SheelaMarandi is a founder member of NariMuktiSangh (Women’s organization, fighting for dalit, adivasi and poor people in Jharkhand and Bihar). She was arrested 10 years ago from Jharkhand and branded as Maoist. After great efforts of people and friends she was released in February 2017. This is the first interview of Sheela di after her release on bail.
Question- What was the objective of the NariMuktiSangh? (NMS)
Answer-It was started to counter the feudal exploitation in rural areas. The wages were very less and everyone had to go and work for the landlord. First they had to do work for the landlord and the remaining time they had to do for their own work. They would work for 12 to 13 hrs. All they would get was half a kg of rice and 2 kilo of dhan (paddy) as a payment. In case they couldn’t pay their debts they would have to work more and in case they refused to work they would be beaten. All the women of the house, daughters, daughter-in-laws had to work in the landlord’s house. They would also be sexually exploited and there was also harassment of the forest officials. They were not allowed to cut a single tree, even the forest official sexually assaulted women. People were not allowed to wear good clothes or slippers in front of the landlords. Forest department used to put false cases on them and put in jail. The whole language used was very feudal and always called in insulting way, the treatment of the Bhumihar was even worst. Situation hasn’t changed even today. The toiling classes are still treated badly by the upper caste feudal people.
In this situation issues like dowry, child marriage, and polygamy and dowry killings were all issues within this larger system against which NMS was formed.
State violence and domestic violence were issues that were taken up by NMS.And in 1990 NMS was formed. The main objectiveswere state violence, sexual violence and feudal violence against women could be removed from its roots.
q- How did you strengthen NMS in the area?
After the formation, area of work was broadened. One of the issues was minimum wages for the women working in the field of landlords. Largely the women of these feudal landlords did not work in the fields. So it was the toiling women who would do all kinds of work. So the first thing we did, we made the list of work to be done. Increase the wages of bidipatta, decrease working hours and increase the payment of rice from 1/ 2 kg to 8 kg. Through continuous struggle they were able to increase the wages from half kg to 8 kg. Wages for tendupatta were 4 to 5 rupees per bundle (100 leaves). ‘Bidipattamajdoorivridhhisangharshsamiti’ was formed in 1983. Around the same time the movement against dowry was also started. Movement against liquor was also started around 1980. These movements got lot of support from people. There was a movement around health. There were medicines but they were not reaching to the people. Around 1980, movement started. People used to give seven days warning, then take out rallies, distribute leaflets, and then they would start giving the medicine. People started coming to NMS for dowry deaths, decisions would be taken in aamsabhas, where all the people would participate in the gram sabha including the surpunch. NMS would lead. People would investigate the problem and then find the solution to the surpunch. In case decision of surpunch seemed fair then it was accepted otherwise the NMS women would intervene and correct and give pro women decisions. Sometimes the groom and parents were also beaten as punishment. They would also have to pay a fine and it was taken in writing that boy would not marry again. In cases of widow remarriage or deserted women the matter would be taken up in a similar way and was tried to resolve in public forum. These problems were mainly found in upper and middle castes. People had started approaching NMS for the resolution of their problems instead of police stations. People from all the neighboring villages started coming for janadalats (People’s Courts). So the women of the upper and middle class also started to associate with us. The decisions were taken by NMS were quite progressive. The responsibility of the deserted women in marriage would be on the larger society and for this the women’s sangathan had to be empowered. We knew that it would only through the empowerment of women we could put end to these problems. Large number of people used to come in sabhas. Slowly movement against liquor and addiction grew stronger in the rural areas. Women and children supported us in large number. Men would beat women on any pretext and throw them out of the house. And they would say we are the ones who bring money.
q- How did you meet challenges coming from forest department?
Even against the harassment by the forest department, it was NMS that took the lead. They formed jungle surakshasamiti. The committee would go to forest areas through samiti. Jungle surakshaasamiti took up the responsibility of the protection of the people and forest from the forest department. Once again the people supported this move. This stopped the interference of the jamindars and the forest department.
q- How did you meet problem of domestic violence?
Slowly women started coming forward for every issue. They also faced domestic problems and violence at home in some instances. In cases where women were thrown out of their marriages the groom family were forced to pay wages for the work she did in that house and they would also had to return dowry which were taken by her at the time of marriage. Where the women would not get married again, it was ensured that she gets her share in property. There were also demands for paying wages for the domestic labor. And the grooms had to take care of her daily needs. The issues of remarriage, child marriage, polygamy and widow remarriage were all listed in manifesto of NMS. The strength of NMS worked against the oppression of the feudal forces, created pressure against the child marriage and dowry. All of these decreased and people could not dare to take dowry openly or go for child marriage. Under the influence of imperialistic culture incidents of rape and sexual harassment increased. People started questioning who would be responsible for this. The NMS would reply that it was the responsibility of the whole village. In case of any incident the person was given 3 warnings, if he did not stop the action was taken. The narivahini would take action. But actions were taken after careful deliberation.
In some cases, the forest department and feudal forces also started to react and people were sometimes put in jail. But once sangathana grew stronger the reactionary forces would have to leave the area.
In the lower caste there was also the prevalence of witch hunting and superstitions. People rarely visited doctors. In some cases where we could not reach, people have died due to lack of medical services. Widows, poor women from weaker sections were also branded as witch and they would be blamed for deaths. And then some times these women would be beaten and locked up in the houses. Many times women were branded as witch and killed and murdered.NMS distributed leaflets and took meetings and mobilized movements against these things.Took people to doctors who were not treated by doctors and spoke against superstitions, also some people were penalized, where it was needed. This way we were able to control the situation to a large extent. Where we don’t have reach, those places still affected by these things. In some places where women were killed, meetings were taken by janadalats and people were punished.
Expansion of sangathan
In 1990 committees were formed in 4 districts. There were elections for president secretary and treasurer and 5 people working committee. There was three days convention and an open program was organized on 8 march in Giridihdistrict. People from 4 districts (Dhanbad,Giridih,Bokaro,Hazaribagh)were participated in the convention. There was a big rally and a public meeting and 7 thousand people attended it. All district committees were given the responsibility of expanding of sangathan and strengthening the organization. The local landlords created their own private army.InGiridih and Dhanbad they created ‘SunlightSena’ and in Hazaribagh they created ‘JharkhandMuktivahini’.The state also tried to create private army and repression started. In 1997, 9 districts(Dhanabad,Giridih,Bokaro,Hazaribagh,Palamu,Dumaka,Gaya,Chatara,Latehar) held their own conventions. And there was a central convention in which 50000 people participated. NMS people started campaign and publicizing the event one month before and also started collecting funds. About one lakh leaflets were distributed and people contributed a lot. Everyone was given the snack of gurchura (jaggary and flatten rice), as breakfast. The whole program was organized on the strength of people. After 2004 the police started repression andNMS activists and common people got arrested during 8 march program. The state would always try to disturb the program but they were not able to completely vanish the program. The central program held in Patna. These programs contributed to the expansion of sangathan and it was led solely by women. Largely it was rural women who led the movement. In 2002, 200 women led the program; they collected around 6 to 7 lakhs of rupees. Intellectual women also supported the sangathan and the movement. Some of the NMS women were kept in jails over 6 months. Arrests were made. NMS women were at the forefront at the struggle against the feudal lords.
q- Tell me about your personal journey in movement?
a- My involvement in people’s movement was started in 1973-74. In the beginning I had to face a lot of difficulties. People were reluctant to join the movement, because they were not fully aware and they were also in the influence of landlords. But on issue of land and wages people started to come together and strength of the sangathan started to grow. That was the time we started asking the equal wages for man and women and for 8 hrs of work. My village is in Giridih districts. Slowly more and more adivasi men and women started to join us. The state also started their anti-class propaganda that this organization is only for adivasi women. Then we distributed the leaflets and held meetings to counter this and say that this organization is for all toiling class. This is allowed for all poor women of all caste and tribe. Sometimes it would be the leaders who would make the mistakes of making exclusion but workers were very clear about this inclusion. Till about 1980 I was staying in home and I was doing work in area around my home. But after 1980 I stopped going home. I could not even attend the funerals of my mother and father when they died. By 1980 I had become a full timer. I was born in a poor adivasi peasant family and therefore could not study. Where there was no tradition of women’s education. All my education happened through the organization. Even that my education was never complete because for a revolutionary education is never complete.
q- How do you see patriarchy in your society?
a- There is patriarchy exist in adivasi society. Women don’t have right in property. It is fathers name carried on in the family and women have to stay subservient in the family. The only difference here is that marriage is not so sacrosanct and women can leave the marriage and marry again. The society allows for that. Also that a woman can go and work and earn livelihood separately. Even the women who join NMS had to face patriarchal resistance. But it was not so strong as to prevent complete participation. It was for those reasons that adivasi and dalit women would join NMS. Where the women were single or widows there they did not face so much problems. In the movement against dowry, almost all women participated and NMS is still active. But cannot work openly because there is strong repression from police. Still in the present time NMS actively participates in any issue that comes before the people. People realize that if we are not united we will lose our jal-jangal-jameen.
Even now the issue of CNTC (Chhota Nagpur Tenancy Act) DE notification is a big challenge in front of people and they are strongly protesting against it. The people are still with us. The state is trying to weaken the organization by attempting the members by giving them positions with in the panchayat system and therefore breaking them from organization. They are targeting the adivasis because they are the strong base of organization. It is our understanding that the government is trying to divert people and dilute the movement. In today’s time police repression is our biggest challenge. The state is terrorizing people and branding them as Naxalites. In places where our influence is strong, the repression is also strong. NMS members are branded as Maoist and put in jail.
The state is trying to tempt adivasis by giving them material things like motor bikes etc. we always tell people that these comforts will not take us towards to true liberation and will keep us enslaved in this exploitative system. Why are you distancing yourselves from masses and becoming agents of state and exploitative system. It is your responsibility that you take the side of the masses and work for their liberation.
Even today the movement has the strong support of people and we are working towards developing revolutionary political consciousness among them. We have started working all over again towards rebuilding the movement and taking it forward.