Learning adds to one’s knowledge

INTRODUCTION

     The Northeast Research and Social Work Research (NERSWN) Kokrajhar, is one of the responsive voluntary organization operating in the region. The organization was conceived by a group of young people who were together known as ‘BRANSTHU’ in December 2004 and was registered as a society in June 2005. Presently, the organization is operating from its Headquarter at Kokrajhar , Assam with its project offices located at Gossaigaon subdivision and a campus at Chandrapara  in the dist. of Kokrajhar. Currently, the organization is working mainly in the Bodoland region of Assam with a group of people who have experienced exclusion from the developmental discourse, with an aim to realize sustainable development and create equitable opportunities.

Vision – A society free from injustice, violence and prejudice

Mission – Through transparency and participatory means, NERSWN strives to realize development and rights of the marginalized through building capacities of communities and strengthening knowledge technology and networks.

ACTIVITIES

• ·       Enquired about Bodoland Territorial Council:

Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) is an autonomous governing system which is amended under the sixth schedule of the Constituition of India.

• ·       Gathered information about the politics and conflicts between different community:

There has been a powerful politics been played in the formation of BTC and depicts the struggle of Bodo community into it. During the struggle of the demand of separate state for Bodoland, communal violence had been created which lead to destruction of many communities.

• ·       Participated in Independence day in Dolkata School:

Dolkata school is supported by NERSWN which is located in a Santhali village. It provides a self supportive education to the Santhali children.

• Visit to local village market

The local village market provides a place of economic generation and also to get socialise with different community.

• ·       Home visits and collected case study:

Went about to different villages and collected case study and succesful stories where NERSWN has implemented its project work and brought a change in the lives of people.

• ·       Line Sowing Cultivation

As part of livelihood initiative, NERSWN provides training to different village for line sowing cultivation. We had participated in the demo practice of it.

• ·       Folklore

Took part in NERSWN’s Child Protection team took initiative to spread general awareness by singing tribal songs and narrating stories. This awareness programs was specially lead by the young kids, who compose songs and perform it at different places.

• ·       Personality development and Time management session

Conducted personality development and time management session in different schools for std. 8^th and 9^th in Gossaigaon.

• ·       Pig Rearing training program

With the initiative of livelihood team of NERSWN, pig rearing training program had been organized in which Santhal and Bodo women had participated for it.

• ·       Rajbanshi cultural program

In a village in Sapkata, the Rajbanshi community had organized a cultural program in which we took part as an observer.

• ·       Visited Mornei Tea Estate in Kathalguri

Visited Mornei Tea Estate and interviewed the tea garden workers.

• ·       Visited Sidho-Kanhu school in Srerampore

We visited a school in Srerampore which gives admission to poor and dropout children of Santhal tribe.

• ·       Village stay in Jowarbil

We had village stay of three days in Jowarbhil, which is comprised of eight villages by Santhalis who were chased away during Bodo-Santhal conflict. It is located in the Assam, West Bengal and Bhutan border.

LEARNINGS:

        The establishment of Bodoland Territorial Council(BTC) has thrown light on the power of autonmous governance system. The autonomous governance system not only provides power to a community to govern its own territory but also to safeguard their land, tradition, culture, language, identity and many such factors from getting washed away by any external factor. The declaration of sixth schedule to tribal dominated area has also provided an opportunity and advantage for the people to safeguard itself from epistimicide. In the long struggle for a separate state by the Bodo community, there had been lot of conflicts between Bodo-Santhal, Bodo-Muslim which started in 1996 and continued till 1998 then, again in 2007 and 2012. Many stories has been narrated on this communal conflicts, many lives, houses, cattle, paddy, etc.has been destructed. After that, the people started to stay in fear and with the help of state and many organizations camps were established and people were shifted to stay in it. They were beenrio, Bodo-Santhal-Muslims have got back the trust with each other and started living together provided with minimum amount of food and still found place for education. In present scena. But, while in Ontological enquiry of the conflicts it could be traced out that the cold communal hatred has been still going on and is trapped inside one’s emotions. The roads and markets are always seen with large army troops which is always in alert, giving vigilance to the place and the people.

         When looked into the matter of conflict from both the community party, it is found that each community had tried to assert their existence and identity, may it be Bodo-Santhal conflict or Bodo-Muslim conflict. While interviewing different community for ontological enquiry, one has to take a position of non judgemental and look into both the sides. What lies in common for all the community is the equal amount of destruction. When interviewing an anonymous from Bodo community he said,” How can one easily give their territory to any other outsider?” Yes, it was true in sense. When interviewing an anonymous from Santhal community, he said,” We were staying in peace but, the peace broke like glass pieces when they destroyed our family, house, land, cow, goat,etc. They want us to stay poor”.

       

      Looking into the matter where many are displaced to other places, lost source of livelihood, deteriorated health, lack of education, minimum amount of connectivty to outside world, poor transportation system, lack of food, etc. in all people have been excluded from the developmental process. In such situation, NERSWN has been as an support to them and showed way of  development which utilizes the available resources in their area. It comes up with many programs where people are given training on sustainable livelihood, formation of SHG’s, market system, small business, education to poor children, etc. NERSWN is associated with the govermental instituitions, funding agencies, UNICEF, and many others organizations which provides a support to the excluded people to bring them to a platform of equality in economic and social condition. It has also taken an initiative in providing education to the children who had lack of school in the locality. It started tking active performance in education from the camps where the young kids who were affected by the conflicts can continue their education. The teachers were the youngsters from their own community who had done their inter or bachelors. This provided employment to young people and thus avoided them from exploiting time in unnecessary work. The Gwjwn Suluk Jowarbil school, which is located in Jowarbil has accomodated children to get education from all the eight villages. It follows a model of growth of school by self help by the village people. The school has a School Member Committee(SMC) which encourages the villagers to plan and implement strategies which would contribute in the development of the school by utilizing available resources.

         The experience that I have gained during my block placement with NERSWN in Gossaigaon has provided an insightful look into the ontology of the whole situation of different communities. It has helped me to look into the whole experience from a tribal perspective. Thus, it has added to my knowledge.

By- Daisy Kujur

Email- daisykujurofficial@gmail.com