The week before August 15 Gram Sabha, partners of Caritas India integrated programme on health and education (Roshni-Suposhan) facilitated 54 Ward Development Plans in the Mahadalit tolas, across the districts of Madhepura, Saharsa, Rohtas, Munger and Araria. Over a 1400 Rishidev, Saday and Manjhi communities’ members participated in negotiating their priorities, demanding civic amenities, health services, and social security measures. The Ward Sabhas were conducted as per the prescribed procedures, in the presence of the Ward secretary, Sarpanch, and Mukhiya.

The focus remained on formulating community level demands, and not individual demands. The Gram Sabhas are often reduced to working as vehicles to deliver Government schemes instead of enabling in-depth development-oriented dialogue. Even in this, the Mahadalit communities have typically been away from the power centres and active decision-making processes.

The Caritas India programme through the partners has been facilitating the Mahadalit communities to interact and negotiate at different levels of governance.

In Madhepura, demands for safe drinking water, toilets and drainage facilities, pucca roads and employment were recorded, facilitated by Madhepura Diocesan Social Service Society, across 15 Wards. In Sahasa, Prayas Gramin Vikas Samiti, facilitated the process in 15 wards, where the key demands pertained to land distribution to the landless, which is actually essential to the realisation of schemes like Swachh Bharat Mission to have household toilets; setting up of Mini Anganwadi in Mahadalit tolas where children are high in numbers and existing Anganwadi centres cannot accommodate them all; Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (housing), proper roads and community water systems.

In Rohtas, the Shahabad Parish Society, facilitated ward sabha in Sadava village in Akoda panchayat. Here the community demanded a better connectivity of Mahadalit bastis to the public institutions and service centres.

In Munger, Bihar Dalit Vikas Samiti and Prabhat Sakri in Madhubani, facilitated the planning in 10 Wards and 5 Wards, respectively, demanding Community halls, and efficient drainage facilities, in addition to concrete roads, canal and safe drinking water. Concerns were raised on legal documentation, school enrolment, social security schemes, besides having Mini Anganwadi centres and availability of land and infrastructure for existing Anganwadi centres, housing, guaranteed employment under MGNREGA, in Araria. This was facilitated in 8 Wards by the Purnea Diocesan Social Service Society.

Ward Sabha, being a localised level planning, enables leadership of Rishidev, Saday and Manjhi communities to decide for their areas’ development needs, which are placed before the Gram Sabha for resource allocation. In order to break the intergenerational cycle of disempowerment, the young girls and boys are also encouraged to observe these processes where they become aware of their rights and responsibilities as future voters.

Unfortunately, the August 15 Gram Sabha didn’t take place anywhere as the day coincided with a national festival. The Ward Development Plans have been parked for the next Gram Sabha, while representations would be made to the Gram Panchayat even before the Sabha.