KOCHI:It was a godforsaken plain somewhere in the heartland of India with a forgotten population living at the mercy of nature. The time frame was the late 1980s. A research scholar with a passion to better the livelihood of the downtrodden arrived in their midst. Thus began a story that ignited new hopes for the land and its people, opening a new chapter in the life of P S Vijayshankar which eventually became his life mission.
A native of Thiruvannur in Kozhikode, Vijayshankar joined the Centre for Development Studies as a researcher after post-graduation under the guidance of the present Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac. Later, he moved to Madhya Pradesh to be a part of the Narmada Bachao Andolan. During this period, he got acquainted with a few like-minded researchers and activists and they collaborated to form an NGO, Samaj Pragati Sahayog (SPS), for the development of the tribal people.
SPS was established in 1990 in Bagli in the Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh. It was a tribal belt and the villagers, despite the proximity to major rivers like Narmada, were plagued by drought which drove them out of their fields in search of employment. Many fell prey to land grabbers and zamindars and lived like bonded labourers.
“The first thing SPS did was to analyse the conditions in Bagli,” Vijayshankar told Express. “We found the villagers depended entirely on rain for cultivation. Irrigation was not developed and as a result, a second crop was not possible in the later part of the year. This forced the farmers to move elsewhere in search of employment leaving their land fallow,” he added. As an immediate solution, SPS helped farmers dig wells. And as a long-term alternative, they took to conserving rainwater by building small bunds near rivers.
“The watershed projects helped the farmers cultivate a second crop, augmenting their income,” he said. Earlier, crops like jowar, cotton and types of dal were cultivated, but once the irrigation facilities were developed, the farmers also started cultivating wheat. This was a major milestone.
When asked about the difficulty of the task at hand, Vijayshankar said, “The tribals were initially sceptical about accepting us. They thought we were there to exploit them. Many even thought we were missionaries.” However, persistent efforts bore fruit and they relented. The SPS also put in efforts to recover the farmers’ land taken away by the zamindars. Slowly but steadily it was recovered with the help of the district administration.
Later, to ensure the livelihood of these farmers, sustainable farm practices were introduced and quality seeds were made available. Dairy farming also became a component. “At this point, we started women-centric self-help groups to work hand in hand with the livelihood programmes. At SPS we strongly believe women are the key to integrated development. The self-help groups provide financial security, where excess money is invested and loans can also be availed. This saved them from loan sharks and the vicious circle of poverty,” said Vijayshankar, who is a visiting professor at the University of Pennsylvania in the US.
SPS initiatives, mainly the watershed programme, have now benefited about 350 villages. And at the core of this development is the quiet and unassuming man whose efforts have gone a long way in changing the lives of these people for good. When asked about his motivation to move miles away from home to an unknown terrain, he smiled and said, “It was to make a difference in the lives of people and this came as a challenge. Also, it was not just me, I had a wonderful team who is like family now.” Still a bachelor, he said it was his work and the NGO that are now his existence.
About the NGO
● SPS works to secure livelihoods across 72 backward districts
● Baba Amte Centre for People’s Empowerment has been established as a learning centre to work in proxmity with different NGOs to improve lives of the people
● SPS has taken up 112,000 acres for direct implementation of watershed programmes spread over 81 villages, leading to a spending of C28 crore and generating nearly 1 million person-days of employment
● As a result of the watershed programme hundreds of tribal farmers who have grown a single rainfed crop all their lives are now cultivating 2-3 crops
● Improved varieties of 10 major crops - sorghum, maize, pigeon pea, soybean, cotton, groundnut,
black gram, green gram, chick pea and wheat- are being cultivated
● 2,000 women’s Self-Help Groups (SHGs) have been established in 339 villages and 13 towns with around 30,000 members
● So far the SHGs have saved more than C18 crore and provided loans worth more than C66 crore to their members