Santosh: Becoming open-minded

Resident of Akhadana village of Bap block, Santosh is a shy person by nature. She doesn’t speak much and most of the time her hands are busy in doing something or the other. However, when time comes to study, Santosh is one of the most articulate and willing learner. 16- year- old Santosh is a Meghwal (scheduled caste) by caste. The youngest among a family of 5 children, Santosh is also one of the persons who got associated with the project soon after its beginning. Her family has a small land which is ploughed when rain is enough to sough the seeds otherwise the main source of the subsistence of family is the wage labour which his father earn by working on the farms of rich farmers or otherwise.

Santosh

Santosh during her film-maker’s training

When first residential camp was organized in Bap block, she joined along with 5-6 other girls of her villages. Prior to that she had never attended any kind of school. Why, when the school was not even too far, she has no answer to this question except that she didn’t felt like going. Her eldest brother Ramuram is the one behind her success to be able to join camp and continue studies even thereafter.

“When I completed three months camp and passed grade III my brother came to witness my success. He interacted with many of my friends and co- learners and felt that being in the camp had done really good to us. He made me take admission in the formal school where I passed grade V and then encouraged me to join OMS for further studies.”

Alongwith continuing her education, Santosh has learnt traditional embroidery in one of the programmes of Doosra Dashak and using her newly acquired skill for the purposes of earning livelihood for her family. I have taught the embroidery to a number of girls in Charnai (a village in the vicinity) and people feel that I really do it well.

Santosh is also a member of the youth group formed in her village after return from residential camps and is one of the active members of the group. “We have taken a lot of initiatives since our return from the camp including mobilization of village community for the cleanliness drive in the village. When a dharna was staged in Bap and Phalodi for implementation of Employment Guarantee law, we alongwith our friends from different villages participated in it and showed our strength as a collective. At that time I went to a number of villages to inform people about the objective and intention of this particular initiative and all this was done on a bicycle. Doosra Dashak has provided us with a bicycle, which we use whenever we need. Before that no girl has ever ride on a cycle in our village. I feel good when people see me riding on a cycle and appreciate”.

Santosh is also an active member of the communication group formed at the block level to facilitate interaction with the community and spread messages on various issues. She recalls- “I have the clear impression of the way we were treated by the girls of so- called higher castes in the beginning of the camp. They refused eating with us and having food served by us. We felt so insulting. It was not that in the village we had not gone through such behaviour. Our village is a combination of people from Rajput, Bhil and Meghwal castes. Rajputs didn’t eat with us and in our houses. But when I saw the same atmosphere in the camp we felt rather disturbed. But our teachers and Doosra Dashak workers were sure to make a difference. They worked hard and ultimately compelled all of us to rethink on our notion of uchi Jati and nichi jati. By the time the camp ended we all were eating and living together irrespective of our caste, class or religion”.

“I feel that as a member of communication group we should try and change mindset of a larger community on such issues. When we stage role- plays in the villages sometimes people even oppose us and make fun of us, but we don’t get disheartened. I believe this is the only way change is possible. I have come along way since my association with Doosra Dashak but it has taken a three years time and still there is a long distance for me to cover. Same is the case with other people, I know change doesn’t come so easily, it requires knowledge and understanding which is what we have been able to receive in Doosra Dashak. Here in OMS we are preparing for class VIIIth but our intention is to go beyond scholastic education. We want to know about our world, develop capacity to earn for ourselves and get respect as persons. I am sure education would give us all that we aspire”.