SRED finds constant support for the promotion of Dalit women’s rights to land and access to resources. It is no secret that rural women, particularly Dalit women, play multiple roles in agriculture. With more and more men migrating to cities in search of better-paying jobs, agricultural work has faced a significant decline and this has caused heavier burden to women’s work in rural areas.
Presently, women constitute 60% of the agricultural labour force, yet they only own 13.96% of agricultural lands per the Agricultural Census 2015-2016. Women cannot inherit or own land, thus making them economically dependent on others. Women cannot access benefits from the state, they are not recognized as farmers and are regarded in very low status in society. Discriminatory practices deny women their basic rights, even though the Hindu Succession Act recognizes their right to share in family properties.Indeed it is worser for Dalit women as the Dalit communities are historically denied of Land Rights.
Indeed, the slogan, ‘No Land, No life’, rings very true to the current situation of Dalit women. Dalit women are farmers and agricultural workers. They are primary food producers. They have every right to land ownership and access to resources.
It is in this light that the Tamil Nadu Dalit Women’s Movement and the Tamil Nadu Women’s Forum mobilized Dalit and Tribal women to reclaim lands in their villages under the Land Reform Act. The lands had been illegally occupied, uncultivated and left to become waste lands. Through the reclamation of these lands, Dalit women have successfully undergone collective farming, thus empowering them and allowing them to take their rightful places in agriculture. To date, some 1322 acres of land granted to landless Dalit and tribal women remain unclaimed as the women are unable to locate and get the deeds for these lands.
In Maharajapuram, 30 Dalit women mobilized themselves and put up a strong and long struggle with the bureaucrats for their land titles, until they finally succeeded. These Dalit/tribal women formed the Grameen Makhila Abiviruthi Sangatna (Rural Women Farmers’ Development Collective) as part of the Tamil Nadu Dalit Women’s Movement.
Intent on cultivating and making their land productive and environmentally sustainable, the movement leaders underwent trainings in agroecological methods, organic farming, natural pest control and compost making. They collected traditional seeds through conducting a bullock cart yatra (bullock cart campaign seeking traditional seeds). The seeds were then stored in earthen pots. As a result, the Dalit women of Maharajapuram were able to develop the rocky, thorny-bushed and uncultivable land for collective farming.
Through collective farming, these women pool in their collective labour and support each other. They are able to grow vegetables, mangoes and horticulture. They benefit by earning through multiple crop cultivation. Their produce are used for domestic consumption and shared with other women in need. Excess produce are sold in the domestic markets in nearby Thirutani and Chennai Koyambadu markets .
The Dalit women of Maharajapum have gained recognition as farmers and have become members of the Agriculture Cooperative Society. This alone is a major victory in the assertion of Dalit women’s right to land. Furthermore, they also contested and got elected in local level elections, with some elected as ward members in the local governing unit, Panchayat.
Today, the Dalit women of Maharajapum are striving to continue their successful collective farming in order to support each other and their community. And they urgently need our help.
Whilst they have a transformer and access to electricity, they still need to install their irrigation system. Their submersion motor, which helps in lifting the water, is in dire need of repair. They will also need to install a 500-feet pipeline to make their irrigation system operational. The total cost for these is approximately Rs.300000
We appeal for your solidarity to help them. Your donations may be sent to:
Account Name : Society for Rural Education and Development
Account No: 40207635789 (FCRA savings Account )
Branch Code:00691
IFSC : SBIN0000691
SWIFT : SBININBB104
Address : FCRA Cell, 4th Floor, State Bank of India, New Delhi Main Branch, 11, Sansad Marg, New Delhi 110001
For any inquiries or if you wish to contact the leaders directly, please do not hesitate to contact them through the following: R.Subbamma - Mobile No: 9361978957 or R.Sujatha - Mobile No: 9344258731.
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