Unsung heroes: The grassroots battles for dignity and justice in rural India

By Bharat Dogra 

India's constitution clearly establishes equality for all citizens, including its weaker sections. However, discriminatory practices unfortunately persist against various marginalized communities. Throughout history, countless mobilizations have protested these injustices, consistently advancing society closer to true equality.

In recent decades, Rajasthan's Chittorgarh district has witnessed several such struggles. Khemraj Chaudhry, a courageous activist, played a pivotal role in these movements, supported by Prayas, a voluntary organization dedicated to upholding the constitutional right to equality and ending discrimination.

In this region, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other communities face discrimination. For the purpose of this article, Dalits broadly refers to all those who suffer from such discrimination here.

The "Khaat" (Cot) Movement

One prevalent form of discrimination involves discouraging Dalits from sitting on cots or chairs in the presence of dominant groups. Khemraj initiated a powerful movement against this, famously known as the "Khaat" (cot) movement.

During a recent visit to the Bhadesar belt, a woman participant recounted how increasing resentment against these discriminatory practices fueled the movement. The immediate trigger was the severe insult of a Dalit activist, who was conducting a survey, for merely sitting on a chair in a dominant person's home. Others recall an earlier, larger incident where three Dalit youths watching a folk-dance performance were beaten for sitting on chairs in a nearby area. Regardless of the immediate catalyst, the call to end discrimination resonated widely. A large gathering of Dalits and their supporters convened in Achalpura village, confidently sitting on numerous cots in open spaces and even in locations where objections had previously been raised. The protesters remained for several hours, a powerful assertion of unity that significantly reduced discriminatory practices in the area.

Earlier, a major temple entry movement unfolded in Kiyan Khera village, then part of Udaipur district. Despite all communities contributing to the temple's initial construction, Dalits were excluded during its renovation. Subsequently, restrictions were placed on their entry, and those who attempted to enter faced insult. This led to a large-scale mobilization of Dalits, who announced their collective entry into the temple. The administration intervened, facilitating a peaceful reconciliation. They persuaded the dominant group to agree to a controlled entry in the presence of government officials. Dalit leaders accepted this on the condition that their scheduled gathering would still proceed. Thus, the mobilization and protest entry took place as planned in September 2001. 

While this led to some hostile reactions from dominant sections, the overall outcome of the mobilization and administrative intervention was a reduction in discriminatory practices concerning temple entry.

Another significant protest in the Nimbahera area, following violence against women, successfully fostered greater unity among people, leading to the isolation and defeat of a powerful oppressor.

In Beelri village, widespread resentment arose among weaker sections after road construction destroyed a tribal household's beautiful flower farm, even though it could have easily been saved, unlike the farms of dominant sections. Some dominant individuals were blamed. When sympathizers, including Khemraj and a teacher named Suman, attempted to stop the destruction, they were severely beaten. Bleeding and bruised, they barely escaped. This incident ignited immense anger among weaker sections in the region, drawing a massive crowd to the site a few days later. The dominant section in the village panicked due to their comparatively smaller support base. Subsequently, the administration intervened, leading to an agreement that restored the tribal household's farm.

Addressing Corruption in Development Funds

Beyond social discrimination, weaker sections also suffered from the misuse of development funds allocated for their benefit. In Karjaali village, when several youths protested this, they were falsely implicated. This prompted a public hearing that exposed widespread corruption in the use of these funds. As a result, the arrested youths were released, and one even won a panchayat election in subsequent years.

These various struggles, alongside smaller mobilizations, fostered greater unity and confidence among weaker sections. This growing solidarity was further solidified during a 12-day march from Chittor to Jaipur, the state capital—a distance of approximately 310 km, covered at about 30 km daily. This march forged connections with many more people, deepening their sense of unity.

These collective efforts are crucial for the democratic changes needed to make equality and justice a reality for historically weaker and deprived sections of society.

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Bharat Dogra is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include A Day in 2071, Man over Machine, When the Two Streams Met, and Earth without Borders