Letters to the Editor sent to Asian Age, The - What is puplic service? by Ranjani Kamala Murthy

Dear Editor:

June 23rd was United Nations Public Service Day.
www.un.org/en/events/publicserviceday/

The UN Public Service Day intends to celebrate the value and virtue of public service to the community; highlight the contribution of public service in the development process; recognize the work of public servants, and encourage young people to pursue careers in the public sector. 
 
But what is public service? Returning from Udaipur district of Rajasthan, India on 23rd, I had a discussion early in the morning with adivasi (indigenous people) women and men (all poor) and few poor people from backward and upper caste on what they thought was fair and just. They said that the difference between manual work and intellectual work should be no more than 1:5-6.  Unlike some intellectuals (including me till listening to them) who opine that traditional village/caste/tribal councils should be banned, they felt that it should be democratized with representation in councils based on  population, with leadership ensuring just representation of oppressed groups and consensus form of decision making based on justice. They expressed that 50% of seats should be for women at this level (but did not believe in reservation at assembly or parliament level which were grabbed by elite women). They believed that elected government leaders took decisions more on the basis of political alliances than traditional councils, who brought leaders considered wise from other villages and even district and better protected natural resources  and resolved disputes without going to court. However if they were not democratized unjust decisions were taken in mixed community villages.  

They believed that adivasis, dalits should have two votes in elections, and poor from other castes and Muslims one and half votes, but who is poor should not be based on those with "below poverty line card" which can be bought.  They believed that a minimum of five hectares of dry land or two of wet land was essential to survive, and indigenous knowledge on  seeds and natural resources, should be preserved- women tillers and laborers were holders of this knowledge.   They did not want industries.  They believed that the Forest Rights Act was dividing the adivasis and eroding community forest rights, with some having encroached  more forest land and some less and community forest not being demarcated. Patta was hardly given on women's name. 

They enjoyed going together under NREGS (National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme), but wanted it linked to improving dry land agriculture, watershed development and land reform (with land on women's name or joint names). They interestingly wanted the NGO working there to train men on how to cook and share work load.  They wanted female supervisors (less corruption and sexual harassment), mobile creches,  prescribed wages,  100 days work, and in the hands of women (in one of six villages men went to collect wages because it was 12 km away), and no caste discrimination in delivery of water. Anemia tablets were another demand.  They wanted the 60 (labour):40 (material) ratio to be flexible, as check dams required a higher ratio of material. Climate had changed for the worse due to deforestation,  industrial pollution, excessive mining. Deforestation was also linked to  inequities in land holding and population increase (unavailability of old age security and contraceptive services in particular for men was a constraint).  NREGS  had not made a dent on these at all, while the NGOs activities had made a definite positive dent- but it was a drop in the ocean.        

There was bride price amongst adivasis, but dowry amongst Rajputs (upper caste).  Because adivasis had bride price, their sex ratio was better. If adivasi women were unhappy with their marriage, they left with another man, at times even leaving behind their children, while Rajput women went off to the temple. There was hot debate on whether this was right or not.  

IT IS TIME PUBLIC SERVICE MEANT LISTENING TO WISE VOICES FROM GROUND PROVIDED MAJORITY ARE FROM OPPRESSED GROUPS AND ACTING ACCORDINGLY. SUCH PUBLIC SERVANTS  BE THEY FROM GOVERNMENT OR NGO SHOULD BE GIVEN AWARD BUT NOT THOSE WHO BELIEVE BECAUSE OF THEIR COLONIAL EDUCATION THEY HAVE ANSWERS. 

*with immense gratitude to the oppressed women and men,  field staff of Seva Mandir and several of the leaders at the top who were committed for giving me this opportunity to be there and listen. To my friends and Paulo Frere from all over who have guided me to ask these questions.  They bear no responsibility for what I have written
Read Letters to the Editor sent to Asian Age, The - What is puplic service? by Ranjani Kamala Murthy
