works with dalit women and extremely backward class women. I am its secretary. We have taken up several women’s issues through Nari Gunjan.
How is UNICEF supporting you?
It was UNICEF that helped me to start my education programme. They partnered with me from 2001 to 2005. They have also recommended me to Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan from where I am getting most of the funds for the education programme. UNICEF also helps me in the residential education programme for girls.
How has the law degree, which you acquired at the age of 35, helped in your work?
It was from my daily experiences that I felt the need to be aware of legal aspects of various issues that I was taking up. And that is why I decided to study law. The law education is helping me a lot as I am now able to guide women on many legal aspects. When others see that someone well versed in law is helping the women, they know that these women are not going to compromise and will fight against any injustice.
What are your future plans?
Economic independence is one important issue that I would like to ensure by developing different livelihood options for the Musahars. It is only when they have a regular income will they think of education, hygiene, etc.
You were awarded the prestigious Padma Shri in 2006. What does this recognition mean to you?
The credit goes to the people of Jamsaut, as without their co-operation I would not have not have been able to do much. Awards do give a lot of exposure and recognition to your work. Today there is so much corruption all around that it is difficult to work with credibility. My work goes a little slowly because I do not encourage corruption and I have instructed my staff too about it. An award like Padma Shri means I have to be more responsible and more credible. Padma Shri has enabled me to come in contact with like-minded people and has definitely helped the outside world to know about the marginalised Musahar community.
What help do you expect from the outside community?
I would want more volunteers to come and help us. We are also open to receiving funds that will help us take up new initiatives. If anybody likes to document our work or replicate it elsewhere, we would gladly share our know-how with them.
What is your message to young people who are taking up social service as a career?
Those who wish to work for people, I would say first understand them for whom you plan to render your services. Try to identify the good things in them and strengthen them. You should be able to gain their confidence and assure that you have come only to add to their strength. You should understand their lives are more important than your ideas or methods. Identify, respect and share should be your policy. In today’s world of career consciousness, money is the driving force. Social service may not bring you that money but it surely gives lot of meaning to your life. My work has surely done that for me.