The Eighth International Conference decided to support the following project which was proposed by Arya Bhardwaj. Conference participants gave an offering of $300 USD on July 9, and are asked to publicize the international project information among the organizations they represent so that additional support may be given to this project in the two years before the ninth international conference.
Ekta Parishad (Organization for Unity) Madhya Pradesh, India
The Ekta Parishad, which is a mass based organization in Madhya Pradesh, has been struggling against the government and the land mafias for the last ten years to preserve the right over the land of the native Adivasis (tribes). Ekta Parishad organized many non-violent demonstrations and also asked the government to stop uprooting the Adivasis from their own land. However, no positive change has occurred.
Ekta Parishad has now given a notice to the government of Madhya Pradesh to fulfill the demands of Adivasis by October 2, 2000.
Ekta Parishad works to rehabilitate many of the displaced Adivasis by providing them shelter, food and some employment. More than 200,000 Adivasis are displaced in Madhya Pradesh, due to various development projects.
We are proposing the following actions to meet the immediate needs of the most deprived people:
1. Constructing Shelters
About 80 huts of Adivasis were destroyed by the department of Forest, Government of Madhya Pradesh in Tendughati village located at Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh. We require your support for providing cloths, utensils, and materials to rebuild their huts. The beneficiaries will invest their labor as their contribution.
2. Employment Generation
The Baigas, Saharias and other tribal groups of Madhya Pradesh are living under difficult conditions. Many of them have their land and common water tanks, but they can't spend their time to improve their resources because they have to work elsewhere. We require your support to improve their land and water resources by providing them enough food for a month so that they can work on their own farms.
To carry on this rehabilitation work we submit the following budget: Materials to make huts: 80 huts x Rupees 1000 per hut = Rupees 80,000 (Note, the current exchange rate is 45.60 rupees to 1.00 US dollar.)
Cloths and Utensils: 80 families x Rupees 500 per family = Rupees 40,000 Food for work: 1000 families x Rupees 500 per family = Rupees 500,000
Honorarium to full time workers: Rupees 2000 per month x 2 workers x 6 months = Rupees 24,000 Travel: Rupees 2000 per month x 6 months = Rupees 12,000
Please send your donations to your country's main WTR-PTC group, or to NCPTF, or direct to:
Name of the Organization: Gramin Vikas Pratishthan
Contact Address: At Sasaholi, P.O. Neora, Tilda 493 114, District Raipur, Madhya Pradesh, INDIA
Contact Persons:
- Mr. Rajagopal P.V., President,
- Mr. Sathyadas P.K., Secretary
Telephone Number: 07721 -44542 Fax Number: 07721 - 33468 {P.P)
Email: Jill Carr-Harris- jch_pci@vsnl.net
Registration Number and Date: 973 dated 21.05.1986 FCRA Number and Date: 063410036 Dated: 21.09.1987
Bank A/C Number and Name: 4360 Corporation Bank, Raipur|
With Regards,
Sincerely Yours,
(Rajagopal P.V.) National Convener of Ekta Parishad