Women no longer have to return empty-handed from the fair price shops mandated to give rations under the government’s public distribution system in village Bandgunia in Uttar Pradesh.

Not only is the full quota of rice, pulses and sugar given, the shopkeeper in this village in Gauri Bazar block of Deoria district also ensures the women are informed ahead if the shop is closed or stocks run out.

But it was not always so. The transformation could not have happened without the relentless two-year campaign run by the women collectives formed by the not-for-profit Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojana (RGMVP).

Earlier, the kotedar (shopkeeper licensed to sell rations) always called the shots. With just one shop for 22 tolas (hamlets), it was kept open for only three hours and rations would mysteriously run out before everyone received their quota. Of the many who returned the following day, only a few lucky ones managed to get some supplies, forcing the rest to line up again the next day. The community was made to run around even to get their share of kerosene oil, which was sold only one day of the week.

No one dared to raise their voice against these injustices as the shop was run by a powerful resident of the village.

This state of affairs would have continued had not women self-help groups (SHGs) decide to take up the issue. “As individuals, we accepted this discrimination for years, as we did not know how to fight this injustice. But once we formed self-help groups and were made aware of our right by RGMVP, we gained the confidence to speak up,” said Indravati Devi, member of Ekta SHG.

The tipping point was when a 70-year-old woman collapsed after she was denied her rations after waiting for hours in the hot sun. When this news reached the Ekta SHG, the women marched up to the kotedar and warned him that they knew their rights and entitlements and would no longer keep quiet.

The kotedar merely derided them in response. “He thought we would go home quietly. He didn’t know that we were ready to face all challenges,” said Indravati.

As many as 31 SHGs, each with 10-15 members, decided to approach the district magistrate. They took with them a handful of the worm-infested rice supplied to them as evidence of their ill-treatment. This strategy worked and led to the suspension of the kotedar.

Unfortunately for the women, the victory was short-lived as the kotedar bribed his way back within a year. “He went back to his old ways. He thought we would not do anything against him this time. But he was wrong,” pointed out Indravati.

The women went back to the district magistrate and ensured the kotedar was suspended again.

While the kotedar appointed in his place is very circumspect, the women are now considering applying for a PDS licence as a collective.

In Surajpur, another village in Gauri Bazar block, when the rampant malpractice in the distribution of food grains and ration cards was opposed by over 100 women of the Shakti Mahila organisation, the kotedar didn’t take any chances. “He attended our meeting and gave a public undertaking that everyone would get their quota. I think he realised we were well-informed about our rights,” said Shrikanti Devi, an SHG member.

Interestingly, the collectives also came together to agitate against the transfer of an upright kotedar. When the women of village Bhrigusarai learnt that their kotedar had been ordered to move to another village, about 200 SHG members sat atop tractor-trolleys and rushed to the tehsil office. “We made it clear that we were not going to move until the authorities gave us a hearing,” related Manisha Devi of Bajrangbali SHG.

This show of support caught the attention of the district magistrate, who ordered an investigation. “When the transfer was cancelled and the kotedar reinstated, it proved the power of collective action. Now no one takes us lightly,” she said.

The writer is a Delhi-based journalist

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