It was an overcast morning, the wind was howling, the leaves from the trees were rustling, a flash of lightning bolted down from the sky and the thunder started rolling down and the sky became so dark. Mr. Raghuraj looked outside through the window to the small house of his neighboring friend Ugrasen. He was busy running after the arrangements of his daughter’s marriage, which has been underway. A few youths were decorating his small house and few others were setting up tents and the catering team started their preparations, and guests kept coming. It is in the evening the groom’s wedding procession is reaching the village. Raghuraj looked to the sky and then to the face of his friend, nothing of a celebration or gladness has been seen in him. Raghuraj understood the reason behind his sadness, and wanted to help him. But there was no alternate option in the village.
As presumed, by noon it started to rain heavily and the tent began to sway in the storm. Water dripped from the fabric tents and the torn rotten holes into the bodies of the guests. Everyone fled there and here in search of safe zones. Watching all this, Mr Raghuraj realized the pain of his friend and regretted over his helplessness being a neighbor and a friend. It was so shocking scene for all the guests who arrived by the evening. All of them regretted over the condition of the village, where there is no common space for conducting a wedding.
It was a reality in the village Basai Ka Pura. This village was located at a distance of 36 km from Dholpur district of Rajasthan. About 100 families of the Jatav community is residing in this village. There is a primary school and Anganwadi center in the village. Most of the villagers are below the poverty line and migrate to nearby cities and districts for a living. For all the religious, political, social, and family functions villagers had to be fully depending on the tentmakers. It was not at all a perfect choice during the storm and rainfall. Villagers had no other option other than that.
On January 14, 2022, Mr. Raghuraj came for the Child Protection Committee (CPC) meeting as usual. But Mr. Musthafa, Community Organizer of Prayatn Sanstha said that we were going to do a new exercise, which will surely help to develop our village. Consequently, various issues in the villages have been identified. Suddenly, Raghuraj raised his hand and highlighted the issue, which community was facing since decades, because of the lack of a Community Hall/Center in the village. Everyone in the gathering agreed over the issue because many have personally experienced the bad effect of it’s absence at least once in their life.
During the meeting, they analyzed the cause and effect of the issue and categorized it in the high priority. Child protection committee (CPC) has decided to take up the issue and get involved in the resolution processes. They have distributed the responsibilities between members. Subsequently, they have drafted a proposal and submitted it to the Sarpanch and secretary during the Government Community Interface organized in the village on 22nd April 2022. But there was no action from the end of the authorizes. Once again the same proposal has submitted to the Sarpanch and secretary on 12th August 2022. This time Child protection committee (CPC) has raised their voice for their rights and returned with an assurance to complete the sanctioning of a community hall from the officials. Raghuraj was one among them.
During the next Child Protection Committee (CPC) meeting, Raghuraj raised his voice and said “Our voice is heard” he then explained them about the approval of their demand of constructing a Community Hall in the village. All the participants became happy and overjoyed at their achievement. The work continued for the next couple of months and finally on December 09th, the community hall was inaugurated. Presently, this community hall is being used for all social, political, and family functions and meetings. Even Bal Manch, CPC, and other community meetings are also being organized in this hall. The entire community is thankful to the organization and child protection committee for resolving one of the extreme issues in the village.
