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Women
resting in the tent put up by Jan Nithi Abhyan (JNA)
and Akal Sangharsh Samithi (ASS) during a 10 day public
meeting in the fall of 2003. The JNA was a campaign
for a peoples' manifesto launched by civil society groups
from across Rajasthan including the MKSS in 2003 prior
to the state assembly elections. The ASS campaign demanded
that the state government improve its policies and protect
the lives of the rural workers and farmers during the
drought that had hit Rajasthan in the 4 years preceding
2003. |
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Participants
discussing campaign issues during a meeting of the Jan
Nithi Abhyan. In the centre Shanker Singh (with spectacles)
a founder member of the MKSS makes a point. |
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People
observing the proceedings of the public meeting called
for by Jan Nithi Abhyan. The campaign attracted many
participants and observers in its meeting site just
outside the state assembly in Jaipur. |
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A
television cameraman aims at the audience during the
Jan Nithi Abhyan meeting. Shanker Singh of the MKSS
makes a point at the mike. |
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Volunteers
cooking rotis (bread) at the meeting site of the Jan
Nithi Abhyan in Jaipur. Such group kitchens are a familiar
sight in MKSS campaigns where people from distant villages
travel to cities to demonstrate for long periods and
stay away from their homes for several weeks at a stretch.
The MKSS obtains donations of grains from its rural
supporters which are then used to cook food in these
community kitchens during this period. |
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Aruna
Roy (standing) a founding member of the MKSS addresses
the public meeting as part of the Jan Nithi Abhyan in
Jaipur. In the background banners of the Akal Sangharsh
Samithi (Anti Drought Struggle Campaign), Right to Work
Campaign and the Right to Information campaign are displayed. |
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Women
members of the MKSS singing a campaign song during a
public meeting. |
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Shanker
Singh leads a MKSS team through a campaign song at a
public meeting. The MKSS uses a variety of cultural
communication media to address people. Such songs are
very popular with the people especially children. |
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Aruna
Roy of the MKSS making a point at the Jan Nithi Abhyan
meeting. The campaign was launched as an attempt by
civil society groups in Rajasthan to counter divisive
politics indulged in by political parties and to encourage
a discussion on democratic rights and livelihood issues
before the state assembly elections. |
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Aruna
Roy and Lal Singh (red turban) both founder members
of the MKSS during the public meeting called for by
the Jan Nithi Abhyan. |
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View
of the MKSS kitchen. MKSS membership is drawn almost
exclusively from local villagers and the lifestyle of
MKSS workers is reflective of this fact. |
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The
MKSS holding discussions with members of the International
Transparency Task Force in the courtyard of their residence
in Devdungri village. |
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Aruna
Roy makes a point while Dau Singh, Narayan Singh (right)
listen intently outside the MKSS residence. Narayan
Singh is one of two MKSS workers who was elected as
Sarpanch (village head) in the Panchayat (village) elections
in 2000. |
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Outside
the MKSS residence in Devdungri village. Nikhil Dey
(far left) a founding member of the MKSS looks on as
others help in cutting vegetables and washing dishes
outside the MKSS kitchen. |
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MKSS
members viewing a film in the office located in Devdungri
village in Central Rajasthan. The office has several
local visitors daily who come to discuss problems that
they face and ask for suggestions and help from the
MKSS. |
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The
MKSS is located in the village Devdungri named after
God's (Dev) Hill (Dungri). A temple dedicated to the
local deity sits atop the hill. |
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Scene
from the Rajasthan Election Watch (REW) head office
in Jaipur. Volunteers screen candidate disclosure forms
which were collated into a database for use in the Election
Watch campaign. The REW campaign was launched by a network
of civil society groups including the MKSS to publicize
candidate (for office) profiles to the voters prior
to the assembly elections in 2003. |
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The
Ghotala Rath Yatra in the streets of Rajasthan. This
'chariot of scam' is a playact on politicians and their
campaigning methods which includes making false promises
to the people, justifying corruption, using divisive
politics etc. The procession is taken around cities
and villages to attract peoples' attention to the sorry
plight of electoral processes in India. |
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A
public hearing in the village of Jawaja. The hearing
was attended by villagers from the surrounding area,
public officials from the district and state level and
the media. Discussions in the meeting were held on the
health sector in the state and especially the problems
in the management and work of the local community hospitals. |
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Villagers
in Jawaja walk past the information charts put up in
the site of the public hearing on health sector issues.
This meeting was organized by the MKSS to highlight
the problems with the health department and particularly
the functioning of the local public hospitals. |
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MKSS
worker Dilip Singh handling the micro phone in the middle
of a section of the audience during the public hearing
in Jawaja. People discussed issues ranging from lack
of medicines, poor treatment by doctors and lack of
proper and adequate infrastructure in the hospital etc. |
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Aruna
Roy of the MKSS makes a point during the health public
hearing in the Jawaja village held in January 2004. |
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Jan
Nithi Abhyan participants march along the roads of Jaipur,
in a demonstration. |
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MKSS
worker Sowmya explains some issues of corruption and
mismanagement to the International Transparency Task
Force visitors during their visit to Janawad village
in Rajasthan. Janawad became famous for a large financial
scam in the village development expenses that was exposed
by the MKSS during a public hearing in that village
in 2001. |
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The
International Transparency Task Force members being
taken around the Janawad village administrative head
quarters. Corruption in the village included several
ghost (non existent) development works and huge sums
of money being usurped by a corrupt nexus of local politicians
and bureaucrats. |
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Members
of the audience pose questions to the candidates during
the 'meet the candidate session' organized by the MKSS
in Rajasamand district in central Rajasthan. The meeting
held prior to the state assembly elections was a big
success even though candidates from some of the major
parties did not turn up. |
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Voters
in Rajasamand reading charts showing candidate profiles
during the 'meet the candidate session' organized by
the MKSS. Charts show details of various assets owned
by the candidates, their criminal and educational records
and the amount they owed as dues to public departments. |
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The
Jan Nithi Abhyan protestors walk past Statue Circle
in the city Jaipur on their way to demonstrate in front
of the Rajasthan State assembly. Statue circle is a
famous landmark in Jaipur and is located just outside
the state assembly. |
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Chamnaram
of the MKSS points to the public development expenditure
disclosure board in the village of Janawad which had
been painted over by the district officials prior to
the assembly elections in Rajasthan in 2003. Such 'erasure'
of government disclosures was done by over enthusiastic
government officials who misinterpreted the Election
Commission of India's directive to them to prevent the
government from advertising their 'achievements' using
public funds. |
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Members
of the MKSS visit a public well in Janawad village from
which funds had been misappropriated. The MKSS public
hearings have led to discovery of numerous such cases
where public works are used as a cover for financial
scams and fraudulent works. |
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The
Ghotala Rath Yatra near the State assembly in Jaipur.
As the procession nears the state assembly the police
move in to prevent demonstrators from getting closer
to the assembly premises. |
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Demonstrators
of the Right to Work (RTW) campaign surrounded by police
in front of the Rajasthan State Assembly in Jaipur.
In the centre the popular MKSS puppet is used to make
a campaign point. The RTW campaign demanded that the
state legislature pass a law providing for a rural employment
guarantee act in the state. |
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Aruna
Roy, Nikhil Dey and Shanker Singh-founder members of
the MKSS walk alongside the Jan Nithi Abhyan demonstrators
in Jaipur. |
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The
MKSS team singing a campaign song during the Jan Nithi
Abhyan. |
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Members
of the MKSS in the city of Udaipur performing a play
as part of the Jan Nithi Abhyan. The play portrays the
cynical campaigning style of politicians as they make
false promises to the people but refuse to focus on
their demand for Employment Guarantee legislation. |
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MKSS
pamphlets, books with MKSS literature being sold outside
a meeting room. |
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Section
of the audience participating in the 'meet the candidate
session' in Rajasamand. On the dias Aruna Roy of the
MKSS sits along side the invited candidates. |
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Voters
in Rajasamand looking at candidate profiles during the
'meet the candidate session'. |
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The
Ghotala Rath 'politician' addresses people gathered
around exhorting them vote for him in spite of his well
publicized corruption. |
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MKSS
member Khimaram attempts to put up the tent during the
Jan Nithi Abhyan meeting in Jaipur. |
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View
of public hearing in Kelwara village organized by the
MKSS on food security issues. The discussion revolved
on the denial of food entitlements by the privately
owned Public Distribution System centers, the poor impact
of the mid day meal scheme for school children, welfare
schemes taken up by the state government for villagers
etc. |
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Participants
at the public hearing on food security issues in Kelwara
village in January 2004. The meeting included several
senior district officials, local political representatives,
media and large number of residents of the area. |
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Nikhil
Dey of the MKSS makes a point during the food security
public hearing in Kelwara village. |
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Shanker
Singh of the MKSS addresses the audience during the
Kelwara public hearing. |
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The
Kelwara public hearing saw some heated discussions with
the local elected representatives trying to discredit
complaints made by people. |
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A
villager shows a copy of his ration card where false
entries were made by the food distribution centre owner
thereby denying him his legitimate entitlements. |
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Volunteers
of Rajasthan Election Watch screening political candidate
profiles in the campaign office in Jaipur prior to assembly
elections. Volunteers included college professors, students,
lawyers, retired bureaucrats, non governmental organization
staff, retired judges, rural and urban activists. |
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Media
participating in a press briefing called for by the
Rajasthan Election Watch in Jaipur. Press briefings
included ranking of candidates and political parties
on their wealth, criminal records, educational background
etc. |
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Children
in a school observe proceedings of a meeting organized
by the MKSS. This meeting was organized by SPICMACAY
a non governmental organization working to promote Indian
culture among youth. |
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(Moofat)
or the puppet used by the MKSS during a public meeting
in a village. The puppet is especially popular among
children and is used as a medium of conveying campaign
messages. |
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Members
of the truck yatra (tour) coming out of the truck during
a break. Around 25-30 activists traveled on the back
of a truck to hundreds of towns and villages around
Rajasthan in 4 phases in the period before the assembly
elections in 2003 as part of the Jan Nithi Abhyan. |
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Charts
with candidate profiles being shown at a public meeting
as part of the Walk for Democracy organized by Rajasthan
Election Watch. |
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Arundhati
Roy (famous Indian author) and Aruna Roy (founder member
of the MKSS) addressing a meeting during the Walk for
Democracy organized by the Rajasthan Election Watch.
Participants walked along 5 assembly constituencies
in the capital city of Jaipur holding public meetings
in several corners of the city where voters were encouraged
not to vote for candidates with corrupt and criminal
backgrounds. |
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The
Politician in the Ghotala Rath is questioned by a voter
on his alleged corrupt practices. The rath was so popular
in several villages and cities that people ordered 'official'
campaign proceedings to stop so that they could see
and hear the ghotala rath proceedings. |
