Author: Ram Swaroop
Publication: The Organiser
Date: December 21, 2003
Shri Ram Swaroop is dedicated to
the uplift of Bhil vanvasis of Banswara region. When he took over the project
about 13 years ago the region was fully in the vice-like grip of Christian
missionaries. But now the picture has changed all together and the missionaries
are about to pack up and leave the region. Organiser spoke to him to learn
about his experience. Experts:
Q.: How self-reliant are your projects?
A.: All the projects are almost
80 per cent self-reliant. The remaining 20 per cent aid comes from the
society. All projects are cost-effective.
Q.: What positive changes do you
find in the vanvasis among whom the Pratishtahna is working for 33 years?
A.: The biggest change that we
have been able to bring about is that we could infuse among them self confidence
and they ' are rapidly moving towards self-reliance. As far as education
is concerned, the vanvasi youth of Banswara region are way ahead of other
vanvasis of, say, Dungarpur, Udaipur, Chittorgarh and other places in Rajasthan.
After acquiring better higher education through our projects they get jobs.
Q.: Now that you have parallel work
with the Christian missionaries', do you face a clash of interest?
A.: Several clashes were witnessed
in the beginning. They (missionary activists) stoned our ashrams and projects
and did all they could to stop people from coming to us. They also resorted
to misreporting to the local administration against us. Our activities
have now taken deeper roots. Indeed, we no more chase them, rather we are
busy with our own activities and we just want to prove ourselves better
than them.
Since "home-coming" is also part
of your activities, it is reported that the re-converted people do not
get full cooperation from the original community and after some time they
feel marginalised. Does it happen here also?
This kind of problem is reported
with the Muslims as the original Hindu community is wary of trusting them.
But this is not the case with the re-converted Christians as the people
feel that they were very much part of their own community. Some people
had adopted Christianity during the lifetime of people who still survive.
Therefore, they do not hesitate to accept these re-converted Christians.
We have not yet started our activities among Muslims in right earnest.
But in the case of Muslims we do not reconvert only one or two families.
We select a whole community or a particular region and, if they agree,
we bring the whole community to their original roots so that even after
re-conversion they could remain one with their relatives and friends.
Q.: The Bhil society is in the grip
of many addictions. How do you bring them out of it?
A.: We do not make special efforts
to wean them away from alcohol. We appeal to the nobler feelings among
them. We create such an atmosphere around them that they feel it bad to
drink or even smoke publicly and gradually they give up the habit. When
a majority of people starts recognising the evil, it cannot persist for
long.
Q.: The Naxalite problem is taking
root in various vanvasi regions. Do you apprehend any such threat here
also?
A.: About 20 years ago one Latha
Swaminathan had started setting up a Naxalite network in this region. She
had also set up several centres in Banswara and Dungarpur. But she could
not succeed, as people did not support her activities.
