Wada Na Todo Maha Abhiyan-Stand Up and Speak Out events in Maharashtra

Economic deprivation is a standard feature of most definitions of poverty. But this in itself does not take account of the myriad of social, cultural and political aspects of the phenomenon. Poverty is not only deprivation of economic or material resources but a violation of human dignity too. Indeed, no social phenomenon is as comprehensive in its assault on human rights as poverty. Poverty erodes or nullifies economic and social rights like right to health, adequate housing, food and safe drinking water, and the right to education. The same is true of civil and political rights- right to a fair trial, political participation and security of the person. This fundamental recognition is restructuring the international community’s approach to the next generation of poverty reduction initiatives.

Definition of poverty from the human rights perspective and its understanding leads to more adequate responses to the many facets of poverty, responses that do not trample on rights in the pursuit of growth and development. Further, it also gives due attention to the critical vulnerability and subjective daily assaults on human dignity that accompany poverty. Importantly, it looks not just at resources but also at the capabilities, choices, security and power required for the enjoyment of an adequate standard of living and other fundamental civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights.

In order to eradicate poverty which is treated as a violation of human right there have been interventions at various levels. Different countries are trying out their methods to tackle this issue and offer its citizens a life of dignity and self-dependence with adequate for health and well-being, to food, clothing, housing, medical care and social services. And in consonance with this effort all the 189 member nations of the United Nations (UN) have pledged to meet the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) adopted at the Millennium Summit in the year 2000. There have been policy changes also in order to achieve these goals by the year 2015.

The UN Millennium campaign initiated by the UN has been taken up through different strategies in different countries. Global Call Against Poverty is the International alliance that is basically promoting Governance Accountability towards the MDG. In India efforts under this campaign were initiated under the name of WADA NA TODO (Don’t break your promise) Campaign which took birth in the year 2005. In India pledges have been taken to eradicate poverty, address the issues of primary education, health, and rights of people along with taking note to fulfill the other goals.

As a part of the UN Millennium campaign, it was decided at the global level to carry out the “Stand Up and Speak Out” event which is a world record attempt to get people all around the world to stand up at the same moment against poverty. In India it was organized on the 17^th of October, 2007 (“International Day Against Poverty”) with focus on the plight of the world's poor, to campaign for their rights to livelihoods, food, water and basic services. It is about working harder to achieve the Millennium Development Goals of reducing World poverty by 50% by 2015.

In consonance with this Wada Na Todo Maha Abhiyaan, in Maharashtra that is being led by YUVA-Rural, a Nagpur based Social organization devoted to the downtrodden through its interventions in the field of Natural Resource Management and sustainable livelihood, Gender and other forms of social discrimination and Governance and Human rights along with various partners in the state is the state level alliance that is promoting citizens to ask Governance Accountability towards the given promises under the framework of MDG.

On the occasion of Anti Poverty Day on 17^th Oct 2007 and in support with Stand-up and Speak out event Maha Abhiyaan ensured participation of the masses through the Gram Sabhas and/or Students gatherings at various locations in the state of Maharashtra. Gram Sabhas were held in 1027 locations with a total of 1,10,200 participants in the Bhandara, Satara, Sangli, Amravati, Nandurbar, Gondia, Parbhani, Nanded, Aurangabad, Ahmednagar, Nagpur, Nasik, Dhule, Jalgaon, and Latur districts of the state.

In the various Gram Sabhas resolutions were taken on the issues of Poverty, Food Security, Primary Education, Gender Equity, Child mortality, HIV/AIDS, Maternal health, Environment Security, Participation in global development, Indira Awaas yojna, Employment Guarantee Scheme, Farmers suicide, Clean Drinking Water, Land for Landless, Re-Conducting BPL survey, Free education with transport facility for girls, Higher education for women, Improve overall condition of PHCs, Construction of roads, Farm land for Dalits, Subsidy and low interest rate for Dalit farmers, Credit support for marginal for SC, ST, backward communities, Loan for farming, Vocational training for youths, Training to develop agro based resources for SHG members, Fair and quality distribution of PDS, Timely and well distribution of rationing, Shelter for homeless, Employment opportunities to stop migration of people, Pension provide to old farmers and resource less, Pension for widows, Sanitary facilities for women,Road facilities and educational institute at village level, Fodder should be provided to Animals, Allocation of budget for women and child development for reducing child mortality, Budget of EGS should be spent on “Gairan Zameen”, Relief support should be provided to disaster affected people, School teachers should stay in villages itself for providing sufficient time for teaching, Sanitation facilities should be provided in villages, Quality education for children, EGS- NREGS didn’t implement in villages till now, Water facility is not available in Dalit habitats, Financial support should be provided to the women who are engaged in small scale industries and they didn’t get better price of our production, Improper medical facilities and shortage of medicines in government hospitals, Rural hospitals in each village circle, Government educational institute should be open so poor people get higher education, Suicides are increasing because of unemployment, Loan should be provided by the banks to eradicate unemployment, Dalit people should be provided equal opportunity to work, Pension are not available for old age people, Dalit are not allowed to stay in villages with other community members.

The efforts of the YUVA-Rural staff members, the volunteers of- Mahila Vikas Parishad,  Shaswat Sheti Kriti Parishad, Jamin Jungle Pani Lokadhikar Andolan- along with the partner organizations- National Centre for Advocacy Studies- Pune, Vikas Sahayog Pratisthan- Mumbai, Rural development Centre-Marathwada, Lok Vikas Samajik Sanstha- Nasik, Gramin Yuva Pragatik Mandal- Bhandara and Baba Saheb Ambedkar Ksheti Vikas Evam Sansadhan Sanstha, PIRD Marathwada are laudable for the smooth conduction of this event at various locations.

Many of the Gramsabhas submitted their resolutions to The President of India through fax on the same day to attract her attention on these ground realities vis-a-vis the MDGs.