My visit to the OCCUPY WALL STREET on November 5, 2011

I visited Occupy Wall Street on November 5, 2011 with few of my friends in New York. It was great experience to see the type of agitation planned by the group of people. Of course, there were some homeless people who came there for temporary shelter, but there were large group of people who were really there for a change. 

NAC recommendations submitted to United Nation on Nov 3, 2011

Since I started making the plans to visit America, I was planning to visit the United Nation. When I entered in the Muncie at Indianapolis through the Cincinatti Airport on October 17, 2011, and I represented the denotified tribes of India at the Permanent Forum on the Indigenous Communities of United Nation at its headquarters in New York on Nov 3, 2011. 

Dr Henry Schwarz, a good friend of Budhan Theatre and one of the producer of the film ‘Please Don’t Beat Me Sir’ made on Budhan Theatre, was trying hard from the first day of my visit to fix up an appointment with the Secretary, however, somehow it was not possible and he told me to directly write an email to Ms Chandra Roy-Henriksen, the secretary of the forum.

I managed to write her about myself and the struggle of Budhan Theatre for the fight for self respect to the denotified tribes of India. The appointment was fixed at 10:30 am at the UN office located at Two Plaza, Room DC2-1454 in New York. 

However, after a meeting of around half an hour, I gave a written application to this forum of United Nation. Ms Chandra Roy-Henriksen after hearing about the DNTs of India said that she is aware about the situation of these people in India and have assured me to do whatever is under their mandate for the DNTs of India.

I submitted a petition to the forum requesting it to write to the Indian Government to implement the Suggestions and Recommendations of the National Advisory Council (http://nac.nic.in/dnt_draft.htm) as soon as possible. She was first, made familiar  about the formation and failure of the Denotified / Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Commission and later on was informed about the continuous struggle by various activists groups including the Budhan Theatre under the leadership of Dr Ganesh Devi and Mahashweta Devy.

I also submitted a paper on the denotified tribes of India, written by Mr Dakxin Bajrange, one of the key member and director of Budhan Theatre. The petition comprising a covering letter, NAC recommendations and Dakxin’s paper have been submitted to the UN.  

Budhan Theatre, in its long struggle for the rights of DNTs of India and presented itself at many forums, many times with the help of theatre, seminars and talks. Dr Devi and Bajrange earlier represented the DNTs to the same forum in 2007 and this time I represented the forum on November 3, 2011.

Even though the forum works in the limited mandate it will take the relevant actions as well as it will also direct to the Special Repporteur (It’s a French term), to look into the matters of the Denotified Tribes.

I wish something very concrete to come out of this representation.  

Roxy Gagdekar

(Honorary Director, Budhan Theatre)

We will not allow you to live and stop you from dying

At one side when Aruna’s application of Euthanasia was heard in the supreme court of India in Delhi, exactly at that time three Sansi girls of around 10 to 13 years of age were picked up by the Mumbai police from the Kala Ghoda area, when the girls were attaining a fare and were accompanying their parents who came there to sell the new year calendars and maps in the fare.

Every year thousands of people gather at the Kala Ghoda in the month of February for a fare. However there is no importance to any denotified tribal to attain this fare unless their Maps and calendars are sold here. Neelam, Kajal and Neha three girls were attaining the fare when a man in khakhi approached them and offered them a chocolate.

As soon as the three girls in their early teens went to take the chocolate, the man in khaki hold them hard and push all the three girls in a car, which directly was taken to the Dongri.

Dongri is the children’s jail or rehabilitation centre around seven kms away from the Sansi Basti of Kalaghoda. Before the parents could understand anything about, what was the fault of their daughters, the three girls were booked for the begging case. ‘As they are the beggers, they should be put in the jail.’ A cop told to their parents. The parents, including a widow and mother of Neelam, begged before the police officers about their condition and poverty but as we all know nothing happened to the body made of flesh and blood and covered with a khaki uniform.

The girls were booked for the begging case, however, the parents were not informed about the exact sections under which all the three girls were booked. One of their parents called his relative-Ramswaroop Dabghar, in the Sansi basti of Ahmedabad, who eventually informed me about the entire incident.

Initially I struggled to know the exact details of the case. However the details were not known for many days and by that time the families hired a local advocate. The advocate, again was also lacking sensitivity. He took around Rs5,000 from these three families but did not bothered to sign even a single paper to rescue the girls.

It is almost two months since the three girls are lodged in the prison, and their only fault was just to accompany their parents in a fare and help them to earn bread and butter. I was shocked to see Neelam’s mother who was begging for the help and was describing the condition of the three girls in the Dongri.

“They are forced to do all the work, they are forced to wash all the dishes,” the woman told me. My daughter has not done anything and the police just picked them up without any fault, I want my daughter back please help me.” It has been over a month that the girls are still lodged in the prison and there are no chances of them being rescued even for a month more.

After hearing the widow woman, whose husband died because of consumption of excess liquor, I thought to myself, is she at fault at somewhere? What was the fault of her daughter? Why is the family in pain? Does it happens to other people also? Or is it happening with them because they belong to the ex-criminal tribes Sansi. Whatever it may be, currently I am working hard to secure the bail of these three girls. I think to myself as the government want to say—We will not allow you to live and stop you from dying.

just try to answer the following questions

had you rehearsed for a drama in 45 degree temperature?
Does the heavy sounds of a marriage procession disturbs you, when you are rehearsing for a play?
Do you spend lot of time to remember your lines in the play?
Can you rehearse for the play if, you have to manage all your education expenses on your own?
Can you remain motivated if the people near you don't accepts you and treats you as a second class citizen?

Answering the above mentioned questions could be difficult for any child or person undoubtedly and most of the answers may be negative. But the story is different for the kids of Budhan Theatre, who, irrespective of whatever happens to them just keep on performing.

If someone want to see the real sense of the famous sentence-the show must go on- it is worth visiting the chharanagar library, run by budhan theatre.

A group of young teens are always busy rehearsing in the plays like Charan Das Chor, Accidental Death of an Anarchist and even the plays on the social taboos in the chhara culture.

Do visit us, waiting for you......

A member of BT to USA for studies.

No one would have thought that the struggle for survival started by the Budhan Theatre in August 1998, will result into the admission of two of its members in National School of Drama and would given enough exposure to Uttar Bajrange to fly to New Jersey in USA to do his post graduation.

Even though Bajrange has nothing to do with the active theatre activism, but he was fortunate enough to get enough exposure for being an active member of Budhan Theatre, which motivated him to contribute to his community by concentrating on his career.

He got support and guidance from the people associated with BT and able to fly to USA to study. For instance he got support from the film maker couple from New York (now in Taiwan) Kerim Friedman and Shaswati Tadulkar. The couple is making a film on Budhan Theatre.

Bajrange is the first one from the chhara community from Ahmedabad to go abroad for studies. He will study in Steven’s college in New Jersey for 21 months starting from January 2008.

Budhan Theatre wishes him a very best of luck and wish he will also play an important role to change the fortune of entire DNT community of India.

DNT Commission to submit interim report within fifteen days.

*The members of the community and representatives of NGOs demanded the commissioner to submit the report before commencement of next five year plan.
*The commission has not yet submitted the TAG report to the Union government.
*In a close group meeting organised in Baroda on Saturday, the members of DNT/NT/SNT demanded the resignation of the commissioner of the commission.
*The chairman of the commission announced that the commission will sit with some of the members of such communities and the members of TAG on Tuesday, to prepare the interim report.

Roxy Gagdekar
Ahmedabad.

The commission for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-nomadic Tribes (DNT-NT-SNT) is expected to submit its interim report by March 31, 2007, after pressure from various representatives of DNT/NT/SNT of the country including Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. All these states have maximum number of DNT/NT/SNT tribes in the country.

In a close group meeting with the representatives of DNT/NT/SNT tribes like Bajanias, Sansis, Madaris, Vadis, Daffers etc,. People from 30 such tribes were present in the meeting along with the members of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG). “The delay in the submission of the report will surely deprived around six crore DNT/NT/SNT people of the country from the provisions for them in the eleventh five year plan,” said an activists and member of TAG, Kanji Patel. The eleventh five year plan will commence from April 18, 2007.

At the end of the meeting the chairman of the commission Dr. Balkrishna Renke announced that the commission will sit with some of the members of such communities and the members of TAG on Tuesday. “One representative from each state Gujarat, Karnataka and Maharashtra will meet the commission on Tuesday,” said the chairman of TAG Dr.GN Devy. Dr.Ajay Dandekar and Dr.Devy will also be present in the meeting to help the commission to submit the interim report within next fifteen days.

“No provisions have been made for the DNT/NT/SNT as the commission failed to submit even its interim report to the union social welfare department,” said another member of TAG, Dr. Ajay Dandekar. TAG had submitted a report of recommendations to the commission, four months, which was supposed to be submitted to the union government in December 2006.

The representatives of the community as well as some NGOs from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Karnataka are worried about no provisions for DNT-NT-SNT in the eleventh five year plan if the report is not submitted within next fifteen days. “The commission should submit the TAG report, as interim report to the government so that some provisions can be made in the next five year plan for such tribes,” said advisor, Vicharta Samuday Samarthan Manch (VSSM), Harinesh Pandya. VSSM is a Gujarat based organisation working for DNT/NT/SNT.

As a result of non-submission of the TAG report into the government there are no provisions for DNT/NT/SNT in the union budget this year. “Similar case would also arise in the eleventh five year plan if the report is not submitted to the government,” said an DNT activist from Karnataka, Dr.Balaguru Murthy.

The commission which was supposed to last up to December 2006, was extended because the it was not able to submit its report to the central government. “The commission is further extended for one more year, but it has even not submitted its interim report, which indicates that the commission is not working properly,” says a representative of Madari Community Babunath Madari.

According to the commission there are around 15 crore DNT/NT/SNT people residing in India.



The mentioned News story written by me, appeared in DNA Money in Ahmedabad Edition on March 20, 2007. It was posted by on my blog on March 22, 2007.

Daffers fight ‘criminal’ tag, turn security guards in villages

*The tribe has entered into a contract with village panchayats to protect farms for a handsome remuneration
*Daffers were one of the 191 tribes labelled as ‘criminal tribes’ by the British
*They continue to be harassed by police

From eking out a living as highway robbers, members of the once “most dangerous” denotified tribe - Daffers - seem to have turned a new leaf earning their livelihood out of guarding fields and doing odd jobs.
The rise in remuneration from guarding fields in the past five years has been the main magnet for the members of this tribe. “We guard fields from thieves and cattle round-the-clock throughout the crop season,” said Latif Usmanbhai Daffer, a resident of Vasna village in Sanand at the inauguration of a photo exhibition organised by Vicharta Samuday Samarthan Manch (VSSM) in the city. The week-long exhibition, which is an initiative by VSSM and Janpath to bring all denotified and nomadic tribes of Gujarat on one platform, is being held at Seva Café on the CG Road.
Many of the Daffers engaged as ‘farm guards’ earn over Rs 2-3 lakh per year.
“Earlier, we used to be paid around Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,500 per month for protecting the fields in a village. But the rate has increased to almost Rs 16,000 motivating many of us to take up this work,” Ahmed Ibrahim Sindi, a Daffer leader of Vijapur town of Mehsana district told DNA Money.
The farm protection business has prospered so much that many Daffers have entered into contract with village panchayats to decide the rates.
“We have standardised rates for protecting farms in various regions. An acre of farm in Saurashtra costs Rs 20 while the same in north Gujarat will cost Rs 100,” said Sindi.
Many members of the tribe have also turned to transport business.
“Those who are in the transport business earn Rs 5000-6000 per month as goods transporters,” Sajan Daffer, a Daffer community leader in Mehsana told DNA Money.
However, the tribe continues to be harassed by police despite the criminal cases against them coming down considerably in the last five years.
“Some of the Daffers are continuously harassed by the police due to the stigma associated with their community. We have even passed a memorandum in our community panchayat to ostracize any member who participates in a criminal activity,” said Sindi.
Explaining how the community got its ‘criminal tag’, Mittal Patel, Co-ordinator of VSSM said, “The British in 1871 had marked around 191 tribes including the Daffers as ‘criminal tribes’ under the Criminal Tribes Act 1871. They even kept them in special jails called settlements.”

published on December 22, 2006 in Ahmedabad Edition of DNA Money.

FEMINA-DECEMBER 20,2006.-WE ARE NOT THIEVES

One of the friend of budhan theatre, MANJU RAMANAN has written anexcellent article on some of the brave DNT women of India. It is seriesof article, six stories of DNT women have been published in the firstphase.It is good to read this special feature if one wants to know about theINDIAN WOMEN.One of the founding member of 'Budhan Theatre' and theatre activistKALPANA GAGDEKAR'S interview has also been published in it.BUT the most impressive thing to know is the interview of SHYAMLISABAR, the wife of BUDHAN SABAR of West Bengal, the man whose custodialdeath had made a history.

The intro of the article is as follows....


When the oppressed burst into words, they are unstoppable. Theirlexicon resonates withyears of muffled silence that has just been un-gagded. Women fromIndia's denotified tribes(with 40-60 million people), labelled thieves by imperial rule, stillbear the brunt of subversivelaws, false increiminatio and imprisonment. they have been mob-lynched,tortured evenraped. Manju Ramanan meets six remarkable women (Ther could be moresoon) whoboomeranged the chains of oppression, with great courage.

'Hole in the wall' in chharangar.

Now a days the kids at chharanagar are not seen on the streets playing cricket or gulli danda. They have very easy accessement to the computers and Internet. Yes, the unique concept of hole in the wall is been started here in chharanagar since 14th January 2006. This unique concept allows the students to access the computers for almost 24 hours. The hole in the wall in chharanagar is first in Gujarat. It is been started in chharanagar by Sneh prayas, an NGO working for the underprivilege students. Of cource the NIIT is behind everything. In other words it is a joint venture between NIIT and Sneh Prayas. The Kids here can access the computer and Internet easily.

Most of the parents of these kids had even not seen a computer. Even the kids had not got any chance to work with the machine before this unique concept. Computer is one of the subjects in schools for these kids, but in a period of around half an hour four to five students are been allotted one computer. So the students are never able to understand the system properly. And the number of cyber cafes is very less near chharanagar. The one which exist charge heavily. So it is nearly impossible for the kids of chharanagar to access the computers. But now it is possible for them to work on computers whenever they want.

There will be around twelve more computers kept in this center other than these two computers as 'hole in the wall.' A computer trainning center will be started soon here, where everyone from chhara community would become computer literate. A huge place is been rented by sneh prayas where vocational training center can be started for the chhara people. So there is still a very long way to go, but some very positive things had started here ever in the history of chharanagar.

Struggle of three years resulted in allotment of six houses to Sansis.

The Sansi basti near Maninagar was last demolished before two months. As a result of modernising the city 191 families living here become homeless since last three years. Budhan theatre took the responsibility to resettled them, as soon as possible.

Daxin Bajrange a active member of Budhan theatre is the person who took the challenge to resettle the residents of this ghetto. It took almost three years to daxin to sensitse some of the officers in Ahmedabad Municiple corporation. "It is really very hard to sensitise the local authorities, but we go on doing our work, we took help of many concerned officers and activists." says Daxin.

The Ahmedabad Municiple corporation had announced that they will give houses to six families out of 191 families. "Most of the families have election card and ration card. But these houses are been provided to only those families who had a Jhuppatpatti identity card(Slum identity card), issued by Indira Gandhi Government in 1976." Says Daxin. Rest of the families were also living with these people but they were not able to take care of this document. I lost it(slum identity card) when the municipality came here for encroachment first time befor three years." says Mukesh sansi, a resident of this area.

"udhan theatre will go on doing its work and will try to provide the rest of the families too with some alternate piece of land." says daxin.

The Negative reaction of a protest play 'Mujhe Mat Maro Saab' by Budhan Theatre

No one knew that the result of a protest play in front of the IIM-Ahmedabad would leave 250 families of a slum homeless. The play 'Mujhe mat maro saab.(MMMS)'(Don't beat me sir)was performed on 5th jan at 5:30 pm in front of the gate of IIM Ahmedabad. Now around 250 families of tribes like Bharthari(A artist tribe), Rajbhoi, Nat Bajania(A artist tribe) and Harijans. All of them had to even leave their temporary shelters as a punishment by the AUDA (Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority) and Vastrapur Nagarpalika.

The play MMMS is based on the police atrocities on such tribes and encroachment process of the local authorities. Their present plight is been shown very effectively in this play. All the people here in this gheto survive on the petty labour and petty business. Their condition is same as the condition of the Sansi Basti of Maninagar. This ghetto is located near the famous Management Institute of India, the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad.

When the play was performed on 5th jan in front of this institution there were many students present as audiance. And exactly on the next day of the performance the temporary shelters of these people was destroyed by the local authorities. There huts were first time broken in 2004 when Ahmedabad city was declared as a metropolitan city of India. To raise their voice and stand on behalf of them Budhan Theatre has made and performed this play on various location like Tejgadh, Baroda, karai police academy(yet to be performed)and many other places. But the reaction of this play is really very dangerous when it was last performed in front of IIM.

"You go away form here or we will beat you and take away all your belongings." This was the statement of an officer on duty of local authority, on morning of 7th jan. "We are very scared and had to run away from here, we want to save our lives, our children and our very less belongings. So there is no other obtion than to run away from here." says a senior citizen here in Ahmedabad. There were around 250 families residing here before 2004. But later the figure decreased to 25 families as a result of continous ecroachment in this Ghetto.

The local Authorities like AUDA and AMC are not ready to help this poor people to provide some alternate land to stay. Budhan Theatre is fighting for this cause since 2004, but the problem is with the testimonies. Very less among them have election identity cards. "We are living here when the IIM and the Andhjan Mandal(An organisation working to help disable people) here was not established, It was almost like a jungle and we settled here, at that time." Says s senior citizen of this locality."How can we have any testimony, We don't know what documents are required to prove oneself that we are the citizens of India." said Rajubhai, a resident of this locality.

Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation is even dangerous than the Killer quake of Gujarat.

It is neither any earthquake nor the result of any war in Ahmedabad. All the huts here are scattered in pieces and the area with 191 houses is now a big open lane so that the area looks more beautiful. Ramswaroop sansi of Ahmedabad was sitting calmly near his broken hut taking care of his very less belongings. He lives in the Sansi Basti (ghetto) in Ahmedbad. It is a small ghetto of Sansis of Ahmedabad. They live in Maninagar, the area from where Narendra Modi the chief minister of Gujarat fought his last Vidhan Sabha Election (legislative elections.)

It is the Municipal Corporation of Ahmedabad, who had forced to live them in inhuman conditions. They were living happily here since early '60s, but these happy days came to an end when Ahmedabad was declared as a metropolitan city in Central Budget of 2004. After this the encroachment work (to beautify the city) of the corporation started in double speed. "We are living here since '60, I don't know why we are being forced to move away from here. We have Election cards, Ration cards and all other residential testimonials. But no one is ready to hear us." says Ramswaroop Sansi (50), the local leader of Sansi Basti.
191 families lives in this ghetto, which includes people of Sansi, Rajbhoi, Vaghri and Dom tribes. Almost all of them are forced to again become Nomads. Because their huts have been broken for 10 times since 2004. "We have to spend Rs.1000 to 1500 to reconstruct our huts. The corporation authorities even takes away the scraps with them after breaking our huts." Says Mukesh Sansi, a resident of this area. As the residents here have no other place to live they comes to the same place again and reconstruct their huts. There are many families in Ahmedabad and in other metropolitan cities of India who are scared of the term 'developing the cities' because they have to pay the highest price for the development of cities, i.e. the land on which they lives since decades.

The law says that any family settled in Ahmedabad before 1965, is to be provided with alternate land by the Govt, if they have to be encroached. But it is not been done here. "We settled here in 1960, at that time this area was not too developed. We had seen Ahmedabad developing since many decades, and now they (govt. administrator) say that we are not a part of it and should go out of Ahmedbad." says a nostalgic Ramswaroop. Since the establishment of this slum it was denied from all type of facilities and basic amenities. There is no electricity, no proper sanitation and no water connection. In other words the people here live in very inhuman conditions. "We are still happy here, we urge them not to throw us out of the city. Where will we go and how will we survive." Says a senior citizen of this locality.
Most of the Sansis here survive through petty business. Almost all the sansis male sell maps and charts on the streets of Ahmedbad while the women are very brilliant in making hair weigh. While the Rajbhoi and Vaghri survives on petty labor work. "Everything is disturbed, we are no more able to go for our work. We have to take care of our belongings. During encroachments Corporation staff comes with the police personals, who many times even does atrocities on our people. So we have to remain present at our residence during the encroachment process, if we want to save our children and other family members." says Mukesh Sansi.

Mukesh was able to earn about Rs.100 a day easily by selling the Maps and charts. But now a day he has to remain at his residence. While his wife begs and brings some food daily for them from the immediate vicinity. This is the condition of almost all the families living here.

The place with most cultural activities in Ahmedabad-Chharanagar.

Once situated on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, Chharanagar has now become a part of it. Consisting of a population of around fifteen thousand people. ‘‘This slum” as said by Dr.Ganesh Devy, a literature critic and founder of Tribal Academy in Tejgadh (of Baroda District in Gujarat,India),‘‘is now the only place in Ahmedabad where cultural activities are done in a huge amount.”

Chharanagar were notorious for its illegal activities since many decades, but education and tremendous amount of cultural talent in this tribe has helped to wipe out this image to some extent. Most of the youngsters here are now interested in Drama and Singing activities instead of involving in any type of illegal business. But how has this change occurred? Play writer and DNT activist Daxin Bajrange says,‘‘We have a small library in chharanagar. This library is different from other libraries because only book reading activity is not carried out here.” This library is been run in chharanagar with the help of Sneh Prayas, a NGO working for the upliftment of underpriviledge children. The Chharanagar library is a common place for many youngsters who are willing to change the notorious image of chharanagar. ‘‘The library is not different from our theatre group, Budhan Theatre, which is involved in many cultural activities. This theatre group is formed with the objective to wipe out the notorious image of chharanagar.” said Bajrange.

Budhan Theatre, struggle for symbolization is the name of this cultural group run by many chhara youths. It is an important activity not only for the development of Chhara tribe but also for 191 Denotified Tribes of India. One of the founder member of this group Kalpana Gagdekar says,‘‘Voice of these marginalized people is raised and communicated to the main stream society through the medium of street theatre.” The main activity of this group is to culturally develop chharanagar, so that some alternative source of income could be automatically generated in the community. In fact they had started generating employment in such areas. The celebration of 53rd Denotification day justifies this. ‘‘Basically chharas are the artist tribe and it is proved that, most of the chharas are comfortable with acting and singing, so the role of Budhan theatre is to hunt such talent through a singing competition.” Said Kalpana. Around 70 young and enthusiastic participant was a part of this programme. Daxin says,‘‘We are planning to come out with a album with all the winners of this competion, so that people could know that chharas are born actors and not born criminals.(The name given to Denotified Tribes by British in 1871). Budhan Theatre is a name of not only a theatre group but a movement fighting for their identity.

As stated earlier the library is run by this group with the help of Sneh Prayas, a NGO working for the upliftment and development of marginalized children. Other young chhara activist devoted to work hard for the development of Chhara Tribe, Vijay Chhara(26) says,‘‘We called it Chharanagar Samudayik Vikas Kendra(CSVK). The main objective of this center is to work for the development of whole Tribe. We had started this long journey by concentrating on the development of chhara kids.” An informal school, nutrition programme, outside visit, theatre activity, drawing class etc., are carried out in this center, all by the Sneh prayas.

Most of the parents of the students are involved in some type of illegal activity. But their kids are now-a- days busy to work on computer and do several cultural activities. One of the student Jayesh Machrekar(15) visiting the library daily says,‘‘It is the place next to my house. I have learnt to work on computer as well as to act after coming into this library.” Around 150 students are a regular visitor to this historical place. Yes many chhara people called it a historical place because such a successful movement has not ever been last for so long in this part of Ahmedabad.

But the development of chharanagar took its first step when social activists like Late Mansing Chhara, Adv.Raghunath Chhara, Late Rasik Gagdekar started the developmental movements in chharanagar. In fact it is because of their efforts that a graduate from each house is found in chharanagar. A Class II officer working in Information Department of Central Government says,‘‘The amount of Education has increased in our community since last two decades. The amount of primary education is almost cent percent.”

It is their movement that the chhara youngsters are taking forward. And there are many activists like Mahasweta devi and Dr.G.N.Devy who always says that they are proud to the friends of chhara and helpful to them in their struggle for symbolization.

Chharanagar

Chharanagar, a small ghetto of DNTs was once situated in the outskirts of Ahmedbad. Now as the city grows, chharangar has become a part of the Metropolitan city. Chharas, the poeople residing in chharanagar are still living with the stigma of Criminal Tribes, the one which British gave them in 1871. Mahasweta Devy says,"There are two birth year for a child born to any DNT family." One is the real birth year and the other one is 1871, in which the Criminal Tribes Act was passed to 'Rehabilitate' tribes like Sansi(Also known as chhara, aadodiya, kanjar, kanjarbhat, manesh and bhedkut),Daffer, Vaghri, Bhamta(Also known as kaikadii) etc. There were around 191 such tribes that were forced to live in the such settlements.

Chharanagar is now situated near one such settlement. The people of Chharanagar are still fighting for their identity. The yougsters are still deprived of jobs. Even in such situations, a wave of positive change is blowing in chharanagar. That is because of some of the concerned citizens and Mahasweta devi, the lady who came out strogly on the issue of Denotified Tribes.(DNT).

But still there is lot of work to be done in chharanagar. keep watching this blog to have information regarding Chharas and DNTs.