-The Telegraph
Jhargaon holds out hope that success is possible, even in Jharkhand. Two years after it was chosen as a model, over 1,000 residents of this nondescript hamlet of Gumla, 110km from the state capital, want to junk their BPL cards. For, self respect does not allow them to be claimants of government dole.
If self-sufficiency is their goal, the people of Jhargaon, in Toto panchayat of Gumla Sadar block, 10km from the district headquarters, have imbibed its true spirit. Over the last two years, they have achieved a lot.
They have set up a mango orchard in collaboration with the district administration on 47 acres of fallow land, pooled in resources for group farming, banned the sale of liquor, ensured their children go to school and even set up an informal administrative system with “ministers” to monitor various aspects of their day-to-day lives.
But, their most remarkable achievement is an en masse attitudinal change, the belief that self help is the best help. All 1,160 residents are on board and it is this understanding that has propelled them to give up their BPL cards by next year in stark contrast to the growing demand for the dole cards that entitle the poor to subsidised foodgrain.
“None of us want to remain in BPL (category). Our self-respect does not permit it,” said village leader Chajren Kujur. “We have decided to hand over our BPL cards to the district administration within the next one year,” said the mother of three whom villagers call “prime minister”.
In January 21, 2010, Gumla district administration selected Jhargaon as a model where various welfare schemes would be used to develop the village socially, economically and attitudinally.
John Joseph Benjamin Tirkey, the district planning officer was assigned the task of converting the hamlet into a “model village” while Unicef assigned an officer of its own, Subir Das, to work with the district administration.
There was no looking back since then. The district administration successfully donned the role of a facilitator. Officials held several meetings to motivate villagers, renovated a few buildings and ensured that benefits of the various government welfare schemes reached them.
That’s all. They also knew when to step back and allow the people of Jhargaon to take over.
“Liquor was the biggest problem in our village and hence nearly two years back we decided to ban it,” said Kujur, who has studied up to Class IX. “Except a few, many households used to send their children to graze cows as they were unaware of the benefits of education. All of us discussed the issue and two men were appointed to graze all village cows so that the children could be in school,” she explained.
The results are showing. Headmaster of the local primary school Dipendra Kumar Choudhary proudly announced that he now had 140 children, all of whom were regulars. Before 2010, only 35 children were in class, with many bunking due to cattle grazing duty.
The enthusiasm has rubbed off on the teachers who have devised new ways of keeping the children involved. Some of life’s basic lessons — like the importance of sanitation and cleanliness — are imparted through fun and games.
Choudhary explained a unique variation of musical chairs in which each circle is divided into divisions and each of which is named by a phrase that explains a key element of personal hygiene.
A student’s fate is decided by which division he finds himself/herself in. “For instance, if someone is in ‘wearing dirty clothes’ or ‘sporting long nails’, he/she is out. But, if he/she is in ‘washing hands before meals’, a trait that needs to be encouraged among children, he moves on,” said the head master.
The district administration’s contribution has been no less. It has renovated a health centre, a large area multi-purpose societies (LAMPS) building and has also set up a Gokul gram, a milk collection centre, using various government schemes.
Villagers have been funded for buying goats and milch cows for their livelihood. Youths have been given pump sets to irrigate agricultural land and produce vegetables.
“In all, we have spent only Rs 21 lakh in various schemes in this village. But, we have been able to imbibe in the villagers an attitude for self-growth. Now, the villagers decide in their gram sabha what they want to do and we only support them,” Tirkey told The Telegraph.
Recently, about 45 villagers pooled in their land, 47 acre in all, and asked the administration to plant mango trees under national rural horticulture mission.
Jhargaon residents have also adopted a new institution — a gram sansad, or village parliament — in which all of them are members.
They have assigned specific tasks or portfolios to individuals who look after, say, education, agriculture, health or sanitation — much like ministers.
Kujur, who is widely accepted as village leader, is called “prime minister” for co-ordinating with the “ministers”.
When chief minister Arjun Munda visited Jhargaon last week, he said the village would show the way for the state.
Why did Jhargaon succeed? Gumla deputy commissioner Rahul Sharma, the man behind the scene, said its proximity to the state capital helped to a large extent as did his officials who worked very hard.
“The district headquarters is very well connected by Gumla-Bishunpur Road. We could, therefore, monitor the results of our exercises. Our officers worked very hard, very often discussing issues with villagers late into the night,” Sharma said.
The deputy commissioner revealed that the Jhargaon model would be replicated in 21 other villages across the district. “After all, more than our efforts, it is the villagers’ willingness to change that helped us realise our goal,” he said.
The difficult part, that of changing mindsets, had been achieved. The next step, he hoped, would be easier. “We are being flooded with requests from as many as 60 villages to launch similar initiatives,” Sharma said.
