“We are treated as untouchables. We visit many government offices seeking the benefits of schemes, but senior officials do not even allow us to sit inside the office. What is our fault that we are poor?” Ms. Manda Gurudas Shil, a 55-year-old Dalit woman with disabilites, expressed her grief at the discrimination and apathy of government officials.

The exasperation of Ms. Manda is understandable. Her family is among 272 families, including 67 Dalit families, from Shirpur village in Nagpur district who have received two eviction notices from their own land. The government has declared Shirpur a coal belt, meaning all land will be acquired, and the residents will be relocated elsewhere. While the forcible eviction has not yet begun, the looming threat was not far off. Compensation and rehabilitation will be provided only to households with land records. Unfortunately, Ms. Manda and many other Dalit families do not possess such records. These families faced the scary prospects of being dispossessed of their homes without any compensation, resettlement, or rehabilitation.

The Nagpur Multipurpose Social Service Society (NMSSS) launched the Misereor-supported Jeevan programme in Shirpur in 2022, aimed at strengthening women’s leadership in community development and agriculture. One of the key objectives of the Jeevan programme was to empower communities to actively participate in local governance processes and secure access to various development and welfare schemes offered by the government. A common challenge faced by Dalit families in Shirpur is the lack of land records, which significantly restricts their access to government schemes. As in many communities, Dalits in Shirpur have historically faced layers of marginalization, stemming from longstanding systemic discrimination and social disabilities.

In response to the looming displacement and the absence of land records among Dalit families, the NMSSS organized the women of these households into a village-level organization. In addition to focusing on good governance and securing access to government schemes, this organization began working to obtain legal documentation, or ‘Patta’, for the land on which these families have lived for generations. NMSSS provided leadership training to the women, including public speaking skills, education on grassroots governance, and preparation to present their demands during Gram Sabha meetings and submit applications to government offices. To further enhance their confidence and skills, NMSSS also conducted Demo Gram Sabhas, or mock Gram Sabhas, to offer practical exposure to the proceedings and conduct of these meetings.

The women’s community-based organization (CBO) of Shirpur submitted a written application to the Sarpanch or the village headman in August 2022, requesting a special Gram Sabha meeting exclusively for women. As a result, a special Gram Sabha was held on November 17, 2022. During the meeting, the women submitted 23 individual applications for land assessment for tax calculation purposes. In some parts of India, tax penalty certificates and payment receipts are considered valid land records in the absence of a formal land title deed. Since panchayats levy taxes on house buildings, tax assessment records and receipts are accepted as proof of house ownership.

During the special Gram Sabha, the women demanded that the panchayat immediately assess their land for tax purposes. “The deputy Sarpanch tried to mislead us, saying there would be no benefit in assessing or levying house tax since the entire village is going to be rehabilitated,” said Ms. Sunanda Ghuguskar, a CBO member and widow. “However, we insisted to the Sarpanch that we want the land assessment, as it will serve as the basis for any housing claims after relocation,” she added. Ms. Sunanda also mentioned that the Sarpanch assured them in the Gram Sabha that a memorandum would be prepared and submitted to the higher authorities.

“The deputy Sarpanch continued to create obstacles for the Dalit women, even when they collectively approached the local lawmaker, the Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA). He even tried to stop us on the street, saying our demands were baseless and our efforts would be futile,” Ms. Sunanda recounted, describing the local resistance they faced.

Defying this opposition, the women CBO members submitted a memorandum to the local MLA, Mr. Sudhir Parve, on January 5, 2023, demanding housing rights for 45 Dalit families. “The MLA was sympathetic to the distress of the women. He assured us that he would take the matter to the Deputy Chief Minister, Mr. Devendra Fadnavis. Eventually, we managed to meet Mr. Fadnavis on February 16, 2023, and submitted a memorandum demanding land and housing rights,” Ms. Sunanda said, ecstatic while recounting the success of their efforts.

The deputy chief minister sympathetically listened to the women’s concerns and assured them that he would intervene to secure housing rights for the Dalit families of Shirpur. “The deputy chief minister was particularly impressed by our unity,” said Ms. Rachna Ramteke, another woman leader from the village. “He told us that he would ensure that housing scheme benefits are made available to all Dalit households in Shirpur, even if their land has not been properly assessed.”

With the intervention of the deputy chief minister, the once-reluctant administrative machinery began moving swiftly. Barely two months after the women submitted their memorandum, the land assessment for the 45 Dalit families of Shirpur was finally conducted.

The day of celebration arrived sooner than expected. True to his word, the deputy chief minister ensured progress. On May 30, 2023, six Dalit women were invited to represent the 45 Dalit households of Shirpur at a grand ceremony for land assessment and housing scheme distribution. During the event, Mr. Devendra Fadnavis personally handed over certificates of land assessment and housing scheme entitlements to the six women of Shirpur.

“We fought hard for shelter. We fought together. Now, we have a roof over our heads,” said Ms. Archana Ramteke, beaming with satisfaction after the long and arduous battle for land rights had finally borne fruit.