Awareness Camps in Villages

Awareness Camps in Villages – Andhra Pradesh

Dalit Sthree Sakthi conducts continuous awareness camps to inspire the dalit women as part of its annual future. DSS conducted awareness camps on 29/8/2024 in Vijayawada slums. Meetings were held in Prakash Nagar, Machavaram, Raja Rajeswari Peta and YSR colony. Apart from Jhansi Geddam, National Convener of DSS, State and district teams and women collective leaders participated in the awareness camps. Ms. Roja, Chinnari, Malleswari, Ramadevi, Dedeepya, Saipranathi and Ganga devi were among the participants. Jhansi Geddam tried her best to convey to the people about the reality of life. Most women and youth are spending and wasting away much of the time are smart phones. The youth of the present generation is living in imaginary life and are unwilling to work hard. Unless the people, particularly the down trodden realised the reality of life they can’t progress. It is necessary for everyone to understand the power relations and how the ruling elite is cornering all the state resources. Without knowledge of economy politics, people can’t find solutions for their lives. These days the downtrodden are being lured by the ruling parties by announcing various benefits in a competitive manner at the time of elections. People should not be lured towards such schemes. They should be able to demand their reasonable share in all resources. The government brought long back the SCSP/TSP Act with the objective of allocating to the downtrodden their share in the budget. But this Act as become a dead law and budget is never allotted under this law. Due to lack of awareness neither the people nor the leaders from these sections are demanding for implementation of this Law. This simple illustration shows the lack of awareness among the downtrodden.

Apart from lack of knowledge the family institutions are also degenerating. Due to deteriorating

family relations there, ends are unable to pay attention to children’s education. The children are getting deviated through the misuse of internet and smart phone. During the last decade there is an alarming increase of juvenile crimes including serious offences like rape. There is arise a number of cases under POCSO Act in which the juveniles are involved. All these developments are indicative of a sad state of affairs among the down trodden communities. Social movements, reformative movements are totally lacking during the last decade. Women are getting addicted to TVs while the men are getting addicted to liquor. This situation is resulting in various mental illnesses and lead into lot of domestic and other forms of violence. It is urgently necessary to embark upon large scale education of the society. Unfortunately, there are no NGOs or government organisations engaged in this activity. To fill up this gap DSS has been conducting regular awareness camps in slums and villages. AS part of this campaign DSS held meetings at various places in Vijayawada on 29/8/2024.  

Awareness Camps in Slums - Telangana

Awareness meeting was conducted for Dalit Women Collective leaders on 23/9/2024. Several Women collective leaders from DSS working areas in Hyderabad and Medchal Attended the awareness camp. They came from slums like CC Nagar, Bansilal pet, Addagutta, Ajad Chandrasekhar Nagar, Gandhinagar, Bhoiyaguda, CC Nagar 2. In total about 25 women collective leaders, youth leaders attended the camp.  Coordinators Kireeta, Yashoda, National Coordinator Satya Cama Jabali, National Convener Jhansi Geddam addressed the gathering. The women collective leaders spoke on the multifarious issues affecting the lives of people in the slums. The issues presented by them are:

• Nuisance created by vagabonds

• Fast spreading sale and consumption of various narcotic drugs

• Consumption of alcohol and the domestic violence and the rising domestic violence

• Due to negligence of GHMC authorities drinking water is getting mixed up with drainage water

• There is no hygiene in the Anganwadi centres

• Most of the Anganwadi centres are in the rented houses and are in dilapidated condition

• The food given to the children is kept in unhygienic places in the school premises which is causing health problems.

• The overall school atmosphere is discouraging and due to that the level of education is very less.

The women collective leaders are monitoring all the above problems but many of the problems are yet to be solved due to non-response from the government.  After the women collective leaders spoke about the situation in the slums, Jhansi Geddam spoke addressed the gathering. She enlightened the gathering about the importance of the education. She emphasized that only education can bring about transformation in the lives of the poor. She stressed the need for educating every child she advised the women collective leaders to monitor the functioning of teachers and see that the teachers deliver quality education. She pointed out the need for women collective leaders to enlighten the surrounding people in the slums. She described how the political parties are corrupting the people by giving money and liquor. It is necessary for everyone to be conscious of the corrupt methods of political parties. It is necessary for all the leaders to mobilize the people in the slums and conduct meetings at least once in a week. It is necessary for everyone to be conscious of the economic situation and the political corruption. The marginalised people are leading a meagre life despite hard work. The ruling elite are misleading the people on caste and religious lives. The ruling elite is interested in dividing people so that the people clash among themselves. So that the ruling elite can continue their exploitation. The people should be aware of the damage being done to environment by the exploitative forces.

IN addition to the general awareness, it is necessary for everyone to be watchful of the activities of their children. Due to neglect of parental monitoring children are indulging in deviant behaviour and are consuming drugs. In Hyderabad the drug culture is increasing and it is necessary for all of us to be careful of the school and college going children. If we notice the sale of narcotic drugs in slums or education institutions, we should immediately inform the police and other concerned authorities. The parents also should monitor the usage of smart pone by their children. The parents themselves should come out of the habit of wasting time in watching useless TV serials and reels in smart phones. The women collective leaders should be responsible in monitoring the Anganwadi centres and government schools and inform the concerned authorities for rectification of the issues identified.