How the women of Rajasthan's Jhikali village fought back against environmental and economic threats

By Bharat Dogra 

For as long as anyone in Jhikali village can remember, a traditional pond has been the lifeblood of farming. Located in the Banswara district of Rajasthan, the Bhil Adivasi (tribal) community relies on its water for sustenance. Without it, farming would be nearly impossible.

Recently, the village faced two threats, but a powerful spirit of cooperation helped the community overcome both.

The Leaky Lifeline

The pond faced a crisis when large-scale seepage began, threatening to drain the water source and ruin the harvest. The villagers, however, had good news to lean on: the government had recently provided a solar pump to help lift water from the pond.

Fortunately, the women of Jhikali were well-organized in a self-help group, or saksham samooh, supported by the voluntary organization Vaagdhara. Paskali, an active member of the group, recalled, "We first asked the panchayat to make urgent repairs. When they didn't respond, we kept pressing our demand in a more organized way."

The panchayat eventually agreed, but the repairs were incomplete and lacked permanence. Experienced villagers knew that without immediate follow-up work, the pond would soon be in the same condition. The repairs needed stones that had to be carried from a distance. Several villagers, especially the women, decided to finish the work themselves. Sakka, another member of the saksham samooh, recalled the incredible solidarity. "It was difficult work," she said, "but the spirit of cooperation kept us going."

The villagers' ability to mobilize so quickly was due to a traditional system called Helma, which greatly aids cooperation within their tribal communities. Helma operates on two levels: villagers help each other voluntarily with farm work, and they also come together without pay to complete work for the common good of the entire community. It was this community spirit that enabled them to fix the pond before it caused more serious problems.

A Return to Roots

The same spirit of cooperation helped the villagers address another growing threat. Paskali explained, "We realized our farming costs were increasing and our crops were failing. We realized it was because we had abandoned our traditional, needs-based systems." This was confirmed at meetings organized by Vaagdhara, and the organized saksham samoohs were able to take the discussion further.

The community decided to return to natural farming and conserve their traditional seeds. "Some of the big farmers still want to use market-purchased chemical fertilizers and hybrid seeds," Paskali said. "But most of us small farmers, including the members of the saksham samoohs, have gone back to natural farming and saving our own seeds."

This shift back to traditional methods was made possible by the community's high level of cooperation. They could easily exchange different varieties of seeds without any cash expense, stopping their reliance on the market and reducing their costs.

Strengths like cooperation and community spirit are vital for rural development, but they are often overlooked because they aren't easily captured in statistics. It's time that these crucial aspects of development get the attention they deserve.

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Bharat Dogra is the Honorary Convener of the Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include India’s Quest for Sustainable Farming and Healthy Food, When the Two Streams Met, Earth without Borders, and Man over Machine