To understand the efficacy of various social welfare policies, Arundhati Dhuru analyzes how these policies affect the lives of one of the most socially, politically and economically marginalized communities in UP - the musahars.

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At the fringes of villages in Kushinagar, Maharajganj and Deoria districts of Uttar Pradesh one almost misses the cluster of huts doomed to neglect. The huts belong to Musahar community infamous as ‘rat - eaters’.

 An abandoned community:--

Musahars are estimated between 5 lakhs to 7 lakhs in Uttar Pradesh and concentrated in eastern belt of Uttar Pradesh in districts Kushinagar, Maharajganj, Deoria and are also found in Siddharthnagar, Mau, Jaunpur, Chandouli, Gazipur, Mirzapur and Varanasi districts. Exact figures are not available as they are included in SC category in the state but were not counted separately in last census. They are estimated to be closer to 3 millions in Bihar.

For the purpose of the present study villages Dhuriyaghat, Karmaini and Doghra from block Kasaya in district Kushinagar, villages Ledhi and Ramnagar Badiya from block Nichllol in dist Maharajganj and village Ranipur from block Katiya in dist Gopalganj were visited.

A landless community which was traditionally dependent on forest was slowly pushed from the forest areas as forests were nationalized, depleted and land based economy took over.  A resource less community found itself on the mercy of landed class which exploited them as bonded labourer for the weeding, harvesting and cleaning the fields. This work of cleaning the field from rats and later using the grain from rats burrow may have given them the name ‘Musahars’  (musa-rat and ahar-diet) and hence community whose diet is rats.

The community was further pushed towards pauperization as lands were divided and the harvesters were introduced. With the forests out of bound for the community they also lost their supplementary income which they used to get from supplying leaf plates during marriages and community events.

Brahmins, Thakurs, Yadavs are the main land holders in the area. But the landholdings of Musahar community are almost nil or meager. In villages we visited (5 in U.P. and 1 in Bihar) only 25% of people from 2 villages had land and average land holding is not more than 1 to 2 bigha. They got these lands when the Land Ceiling Act was implemented. But in 75% of cases they do not have control over land as original landholders had managed to get stay orders from the court. Plus their land is not irrigated, stony and far away near forest.

Musahars work as agricultural labourers for land holding castes and mainly do weeding and harvesting work. They earn Rs 40/-(men) and Rs 25/-(women) for harvesting and Rs 25/-(men) and Rs 15/-(women) for the weeding work. These wages are far below the minimum wages of Uttar Pradesh which is Rs100/-. Both these jobs are seasonal and give them employment for not more than 3 months in a year.

In rest of the year they either work as casual labourers for both agricultural and non-agricultural works earning not more Rs 40/- to Rs 60/- a day.

Many of them also work in the brick –kilns and earn Rs 70/- a day but here also their incomes are not substantial as none of them are skilled to do work of a fireman which is highly specialized work in the brick-kiln.

In the lean agricultural season due to lack of any other livelihood options Musahars migrate to other parts of the country traveling up to Delhi and Punjab where they work as casual labourers in construction industry earning not more than Rs 70/- to Rs 80/- a day and merely surviving on these wages. Some of them also move towards Jaipur where they are employed in the small textile units to colour the cloth and earn up to Rs 100/- a day. But all these jobs are in unorganized, underpaid sectors and they are part of the vast pool of migrants merely surviving on pittance. As a result none of them are able to break the cycle of bondage and poverty.

The family back home survives on the casual labour and also on debts. Marwaris and Brahmins are the main money lenders in the area. The interest rates are not less than 10% and mounting up to 15% to 20% which binds them to permanent bondage.

The status of Musahars is so pitiable that they do not even own the land on which they have built their kachha houses. They stay on the common lands of gram panchayat on the outskirt of the main village even far off from other SC houses. Devoid of electricity, proper roads, water and sanitation Musahars bastis look like castaway.

In spite of their numerical strength in many villages of eastern Uttar Pradesh they are reduced to inconsequential status as they are neither organized as vote bank nor do they have resources either tangible in terms of land or money nor skills to bargain their position in society.

Traditionally they had voted for the landed class who were their masters in life represented by Congress party but in the last state election they shifted their allegiance to Bahujan Samaj Party. But this shift has largely gone unnoticed in a state where highest numerical caste of ‘Chamar’ followed by second highest ‘Brahmins’ have joined hands to form the winning alliance.

The secondary citizens: -- Barrier and access to food schemes

The community which has been left behind by the society finds itself at the tail end of all the government schemes. As one of the poorest group who do not have any sustainable livelihood options and hence who faces severe food insecurity, they should have been entitled to receive the maximum benefits of food schemes. But here also they are at the receiving end.

PDS –20% of people have Antodaya cards on which they get 35 kg grains plus kerosene and sugar (15 kg rice-Rs 3/- per kg and 20kg wheat Rs 2/-per kg, plus 2lit kerosene, Rs 9.50/-per lit and 3 kg sugar Rs 13.50/-per kg)  which is regular. 50% people have BPL cards (Rs 4.65/-per kg wheat, Rs 6.15/- per kg rice, kerosene Rs 9.50/-per lit, sugarRs-13.50/-per kg). But supply is very irregular and they do not get for 5 to 6 months at a time and many times they have to pay @s20 to Rs 30/- more than the actual price.

There are around 30% of people who do not have any cards. At the time of this study many persons ration cards were taken back by Pradhan and they were told that their names are cancelled from BPL list. At the time of this study BPL survey is being conducted in Uttar Pradesh but none of the villagers were aware of it and no survey was conducted in their basti but their cards were taken back by Pradhan 3 months back.

MDM-All the villages we visited had school near the community. But most of the time it remains close and that is almost 20 days in a month. The teachers come from other villages, all of them belong to higher castes either Brahmins or from OBC. The food is cooked on the days whenever school is opened. Though a board is painted in all the schools describing the menu and food chart dal-chawal or khichdi is the major food cooked most of the time. Roti-vegetable and Khir is served occasionally. 95% children belong to Musahar community but none of the school had cook from Musahar community. All the cooks were either from OBC community or were Thakur. Though there is no open discrimination against the children as most of them anyway belong to Musahar community children complained that food is not enough and they are shouted at if they ask for second helping.

The study of MDM clearly shows that children belonging to other castes including other SC caste do not attend school in Musahar basti where the quality of education is very low and teachers are absent. None of the other castes want to be near Musahars.

ICDS- Aagnwadi is very irregular. In fact except in village Karmaini, block Kasaya in dist Kushinagar we did not find single aganwadi. People reported that it is opened rarely and whenever it opens only daliya is cooked. Here again none of the aganwadi teachers or her assistants belong to Musahar community. There is lot of anger against mismanagement of aganwadis. There is no obvious discrimination as none of the children belonging to other castes attend aganwadi in Musahar bastis.

NMBS/JSY- WE did not find a single beneficiary of NMBS in any of the villages. People have simply never heard of it. This is also the case with JSY. Though ANM nurse visit Musahar community once a month their only work is dministering polio drops.

NOAPS-10% people are benefited through NOAPS where they have received Rs 900/- and they received the money through bank. Many had requested Pradhan to fill their forms but their request was rejected.

NFBS- The plight of Musahars was suddenly thrown into limelight in October 2004 when Nagina Musahar of village Doghra, block Dudhai of dist Kushinagar died as a destitute while begging for food. His widow Prabhavati received Rs 20000/- as Nagina’s case was highlighted. But in other villages for example in village Dhuriya 2 widows received the 50% of the actual amount. Again coverage is very low not more than 10% of the eligible cases are benefited.

NREGS- Only 40 % people had job cards. 70 % of the job cards are either with Pradhan or with Panchayat Mitra or with secretary. Everyone had paid for their own photograph. None of the job card have photograph of women. Kushinagar is included in the first phase of NREGS but on average people have not worked for more than 20 days in a year and their 100 days guarantee is left unfulfilled. They have been paid as per the minimum wages but the study of their job cards and their testimonies show that days are exaggerated in their job cards than the actual number of day’s workers have worked and paid for. None of the women have worked under NREGS and all have been turned away. No work has been carried in Musahar bastis.

It is very interesting to note that other castes especially SC, OBC are getting the maximum share to work under NREGS since wages in Uttar Pradesh are raised to Rs.100/-.

The vested interests have made sure that Musahar will be out of NREGS and will be always available as free bonded labourers to work for lesser wages for agricultural work.

Recommendations:--

Rejected by society, ignored by politicians, shunned by government and  exploited by all the Musahar community finds itself behind the locked doors. The lack of any sustainable livelihood options, caste discrimination, absence of resources and political wilderness has made them really vulnerable. As seen earlier this has also led to them being left out of benefits of schemes increasing their susceptibility towards food insecurity.

A special attention and sensitive, comprehensive plan is required as an emergency measure to begin with.

Hence it is proposed:--

1. Historically Musahars have a life style closer to tribals. Their inclusion in the Scheduled Caste category has made them more socially and politically vulnerable. They should be included in the Scheduled Tribe category.
2. Musahars are facing severe food crisis and should be included in the Antodaya category.
3. As the community is malnourishment special need based plan for implementation of MDM and ICDS need to be drawn and all the direction of Supreme Court should be strictly implemented.
4. An employment programme for 300 days including the 100 days of NREGS will give them employment opportunity to break their bondage.