Ncert Book - Social and Political Life - Class VI

CONTENTS
Foreword iii
On Using this Book vii
UNIT I DIVERSITY
Chapter 1 Understanding Diversity 3
Chapter 2 Diversity and Discrimination 13
UNIT II GOVERNMENT
Chapter 3 What is Government? 27
Chapter 4 Key Elements of a Democratic Government 35
UNIT III LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND

ADMINISTRATION
Chapter 5 Panchayati Raj 43
Chapter 6 Rural Administration 49
Chapter 7 Urban Administration 57
UNIT IV LIVELIHOODS
Chapter 8 Rural Livelihoods 67
Chapter 9 Urban Livelihoods 76
References 86
Chapter 1
Look around you in the classroom: do you see
Understanding anyone who looks exactly like you do? In this
chapter you will learn that people are different from
Diversity each other in many ways. Not only do they look
different but they might also belong to different
regional, cultural or religious backgrounds. These
differences enrich our lives in many ways and also
make them more fun!
All these different people, who come from all kinds of
backgrounds, and belong to all kinds of religions and
cultures help to make India so interesting and so
diverse. What does diversity add to our lives? How
did India become like this? Are all kinds of difference
a part of diversity? Can diversity also be a part of
unity? Read this chapter to find some answers.
T hree children around your age have drawn

the figures above. Use the empty box to
draw your human figure. Is your drawing
similar to any of the others? The chances are
that your drawing is quite different from the
other three, which you can see are quite
different from each other. This is because each
one of us has a unique drawing style. We not
only don't look exactly like each other but also
differ in terms of the language we speak, our
cultural backgrounds, the religious rituals we
observe and, of course the way we draw!
4 / Social and Political Life
and screaming out the evening's
Fill out the following information
headlines in a mixture of Hindi and
about yourself
English words. This time, I stopped by
When I go out I like wearing
the pavement and asked for the Hindi
paper. His mouth fell open.
At home I speak in
"You mean you know Hindi?" he
asked.
My favourite sport is
"Of course," I said as I paid for the
paper.
I like reading books about
"Why? What did you think?"
He paused. "But you look so…so
angrez," he said. "You mean you can
even read Hindi?"
Now ask your teacher to help you
check, how many of you have similar "Of course I can," I said, this time a
answers. Is there anyone whose list little impatiently. "I can speak, read
matches yours exactly? Probably not.
But many of you may have similar
answers. How many like reading the
same kind of books? How many
different languages are spoken by the
students in your class?
By now you must have recognised
the many ways in which you are quite
like some of your classmates and
other ways in which you are different
from them.
Making friends
Do you think it would be easy for you and write Hindi. Hindi is one of the
to make friends with someone who subjects I study in school."
was very different from you? Read the
following story and think about this. "Subjects?" he asked. How could I
explain what a subject was to someone
I had meant it as a joke. A joke who had never been to school? "Well, it
made up for a small ragged boy who is something…" I began, but the lights
sold newspapers at the Janpat changed, and the honking behind me
crossing at the busy intersection. grew a hundredfold and I let myself be
Every time I cycled past he would run pushed along with the rest of the
after me, holding out the English paper traffic.
Understanding Diversity /5
The next day he was there again, The next day, he did not have his
smiling at me and holding out a Hindi usual smile for me. "There is trouble in
paper. "Bhaiyya," he said, "aap ka Meerut," he said. "Many people are
akhbaar. Ab Bathaaiye yeh subject being killed there in the riots." I looked
kya cheez hai?" the English word at the headlines. Communal Riots, it
sounded strange on his tongue. blazed. "But Samir…" I began. "I'm a
It sounded like its other meaning Muslim Samir," he said in answer.
in English – to be ruled by someone "And all my people are in Meerut." His
else. eyes filled with tears and when I
"Oh, it's just something to study," I touched his shoulder, he would not
said. And then because the red light look up.
had come on, I asked him, "Have you He was not at the crossing the day
ever been to school?" "Never," he after. Neither the day after nor ever
answered. And he added proudly, "I again. And no newspaper, in English or
began working when I was so high." Hindi, can tell me where my Samir do
He measured himself against my has gone.
cycle-seat. "First my mother used to
(The Lights Changed by Poile Sengupta)
come with me but I can do it all alone."
"Where is your mother now?" I Name three ways in which Samir
asked, but then the lights changed and Ek and Samir Do were different?
I was off. I heard him yell from
Did these differences prevent
somewhere behind me, "She's in
them from becoming friends?
Meerut with…" The rest was drowned
out.
"My name is Samir," he said the While Samir Ek is more familiar
next day. And very shyly he asked, with English, Samir Do speaks Hindi.
"What's yours?" It was incredible. My Although they both are more at home
bicycle wobbled. "My name is Samir in different languages they still
too," I said. "What?" His eyes lit up. communicated with each other. They
"Yes," I grinned at him. "It's another made the effort to do so because this
name for Hanuman's father, you was what was important to them.
know." "So now you are Samir Ek and Samir Ek and Samir Do also come
I'm Samir Do," he said triumphantly. from different religious and cultural
"Something like that," I answered and backgrounds. While Samir Ek is a
then I held out my hand. "Haath milao, Hindu, Samir Do is a Muslim.
Samir Do!" His hand nestled in mine Different religious and cultural
like a little bird. I could still feel its backgrounds such as these are an
warmth as I cycled away. aspect of diversity.
earlier. Here, we're talking not of
Make a list of the festivals that difference but of inequality. Inequality
might have been celebrated by comes about when a person does not
the two boys. have the resources and opportunitites
Samir Ek: that are available to other persons.
Samir Do: The caste system is another
Can you think of a situation in example of inequality. According to
which you made friends with this, society was divided into different
someone who was very different groups depending upon the work that
from you? Write a story that people did and they were supposed to
describes this. remain in those groups. So if your
parents were potters you could only
In addition to their become a potter, nothing else. This
diverse religious and system was considered irreversible.
cultural backgrounds, And because you were not supposed
there are other ways to change your profession, it was not
in which Samir Ek considered necessary for you to know
and Samir Do are anything more than what you needed
different from each in your profession. This created a
other. For example, situation of inequality. You will read
while Samir Ek goes to more about this and other inequalities
school, Samir Do sells in the following chapters.
newspapers.
What does diversity add to our
Discuss lives?
Why do you think Samir Do did Just like Samir Ek and Samir Do
not attend school? Do you think became friends, you might have
it would have been easy for him friends who are very different from
to attend school if he wanted to? you. You have probably eaten
In your opinion is it a fair
different kinds of food in their homes,
situation that some children get
celebrated different festivals with
to go to school and others don't?
them, tried out the clothes they wear,
and learnt some of their languages
Samir Do did not have the as well.
opportunity to attend school. Perhaps
Make a list of the food that you
you've noticed that there are several
have eaten from different parts of
people in the area where you live who
India.
are poor and who don't have enough
to eat or wear and sometimes not even Make a list of the languages besides
a place to live. This difference is not your mother tongue that you can
speak at least one or two words of.
the same as the one we have seen
far were forced to live in a
place where all people wore
the same two colours red and
white, ate the same food
(maybe potatoes!), took care
of the same two animals,
for example, the deer and
the cat, and to entertain
themselves played snakes
and ladders. What kind of
stories do you think they
would write?
You probably like reading and
hearing stories and adventures about Imagine that you are a writer or
different animals, people and even an artist who lives in the place
ghosts. Perhaps you even enjoy described above. Either write a
making up stories yourself ! Many story or draw a picture of your
life here.
young people feel happy when they
read a good story because it gives Do you think you would enjoy
them lots of ideas to make up more living in a place like this? List five
stories. People who write stories get different things that you would
their ideas from all sorts of different miss the most if you lived here.
places – from books, and real life and
from their imagination. DIVERSITY IN INDIA
Some may have lived in forests India is a country of many diversities.
close to animals and chosen to write We speak different lang-uages, have
of their fights and friendships. Others various types of food, celebrate
read real accounts of kings and different festivals, practise different
queens and wrote stories about love religions. But actually, if you think
and honour. Some dipped into their about it, we do many things that are
own childhood memories of school similar except that we do them in
and friends and wrote stories of different ways.
adventure.
How do we explain Diversity?
Imagine
if all the A little more than two hundred years
storytellers ago or long before the train,
and writers aeroplane, bus or car became a part of
that you our lives, people travelled from one
have heard part of the world to another, in ships,
and read so on horses or camels or on foot.
List at least three different ways in which people in India do the following.
One of the possible answers has been provided for you already.
Different ways in Through singing a

which people pray hymn
Different ways in
Through signing a
which people get
register in the court
married
Different ways in In Manipur women

which people dress wear a fanek
Different ways in In Jharkhand many

which people greet adivasis say "johar"
each other to greet each other
Different ways in By making Biriyani

which people cook with meat or
rice vegetables
Often, they went in search of new music, religions became a mix of the
lands, or new places to settle in, or for old and the new, and out of this inter-
people to trade with. And because it mixing of cultures, came something
took so long to travel, once they got to new and different.
a place, people stayed there, often for The history of many places shows
a long time. Many others left their us how many different cultural
homes because there were famines influences have helped to shape life
and drought and they could not get and culture there. Thus regions
enough to eat. Some went in search of became very diverse because of their
work while others left because there unique histories.
was a war. Similarly diversity also comes
Sometimes, as they began to make about when people adapt their lives to
their homes in new places, people the geographical area in which they
began to change a little and at other live. For example living near the sea is
times they managed to do things in quite different from living in a
the old ways. So their languages, food, mountainous area.
Not only do people have different
Ladakh is a desert in the
clothing and eating habits, but even the
mountains in the eastern part of
kinds of work they do is different. In Jammu and Kashmir. Very little
cities it is often easy to forget how closely agriculture is possible here since
people's lives are tied to their physical this region does not receive any
surroundings. This is because in the city rain and is covered in snow for a
people seldom grow their own vegetables large part of the year. There are
and grain. Instead they depend on the very few trees that can grow in the
market to buy all the food and other region. For drinking water, people
goods that they need. depend on the melting snow
during the summer months.
Let us try to understand what we
People here keep sheep and
mean when we say that historical and
the sheep in this region are
geographical factors influence the special because they produce
diversity of a region. We can do this by pashmina wool. This wool is
reading about life in two different parts of prized and pashmina shawls cost
the country, Kerala and Ladakh. a lot of money. The people in
Ladakh carefully collect the wool
Look at the map of India in an Atlas and of the sheep and sell this to
locate Kerala and Ladakh. Can you list traders from Kashmir. Pashmina
three ways in which the different shawls are chiefly woven in
geographical location of these two Kashmir.
regions would influence the following?
1. The food people eat: The people eat meat and milk
2. The clothes they wear: products like cheese and butter.
3. The work they do: Each family owns some goats,
cows and dzos (yak-cows).
Being a desert did
not mean that
Ladakh did not
attract its share of
traders. It was
considered a good
trade route as it
had many passes
through which
caravans travelled
to what is today
called Tibet. These
caravans carried
textiles and spices,
raw silk and
carpets.
The dry barren landscape of the mountanious
desert of Ladakh.
Buddhism reached Tibet via Ladakh. Ladakh is

also called Little Tibet. Islam was introduced in
this region more than four hundred years ago
and there is a significant Muslim population
here. Ladakh has a very rich oral tradition of
songs and poems. Local versions of the Tibetan
national epic the Kesar Saga are performed and
sung by both Muslims and Buddhists.
Woman weaving a pashmina shawl
Kerala is a state in the south- 2000 years ago and he is credited with
west corner of India. It is bringing Christianity to India.
surrounded by the sea on one Many Arab traders also came and
side and hills on the other. A settled down here. Ibn Battuta, who
number of spices like pepper, travelled here a little less than seven
cloves and cardamoms are grown on the hundred years ago, wrote a travelogue in
hills. It is spices that made this region which he describes the lives of Muslims
and says that they were a
highly respected community. The
Portuguese discovered the sea
route to India from Europe when
Vasco da Gama landed with his
ship here.
Because of all these various
historical influences, people in
Kerala practise different religions
such as Judaism, Islam, Chris-
tianity, Hinduism and Buddhism.
The fishing nets used here look
exactly like the Chinese fishing
Chinese Fishing Nets
nets and are called cheena-vala.
an attractive place for traders. Jewish Even the utensil used for frying is called
and Arab traders were the first to come the cheenachatti, and it is believed that
here. The Apostle of Christ, St. Thomas the word cheen could have come from
is believed to have come here nearly China. The fertile land and climate are
suited to growing rice and a majority of
people here eat rice, fish and
vegetables.
The boat race is an important part of

the Onam festival celebrated in Kerala.
/ 11
Understanding Diversity
While Kerala and Ladakh are quite thought they could divide Indians
different in terms of their because they were so different, and
geographical features, the history of then continue to rule them. But the
both regions has seen similar cultural people showed how they could be
influences. Both regions were different and yet be united in their
influenced by Chinese and Arab battle against the British.
traders. It was the geography of
Kerala which allowed for the
Don't forget the days of blood, O friend
cultivation of spices and the special
geographical location of Ladakh and In the midst of your happiness remember
its wool that drew traders to these to shed a tear for us
regions. Thus history and geography The hunter has torn away every single
are often tied in the cultural life of a flower
region. Do plant a flower in the desert garden
dear friend
The influence of diverse cultures is
Having fallen to bullets we slept in
not merely a thing of the past. Our
Jallianwalla Bagh
present lives are all about moving
Do light a lamp on this lonely grave
from place to place for work and with
each move our cultural traditions and O friend
way of life slowly becomes part of the The blood of Hindus and Muslims flows
new place we are in. Similarly in our together today
own neighbourhoods we live close to Do soak your robe in this river of blood
people from several communities. Our dear friend
daily lives are about the ways in Some rot in jails while others lie in their
which we do things together and hear graves
stories about each other's lives, Do shed a few tears for them O friend.
customs and traditions.
Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA)
UNITY IN DIVERSITY
India's diversity has always been This song was sung after the
recognised as a source of its strength. Jallianwalla Bagh massacre in
When the British ruled India, women Amritsar in which a British general
and men from different cultural, opened fire on a large group of
religious and regional backgrounds unarmed, peaceful people killing
came together to oppose them. India's many and wounding even more. Men
freedom movement had thousands of and women, Hindus, Sikhs and
people of different backgrounds in it. Muslims, rich and poor had gathered
They worked together to decide joint to protest against the British. This
actions, they went to jail together, and song was composed and sung
they found different ways to oppose to honour the memory of those
the British. Interestingly the British brave people.
In his book The
Discovery of India
Jawaharlal Nehru says
that Indian unity is not
something imposed
from the outside but
rather, "It was
something deeper and
within its fold, the
widest tolerance of
belief and custom was
practised and every
variety acknowledged
and even encouraged."
Pt. Nehru delivering an Independence Day speech It was Nehru, who
coined the phrase, "unity in diversity"
Songs and symbols that emerged
to describe the country.
during the freedom struggle serve as a
constant reminder of our country's India's national anthem,
rich tradition of respect for diversity. composed by Rabindranath
Do you know the story of the Indian Tagore, is another expression
of the unity of India. In what
flag? It was used as a symbol of way does the national
protest against the British by people anthem describe this unity?
everywhere.
QUESTIONS
1. Draw up a list of the different festivals celebrated in your locality.

Which of these celebrations are shared by members of different
regional and religious communities?
2. What do you think living in India with its rich heritage of diversity
adds to your life?
3. Do you think the term "unity in diversity" is an appropriate term to

describe India? What do you think Nehru is trying to say about
Indian unity in the sentence quoted above from his book The
Discovery of India?
4. Underline the line in the poem sung after the Jallianwalla massacre,
which according to you, reflects India's essential unity.
5. Choose another region in India and do a similar study of the

historical and geographical factors that influence the diversity found
there. Are these historical and geographical factors connected to
each other? How?
Chapter 2
In the previous chapter you have discussed the
meanings of diversity. Sometimes people who are
'different' from others are teased, laughed at or not
Diversity and included in a certain activity or group. We feel
hurt, angry, helpless or sad when friends or others
Discrimination treat us in such ways. Have you ever wondered
why this happens?
In this chapter we will try and explore how such
experiences are related to the society we live in.
We will look at how they are connected to the
inequalities that exist around us.
Difference and Prejudice 1600 languages that are people's

mother tongues, and there are more
here are many things that make
T us what we are – how we live, the
languages we speak, what we eat,
than a hundred dance forms.
Yet this diversity is not always
wear, the games we play and the celebrated. We feel safe and secure
things we celebrate. All of these are with people who look, talk, dress and
influenced both by the geography and think like us.
history of the place where we live. Sometimes when we meet people
who are very different from us we may
You will get an idea of how diverse
find them strange and unfamiliar. At
India is if you look even briefly at the
times we may not understand or know
following statement:
the reasons why they are different
There are eight major religions in the from us. People also form certain
world. Every single one of them is attitudes and opinions about others
practised in India. We have more than who are not like them.
Below are some statements on When our opinions about certain
people living in rural and urban areas. people are always negative – seeing
Tick mark those that you agree with: them as lazy, cunning, stingy – as
some of the statements above, then
On Rural People these become prejudices that we carry
about them.
More than 50% of all Indians
live in villages. Prejudice means to judge other
people negatively or see them as
Villagers do not care about
their health. They are full of
inferior. When we think that only one
superstition. particular way is the best and right
way to do things we often end up not
People in villages are backward respecting others, who may prefer to
and lazy. They do not like to
do things differently. For example if
work.
we think English is the best language
In peak harvesting and planta- and other languages are not
tion season, families spend 12 important, we are judging these other
to 14 hours working in the languages negatively. As a result, we
fields.
might not respect people who speak
Villagers are dirty and not languages other than English.
hygienic.
We can be prejudiced about many
On Urban People things: people's religious beliefs, the
colour of their skin, the region they
Life in the city is easy. People come from, the accent they speak in,
here are spoilt and lazy. the clothes they wear etc. Often, our
In cities families spend very prejudices about others are so strong
little time with each other. that we don't want to form friendships
People in towns only care about with them. At times, we may even act
money, not about people. in ways that hurt them.
Living in a city is expensive. A
large part of people's earnings Look again at the statements that you
is spent on rent and transport. believed to be true about rural and
urban life in India. Do you have a
City people cannot be trusted,
prejudice against rural or urban
they are cunning and corrupt.
people? Find out if this is shared by
others and discuss the reasons why
people have these prejudices.
Some of the statements above see Can you list some of the prejudices
villagers as dirty, ignorant and that you have noticed around you.
superstitious, and see people in cities How do they affect the ways in which
people treat each other?
as money-minded, lazy and cunning.
Diversity and Discrimination / 15
Creating Stereotypes
All of us are familiar with gender
differences. What does it mean to be a
boy or a girl? Many of you would say,
"We are born as boys and girls. It is a
given. What is there to think about?"
Let's see if this is the case.
Arrange the statements given below in

these two sections, according to what
you think is appropriate for the section.
They are well behaved.
They are soft spoken and gentle.
They are physically strong .
They are naughty.
They are good at dance and painting.
They don't cry.
They are rowdy.
They are good at sport.
They are good at cooking.
They are emotional.
Girls Boys
1 1
2 2
3 3
4 4
5 5
Now check, with your teacher's help, who has put which statement
where. Find out and discuss people's reasons for doing this. Are the
qualities you put in for boys something that boys are born with?
If we take the statement '' They are brave, they don't cry." As children
don't cry", you'll see that this is a grow up they start believing that boys
quality that is generally associated do not cry so that even if a boy feels
with boys and men. As babies or like crying he stops himself from
children when boys fall and hurt doing so. He also believes that crying
themselves, their parents and other is a sign of weakness. So, even though
family members often console them by both boys and girls sometimes want to
saying "Don't cry. You are a boy. Boys cry, especially if they are angry or in
The children you see in the

illustrations here were seen
as 'disabled'. This term has
been changed and now the
term used is 'children with
special needs'. Common
stereotypes about them are
given in large letters. Their
own feelings and thoughts too
are given.
Discuss what these children
are saying about stereotypes
regarding them and why.
Do you think children with
special needs should be a part
of regular schools or study in
Source: Why are you afraid to hold
a separate school? Give
my hand by Shiela Dhir reasons for your answer.
/ 17
Diversity and Discrimination
pain, as they grow older boys learn or others. They fit large numbers of
teach themselves not to cry. If a people into only one pattern or type.
grown boy cries, then he feels that Stereotypes affect all of us as they
others will either tease him or laugh prevent us from doing certain things,
at him, and so he stops himself from that we might otherwise be good at.
doing so in front of others. Inequality and Discrimination
This is the way boys are and this is
how girls are: these are statements we Discrimination happens when people
hear constantly and accept without act on their prejudices or stereotypes.
even thinking, and we start believing If you do something to put other
that each one of us must behave people down, if you stop them from
accordingly. We fit all boys and all taking part in certain activities and
girls into an image that society creates taking up jobs, or stop them from
around us. living in certain neighbour-hoods,
prevent them from taking water from
You can take other statements such the same well or hand pump, or not
as They are soft and gentle or allow them to drink tea in the same
They are well behaved and discuss cups or glasses as others, you are
how these are applied to girls. Do
girls possess these qualities at birth discriminating against them.
or do they learn such behaviour Discrimination can take place
from others? What do you think
about girls who are not soft and
because of several reasons. You
gentle and those who are naughty? probably recall from the previous
chapter that Samir Ek and Samir Do
When we fix people into one image were different from each other in
we create a stereotype. When people many ways. For example, they
say that those who belong to a belonged to different religions. This is
particular country, religion, sex, race an aspect of diversity. However, this
or economic background are "stingy" diversity can also be a source of
"lazy," "criminal" or "dumb," they are discrimination. Groups of people who
using stereotypes. There are stingy may speak a certain language, follow
and generous people everywhere, in a particular religion, live in specific
every country, in every religion, in regions etc., may be discriminated
every group whether rich or poor, against as their customs or practices
male or female. And just because may be seen as inferior.
some people are like that it is not fair Another difference between the two
to think that everyone will be the Samirs was in their economic
same. backgrounds. Samir Do was poor.
Stereotypes stop us from looking at This difference, as you have read
each person as a unique individual earlier, is not a form of diversity but of
with his or her own special qualities inequality. People who are poor do
and skills that are different from not have the resources or the money
to meet their basic needs
of food, clothing and
shelter. They experience
discrimination in offices, in
hospitals, schools etc.,
where they are treated
badly because they are
poor.
Some people may
experience both kinds of dis-
crimination. They are poor
and they belong to groups
whose culture is not valued.
Tribals, some religious
groups and even particular
regions, are discriminated
A common stereotype about Muslims is against for one or more of these
that they are not interested in reasons. In the following section we will
educating girls and therefore do not look at how a famous Indian was
send girls to school. However, studies
have now shown that poverty amongst discriminated against. This will help us
Muslims is an important reason why understand the ways in which caste
Muslim girls do not attend school or was used to discriminate against large
leave school after a few years. numbers of people.
Wherever, effort has been made to
reach education to the poor, there the On being discriminated against
Muslim community has shown an People are engaged in different kinds
interest in sending their girls to school. of work like teaching, carpentry,
For example in the state of Kerala the pottery, weaving, fishing, farming etc.
distance between the school and the to earn a livelihood. However, certain
home is not much. There is a good kinds of work are valued more than
government bus service that helps
teachers reach schools in rural areas
others. Activities like cleaning, wash-
and over sixty per cent of the teachers ing, cutting hair, picking garbage, are
are women. These factors have helped seen as tasks that are of less value
children from poorer families, and people who do this work are seen
including Muslim girls, attend school as dirty or impure. This belief is an
in much larger numbers.
important aspect of the caste system.
In other states, where such efforts have In the caste system, communities/
not been made children from poorer
families whether Muslim, tribal or so- groups of people were placed in a sort
called lower castes find it difficult to of ladder where each caste was either
attend school. Therefore, poverty not above or below the other. Those who
religion is the cause for non-attendance placed themselves at the top of
of Muslim girls in school. this ladder called themselves upper
Dalit is a term that caste and saw What is the difference between
people belonging to so- themselves as discrimination and stereotypes?
called lower castes use superior. The
How do you think a person who is
to address themselves. groups who
discriminated against might feel?
They prefer this word were placed
to 'untouchable'. Dalit at the bottom
means those who have of the ladder Thus upper castes acted in ways,
been 'broken'. This were seen as which did not give the so-called
word according to unworthy and "untouchables" the same rights as
Dalits shows how they enjoyed.
called "untou-
social prejudices and
chables". Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, one of the
discrimination have
'broken' the Dalit Caste rules great leaders of India, shares his first
people. The govern- were set which experience of caste-based discrimi-
ment refers to this
did not allow nation, which took place in 1901
group of people as the so-called when he was just nine years old. He
Scheduled Castes (SC). had gone with his brothers and
"untouchable"
to take on work, other than what they cousins to meet his father in Koregaon
were meant to do. For example, some which is now in Maharashtra.
groups were only allowed to pick Long did we wait, but no one turned
garbage and remove dead animals up. An hour elapsed and the station-
from the village. But they were not master came to enquire. He asked us
allowed to enter the homes of the for our tickets. We showed them to him.
upper castes or take water from the He asked us why we tarried. We told
village well, or even enter temples. him that we were bound for Koregaon
Their children could not sit next to and that we were waiting for father or
children of other castes in school. his servant to come, but that neither
had turned up and that we did not
know how to reach Koregaon.
We were well-dressed children.
From our dress or talk no one could
make out that we were children of the
untouchables. Indeed the station-
master was quite sure we were
Brahmin children and was extremely
touched at the plight in which he found
us. As is usual among the Hindus, the
stationmaster asked us who we were.
Without a moment's thought I blurted
Being made to sit seperately in the classroom out that we were Mahars. (Mahar is
because of one's background is a form of one of the communities which are
discrimination. treated as untouchables in the Bombay
stationmaster, who was negotiating
on our behalf, stood silent, not
knowing what to do.
Source: Dr B. R. Ambedkar, Writings and
Speeches, Volume 12, Edited Vasant Moon,
Bombay Education Department, Govt. of
Maharashtra.
Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar (1891-1956)

is considered the father of the
Indian Constitution and is also the
best known leader of the Dalits.
Dr Ambedkar fought for the rights
Presidency.) He was stunned. His face of the Dalit community. He was
underwent a sudden change. We could born into the Mahar caste, which
was considered untouchable. The
see that he was overpowered by a
Mahars were poor, owned no land
strange feeling of repulsion. As soon as
and children born to them also had
he heard my reply, he went away to his to do the work their parents did.
room and we stood where we were. They lived in spaces outside the
Fifteen to twenty minutes elapsed; the main village and were not allowed
sun was almost setting. Our father had into the village.
not turned up nor had he sent his
Dr Ambedkar was the first person
servant, and now the stationmaster had from his caste who completed his
also left us. We were quite bewildered, college education and went to
and the joy and happiness, which we felt England to become a lawyer. He
at the beginning of the journey, gave way encouraged Dalits to send their
to a feeling of extreme sadness. children to school and college. He
After half an hour the stationmaster also urged Dalits to take on different
returned and asked us what we proposed kinds of government jobs in order to
to do. We said that if we could get a move out of the caste system. He led
many efforts of Dalits to gain entry
bullock-cart on hire we would go to
into temples. Later in life he
Koregaon, and if it was not very far we converted to Buddhism in his search
would like to start straightway. There for a religion that treated
were many bullock-carts plying for hire. all members equally.
But my reply to the station master that we Dr Ambedkar believed
were Mahars had gone round among the that Dalits must
cart men and not one of them was fight the caste
prepared to suffer being polluted and to system and work
demean himself carrying passengers of towards a society
based on respect not
the untouchable classes. We were
just for a few but for
prepared to pay double the fare but we all persons.
found that money did not work. The
Despite the children Discuss

offering money the cartmen
In addition to the lower castes
refused them. Why? being discriminated against, there
How did people at are also various other communities
the station discriminate that are subject to discrimination.
against Dr Ambedkar and Can you think of a few other
his brothers? examples of discrimination.
How do you think Discuss the ways in which persons
Dr Ambedkar felt as a with special needs might be
child, when he saw the subject to discrimination.
stationmaster's reaction to
his statement that they
were Mahars?
Have you ever experienced Striving for Equality
prejudice or witnessed an The struggle for freedom from British
incident of discrimination?
rule also included within it the
How did this make you feel?
struggle of large groups of people who
not only fought against the British but
Imagine how difficult it would be if also fought to be treated more equally.
people could not move easily from one Dalits, women, tribals and peasants
place to the other, how insulting and fought against the inequalities they
hurtful it is to have people move away, experienced in their lives.
refuse to touch you or allow you to
As pointed out earlier, many Dalits
drink water from the same source as
organised themselves to gain entry
they do.
into temples. Women demanded that
This small incident shows how a they should have as much a right to
simple task of going from one place to education as men did. Peasants and
another in a cart was not available to tribals fought to release themselves
the children – even though they could from the grasp of the moneylender
pay the money. All the cart men at the and the high interest they were
station refused to take the children. charged.
They acted in a discriminatory
manner. When India became a nation in
1947 our leaders too were concerned
So, clearly, as this story shows us, about the different kinds of
caste based discrimination is not only inequalities that existed. Those who
limited to preventing Dalits from wrote the Constitution of India, a
undertaking certain economic document that laid out the rules by
activities but it also denies them the which the nation would function,
respect and dignity given to others. were aware of the ways in which
as a crime and has been legally
abolished by law. People are free
to choose the kind of work they
wish to do. Government jobs
are open to all people. In addition,
the Constitution also placed
responsibility on the government
to take specific steps to realise this
right to equality for poor and other
such marginal communities.
The writers of the Constitution
also said that respect for diversity
was a significant element in
ensuring equality. They felt that
people must have the freedom to
follow their religion, speak their
language, celebrate their festivals
and express themselves freely.
They said that no one language,
religion or festival should become
compulsory for all to follow. They
said that the government must
treat all religions equally.
Therefore, India became a
Women at a rally demanding their rights
secular country where people of
different religions and faiths have
discrimination had been practised
in our society and how people
had struggled against this. Many
leaders of these struggles such as
Dr Ambedkar had also fought for the
rights of the Dalits.
So these leaders set out a vision
and goals in the Constitution to
ensure that all the people of India
were considered equal. This equality
of all persons is seen as a key value
that unites us all as Indians.
Everyone has equal rights and Some of the members who wrote the
opportunities. Untouchability is seen Constitution of India.
the freedom to practise and follow
their religion without any fear of
discrimination. This is seen as an
important element of our unity – that
we all live together and respect one
other.
Though these ideals are enshrined
in our Constitution, this chapter
points out that inequalities exist even
today. Equality is a value that we
have to keep striving for and not
something which will happen
automatically. People's struggles and
positive actions by the government
are necessary to make this a reality
for all Indians.
The first page of the Constitution that clearly

states that all Indians are entitled to equality of
status and opportunity.
QUESTIONS
1. Match the following statements in a way that challenges stereotypes.
a. Two surgeons were sitting down to 1. suffers from chronic asthma.

lunch when one of them made a call on
the mobile phone
b. The boy who won the drawing 2. to become an astronaut which she
competition went to the dias did.
c. One of the fastest athletes in the 3. to speak with her daughter who had
world just returned from school.
d. She was not that well-off but had a 4. on a wheelchair to collect his prize.
dream
2. How can the stereotype that girls are a burden on their parents affect
the life of a daughter? Imagine this situation and list at least five
different effects that this stereotype can have on the way daughters
get treated in the house.
3. What does the Constitution say with regard to equality? Why do you
think it is important for all people to be equal?
4. Sometimes people make prejudiced comments in our presence. We are

often not in a position to do anything about this because it is difficult
to say something right then and there. Divide the class into groups
and each group discuss what they could do in one of the following
situations:
a. A friend begins to tease a classmate because he is poor.
b. You are watching TV with your family and one of them
makes a prejudicial comment about a particular
religious community.
c. Children in your class refuse to share their food with a
particular person because they think she is dirty.
d. Someone tells you a joke that makes fun of a community
because of their accent.
e. Some boys make remarks about girls not being able to
play games as well as them.
Discuss in class what the different groups have suggested for the
above situations, and also talk about the problems that can come up
when raising the issue.
Chapter 3
You must have heard the word 'government'
mentioned several times. In this chapter you
will learn about what a government is and the
What is important role it plays in our lives. What do
governments do? How do they decide what to
Government? do? What is the difference between different
types of governments such as monarchies and
democracies? Read more and find out….
Look at the newspaper headlines above

and list the different kinds of activities
that the government is reported to be
E very country needs a government
to make decisions and get things
done. These can be decisions about
doing in these newspaper headlines. where to build roads and schools, or
1. how to reduce the price of onions
2. when they get too expensive or ways
3. to increase the supply of electricity.
4. The government also takes action on
many social issues, for example it has
Isn't this a wide range of activities?
several programmes to help the poor.
What do you think government is?
It does other important things such as
Discuss in class.
running postal and railway services.
The government also has the job of Can you list three things that
protecting the boundaries of the the government does which
country and maintaining peaceful have not been mentioned.
relations with other countries. It is
1.
responsible for ensuring that all its
citizens have enough to eat and have 2.
good health facilities. When there are 3.
natural disasters like the tsunami or
an earthquake it is the government Some rules have to be made that
that mainly organises aid and apply to everyone. For example, there
assistance for the affected people. If is a need to control resources and
there is a dispute or if someone has protect the territory of a country, so
committed a crime you find people in people can feel secure. Governments
a court. Courts are also part of the do this on behalf of their people by
government. exercising leadership, taking
Perhaps you are wondering how decisions and implementing these
governments manage to do all this. among all the people living in their
And why it is necessary for them to do territory.
so. When human beings live and work Levels of Government
together, there needs to be some
amount of organisation so that Now that you know that the
decisions can be made. government is responsible for so
Some examples of
institutions that are
part of the government:
The Supreme Court,
The Indian Railways
and Bharat Petroleum.
What is Government? / 29
many different things, can you think Haryana or Assam and the national
of how it manages to do all this? The level relates to the entire country.
government works at different levels: Later in this book, you will read about
at the local level, at the level of the how local level government functions,
state and at the national level. The and when you go into the next few
local level means in your village, town classes you will learn about how
or locality, the state level would mean governments function at the state and
that which covers an entire state like central levels.
National level
Delhi
State level
District level
Exercise: Look at the statements in the column on the left. Can

you identify which level they belong to? Place tick marks against
the level you consider most appropriate.
Local State Central
The decision of the Indian government to maintain
peaceful relations with Russia.
The decision of the West Bengal Government on
whether to have Board exam in Class 8 for all
government schools.
Introduction of two new train connections between
Jammu and Bhubaneswar.
The decision to locate a common well in a
particular area of the village.
Decision to construct a big children's park in
Patna.
The decision of the Haryana government to provide
free electricity for all farmers.
Introduction of a new 1000 rupee note.
Laws and the Government it is the people who give the
government this power. They do this
The government makes laws and
through elections in which they vote
everyone who lives in the country has
for particular persons and elect them.
to follow these. This is the only way
Once elected, these persons form the
governments can function. Just like
government. In a democracy the
the government has the power to
government has to explain its actions
make decisions, similarly it has the
and defend its decisions to the people.
power to enforce its decisions. For
example, there is a law that says that Another form of government is a
all persons driving a motor vehicle monarchy. The monarch (king or
must have a license. Any person queen) has the power to make
caught driving a vehicle without a decisions and run the government.
license can either be jailed or fined a The monarch may have a small group
large sum of money. Without these of people to discuss matters with but
laws the government's power to make the final decision-making power
decisions is not of much use. remains with the monarch. Unlike in
a democracy, kings and queens do not
Discuss have to explain their actions or defend
Think of an example of another the decisions they take.
law. Why do you think it is
important that people abide by
this law?
In addition to any actions that

governments can take, there are also
steps that people can take if they feel
that a particular law is not being
followed. If a person feels, for
example, that they were not hired for
a job because of their religion or caste,
he or she may approach the court and
claim that the law is not being
followed. The court can then give
orders about what should be done.
Types of Government
Who gives the government this power
to make decisions and enforce laws?
The answer to this question
depends on the type of government
there is in a country. In a democracy
Discuss
Nowhere in the
1. Do you think it is important for people world have gover-
to be involved in decisions that affect nments willingly
them? Give two reasons for your answer. shared power.
2. Which type of government would All over Europe
you prefer to have in the place you live and USA,
in? Why? women and
3. Which of the statements below is the poor have
correct? Correct those sentences that had to fight for
you think need correction. participation
in government.
a. In a monarchy the country's
Women's
citizens are allowed to elect whomever struggle to vote
they want. got strengthened
b. In a democracy a king has during the First World
absolute powers to rule the country. War. This movement is called the
c. In a monarchy, people can raise women's suffrage movement as
questions about the decisions the the term suffrage usually means
monarch takes. right to vote.
During the War, many men were

Democratic Governments away fighting, and because of this
India is a democracy. This women were called upon to do
achievement is the result of a long work that was earlier considered
men's work. Many women began
and eventful struggle of the Indian organising and managing
people. There are other places in the different kinds of work. When
world where people have also people saw this they began to
struggled to have democracies. You wonder why they had created so
now know that the main feature of a many unfair stereotypes about
democracy is that the people have the women and what they were
capable of doing. So women
power to elect their leaders. So in a began to be seen as being equally
sense a democracy is rule by the capable of making decisions.
people. The basic idea is that people
rule themselves by participating in the The suffragettes demanded the
making of these rules. right to vote for all women and to
get their demands heard they
Democratic governments in our chained themselves to railings in
times are usually reffered to as public places. Many suffragettes
representative democracies. In were imprisoned and went on
representative democracies people hunger strikes,and they had to be
fed by force. American women got
do not participate directly but, the right to vote in 1920 while
instead, choose their representatives women in the UK got to vote on
through an election process. These the same terms as men some
representatives meet and make years later, in 1928.
Voting in a rural area: A mark is put on the finger to

make sure that a person casts only one vote.
decisions for the entire population. In India, before Independence, only

These days a government cannot call a small minority was allowed to vote
itself democratic unless it allows what and they therefore came together to
is known as universal adult franchise. determine the fate of the majority.
This means that all adults in the Several people including Gandhiji
country are allowed to vote. were shocked at the unfairness of this
practice and demanded that all adults
But it was not always like this.
have the right to vote. This is known
Can you believe that there was a time
as universal adult franchise.
when governments did not allow
women and the poor to participate in Writing in the journal Young India
elections? In their earliest forms in 1931, Gandhiji said, "I cannot
governments allowed only men who possibly bear the idea that a man who
owned property and were educated, to has got wealth should get the vote but
vote. This meant that women, the a man who has got character but no
poor, the property less and the wealth or literacy should have no vote,
uneducated were not allowed to vote. or that a man who honestly works by
The country was governed by the the sweat of his brow day in and day
rules and regulations that these few out should not have the vote for the
men made! crime of being a poor man…".
QUESTIONS
1. What do you understand by the word 'government'? List five ways in

which you think the government affects your daily life.
2. Why do you think the government needs to make rules for everyone
in the form of laws?
3. Name two essential features of a democratic government.
4. What was the suffrage movement? What did it accomplish?
5. Gandhiji strongly believed that every adult in India should be given

the right to vote. However, a lot of people don't share his views. Many
feel that illiterate people, who are mainly poor, should not be given
the right to vote. What do you think? Do you think this would be a
form of discrimination? Give five points to support your view and
share these with the class.
Chapter 4
Key Elements of In this chapter you will read about some of

the key elements that influence the working
a Democratic of a democratic government. These include
people's participation, the resolution of
Government conflict and equality and justice.
India
South Africa
S outh Africa is a country that has

people of several races. There are
black people who belong to South
He had been shot by the police. Maya
was shocked. "Why?" she asked.
Her mother explained that South
Africa, whites who came there to settle, Africa was earlier governed by
and Indians who came as labourers apartheid laws. Apartheid means
and traders. separation on the basis of race. South
Maya Naidoo, an eleven-year old African people were divided into white,
South African girl living in the town of black, Indian and coloured races.
Johannesburg, was helping her mother According to the law, these races were
clear up her old boxes. She found a not allowed to mingle with each other, to
scrapbook full of pictures and live near each other or even to use
newspaper articles. There were many common facilities.
pictures of a young schoolboy of around Maya could not believe her ears.
fifteen years of age. When she asked Maya's mother sounded angry when
her mother who the boy was, she was she spoke about life under apartheid.
told that he was called, Hector Ndlovu. She told Maya that in those days
whites spoke. Hector and other school
students were being forced to learn
this language but they wanted to learn
their own language, Zulu. The South
African police beat up the protestors
mercilessly and shot at the crowd.
One of their bullets killed Hector. This
was on 30th of April,1976.
The African National Congress, a
group of people who led the struggle
against apartheid, and their most well
known leader, Nelson Mandela fought
the apartheid system for several
years. Finally, they succeeded and in
1994 South Africa became a
democratic country in which people of
all races were considered equal.
What were Hector and his classmates
hospitals were separate and so were protesting about?
ambulances. An ambulance meant for List five ways in which the non-whites
were discriminated against:
white people would always be well
equipped while one meant for black 1.
people was not. There were separate 2.
trains and buses. Even the busstops 3.
were different for black and white 4.
people. 5.
Non-whites were not allowed to Do you think it is important for all
persons to be treated equally? Why?
vote. The best land in the country was
reserved for the white people, and non- Let us now try to understand what
whites had to live on the worst a democratic government means to all
available land. Thus blacks and of us.
coloured people were not considered to PARTICIPATION
be equal to whites.
Why do we have regular elections?
One black township was the south You've already read in the previous
western township or Soweto. Hector chapter that people make the
Ndlovu lived here and he and his decisions in a democracy. Through
classmates joined the protest against voting in elections people elect leaders
learning the Afrikaans language in to represent them. These representa-
school. This was the language that the tives take decisions on behalf of the
Key Elements of a Democratic Government / 37
people. In doing so it is assumed that Other ways of participating
they will keep in mind the voices and
Elections are usually held once in five
interests of the people.
years. Besides voting there are other
Discuss ways of participating in the process of
Look at some newspapers and government. People participate by
discuss some elections that you taking an interest in the working of
may have read about. Why do the government and by criticising it
you think elections are required when required. In August 2005, when
after a fixed period? a particular government increased the
money people had to pay for
All governments are elected for fixed electricity, people expressed their
periods. In India this period is five years. disapproval very sharply. They took
Once elected, governments can stay in out rallies and also organised a
power only for that period. If they want signature campaign. The government
to continue to be in power then they tried to explain and defend its
have to be re-elected by the people. This decision but finally listened to the
is a moment when people can sense people's opinion and withdrew the
their power in a democracy. In this way increase. The government had to
the power of the government gets change its decision because it is
limited by regular elections. responsible to the people.
What approval or disapproval is Take Action

Letters to the editor
being expressed here? It is worrying to know that
the tiger population in India is
falling. Tigers are being
hunted and killed by poachers
for their skins. The
government has not taken the
issue of poaching seriously
enough. It must take action
immediately, arrest the
poachers and implement the
laws protecting the tiger. If
this does not happen the tiger
will become an extinct animal
in the next ten years.
Sohan Pal
Guwahati, Assam
'Government must
give compensation
to flood victims'
Not bad! One of the taps in the nearby
village must be getting water!
There are many ways in which If a country's people are alert and
people express their views and make interested in how the country is run,
governments understand what the democratic character of the
actions they should take. These government of that country will be
include dharnas, rallies, strikes, stronger.
signature campaigns etc. Things that
So the next time we see a rally
are unfair and unjust are also
winding through the streets of our
brought forward. Newspapers,
cities and towns or villages we should
magazines and TV also play a role in
pause to find out what the rally is
discussing government issues and
about, who is participating in it, and
responsibilities.
what they are protesting about. This
will help to give us a sense of how our
government works.
NEED TO RESOLVE CONFLICT
In Maya's story you read about how
conflicts can often lead to violence
and death because one group decides
that it is all right to use force to
prevent the other group from
protesting.
Read the story again: Do you

think the police shooting of
Hector could have been
avoided? How?
Conflicts occur when people of

different cultures, religions, regions or
economic backgrounds do not get
While it is true that a democracy along with each other, or when some
allows people to participate, it is also among them feel they are being
true that not all sections of people are discriminated against. People may use
actually able to do so. Another way for violent means to settle their
people to participate is by organising differences. This leads to fear and
themselves into social movements tension among others living in an
that seek to challenge the government area. The government is responsible
and its functioning. Members of the for helping to resolve conflicts.
minority community, dalits, adivasis, Let's read about some of the
women and others are often able to conflicts in our society and the role of
participate in this manner. the government in resolving them.
Key Elements of a Democratic Government / 39
The Indian Constitution lays another and end in a third. The
down the basic rules or laws that sharing of river water between
have to be followed by everyone. different places that the river goes
These laws are for both the through is becoming an issue of
government and the people. conflict. For example you may have
Conflicts and differences have to heard about the Cauvery water
be resolved according to these dispute between Karnataka and
laws. We will read more about Tamil Nadu. The water stored in
this in later classes. Krishnasagar dam in Karnataka is
Religious processions and used for irrigating a number of
celebrations can sometimes lead to districts and for meeting the needs of
conflicts. For example, the route a the city of Bangalore. The water stored
procession takes may lead to a conflict. in Mettur dam in Tamil Nadu is used
The government, particularly the for crops grown in the delta region of
police play an important role in that state.
getting representatives of concerned A conflict arises because both dams
communities to meet and try and are on the same river. The downstream
arrive at a solution. At times there is dam in Tamil Nadu can only be filled
fear that violence may erupt, with up if water is released from the
people throwing stones or trying to upstream one located in Karnataka.
disrupt the procession. The police is Therefore, both states can't get as
responsible for ensuring that violence much water as they need for people in
does not take place. their states. This leads to conflict. The
Rivers too can become a source of central government has to step in and
conflict between states. A river may see that a fair distribution is worked
begin in one place, flow through out for both states.
Quiet flows the Cauvery despite being at the centre of
heated conflict between two states for the last 30 years.
EQUALITY AND JUSTICE The government also recognises
this and makes special provisions for
One of the key ideas of a democratic groups within society that are unequal.
government is its commitment to For instance, in our society there is a
equality and justice. Equality and general tendency to value and care for
justice are inseparable. the boy child more than the girl child.
Discuss This means that society does not
In Maya's story did the government value the girl and boy child equally and
support the idea that people are this is unjust. In this context the
equal? government steps in to promote justice
In Dr Ambedkar's story did the by providing special provisions that
practice of untouchability support can enable girls to overcome the
the idea that people are equal? injustice that they are subjected to.
Thus it is possible that fees for girls
The earlier practice of untouch- might be waived or lowered in
ability is now banned by law. This government schools or colleges.
group of people were denied education,
How do you think lowering the school
transport or medical facilities and
fees would help girls attend school?
even the chance to offer prayers.
Dr Ambedkar, whom you have read Can you think of any experience from
your life in which you have helped
about earlier in this book, and many
someone out of a situation which you
others like him, realised that such thought was unfair? Did everyone else
practices must not continue and that see it the same way? What did you
justice can only be achieved when have to say to convince others that
people are treated equally. what you did was fair?
QUESTIONS
1. How would Maya's life be different in South Africa today?
2. What are the various ways in which people participate in the process
of government?
3. Why do you think we need the government to find solutions to many

disputes or conflicts?
4. What actions does the government take to ensure that all people are
treated equally?
5. Read through the chapter and discuss some of the key ideas of a
democratic government. Make a list. For example, all people are
equal.
Chapter 5
What happens after people elect their
representatives? How are decisions made? Let's
look at how this takes place in rural areas. Here,
Panchayati Raj we look at the Gram Sabha, which is a meeting
where people directly participate and seek
answers from their elected representatives.
t's a special day today! Everyone's The people of Hardas village are keen
I rushing to get to the Gram Sabha!
Do you know why? Because the Gram
to find out what their new Panchayat
leaders have planned for the village.
Sabha is holding its first meeting after
Gram Sabha
the election of the new Gram Panchayat.
The Gram Sabha meeting begins with
The Gram Sabha is a meeting of all the Panchayat President (who is also
adults who live in the area covered called the Sarpanch) and the members
by a Panchayat. This could be only of the Panchayat (the Panchs)
one village or a few villages. In some
states, as in the example above, a presenting a plan on repairing the road
village meeting is held for each that connects the village to the main
village. Anyone who is 18 years old highway. After this, the discussion
or more and who has the right to vote moves to the subject of water and
is a member of the Gram Sabha. water shortages.
We need to do something more
Every village Panchayat is permanent as groundwater levels seem
divided into wards, i.e. smaller to be going down every year. We're
areas. Each ward elects a using more water than is seeping into
representative who is known as the ground."
the Ward Member (Panch). All
the members of the Gram Sabha Another member, Anwar then tells
also elect a Sarpanch who is the everyone that he has seen ways of
Panchayat President. The Ward conserving water and recharging
Panchs and the Sarpanch form (refilling) it in a village in Maharashtra
the Gram Panchayat. The Gram where he'd once gone to visit his
Panchayat is elected for five brother. It was called watershed
years. development and he had heard that the
The Gram Panchayat has a government gave money for this work.
Secretary who is also the
Secretary of the Gram Sabha. In his brother's village people had
This person is not an elected planted trees, constructed check-dams
person but is appointed by the and tanks. Everyone thought this was
government. The Secretary is an interesting idea and the Gram
responsible for calling the Panchayat was asked to find out about
meeting of the Gram Sabha and it in detail.
Gram Panchayat and keeping a
record of the proceedings.
1. What is a Gram Sabha?
2. In the meeting of the Gram
Sabha so far what are the
problems that are being
A villager called Tijia begins the discussed? What sort of solutions
meeting by saying, "The water problem are being suggested?
in Hardas has become very acute. The
hand pump water has gone well below The next item on the agenda for the
the point up to which the ground has Gram Sabha is the finalisation of the
been drilled. We hardly get any water list of people below the poverty line
in the taps. Women have to go to the (BPL) which had to be approved by the
Suru river which is 3 k.m. away to get Gram Sabha. As soon as the list is read
water." One of the members suggests out people begin to whisper. "Natwar
piping water from the Suru and making has just bought a colour T.V. and his
an overhead tank in the village to son has sent him a new motorcycle.
increase the supply. But the others How can he be below the poverty line?"
think that this will be expensive. It's Soorajmal mutters to the person sitting
better, they feel, to deepen the next to him. Saroj says to Sukhi bai
handpumps and clean the wells for this "How did Birju's name get on to the list?
season. Tijia says, "This is not enough. He has so much land. This list should
Panchayati Raj / 45
The Gram Sabha is a
key factor in making
the Gram Panchayat
play its role and be
responsible. It is the
place where all plans for
the work of the Gram
Panchayat are placed
before the people.
The Gram Sabha
prevents the Panchayat
from doing wrong things
like misusing money
or favouring certain
people. It plays an
important role in keeping
an eye on the elected
representatives and in
making them responsible
have only poor people. And Om to the persons who
Prakash is a landless labourer who can elected them.
barely make ends meet, yet his name is
not on the list." "You know that both families says, "Om Prakash's house
Natwar and Birju are friends of was locked when I went there. He may
Amirchand's. Who can counter have gone somewhere to look for work."
Amirchand's power?' Sukhi Bai says, The Sarpanch gives instructions that
"Amirchand was the earlier Zamindar Om Prakash's family income be looked
(landowner) of the village and still has at and if it is less than what has been
control over a lot of land. But we should decided by the government, his name
get Om Prakash's name put in." should be included in the list.
The Sarpanch (Panchayat Presi- 1. Was there a problem with the BPL
dent) notices people whispering and list that the Gram Sabha was
asks if anyone has anything to say. finalising? What was this problem?
Saroj tries to provoke Soorajmal to ask 2. Why do you think Soorajmal kept
about Natwar and Birju. But he keeps quiet even though Saroj asked him to
quiet. Amirchand is sitting in the Gram speak?
Sabha keeping an eye on everyone. 3. Have you seen any similar
incidents when people are unable to
Then Saroj gets up and says that Om speak for themselves? Why do you
Prakash's name should be in the BPL think that happened and what
list. Others agree that he and his family prevented the person from speaking?
are very poor. The Sarpanch asks how 4. How can the Gram Sabha prevent
his name had been missed out. The the Panchayat from doing what it
teacher who did the survey of BPL likes?
The Gram Panchayat
The work of a Gram Panchayat
The Gram Panchayat meets regularly includes
and one of its main tasks is to
1. The construction and maintenance
implement development programmes
of water sources, roads, drainage,
for all villages that come under it. As school buildings and other
you have seen, the work of the Gram common property resources.
Panchayat has to be approved by the 2. Levying and collecting local taxes.
Gram Sabha. 3. Executing government schemes
related to generating employment
In some states, Gram Sabhas form
in the village.
committees like construction and
development committees. These Sources of funds for the
committees include some members of Panchayat
Collection of taxes on houses,
the Gram Sabha and some from the
market places etc.
Gram Panchayat who work together to
Government scheme funds received
carry out specific tasks. through various departments of the
government – through the Janpad
and Zila Panchayats.
Donations for community works etc.
Let's see what the Hardas Gram

Panchayat was able to do.
Do you remember the options that
were suggested to solve the water
problem in the Gram Sabha of Hardas
village? When the Hardas Gram
Panchayat held a meeting, this point
was brought up again by some of the
members (Panchs). This meeting was
attended by the Sarpanch, Ward
Members (Panchs) and the Secretary.
Gram Panchayat members first
discussed the suggestion to deepen two
handpumps and clean one well, so that
the village would not go without water.
The Sarpanch (Panchayat President)
Two village Panchs from Maharashtra who were
suggested that since the Panchayat had
awarded the Nirmal Gram Puruskar in 2005 for received some money for maintenance
the excellent work done by them in the Panchayat. of handpumps, this could be used
Panchayati Raj / 47
Watershed management has transformed
this barren slope to a green meadow in
just two years.
for completing this work. The

members agreed and the Secretary
recorded their decision.
The members then went on to Three Levels of Panchayats
discuss the options for a long-term After reading about what happened in
solution. They were sure that the the Gram Sabha and the Gram
Gram Sabha members would ask Panchayat in Hardas village you can
questions at the next meeting. Some understand that the Panchayati Raj
Panchs asked whether the watershed System is a process through which
programme would make a substantial people participate in their own
difference to the water level. A lot of government. The Panchayati Raj
discussion followed. In the end it was system is the first tier or level of
decided that the Gram Panchayat democratic government. The Panchs
would approach the Block and the Gram Panchayat are
Development Officer and get more answerable to the Gram Sabha
information on the scheme. because it is the members of the Gram
Sabha who elected them.
What decisions were taken by the
Gram panchayat? This idea of people's participation
in the Panchayati Raj system extends
Do you think it was necessary for
them to take these decisions?
to two other levels. One is the Block
Why? level, which is called the Janpad
Panchayat or the Panchayat Samiti.
From the above description, write The Panchayat Samiti has many Gram
down one question that people
Panchayats under it. Above the
could ask of the Panchayat in the
next Gram Sabha meeting.
Panchayat Samiti is the District
Panchayat or the Zila Parishad. The
Zila Parishad actually makes more and more space for people to
developmental plans at the district participate and raise their voices.
level. With the help of Panchayat
Samitis, it also regulates the money Ask your teacher to invite any of
distribution among all the Gram the elected persons such as the
Panchayats. Panch, Sarpanch (Panchayat
President) or member of the
Within the guidelines given in the Janpad or Zila Panchayat and
Constitution each state in the country interview them on their work and
has its own laws with regard to the projects undertaken by them.
Panchayats. The idea is to provide
QUESTIONS
1. What problem did the villagers in Hardas village face? What did they do to
solve this problem?
2. What, in your opinion, is the importance of the Gram Sabha? Do you think
all members should attend Gram Sabha meetings? Why?
3. What is the link between a Gram Sabha and a Gram Panchayat?
4. Take an example of any one task done by a Panchayat in your area/nearby

rural area and find out the following:
a. Why it was taken up.
b. Where the money came from.
c. Whether or not the work has been completed.
5. What is the difference between a Gram Sabha and a Gram Panchayat?
6. Read the following news item.

Nimone is a village on the Chauphula-Shirur Road. Like many others, this village
has also been facing a severe water shortage for the last few months and villagers
depend on tankers for all their needs. Bhagvan Mahadeo Lad (35) of this village was
beaten with sticks, iron rods and axes by a group of seven men. The incident came
to light when some villagers brought a badly injured Lad to hospital for treatment.
In the FIR recorded by the police Lad said that he was attacked when he insisted
that the water in the tanker must be emptied into the storage tanks constructed as
part of the water supply scheme by Nimone Gram Panchayat so that there would be
equal distribution of water. However, he alleged that the upper caste men were
against this and told him that the tanker water was not meant for the lower castes.
Adapted from Indian Express, May 1, 2004
a. Why was Bhagvan beaten?
b. Do you think that the above is a case of discrimination? Why?
7. Find out more about watershed development and how it benefits an area?
Chapter 6 There are more than six lakh villages in India.
Taking care of their needs for water, electricity,
road connections, is not a small task. In addition
Rural to this, land records have to be maintained and
conflicts too need to be dealt with. A large
Administration machinery is in place to deal with all this. In this
chapter we will look at the work of two rural
administrative officers in some detail.
take over some of Mohan's land, and
increased the size of his own field.
Mohan was angry but also a little
frightened. Raghu's family owned
many fields and besides, his uncle
was also the Sarpanch of the village.
But even so, he plucked up courage
and went to Raghu's house.
A heated argument followed.
Raghu refused to accept that he had
moved the bund. He called one of his
helpers and they began shouting at
Mohan and beating him up. The
neighbours heard the commotion
and rushed to the spot where Mohan
was being beaten up. They took him
away.
He was badly hurt on his head
and hand. He was given first aid by
one of his neighbours. His friend,
who also ran the village post-office,
suggested that they go to the local
police station and file a report.
A Quarrel in the Village
Others were doubtful if this was a good
M ohan is a farmer. His family

owns a small agricultural field,
which they have been farming for
idea because they felt they would
waste a lot of money and nothing
would come out of it. Some people said
many years. Next to his field is Raghu's that Raghu's family would have
land which is separated from his by a already contacted the police station.
small boundary called a bund.
After much discussion it was
One morning Mohan noticed that decided that Mohan would go to the
Raghu had shifted the bund by a few police station along with some of the
feet. By doing so, he had managed to neighbours who had seen the incident.
Area of the Police Station
On the way to the police station one of
the neighbours asked, "Why don't we
spend some more money and go to the
main police station in the town?"
"It is not a question of money. We
can register the case only in this police
station because our village comes in its
area of work," explained Mohan.
Every police station has an area
that comes under its control. All
persons in that area can report cases or
inform the police about any theft,
accident, injury, fight, etc. It is the
responsibility of the police of that
then investigating them. Mohan
station to enquire, to investigate and
showed him his injuries but the S.H.O
take action on the cases within its area.
did not believe him.
1. If there is a theft in your house Mohan was puzzled and did not
which police station would you go
to to register your complaint? know what to do. He was not sure why
his complaint was not being recorded.
2. What was the dispute between He went and called his neighbours into
Mohan and Raghu?
the office. They argued strongly that
3. Why was Mohan worried about Mohan had been beaten up in front of
picking a quarrel with Raghu?
them and had they not rescued him he
4. Some people said Mohan should
report the matter to the police and Show the above situation in the
others said he should not. What police station through a skit.
were the arguments they gave? Then talk about how you felt
playing Mohan's role or that of the
The work at the Police Station S.H.O or the neighbours. Could the
S.H.O have handled the situation
When they reached the police station differently?
Mohan went to the person in charge
(Station House Officer or S.H.O.) and would have been injured very
told him what had happened. He also seriously. They insisted that the case
said that he wanted to give the be registered. Finally the officer agreed.
complaint in writing. The S.H.O rudely He asked Mohan to write down his
brushed him aside saying that he complaint and also told the people that
couldn't be bothered to waste his time he would send a constable the next day
writing down minor complaints and to investigate the incident.
/ 51
Rural Administration
Maintenance of Land Records Karamchari or Village Officer etc. We
You saw that Mohan and Raghu were will refer to this officer as Patwari.
arguing heatedly whether the common Each Patwari is responsible for a
boundary of their fields had been group of villages. The Patwari
shifted. Isn't there a way by which they maintains and updates the records of
could have settled this dispute in a the village.
peaceful manner? Are there records The map and the corresponding
that show who owns what land in the details from the register on the next
village? Let's find out how this is done. page are a small part of the records
Measuring land and keeping land kept by the Patwari.
records is the main work of the The Patwari usually has ways of
Patwari. The Patwari is known by measuring agricultural fields. In some
different names in different states - in places a long chain is used. In the
some villages such officers are above instance the Patwari would have
called Lekhpal, in others Kanungo or measured both Mohan's and Raghu's
fields and compared them with the
measurements on the map. If they did
not match then it would be clear that
the boundary of the fields has been
changed.
Find out the term used for the Patwari

in your state.
If you live in a rural area find out:
How many villages does the Patwari of
your area maintain land records of?
How do people in the village contact
him/her?
The Patwari is also responsible for

organising the collection of land
revenue from the farmers and
providing information to the govern-
ment about the crops grown in this
area. This is done from the records
that are kept, and this is why it's
important for the Patwari to regularly
update these. Farmers may change
the crops grown on their fields or
someone may dig a well somewhere,
The Khasra record of the Patwari gives you information regarding the map given
below. It identifies which plot of land is owned by whom. Look at both the records and
the map and answer the questions given below regarding Mohan and Raghu's land.
Khasra 5
Area cultivatedArea
If it is rented Facilities
No. Area in this year not
Name of owner, to some other
hectare Father or culti-
farmer, Crop Area Sec- vated
husband's name, their name ond
address grown fallow
and rent crop
grown
land
recieved
0.75 Mohan, Son of Raja No Soya- 0.75

Ram, Village bean Hectare
Amrapura owner
3.00 Raghu Ram, Son of No Soya- 2.75 0.25

RatanLall, Village bean, Hectare
Amrapura owner Wheat, 1.75 Well -1
irriga- working
ted
6.00 Madhya Pradesh No – Well -1
Government working
Grassland Grazing
VILLAGE - AMRAPURA NORTH

1. Who owns the land south of PATWARI RECORD - 16
Mohan's field?
|
|
|
|
|
|
2. Mark the common boundary

|
between Mohan's and Raghu's lands. 1 4 6
3. Who can use field no 3? |
4. What information can one get for | 2

5
field no 2 and field no 3? |
| 7
|
Legend 3
|
Boundary 8
|
Well
Grassland |
SCALE - 1 INCH = ---- FEET
| Kachcha Road
Pakka road
Tree
Rural Administration / 53
and keeping track of all this is the Farmers often require a copy of their land's
work of the revenue department of record together with a map, as shown in
the government. Senior people in the previous illustration. They have a right
this department supervise the to this information. They may have to pay
Patwari's work. a small fee for this.
All states in India are divided However, this information is not easily
made available and farmers sometimes
into districts. For managing matters
have to face many problems to get it. In
relating to land these districts are some states, records are now being
further sub-divided. These sub- computerised and also kept at the
divisions of a district are known by Panchayat office so that they are more
different names such as tehsil, easily available and regularly updated.
taluka, etc. At the head is the When do you think farmers may require a
District Collector and under her are copy of this record? Study the following
the revenue officers, also known as situations and identify the cases in which
tehsildars. They have to hear these records would be necessary and why.
disputes. They also supervise the * A farmer wants to buy a plot of land from
work of the Patwaris and ensure another.
that records are properly kept and * A farmer wants to sell her produce to
land revenue is collected. They another.
make sure that the farmers can * A farmer wants a loan from the bank to
easily obtain a copy of their record, dig a well in her land.
students can obtain their caste * A farmer wants to purchase fertilizers for
his field.
certificates etc. The Tehsildar's
* A farmer wants to divide his property
office is where land disputes are among his children.
also heard.
A daughter's wish
Father inherited our house
from his father
And everyone says he'll
leave it to brother
But what about me and my
mother?
To expect a share in my
father's home,
Is not very womanly, I am
told.
But I really want a place of
my own,
Not dowry of silk and gold.
(Source: Reflections on MY FAMILY,
Anjali Monteiro,TISS)
A New Law This law will benefit a large number
(Hindu Succession Amendment Act, of women. For example Sudha is the
2005) eldest daughter of an agricultural
Often when we think of farmers who family. She is married and lives in a
own land, we think of men. Women are neighbouring village. After her father's
seen as people who work on the fields, death Sudha often comes to help her
but not as people who own mother with the farming work.
agricultural land. Till recently in some
Her mother has asked the Patwari
states Hindu women did not get a
to transfer the land and enter her
share in the family's agricultural land.
name along with the names of all the
After the death of the father his
children in his record.
property was divided equally only
among his sons. Sudha's mother confidently
Recently, the law was changed. In organises the farming with the help of
the new law sons, daughters and their the younger brother and sister.
mothers can get an equal share in the Similarly Sudha also lives with the
land. The same law will apply to all assurance that if she ever has a
states and union territories of the problem she can always depend upon
country. her share of the land.
Other Public Services - A survey

This chapter has looked at some of the administrative work of the
government, especially for rural areas. The first example related to
maintaining law and order and the second to maintaining land records.
In the first case we examined the role of the police and in the second
that of the Patwari. This work is supervised by other people in the
department, such as the Tehsildar or the Superintendent of Police. We
have also seen how people use these services, and some of the problems
that they face. These services have to be used and made to function
according to the laws that have been framed for them. You have
probably seen many other public services and facilities provided by
various departments of the government.
Do the following exercise for your village/by visiting a nearby village or
looking at your own area.
List the public services in the village/area such as: the milk society, the
fair price shop, the bank, the police station, the agricultural society for
seeds and fertiliser, the post office or sub post office, the anganwadi,
crèche, government school/s, health centre or government hospital etc.
Collect information on three public services and discuss with your
teacher how improvements can be made in their functioning. One
example has been worked out.
Public Problems
service What do they faced by
What did you Problems Improvements
need to do in those
notice about Area covered faced by that can be
order to use managing
their work? people made
the facility? the
service
The shop was
Improve
open. Three
quality of
people came.
Fair- You need a There is Rice is of rice. Make
They all had
price This shop ration card. not very bad kerosene
yellow cards.
shop covers two This has to be enough quality.We available.
They bought
(ratio villages. made at the supply of never get The fair price
sugar and
shop) tehsil office. kerosene. kerosene. shop should
rice. Kerosene
open every
was not
day.
available.
Health
centre
Milk
society
Rural Administration
/ 55
QUESTIONS
1. What is the work of the police?
2. List two things that the work of a Patwari includes.
3. What is the work of a tehsildar?
4. What issue is the poem trying to raise? Do you think this is an

important issue? Why?
5. In what ways are the work of the Panchayat, that you read about in
the previous chapter, and the work of the Patwari related to each
other?
6. Visit a police station and find out the work that the police have to do
to prevent crime and maintain law and order in their area especially
during festivals, public meetings etc.
7. Who is in charge of all the police stations in a district? Find out.
8. How do women benefit under the new law?
9. In your neighbourhood are there women who own property? How did
they acquire it?
Chapter 7
A city is much bigger than a village and more spread
out. A city has crowded markets, many buses and
Urban cars, water and electricity facilities, traffic control

and hospitals. Have you ever wondered who is
responsible for running all this? Do you know how
Administration decisions are made? How the planning is done?
Who are the people who do all the work? Read this
chapter and find some answers.
O ne lazy Sunday afternoon Mala

and her friends Shankar, Jehangir
and Rehana were playing a game of
But Mala, Jehangir and Rehana were
more worried about what had happened
and they told Shankar he'd better stop
cricket in the street. thinking about the wicket.
Shankar had bowled a good over Last week they had broken Nirmala
and although he nearly managed to get Mausi's window and had spent their
Rehana out, she was still playing. pocket money to have it replaced. Would
Frustrated, he bowled a short ball and they have to dish out money again from
hoped she would hit it for an easy catch. their pockets? But who would they pay
Instead, Rehana hit the ball so hard and this to? To whom did the lights on the
so high that the street light broke. streets belong? Who changed them?
Rehana screamed, "Oh no, look what Rehana's house was the closest and
I've done!" Shankar said, "Yes! we forgot they ran and told her mother what had
to make a rule that if you break the happened. Rehana's mother said, "I
street light you are automatically out." don't really know these things in great
detail but I do know that it is the
Municipal Corporation of the city that
takes care of replacing lights. The best
person to ask would be Yasmin Khala.
She just retired from the Municipal
Corporation. Go and ask her, and
Rehana come back home soon."
Yasmin Khala lived in the same lane
and she and Rehana's mother were
good friends. The children ran to
Khala's house and when she opened
the door they began to tell her what
had happened all at once! When they
asked about the street light, Yasmin
Khala laughed and said, "There is no
one person that you can pay the money
to. There is a big organisation called
the Municipal Corporation that takes
care of street lights, garbage collection, so here it is called a Municipal
water supply, keeping the streets and Corporation. In smaller towns it is
the market clean." called a Municipal Council."
"I've heard about the Municipal The Ward Councillor and
Corporation. They've put up signs Administrative Staff
around the city to inform people about
"Yasmin Khala, I'm curious. Who
malaria," said Mala.
decides where a park should go? Did
"Yes, you are quite right. The you have to make interesting decisions
Municipal Corporation is also like this when you worked in the
responsible for ensuring that diseases Municipal Corporation?" asked
do not break out in the city. It also runs Rehana.
schools, hospitals and dispensaries.
"No Rehana, I was working in the
And makes gardens and maintains
accounts office of the Corporation so I
them," said Yasmin Khala. Then she
just worked on pay slips. Cities are
added, "Our city Pune is a big city and
usually quite large so the Municipal
List at least four different tasks Corporation has to make a lot of
that the Municipality does: decisions as well as do a lot of work to
1. keep the city clean. The decisions like
2. where a park or a new hospital should
3. go are usually made by the Ward
4. Councillors."
Urban Administration / 59
The city is divided into different
wards and ward councillors get Fill in the blanks in the sentences
elected. The complicated decisions that below:
affect the entire city are taken by 1. In a panchayat the elected members
groups of councillors who form commi- are called ___________.
ttees to decide and debate issues. For 2. The city is divided into several
example, if bus stands need to be ___________.
improved, or a crowded market-place 3. In a municipal corporation the elected
needs to have its garbage cleared more members are called ___________.
4. Groups of councillors deal with
regularly, or there is a 'nala' or drain
issues that affect the ___________ .
that cuts through the city that needs
5. Elections are held once every
cleaning etc. It is these committees for _________ years for the panchayat as
water, garbage collection, street lighting well as for the municipality
etc. that decide on the work to be done. 6. While the councillors make
When the problems are within a decisions the administrative
ward then the people who live in the staff led by the Commissioner
______________ these.
ward can contact their councillors. For
example, if there are dangerous
electrical wires hanging down then the How does the Municipal
local Councillor can help them get in Corporation get its money?
touch with the electricity authority. Providing and running so many
services requires a lot of money. The
While the Councillor's Committees
Municipal Corporation collects this in
and the councillors decide on issues, different ways. A tax is a sum of
the Commissioner and the adminis- money that people pay to the
trative staff implement these. The government for the services the
Commissioner and the administrative government provides. People who
staff are appointed. Councillors are own homes have to pay a property tax
elected. as well as taxes for water and other
"So how are these decisions made?" services. The larger the house the
more the tax. Property taxes however
said Rehana who never gave up on her
form only 25-30 per cent of the money
train of thought. that a Municipal Corporation earns.
"Well, all of the Ward Councillors There are also taxes for education and
meet and they make a budget and the other amenities. If you own a hotel or
money is spent according to this. The shop then you have to pay a tax for
Ward Councillors try and ensure that this as well. Also the next time you go
the particular demands of their ward to see a movie look carefully at your
are placed before the entire council. ticket because you pay a tax for this as
These decisions are then implemented well. Thus while rich people account
by the administrative staff," said for property taxes, a much wider
Yasmin Khala, enjoying the questions population pays more general taxes.
that the children asked.
No adults asked her
about her job and the
children's questions
provided her an
opportunity to relive some
of her experiences.
"But the city is so
large. It must take a lot of
people to look after it.
Does the Municipal
Corporation have a lot of
workers?" asked Shekhar
curiously. He had by now
luckily forgotten about the
cricket match and his
incomplete over.
Recycling is not a new thing. People like the man in the photo
"Yes, the work in the above have been recycling paper, metal, glass and plastic for a
city is divided into long time. The kabadi wallah plays a major role in recycling
different departments. So household plastic and paper, including your note books.
there is the water
department, the garbage collection remains uncollected it attracts dogs,
department, a department to look after rats and flies. Also, people get ill from
gardens, another to look after roads. I the smell. At one point things became
worked on accounts in the sanitation so bad that children even stopped
department," said Yasmin Khala and playing cricket in the street because
then went on to offer the children some their parents were afraid that they'd
kababs to eat. get sick from staying on the streets too
long."
Jehangir ate his kababs at top
speed and as he wolfed them down he
A Community Protest
asked loudly from the kitchen, "Yasmin
Khala where does the garbage that the Yasmin Khala continued, "The women
Municipal Corporation collects go to?". were very unhappy about the situation
The others were still eating when and even came to me for advice. I said
Yasmin Khala began to answer, "This I could try and speak with some officer
question has an interesting answer. As in the department but I wasn't sure
you know you can usually find garbage how long it would take. Then it was
lying all over the street. Earlier even Gangabai who said that it is the Ward
our neighbourhood used to have Councillor who we should go to and
garbage lying all over, and if this protest since we are the ones who
house making sure that as many
What has changed since Khala
families as possible signed the petition.
retired?
What Yasmin Khala did not The next morning a large group of
mention to the children was that in women and the Ward Councillor and
recent times, in order to save money the sanitation engineer went to the
the Commissioners of several Municipal Corporation office. The
municipalities across the country Commissioner met with this large group
had hired private contractors to and began giving excuses saying that
collect and process garbage. This is the Corporation did not have enough
called Sub-Contracting. This means
trucks. But Gangabai smartly replied,
that the work that was earlier being
done by government workers is now "But you seem to have enough trucks to
being done by a private company. collect garbage from the rich localities".
These contract workers get paid less "That must have left him lost for
and their jobs are temporary. words," quipped Jehangir.
Collecting garbage is also quite a
dangerous job and often these "Yes, he said that he would take
contract workers do not have any care of it immediately and Gangabai
access to safety measures and are threatened that if it was not done in
not taken care of if they are injured two days a larger group of women
while working. would protest in front of the
Corporation," said Yasmin Khala. "So
did the streets get cleaned?" asked
elected him. She gathered a small Rehana who never let things remain
group of women and went to his house. unfinished.
They began shouting slogans in front of
his house and he came out and asked "Well not within two days and then
them what was wrong. after another larger and more noisy
protest the sanitation service in this
Gangabai described the situation in locality became more regular."
the locality to him. He promised to go
with them the next day to meet the "Wow this sounds just like a
Commissioner. He asked Gangabai to Bollywood film with a happy ending,"
get a petition signed by all of the adults
in the locality saying that garbage was What was Gangabai protesting
not being collected. He suggested that about?
taking the local sanitation engineer Why do you think Gangabai
decided to approach the Ward
with them the next day might be a good Councillor?
idea. The sanitation engineer could also
What did Gangabai say when
speak with the Commissioner and tell the Commissioner said that
him how bad the situation was. That there were not enough trucks in
evening children ran from house to the city?
said Mala who already began Khala began laughing. "No, not
imagining herself in the lead role of really. The Municipal Corporation was
Gangabai. the one who suggested that we do this
to help keep our streets clean. When we
The children enjoyed hearing
sort our own garbage it reduces their
Gangabai's story immensely. They work."
had sensed that Gangabai was much
The children thanked Khala
loved and respected and now they
and walked back down the street
understood why. They got up and
together. It had become quite late
thanked Khala for answering their
and they needed to get back home.
questions and then, before they left,
For some reason the street seemed
Rehana said, "Oh I have one last darker than usual. They looked
question Khala. The two dustbins that up and then looked at each other
we have at home now, are they also smiling and ran right back to
Gangabai's idea?" Khala's house…
The city of Surat had a plague scare in 1994. Surat was one of
the dirtiest cities in India. Houses hotels and restaurants would
dump their garbage into the nearest drain or street which made
it very difficult for sweepers to collect and transfer the garbage
into selected dumps. In addition to this the Municipal Council
did not collect the garbage as often as it should have and this
led to the situation getting worse. Plague spreads through the
air and people who have the disease have to be isolated. In
Surat, several people lost their lives, and over 300,000 deserted
the town. The scare of the plague ensured that the municipal
council completely cleaned up the city. To this date Surat
continues to remain the second cleanest city in India after
Chandigarh.
Do you know when and how often garbage gets collected in your
neighbourhood? Do you think it is the same for all
neighbourhoods of the city? Why not? Discuss.
QUESTIONS
1. Why did the children go to Yasmin Khala's house?
2. List four ways in which the work of the Municipal Corporation

affects the life of a city-dweller.
3. Who is a Municipal Councillor?
4. What did Gangabai do and why?
5. How does the Municipal Corporation earn the money to do its

work?
Photo 1
Photo 2
6. Discuss:
In the two photographs you see different ways of collecting and
disposing garbage.
i) Which way do you think provides safety to the person disposing
garbage?
ii) What are the dangers of collecting garbage in the manner shown in
the first photograph?
iii) Why do you think that proper ways of disposing garbage are not
available to those who work in municipalities?
7. Several poor people in the city work as domestic servants as well as

work for the Corporation, keeping the city clean. Yet the slums in
which they live are quite filthy. This is because these slums seldom
have any water and sanitation facilities. The reason often given by
the Municipal Corporation is that the land in which the poor have
set up their homes does not belong to them and that slum-dwellers
do not pay taxes. However people living in middle class
neighbourhoods pay very little in taxes compared to the amount of
money the corporation spends on them in setting up parks, street
lighting facilities, regular garbage collection etc. Also as you read in
this chapter, the property taxes collected by the Municipality makes
up only 25-30 per cent of its money. Why do you think it is
important that the Corporation should spend more money on slum
localities? Why is it important that the Municipal Corporation
provide the poor in the city with the same facilities that the rich get?
Chapter 8
In the first chapter we looked at the many kinds of
diversity in our lives. We also explored how living in
Rural different regions has an effect on the work people do,
the kinds of plants, trees, crops or things that become
Livelihoods important to them. In this chapter we will look at the
different ways in which people earn their living in
villages. And here too, as in the first two chapters,
we will examine whether people have equal
opportunities to earn a living. We will look at the
similarities in their life situations and the problems
that they face.
1. Describe the work that you see people doing in the above
pictures.
2. Identify the different types of work that are related to farming
and those that are not. List these in a table.
3. In your notebook draw some pictures of work that you have
seen people do in rural areas and write a few sentences that
describe the work.
Kalpattu village morning and snacks like vadai, bonda
and mysorepak in the evening. Near
K alpattu is a village that's close to
the sea coast in Tamil Nadu.
People here do many kinds of work.
the teashops in a corner lives a
blacksmith family whose home serves
as their workshop. Next to their home
As in other villages, here too there is
is a cycle hire and repair shop. Two
non-farm work such as making
families earn a living by washing
baskets, utensils, pots, bricks,
clothes. There are some people who go
bullock-carts etc.
to the nearby town to work as
There are people who provide construction workers and lorry
services such as blacksmiths, nurses, drivers.
teachers, washermen, weavers,
The village is surrounded by low
barbers, cycle repair mechanics and
hills. Paddy is the main crop that is
so on. There are also some
grown in irrigated lands. Most of the
shopkeepers and traders. In the main
families earn a living through
street, which looks like a bazaar, you
agriculture.
There are some
coconut groves around.
Cotton, sugar cane and
plantain are also
grown, and there are
mango orchards. Let
us now meet some
people who work in the
fields in Kalpattu and
see what we can learn
about farming from
them.
Thulasi
All of us here work on
Transplanting paddy is back-breaking work.
Ramalingam's land.
He has twenty acres
of paddy fields in
will find a variety of small shops such Kalpattu. Even before I was married I
as tea shops, grocery shops, barber used to work on paddy fields in my
shops, a cloth shop, a tailor and two parental village. I work from 8.30 in
fertiliser and seed shops. There are the morning till 4.30 in the evening and
four teashops, which sell tiffin – such Karuthamma, Ramalingam's wife,
as idli, dosai and upama in the supervises us.
/ 69
Rural Livelihoods
This is one of the few times in the the farm he finds work outside, either
year that I find regular work. Now I loading sand from the river or stone
am transplanting the paddy, when the from the quarry nearby. This is sent by
plants have grown a bit Ramalingam truck to be used in nearby towns to
will call us again for weeding and then make houses.
finally once again for the harvesting.
Apart from working on the land, I do
When I was young I could do this all the tasks at home. I cook food for my
work with no difficulty. But now as I family, clean the house and wash
grow older I find bending for long clothes. I go with other women to the
hours with my feet in water very nearby forest to collect firewood. About
painful. Ramalingam pays Rs 40 per one kilometre away we have a village
day. This is a little less than what borewell from where I fetch water. My
labourers get in my home village, but I husband helps in getting materials
come here because I can depend on such as groceries for the house.
him to call me whenever there is work.
Our school-going daughters are the
Unlike others, he does not go looking
joy of our lives. Last year, one of them
for cheaper labour from other villages.
fell ill and had to be taken to the
My husband, Raman is also a hospital in town. We had to sell our
labourer. We don't own any land. cow to pay back the money we
During this time of the year he sprays borrowed from Ramalingam for her
pesticides. When there is no work on treatment.
er
emb
1. Describe the work that

y
ar
nu
Thulasi does. How is it

Dec
No
Ja
ve different from the work

m
be
r ry Raman does?
ebrua
Harvesting F 2. Thulasi gets paid very little
Oct
obe money for the work she
r March does. Why do you think
Weeding
agricultural labourers like
her are forced to accept low
Sep
tem Ap wages?
ber ril
Transplanting 3. In what ways would her way
Preparing
of earning a living have
A
Ma
u
saplings y been different if Thulasi

gu
st
owned some farm land?

Jul
June
Discuss.
y
4. What are the crops grown in

your region or nearby
rural area? What kinds
Based on the above diagram would of work do agricultural
you say that Thulasi earns money labourers do?
throughout the year?
As you saw in Thulasi's story poor harvesting our field. We don't own
families in rural areas often spend a much land, only two acres. We manage
lot of time every day collecting to do all the work on our own. At
firewood, getting water and grazing times, especially during the harvest I
their cattle. take the help of other small farmers
Even though they do not earn any and in turn help them harvest their
money from these activities they have field.
to do them for the household. The The trader gave me seeds and
family needs to spend time doing this fertilisers as a loan. To pay back this
as they are not able to survive on the loan I have to sell my paddy to him at
little money they earn. a somewhat lower price than what I
Nearly two-fifth of all rural families would get in the market. He has sent
are agricultural labourers in our his agent to remind farmers who have
country. There are some who have taken loans that they will sell the
small plots of land while others like paddy only to him.
Thulasi are landless.
I will probably get 60 bags of paddy
Not being able to earn money from my field. Some of this I will sell to
throughout the year forces people in settle the loan. The rest will be used in
many rural areas to travel long my home. But whatever I have will last
distances in search of work. This only eight months. So I need to earn
travel, or migration, takes place some money. I work in Ramalingam's
during particular seasons. rice mill. Here I help him collect paddy
Sekar from other farmers in the neighbouring
villages.
We have to carry this paddy to our
house. My family has just finished We also have a hybrid cow, whose
milk we sell in the local milk
cooperative. This way we get a little
extra money for our everyday needs.
On being in Debt
As you've read above, very often

farmers like Sekar need to borrow
money to purchase basic things like
seeds, fertilisers and pesticides. Often
they borrow this money from
moneylenders. If the seeds are not of
good quality or pests attack their crop
there can be a major crop failure.
Rural Livelihoods / 71
The crops can also be ruined
if the monsoon does not bring
enough rain. When this happens
farmers sometimes are unable
to pay back their loans. And, for
the family to survive, they may
even have to borrow more
money. Soon the loan becomes
so large that no matter what
they earn, they are unable
to repay.
This is when we can say they
are caught in debt. In recent
years this has become a major
cause of distress among farmers. Transplanted paddy growing in a few of
In some areas this has also Ramalinam's 20 acres. A result of hard labour
resulted in many farmers performed by agricultural workers like Thulasi.
committing suicide. Ramalingam and Karuthamma
1. What work does Sekar's family

In addition to land, Ramalingam's
do? Why do you think Sekar does family owns a rice mill and a shop
not usually employ labourers for selling seeds, pesticides etc. For the
doing farming work? rice mill they used some of their own
2. Why does Sekar not go to the money and also borrowed from the
town market to get a better price for government bank. They buy paddy
his paddy? from within the village and from
3. Sekar's sister Mina had also surrounding villages. The rice that is
taken a loan from the trader. She produced in the mill is sold to traders
does not want to sell her paddy to in nearby towns. This gives them a
him but she will pay back her loan. substantial income.
Write an imaginary conversation
between Mina and the trader's Read again Sekar and Thulasi's
agent and the arguments given by accounts. What do they say about
each person. Ramalingam, the large farmer?
Together with what you have read
4. What are the similarities and
fill in the details below:
differences between Sekar and
Thulasi's lives? Your answer could 1. How much land does he have?
be based on the land that they 2. What does Ramalingam do with
have, their need to work on the land the paddy grown on his land?
that belongs to others, or loans that 3. Apart from farming how else does
they need and their earnings. he earn?
Agricultural Labourers and Farmers

in India
In Kalpattu village there are
agricultural labourers like Thulasi,
and many small farmers like Sekar,
and a few big farmers like
Ramalingam. In India nearly two out
of every five rural families are
agricultural labourer families. All of
them depend on the work they do on
other people's fields to earn a living.
Many of them are landless and others
Terrace Farming in Nagaland may own very small plots of land.
This is a village called Chizami
In the case of small farmers like
which is in Phek district in
Sekhar their land is barely enough to
Nagaland. The people of this
meet their needs. In India 80 per cent
village belong to the Chakhesang
community. They do 'terrace' of farmers belong to this group. Only
cultivation. 20 per cent of India's farmers are like
Ramalingam. These large farmers
This means that the land on a hill
slope is made into flat plots and
cultivate most of the land in the
carved out in steps. The sides of villages. A large part of their produce is
each plot are raised in order to sold in the market. Many of them have
retain water. This allows water to started other businesses such as
stand in the field, which is best shops, moneylending, trading, small
for rice cultivation. factories etc.
The people of Chizami have their From the figures given above
own individual fields. But, they would you say that a majority of
also work collectively in each the country's farmers are quite
other's fields. They form groups poor? What do you think can be
of six or eight and take an entire done to change this situation?
mountainside to clean the weeds
on it. We have looked at farming in
Each group eats together once Kalpattu. Apart from farming, many
their work for the day is over. This people in rural areas depend upon
goes on for several days until the collection from the forest, animal
work is completed. husbandry, dairy produce, fishing etc.
For example, in some villages in
central India, both farming

and collection from the
forest are important
sources of livelihood.
Collecting mahua, tendu
leaves, honey, to be sold to
traders is an important
source of additional
income.
Similarly selling milk to
the village cooperative
society or taking milk to the
nearby town may be the
main source of livelihood for
some families. In the
Aruna and Paarivelan
coastal areas, we find fishing villages.
Let us find out more about the lives of Not very far from Kalpattu is the
a fishing family by reading about Aruna village of Pudupet. People here earn
and Paarivelan who live in Pudupet, a their living by fishing. Their houses
village close to Kalpattu. are close to the sea and one finds rows
of catamarans and nets lying
Fisher-woman selling the catch at the local market.
around. At about 7 O'clock
in the morning there is lot
of activity on the beach.
This is the time when the
catamarans return with
their catch and women
gather to buy and sell fish.
My husband Paarivelan,
my brother and my
brother-in-law came in late
today. I was very worried.
They go to the sea together
in our catamaran. They
said they were caught in a
storm. I have kept aside
some fish for the family. I
will auction the rest. The money I get
from the auction will be divided into 1. Why do both Sekar's and
four shares. One each for each person Aruna's families have to borrow?
What similarities and differences
who went fishing and the fourth one is
do you find?
for the equipment. Since we own the
catamaran, engine and nets, we get 2. Have you heard of a tsunami?
that share too. We have taken a loan What is this and what damage do
from a bank and purchased an engine, you think it might have done to
the life of fishing families like
which is fixed on to the catamaran.
Aruna's?
Now they can go far into the sea so
that they can get a better catch. harvesting of crops. We depend on
nature for the growth of these crops.
The women who buy fish here will
Hence life revolves around certain
carry it in baskets to be sold in nearby
seasons. People are busy during
villages. Then there are others like
sowing and harvesting and less so at
traders who buy for the shops in the
other times. Rural people in different
town. I'll only finish this auction by
regions of the country grow different
noon. In the evening my husband and
crops. However, we do find similarities
our relatives will untangle and repair
in their life situations and in the
our nets. Early tomorrow morning
problems that they face.
around 2 a.m. they will set out to sea
again. Every year, for at least about How people are able to survive or
four months during the monsoon, they earn will depend upon the land that
cannot go to the sea because this is they cultivate. Many depend on these
when the fish breed. During these lands for work as labourers. Most
months we survive by borrowing from farmers grow crops both for their own
the trader. Because of this, later on we requirements and also to sell in the
are forced to sell the fish to that trader, market. Some have to sell to traders
and cannot do our auction. Those lean from whom they have borrowed
months are the most difficult. Last year money. For their survival, many
we suffered a lot because of the families need to borrow money for
tsunami. their work or when no work is
available. There are some families in
Rural Livelihoods
rural areas which thrive on large acres
People in rural areas earn their living of lands, business and other activities.
in various ways. Some work on farms However, most small farmers,
while others earn their living on non- agricultural labourers, fishing
farm activities. Working on farms families, crafts persons in the village
involves operations such as preparing do not find enough work to keep them
the land, sowing, weeding and employed throughout the year.
QUESTIONS
1. You have probably noticed that people in Kalpattu are engaged in a

variety of non-farm work. List five of these.
2. List the different types of people you read about in Kalpattu who
depend on farming. Who is the poorest among them and why?
3. Imagine you are a member of a fishing family and you are discussing
whether to take a loan from the bank for an engine. What would you
say?
4. Poor rural labourers like Thulasi often do not have access to good
medical facilities, good schools, and other resources. You have read
about inequality in the first unit of this text. The difference between
her and Ramalingam is one of inequality. Do you think this is a fair
situation? What do you think can be done? Discuss in class.
5. What do you think the government can do to help farmers like Sekar
when they get into debt? Discuss.
6. Compare the situation of Sekar and Ramalingam by filling out the

following table:
SEKAR RAMALINGAM
Land
cultivated
Labour
required
Loans
required
Selling of
harvest
Other work
done by them
Chapter 9
Urban
Livelihoods
1. What do you see in

this illustration?
2. You have already
read about the work
that people do in rural
areas. Now compare
the work that people in
this illustration are
doing with the work
that people do in rural
areas.
3. Some parts of the
city are different from
others. What differences
do you notice in this
illustration?
Urban Livelihoods / 77
There are more than five thousand towns and twenty seven big cities in
India. Big cities like Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata etc. have more
than a million people living and working here. They say that 'the city
never sleeps!' Let's visit one and find out about the work people do in
the city. Are they employed by someone or are they self-employed? How
do they organise themselves? And do they have similar employment
and earning opportunities?
Working on the Street

we turned the corner onto the main
T his is the city where my cousin

lives. I've been here only a few
times. It is very big. Once, when I came
street we saw that it was already
buzzing with activity. The vegetable
vendor was busy arranging tomatoes,
here, my cousin took me around. We carrots and cucumbers in baskets at
left the house early in the morning. As her stall so that people could see what
she had to sell. Next to her stall was a another person on a cycle trolley was
lovely, colourful one that sold all kinds carrying vegetables to sell to people in
of flowers. their houses.
We bought a red rose and a yellow We came to a place where
rose. On the pavement opposite we rickshaws were standing in a row
saw a person selling newspapers with waiting for customers. We decided to
a small crowd of people around him. take one to the market, which was
Everyone wanted to read the news! about two kilometres down the road.
Buses whizzed past and there
were auto-rickshaws filled
with school-children. Nearby,
under a tree, a cobbler sat
taking his tools and materials
out of a small tin box. Next to
him the roadside barber had
begun his work: he already
had a customer who wanted
an early-morning shave!
A little way down the
road, a woman was pushing
along a cart with all kinds of
plastic bottles, boxes,
hairpins, clips etc. in it while
Bachchu Manjhi – A Cycle-Rickshaw rides of up to 6 kilometres in the

Puller surrounding area. Each customer gives
me Rs. 5-10 per trip depending on the
I come from a village in Bihar where I
distance. When I'm ill I can't do this work,
worked as a mason. My wife and three
so on those days I don't earn anything.
children live in the village. We don't own
land. In the village I did not get masonry I stay with my friends in a rented room.
work regularly. The income that I earned They work in a nearby factory. I earn
was not sufficient for our family. between Rs. 80-100 every day, out of
which I spend Rs. 50-60 on food and rent.
After I reached this city, I bought an old The rest I save for my family. I visit my
cycle rickshaw and paid for it in village two or three times a year to see my
instalments. This was many years ago. family. Though my family survives on the
I come to the bus stop every morning and money I send, my wife also earns from
take the customers wherever they want to agricultural work that she gets once in
go. I work till 8.30 in the evening. I take a while.
1. Why did Bachchu Manjhi come to on a few poles. They may also use
the city? their own carts or simply a plastic
2. Why can't Bachchu Manjhi live sheet spread on the pavement. They
with his family? can be asked to dismantle their shops
3. Talk to a vegetable vendor or at any time by the police. They have no
hawker and find out how do they
security. There are certain parts of the
organise their work, their way of
preparing, purchasing, selling etc. city where these hawkers are not
4. Bachchu Manjhi has to think allowed to enter.
twice before taking a day off from Vendors sell things that are often
work. Why?
prepared at home by their families
Like Bachchu Manjhi a large who purchase, clean, sort and make
number of people in the city work on them ready to sell. For example, those
the streets. In a survey of Ahmedabad who sell food or snacks on the street,
city it was found that 12 per cent of all prepare most of these at home.
the workers in the
city were people
working on the street.
They sometimes sell
things or repair them
or provide a service.
They work on their

own. They are not
employed by anyone
and therefore have to
organise their own
work. They have to
plan how much to
purchase, as well as
where and how to set
up their shops. Their
shops are usually
temporary structures:
sometimes just some
boards or papers
spread over discarded
Often workers who make a living in the city are forced to set up their
boxes or maybe a homes on the street as well. Below is a space where several workers
canvas sheet hung up leave their belongings during the day and cook their meals at night.
There are almost one crore 'street
vendors' in the country working in
urban areas. Street vending was till
recently looked upon only as an
obstruction to traffic and to people
walking. However with the effort of many
organisations it is now recognised as a
general benefit and as a right of people to
earn their livelihood. The government is
thinking about modifying the law that
banned street vendors, so that they have
a place to work and that there is also a
free flow of traffic and people. Hawking
zones have been suggested for towns
and cities. It has also been suggested
From the dental clinic she took me to
that mobile vendors should be allowed to
a new garment showroom because I
move around freely. Hawkers need to be
wanted to buy some readymade
part of committees that are set up to
clothes. The showroom had three-
take these and other decisions relating
floors. Each floor had different types of
to them.
clothes. We went to the third floor
In the Market where clothes for girls were kept.
When we reached the market the shops Harpreet and Vandana:
were just beginning to open. But the Businesspersons
place was already crowded because of
My father and uncle worked in a small
the festival season. There were rows
shop. During festival times and on
and rows of shops selling sweets, toys,
Sundays my mother and I helped them
clothes, footwear, utensils, electronic
in the shop. I started working there
goods, etc. There was a dentist's clinic
only after I completed my college.
also at one end.
(Harpreet)
My cousin had an appointment with
We opened this showroom some
the dentist. We went there first so that
years ago. I'm a dress designer. Our
we would not miss our turn. We had to
business has changed. These days
wait for a while in a room before she
people prefer to buy readymade
was called inside. The dentist
clothes, rather than have them stitched.
examined her and asked her to come
The trend these days is for readymade
back the following day to get a cavity in
garments. You also need an attractive
her tooth filled. My cousin was scared
display for them. (Vandana)
because she thought the process would
be painful and was upset that she had For our showroom, we buy things
allowed her teeth to go bad. from different places. We buy most of
the materials from Mumbai, Ahmeda- licence to do business by the
bad, Ludhiana and Tripura. Some municipal corporation. The Municipal
materials also come from Noida and Corporation also decides on which day
Gurgaon, towns near Delhi. We get of the week the market has to remain
some dress items from foreign closed. For example the shops in the
countries, too. above market are closed on
Wednesdays. This market also has
There are several things we need to
small offices and shops that provide
do to run this showroom properly. We
services, such as banks, courier
advertise in various newspapers,
services and others.
cinema theatres, television and radio
channels. Currently, this building is In the Factory-Workshop Area
rented but soon, we plan to buy it. Ever
I wanted to have zari work done on one
since this market has become the main
of my dresses which I needed for a
market for people living in the
special occasion. My cousin said that
surrounding apartments our business
she knew Nirmala who works in a
has grown. We've been able to buy a
garment factory. Nirmala's neighbours
car and book a flat in an apartment
do zari work and embroidery. So we
complex nearby.
caught a bus and headed towards the
factory area. The bus was really
Why did Harpreet and Vandana crowded. At every stop more and more
start a showroom? What do they
people got on and hardly anyone
have to do to run the showroom?
seemed to get off. People were pushing
Talk to a shop owner in a market
others to make more space for
and find out how he plans his work.
themselves. My cousin guided me to a
Have there been any changes in his
business in the past twenty years? corner so that we wouldn't get
squashed. I wondered how people
What are the differences between
those who sell on the street and
travel like this every day. As the bus
those in the market? entered the factory area people started
getting off. We also got off soon at a
crossing. What a relief that was!
Like Harpreet and Vandana there
are many people who own shops in There were a large number of people
various markets of the city. These sitting on railings or in groups at the
shops may be small or large and they crossing. They seemed to be waiting for
sell different things. Most business- someone. Some groups had people on
persons manage their own shops or scooters standing by and talking with
business. They are not employed by them. My cousin explained that this
anyone. But, they do employ a place was called "labour chowk". These
number of other workers as were daily wage labourers who work
supervisors and helpers. These are as helpers to masons. They dig at
permanent shops that are given a construction sites, lift loads or unload
clothes for people in foreign
countries like U.S.A., U.K.,
Germany and Netherlands.
Workers like Nirmala have to
work very long hours in the
months from December to
April. A normal working day
begins at 9 a.m. and finishes
only by 10 p.m., sometimes
even later. She works for six
days a week. At times when
the work needs to be done
urgently, she works on
Sundays, too. Nirmala is paid
At labour chowk, daily wage workers wait with their tools Rs 80 a day for eight hours
for people to come and take them for work. and Rs 40 extra for working
late. By June the work is over
trucks in the market, dig pipelines and
and the factory reduces its staff.
telephone cables and also build roads.
Nirmala will also be asked to leave. For
There are thousands of such casual
about three or four months in the year,
workers in the city.
there is no work for her.
We entered the factory area to find it
full of small workshops. There seemed Most workers, like Nirmala, are
to be endless rows of them. In one employed on what is known as a
section we saw people working in a casual basis i.e. they're required to
small room on sewing
machines where cloth was
being stitched. One person
operated one sewing
machine. Clothes that had
been stitched were stacked
on one side of the room.
We located Nirmala in
the stitching unit. She was
happy to meet my cousin
and promised to get zari
work done on my dress.
Nirmala works as a
tailor in an export garment
unit. The factory where
she works makes summer
come as and when the
employer needs them.
They are employed when
the employer gets large
orders or during certain
seasons. At other times
of the year they have to
find some other work.
Jobs like Nirmala's are
not permanent. If workers
complain about their pay
or working conditions
they are asked to leave.
There is no job security or
protection if there is ill
Working in Call Centres is a new form of employment in
treatment. They are also the big cities. A Call Centre is a centralised office that
expected to work very long hours. deals with problems and questions that consumers/
For example in the cloth mill units customers have regarding goods purchased and services
the workers work on day and night like banking, ticket booking, etc. Call Centres are
shifts, with each shift lasting 12 generally set up as large rooms with work stations that
include a computer, a telephone set and supervisor's
hours. One worker works on one stations. India has become a major centre not only for
machine for 12 hours and then is Indian companies but also foreign companies. They set
replaced by another on the same up Call Centres here as they can get people who can
machine for the next 12 hours. speak English and will work for lower wages.
1. Why do you think small In the office area

workshops and factories
My aunt, Sudha works as a Marketing
employ casual workers?
Manager. She had asked us to reach her office
2. Describe the working
conditions of people like before 5.30 p.m. We thought we'd get late so
Nirmala keeping in mind the we took an autorickshaw that managed to get
following: working hours, us there just in time. Her office was in an area
conditions in the workplace, surrounded by tall buildings. There were
earnings, and the days of
hundreds of people coming out. Some headed
work available.
for the car park while others went towards
3. Would you say that
the row of buses.
domestic workers like
housemaids are also casual My aunt is a marketing manager in a
workers? Why? Describe the company which manufactures biscuits. The
workday of one such woman factory where the biscuits are made is
detailing the work she does outside the city. She supervises the work of
in other peoples' houses. 50 salespersons who travel to different parts
of the city. They get orders from Medical facilities for her family: Her
shopkeepers and collect payments from company pays the medical expenses up
them. She has divided the city into six to a certain amount for her and her
regions and once a week she meets the family members. She gets medical
salespersons of each region. She leave if she falls ill and her salary is
checks their progress report and not cut if she takes this leave.
discusses problems they face. She has
There are many workers in the city
to plan the sales in the entire city and
who work in offices, factories, and
often has to work late and travel to
government departments where they
different places.
are employed as regular and
She gets a regular salary every permanent workers.
month and is a permanent worker with
the company. She can expect her job to They attend the same office or
continue for a long period of time. Being factory regularly. Their work is clearly
a permanent worker she also gets identified. They get a regular salary.
other benefits such as the following: Unlike casual workers they will not be
asked to leave if the factory does not
Savings for old age: A part of her
have much work.
salary is kept in a fund with the
government. She will earn interest on At the end of the day we got into my
these savings. When she retires from aunt's car, exhausted. But it had been
this job she will get this money and so much fun! And I thought, how
she can then live on that. interesting that so many people do so
Holidays: She gets off on Sundays many different things in the city.
and national holidays. She also gets They've probably never met each other
some days as annual leave. but it is their work that ties them
together and helps to make up city life.
QUESTIONS
1. Read and discuss the following description of the living conditions of
workers who come to the labour chowk.
Most workers that we find at the labour chowk cannot afford permanent
accommodation and so sleep on pavements near the chowk, or they pay
Rs 6 a night for a bed at a nearby night shelter run by the Municipal
Corporation. To compensate for the lack of security, local tea and
cigarette shops function as banks, moneylenders and safety lockers, all
rolled into one. Most workers leave their tools at these shops for the night
for safekeeping, and pass on any extra money to them. The shopkeepers
keep the money safely and also offer loans to labourers in need.
Source: Aman Sethi, Hindu On-line
2. Complete the following table and discuss how their work is different:
Work on
Place of Security of Benefits
Name Earnings their own or
work work received
employed
Bachchu
Rs 100 a day
Manjhi
Harpreet, Work on their

Vandana own
Nirmala No security
Sudha Company Rs 30,000 p.m.
3. In what ways is a permanent and regular job different from a casual

job? Discuss.
4. What benefits does Sudha get along with her salary?
5. Fill in the following table to show the services provided by people in

the markets which you visit frequently.
Name of the shop or office Nature of the service provided

References
List of Sources:
Chapter 1
Poile Sengupta, "The Light Changed: in G. Hariharan and S. Futehally (eds.) Sorry, Best
Friend, Chennai: Tulika Books, 1997, Reprint 2001, 2004.
Chapter 2
Sheila Dhir, Why Are You Afraid to Hold My Hand, Chennai: Tulika Books, 2004-05
Vasant Moon (ed.), Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar: Writings and Speeches, Vol. 12, Bombay:
Education Department, Government of Maharashtra, 1993.
Chapter 3
R. K. Laxman, 'The Common Man goes to the village' in The Best of Laxman, Penguin,
Delhi 2002.
R. K. Laxman, 'The Common Man: Casts his vote', in The Best of Laxman, Penguin,
Delhi 2005.
Chapter 6
Anjali Monterio, Reflections on My Family, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
Chapter 9
Jan Breman and Parthiv Shah, Working in the mill no more, Oxford University Press,
Delhi, 2005.

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CONTENTS

UNIT III LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND

T hree children around your age have drawn

Different ways in Through singing a

Different ways in In Manipur women

Different ways in In Jharkhand many

Different ways in By making Biriyani

Buddhism reached Tibet via Ladakh. Ladakh is

The boat race is an important part of

1. Draw up a list of the different festivals celebrated in your locality.

3. Do you think the term "unity in diversity" is an appropriate term to

5. Choose another region in India and do a similar study of the

Difference and Prejudice 1600 languages that are people's

Arrange the statements given below in

The children you see in the

Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar (1891-1956)

Despite the children Discuss

The first page of the Constitution that clearly

1. Match the following statements in a way that challenges stereotypes.

a. Two surgeons were sitting down to 1. suffers from chronic asthma.

4. Sometimes people make prejudiced comments in our presence. We are

Look at the newspaper headlines above

Exercise: Look at the statements in the column on the left. Can

In addition to any actions that

During the War, many men were

Voting in a rural area: A mark is put on the finger to

decisions for the entire population. In India, before Independence, only

1. What do you understand by the word 'government'? List five ways in

3. Name two essential features of a democratic government.

4. What was the suffrage movement? What did it accomplish?

5. Gandhiji strongly believed that every adult in India should be given

Key Elements of In this chapter you will read about some of

S outh Africa is a country that has

What approval or disapproval is Take Action

Read the story again: Do you

Conflicts occur when people of

1. How would Maya's life be different in South Africa today?

3. Why do you think we need the government to find solutions to many

Let's see what the Hardas Gram

for completing this work. The

3. What is the link between a Gram Sabha and a Gram Panchayat?

4. Take an example of any one task done by a Panchayat in your area/nearby

5. What is the difference between a Gram Sabha and a Gram Panchayat?

6. Read the following news item.

M ohan is a farmer. His family

Find out the term used for the Patwari

The Patwari is also responsible for

0.75 Mohan, Son of Raja No Soya- 0.75

3.00 Raghu Ram, Son of No Soya- 2.75 0.25

VILLAGE - AMRAPURA NORTH

2. Mark the common boundary

3. Who can use field no 3? |

4. What information can one get for | 2

Other Public Services - A survey

1. What is the work of the police?

2. List two things that the work of a Patwari includes.

3. What is the work of a tehsildar?

4. What issue is the poem trying to raise? Do you think this is an

7. Who is in charge of all the police stations in a district? Find out.