ADIVASI WOMEN OF JHABUA

As such the civil district of Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh is one of the most backward district in India in everything. Over the last 30 to 60 years Government of India and of Madhya Pradesh have spent billions and billions of Rupees each year including other agencies and NGOs for the Adivasi development. But the district has not improved a bit since the persons involved did not invest themselves and the funds towards gaining desired goals by the Central and state Governments, and the funds went elsewhere. It appears at first sight that all the claims made for the tribal development are false and the helpless tribals are forced to migrate, most of the time of the year nearly 70% this year (2009) to distant places in the country as far as Goa, Delhi, Ajmer and other places in search of daily wages. It is a grave matter of concern for research for the national and the international agencies, social scientists and media persons, that at last in whose pockets the funds have gone....?

The tribals who have gone outside of the state, especially to Gujarat have leart more than what the NGOs in the home district teach them. Because the NGOs themselves are breedding on the tribal resources with practically no exceptions including those run by the christian missionaries. Seva(service) is left aside since a good life style supported by the tribals funds gains upper hand. Hence in spite of these NGOs some of them working in the Seva of the tribals for the last 100 years, have no results to be proud of since they did not direct these tribals towards desired goals except making them further dependent and depriving their chances of developement in life and continually making of false claims of tribal service.

Amidst all deprivation, breach of human and cultural rights or indigenous rights the Adivasis, the Bhil women have begun to change their traditional trade from agriculture to daily labour, to l trade some small items which are their own products, in which they were constantly cheated and there was no protection for their human right issues such as this, not even from the state except their existence of these provisions on papers. In this aspect a scene of total failure is visible all round.

On the 4th of March, 2009, some 2000 Adivasi Bhil women of the district of Jhabua assembled together to display their products from nearly 20 self help groups(SHG) from within the district animated by Pragati(social service society) in a village called Bhadaria some 18 KM North of the district of Jhabua in MP. These womem displyed the bio-organic manure, wormy manure, carrots, and various types of agricultural products of this maure such as vegetables including bead ornaments, their own prepared dresses, like ghaghra, saree, polka(blouse), spices, indigenous variety of chicken( Kadaknath), washing powder, candles, . Within 2 to 3 years hundreds of these Adivasi Bhil women, saved good amount of money by their own self initiatives promted or animated by Malhing Kattara of Pragati from the local area.

The Impact of the venture was notable one. Sulochana Bhuriya(22) an animator of the Pragati says that Adivasi Bhil women who changed their traditional trade and began to personally involve in this sort of home industry so to say are dressing better, appear happy and confident, their income increased, now they have more money available at home, their children are supported regularly for better education, more children go to schools, even colleges, better food , learnt some marketing skills, began to protect their own human rights and seen over all change in their outlook towards life.

Needless to say if the money came for the tribals, if spent only 5%, the Bhils of Jhabua would have changed their life remarkably and would appear on the tribal scene better. The calamity prevails because of denial of their human and cultural rights and they are being forced to be semi nomads each....!

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