Sampark Madhya Pradesh

Self help group members of Hiraninamapara village in Jamli Gram Panchayat in Petlawad development block of Jhabua district had dreamt of putting brakes of irregularities of the teacher and appointment of new teacher. The education department replaced the serving teacher with a new teacher and promised to allocate funds for the construction of school building.

But this success was not achieved all of a sudden. For this Hukli Bai, Devli Bai, Pagli Bai and other members of self help groups carried out intensive dialogue from village to district level and the District Collector. While SHG members worked to unite the village on demand of the teacher’s removal, the panchayat representatives contacted sarpanch and local leaders to acquaint them of their problems.

As a result, the Gram Sabha passed resolution highlighting misappropriation of Parent Teacher Association and other funds and irregularities in running the school and demanded his removal and appointment of new teacher. They submitted a memorandum to the block education officer, district education department and the district collector. But as the teacher had good relations with the local leaders and a few village families were supporting him, the officials were finding it difficult to reach any conclusion.

In view of this, the matter was handed over the sub-divisional magistrate’s court, where hearings continued for two years. During this period, the teacher made all out efforts to break the villagers’ unity, fought with the women groups and spread rumours about the organisation. The village women, however, put the situation before the entire village even more clearly and stopped sending their children to the school. Intensification of their opposition to the teacher led to increase in people’s faith in the group and women formed another SHG to further talk of development.

When hearings got delayed at the SDM court, the women laid seize of the SDM’s office by covering the distance on foot and tractors and held discussion with the higher officials to mount pressure on him. As a result, the teacher was transferred in August 2008 and a new teacher placed there. With the arrival of new teacher in the village, children of the village have returned to the school.

Looking back a member of the SHG Hukli Bai says the teacher tried several times to break the group. But their unity was very strong, so strong that they were able to form one more group.

This by any means is not a mean achievement.