Case Studies: A social Movement for the Greater Good

Once, when Mayank Gandhi was giving a lecture at Rewali village of Marathwada, a girl named Sangeeta narrated her tragic daily routine of being beaten up by her alcoholic father.Her eyes filled with tears, she asked the villagers, "Are we not humans?"

Alcohol dependence among depressed menfolk was not only a cause of social unrest, but also acted as an impediment to their involvement in farming and other agricultural activities. Any solution we gave to some of these individuals would lead to further violence.The only sustainable solution was to initiate a DAARU BANDI campaign in all the villages.

Thousands of women and children held mashaals and walked around the villages, requesting alcohol sellers to shut their shops. Women sat outside liquor stores singing bhajans. Soon, the sale of illicit liquor stopped.

A few months later, we also noticed that with alcohol gone as an impediment, farmers were more open to learning new methods of agriculture, attending more training sessions, and being proactive in making decisions that could potentially change their lives for the better.

Mass Movement for Against Illicit Liquor

When we first went to Rewali village, we could see hopelessness and depression in the soulless eyes of the villagers. It was as if they were only living because they were not yet dead.

Assurance of better livelihood transformed village members with positive mindset.

Now their eyes are shining with hope and possibility. The real transformation is not as much on the ground as it is in their minds.

Mass Movement for water

Locking houses after 6 am once everyone had gone for shramdaan

Women-led movement

Music and dance to involve people and join masses for the movement

Weddings in the village would only start once the to-be-weds and the marriage party did Shramdaan.

Everything Has Changed

Sensitizing villagers against suicide.

Large participation of women.

Meetings on social reforms with thousand of farmers across Maharashtra and MP. Comprehensive training programmes for several farmers.

Earlier, there were only old farmers. Now most farmers are young & energetic. The only antidote to urban migration and reluctance to farm is increased incomes.

India can wait no more!

Transforming India by increasing farmers' income