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Revision as of 19:31, 22 February 2006
Anna Hazare is an Indian social activist. He is a recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award.
Anna Hazare, The Man and His Philosophy
Anna Hazare was born on 15th January 1940 in a small village, Bhingar, near Ahmednagar, India. Anna's father Shri Baburao Hazare worked as an unskilled labourer in Ayurveda Ashram Pharmacy. Anna's grandfather was in the army and was posted at Bhingar when Anna was born. He died in 1945 but Anna's father continued to stay at Bhingar. In 1952 Anna's father resigned from his job and returned to his own village i.e. Ralegan Siddhi. At that time Anna had completed his education upto 4th standard and had six younger siblings. It was with great difficulty that Anna's father could make two ends meet. Anna's aunt (father's sister) took Anna to Bombay. She was childless and she offered to look after him and his education.
Anna studied up to the 7th standard in Bombay. He took up a job after the 7th standard in consideration of the economic situation back home. Anna's father at Ralegan had to work as a daily wage labourer and found it difficult to sustain his family. He was slipping deeper and deeper into debt. He had to sell off one part of his land and mortgage the other. Anna started selling flowers at Dadar (Bombay) in order to make his living. But Anna's working at somebody's shop for 40 rupees a month was not enough. After gaining some experience, he started his own shop and even brought two of his brothers to Bombay. Gradually Anna's income went up to Rs. 700 to Rs. 800 per month.
In a couple of years Anna fell into bad company and started wasting his time and money on vices. He also started getting involved in brawls and fights, especially when he found some simple person being harassed by goondas. He became irregular in sending money to his family. The word went around in Ralegan that he had become a bad character himself. In one such fight, Anna bashed up a person rather badly. Fearing arrest, he avoided coming to his regular work and residence for some time. During this period (in April 1960) he appeared in Army recruitment interviews and was selected to join the Indian Army.
For his initial training he was sent to Aurangabad. After training he was posted in Punjab as a truck driver. Being far away from home and separated from all his friends, Anna felt lonely. He also had bouts of depression and the feeling of aimlessness in life. He had once resolved to end his life and even wrote a suicide note. On second thought, he however realised that his suicide may affect the marriage prospects of his younger sister. Therefore, he decided to postpone implementation of his resolution till his sister got married.
In the meantime, some events gave a new direction to his life. During the Indo-Pak war of 1965, he was driving a military vehicle somewhere on the western front when he saw a Pakistani plane flying low overhead. He and his colleagues jumped out and took shelter in the nearby bushes, lying flat on the ground. The truck was blown off, all his colleagues were killed but Anna escaped unhurt.
Once again he had a near escape when he was posted in Nagaland. One night, underground Nagas attacked the military post and killed all the inmates. Anna had gone out to answer nature's call at that time and hence he was the lone survivor. These two events had a deep impact on Anna's mind. He realised that his life was not to be wasted and he came to believe that God considered his life to be precious, otherwise he could have been killed along with his colleagues.
When these thoughts were churning in his mind, he came across a small booklet titled Call to the Youth For Nation Building by Swami Vivekananda in a book-stall at the New Delhi station.
Vivekananda's thoughts gave meaning to his life and he decided to devote the rest of his life working for the society. He read many more books by Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi and Acharya Vinoba Bhave. His thoughts started developing and in 1970 he firmly told his parents about his decision not to get married. He urged his parents to go ahead and arrange the marriage of his younger brothers. The new found desire to live beyond his narrow self interest later drove him to seek voluntary retirement from the Army and come back to serve his own village.
He wanted his native village Ralegan Siddhi to improve, but did not know how and where to start. He used to come to his village on vacation and spend endless days sitting on the rocks at the outskirts of the village. Having spent most of his life in Bombay and in the Army, he did not have many friends in the village. Moreover the people of Ralegan who had known him as an angry young man from the days when he used to sell flowers outside Dadar station, were unaware of the transformation that had taken place in the personality of Anna Hazare.
In 1971 Anna was transferred to Bombay. From Bombay he started visiting the village regularly. From 1971 to 1974 his interaction with the village people increased. He also spent about Rs. 3000 for giving a face-lift to the Padmavati temple with a coat of oil paint. He also developed good relations with the village youth.
In 1974 he was transferred to Jammu. In 1975 he completed 15 years of service in Army, a statutory requirement for being entitled to a pension. He sought retirement and finally in August 1975, he got relieved from the Army and came back to Ralegan Siddhi for good.
From then on Anna began living a life of a sort of renunciate, devoting himself to working in his own village. His work in Ralegan Siddhi has been described in other chapters of this book. He started staying in the Yadav Baba temple and eating with the hostel boys. On 19th November 1986 he received Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra award from the hands of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. On 15th January 1987, he was felicitated by Ahmednagar Municipal Corporation and later on, also by the Pune Municipal Corporation. In 1989 the Maharashtra Government honoured him with Krishi Bhushana award and in 1990 he was honoured by the nation with the award of Padmashree.
Anna has been a deeply religious person. His philosophy is a mix of Hindu spiritualism and thoughts of modern Hindu thinkers like Vivekananda, Gandhi and Vinoba. Some sayings which he often quotes in his lectures are listed below. These quotations give an idea of Anna's mode of thought, which has made a direct impact on the development in Ralegan Siddhi.
Over every huge tree that we see overground, there always is a seed that had submerged itself into the darkness of the soil.
- Ban on consumption and sale of alcohol lays the foundation of rural development.
- It is impossible to change the village without transforming the individual. Similarly it is impossible to transform the country without changing its villages.
- If villages are to develop, politics have to be kept out.
- Education without spirituality cannot help development.
- Money alone does not bring development, but it certainly corrupts.
- In the process of rural development, social and economic development should go hand in hand.
- The work of social transformation is neither easy nor impossible.
- The ultimate goal of all politics and social work should be the upliftment of society and of the nation.
- Books alone cannot prepare future citizens, it requires cultural inputs to do so.
- Educational institutions are not enough to make good citizens, every home should become an educational center.
- Indulgence causes disease whereas sacrifice leads to accomplishment.
- One should not accept anything free; accepting charity makes one lazy and dependent.
- When the person learns to see beyond his self-interest, he begins to get mental peace.
- One who performs all worldly functions and still remains detac from worldly things is a true saint.
- Salvation of the self is a part of salvation of the people.
- It is experience that gives the direction but it is youth that gives the drive to every plan.
Anna utilized individual centred Gandhian methods for bringing about moral pressure on the people. When the high school was started in Ralegan Siddhi, and the state government was not ready to sanction grant to the school, Anna quietly started his fast outside the Zilla Parishad's office. When the village people came to know of it they also joined him in hundreds. The state government had to yield to their demand. In another instance, when a couple of families continued to leave their cattle free for grazing in spite of explaining to them the importance of stopping open grazing and of taking up massive tree plantation programme, Anna and some youth members went on fast for two days to make the people understand the seriousness of the ban on open grazing.
Today Anna has almost acquired the stature of a saint. He donated his land for the hostel building. He gives his pension money to the village fund. A confirmed bachelor, he lives in the village temple with a bare minimum of personal belongings. He eats simple food normally cooked for the hostel boys. Both his parents and brothers stay in the village but they are no different to him than any other family in the village. This moral authority growing out of his selfless life has made him an unquestioned leader of the village.
Anna's moral code of conduct is also quite strict. Anna believes that punishment is an essential component of the process to bring about conformity to social morality. When a child stole a fruit from a tree on the common lands, he was tied to a pole and the fruits were kept before him to teach him a moral lesson. The fruit bearing trees are not protected by any watchman. Not a single fruit is stolen and ripe fruits are distributed to balwadi children and the school children. Public beating was used not to create terror but to bring public shame on the defaulter so that he/she exercises more self-control. People are proud of Ralegan's achievements and they have a share and a stake in its glory. Therefore they would not do anything which will hurt Anna or bring a bad name to the village.
Arrest
Anna Hazare's recent arrest and release has rightly generated a sense of outrage and violation amongst the people in India. Anna and his life's message, however, are larger and go beyond this particular issue that has captured media attention. Since 1975 under his leadership, Anna's village, Ralegan Siddhi, has been an evolving as an epitomisation of the Gandhian idiom of a self-sufficient village as an elementary unit of social organisation. Also an important characterisitic of the economic and social transformation of Ralegan is that it has taken place based on the principle of self-help and is concomitant with ensuring social equity, an ideal that is happily at variance with the current fancy for "free market ideals" and "trickle-down economics". Ralegan has been hailed as a model village, therefore, with characterisitic bureaucratic simplification attempts are being made to "replicate" the Ralegan miracle. Inconsiderate, the Ralegan experience is extremely relevant for its central tenet, that with the right moral basis and with reasonable inputs, the collective genius of the people is capable of significantly addressing its own needs.
For many years now, Ralegan Siddhi has been a byword for model development. However amongst most people I know, there seems to be a general lack of understanding of what really happened in Ralegan and how it came about to be so.
Crusade against Corruption By Anna Hazare, Indian social activist, as told to Nilima Pathak
We all complain, but do nothing about it. Here is one man who has given a clarion call to root out corruption
For me there is no black-and-white. It's either black. Or white. My tirade against corruption has taken me places-into the hearts of thousands of Maharashtrians (people from the Indian state if Maharashtra) and others all over the country!
I feel that when even Alexander the Great could not carry anything with him on his journey to heaven, then why this craving for the materialistic? What's life after all? To be good to others. In fact, seva mein hi anand hai (to serve is to be happy). This message took root in me in the mid-60s. And continues to inspire me. I'm not going to give up. And I am ready to sacrifice all for the sake of my commitment. My life is for my countrymen. The fight for corruption is my agenda. I have clear goals. And a well chalked-out plan for fighting corruption.
The subject of corruption has often seen me lock horns with political bigwigs. But irrespective of that, I want more changes to take place. Change in the education system will automatically help a child to grow in a healthy atmosphere. With schools and colleges accepting bribes in the form of donations, what do you expect of a child? What path will they follow? The Official Secrets Act is a weapon overused in India. Anything the government wishes to hide is pushed under the carpet. I want this Act to be abolished. The right to information is a fundamental right of every citizen. But it remains only on paper. Why? We need a certain time-frame for access to information. I am all for more powers at the village level.
Clearly, the corridors of power breed corruption. And Delhi, India's capital, comes high on the list. It will take time to mobilize people to fight corruption, but yes, we are working towards it. T.N. Seshan, former Indian Chief Election Commissioner, took it up in a big way, but then lost control midway. His brush with politics has sullied his earlier grand image. Time and again, I have also been approached by Indian political parties including the BJP, Shiv Sena and Congress to join them. But I am adamant. My mind was made up against joining politics long ago. It's a trying situation though. People with a clean image should enter politics.
I am, at times, accused of being publicity-hungry. Believe me, if I were like that, I would only get pain in life. I follow the Gita's teachings. And fully understand that short-term gains don't get you anywhere. I am also accused of being caste-conscious. This is unfair. I know I feel for certain issues from the bottom of my heart. People often ask me why corruption is talked about so much these days. I feel there's a limit to everything. People have tolerated enough and have run out of patience. Survival for the common man is difficult.
I wonder why people do not understand that in a republic, power is meant to be vested in them. But power has gone to politicians or bureaucrats although they are considered public servants. How ironic!
So, what do we do with the enemy within? I think we need another round of the freedom struggle. And people involved in it should be ready to go to jail and give up their lives, as they did in the effort to throw out the British.
For me this is rebirth. During the 1965 war against Pakistan I was in the Army. All my colleagues died in Khemkaran. I survived. Later, at New Delhi railway station I picked up a book by Swami Vivekananda. It changed my outlook towards life. A decade later I took voluntary retirement. And ever since it has been a struggle.
Anna's Village Development Process of Ralegan as Model Village
Ralegan Siddhi was one of the worst victims, hopeless social and economic situation and irresponsible village leadership before 1975 when Kisan Baburao Hazare, affectionately know as Anna Hazare served in Indian army, until he retired voluntarily in 1975 . His close brush with death in the 1965 war changed the course of his life . He decided to dedicate himself to work for the welfare of others and returned to work for the betterment of his own village. 1. A Temple Is Re-Built :
Anna Hazare believes that religion has a strong influence on people. He says , “God is everywhere, but a child is first introduced to him in the temple. It is here that he receives education on the important values and morals of life. In a broader sense, the village itself is a temple where people serve and pray and learn the meaning of life”.
The dilapidate condition of the temple in Ralegan Siddhi, from where wood had been used to fuel the liquor dens , symbolized to Anna the condition of the village . Since the temple represents the cultural heart of a community, Anna felt that renovation of the temple would be the best way to demonstrate his unselfish motives and created an interest in his activities. With his provident fund of Rs.20, 000/-, Anna began the Renovation. Inspired by his selfless devotion, first the youth, then the rest of villagers slowly began to rally around him. Villagers, especially the youth group began gathering here everyday to discuss their problems and matters related to the welfare of village.
2. WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT- KEY TO ECONOMIC GROWTH:
Anna Hazare says, you cannot expect a hungry man to live by principles. His first priority will be to feed himself and his family. Since economic pressures had driven Ralegan People towards alcohol and liquor business in first place, it became imperative to find alternative employment for these villagers. Two hundred villagers were helped to get jobs in the Government employment schemes and several others were encouraged to join the army. However , finding employment for villagers was not a permanent solution to their economic problem. It was necessary to increase their agricultural output. By frequently visiting government officers, Anna gathered information about the various schemes available for rural development and resolved to have them implemented at Ralegan Siddhi.
The key to increasing agricultural output and improving economic conditions is conserving soil and harnessing water , for irrigation. And the best way of achieving this is to undertake watershed development.
Geographically, Ralegan is surrounded by small hillocks on the north-east and on the southern sides. The slopes of these hills on the eastern side give rise to the main run-off water stream during the rainy season. In the beginning , the villagers got together to construct nullah bunds. When this proved successful and the water levels in the wells increased , the villagers turned their attention to the percolation tanks which were constructed by government , the tank would not hold water .The embankment wall leaked, the foundation of the tank had not been constructed and lined properly. The water drained away,and the tank did not serve any purpose . the villagers applied to Zillah Parishad for finance assistance for renovation of the tank. With the budget sanctioned by Z.P., the villagers decided to undertake the repair ,Villagers rallied to voluntarily repair the embankment.
Once the percolation tanks was repaired , the villagers decided that it would be wise to dig wells along the flow of the ground water from the tank, as the water percolating from the tank would recharge the ground water. They also planted trees around the tank to enhance the percolation process. This changes made the seven wells below it to swell with an abundance of water. For the first time, in the living memory of the people, the wells had water in summer. People realized Anna Hazare had something worthwhile to share with them. The village never looked back.
From this beginning, the geographical area (2200 ha.) of Ralegan Siddhi was divided into four watershed zones. In order to conserve soil and water by checking the run off, contour trenches and gully pluges were constructed along the hill slopes. Grass, shrubs and trees(approx. 3-4 lakh planted through out the village) were grown on the hillside. This process was supplemented by afforestation, nullah bunds, underground check dams and cemented bandhras at strategic locations. These measure increased the infiltration of harvested water and recharged ground water aquifers. (See Watershed Details)
Due to success of Watershed Development programme, Agricultural water increased from 100 hector -1500 hector. The production of grain increased, The per capita income of the village shot up from Rs 271 in 1975 to Rs 2,200 . Today, more than 40 per cent of the households have an annual income of more than Rs 48,000. An envious figure for any village in India. More than one fourth of the households have an annual income above Rs four lacs per annum.
T. Bitthal Baba Pathare, a resident, he says. "While my father used to earn Rs 25,000 from agriculture, I am earning Rs 75,000 from the same field." Earlier out of his 5 hectares of land only 2 hectares could be cultivated during monsoon. "Our village has many private wells now and consequently an increased cash crop yield,"
Plantation of trees like guava, custard apple, mango and tamarind on private lands has earned villagers incomes as high as Rs 14,000 per hectare. Almost all residents grow seasonal vegetables apart from the large-scale cultivation of onion. The cropping intensity is now 180-190 per cent higher than 25 years ago. In one year the land is in use for 10 months.
Ralegan has also experimented with drip and bi-valve irrigation in a big way. Papaya, lemon and chilies have been planted on a plot of 80 acres entirely irrigated by the drip irrigation system.
Cultivation of water-intensive crops like sugarcane was banned. Crops such as pulses, oilseeds and certain cash crops with low water requirements were grown. The farmers started growing high yield varieties of crop and the cropping pattern of the village also changed.
Kharif : In 1975-76, 240 hectares were under rain fed Bajra with only 20 hectares of irrigated Bajra. In 1985-86 rain fed Bajra was grown only in 60 hectares whereas 150 hectares were put under high yield Bajra with assured irrigation. Green vegetables were grown only in two hectares in 1975-76. Whereas during 1985-86, 60 hectares were used for growing vegetables. These vegetables found ready markets in Pune and Bombay. There was not much change in the area of oilseeds production. However, in 1985-86, irrigation was extended to 15 more hectares of land under oilseed crops thus increasing the oilseed production.
Rabi: In 1975-76 rain fed Jowar was grown in 320 hectares and Jowar in 50 hectares was irrigated whereas in 1985-86 Jowar with irrigation was grown in 250 hectares whereas rainfed Jowar was grown only in 90 hectares. During the same period rain fed wheat decreased from 12 hectares to 7 hectares and irrigated area under wheat grew from 1 hectare to 23 hectares. For oilseeds the irrigated area grew from nil to 17 hectares and rain fed crop area declined from 30 hectares to 10 hectares. Vegetable production during Rabi period particularly received a boost, increasing from 3 hectares to 25 hectares.
Ralegan Siddhi exports onion worth Rs.80 lakhs today.
As a result of these changes total agricultural production went up from 294.3 tones in 1975-76 to 1386.2 tones in 1985-86. At current prices it meant an increase from Rs. 3.46 lakh to Rs. 31.73 lakh i.e. 4.7fold increase in quantity and a 9-fold increase in value.
Grain bank : As the production of grain increased for most of farmers in the village , a decision was taken in the “Gram Sabha” whereby the farmers who had excess grain were to voluntarily donate grain to the “Grain Bank” which was started in 1983. villagers who did not have enough grain could “borrow’ grain from this bank. The idea was to ensure that no villager would have to borrow money to meet food requirements. The grain from the ‘Grain Bank’ is given in the form of loan and is monitored by the youth group.
Restoring the green cover :
Trees are the greatest friend a man can have , they keep environment clean and healthy. They also fulfill the fuel & fodder needs of village . Recognizing this, the villagers undertook a massive tree plantation drive. Almost 3-4
lakh trees were planted and nurtured. ‘Social fencing’ was introduced whereby villagers voluntarily prevented cattle, goats and sheep’s from grazing freely. Open grazing was completely banned with a new emphasis on stall-feeding (KURHAD BANDI). The Sarpanch (head of the village council) of Ralegan narrates, "There is a surplus of fuel wood and fodder. We now help neighboring villages in their time of need." As fodder became available in abundance the productivity and number of milch animals increased.
3. UPROOTING ALCOHOLISM :
As the next step towards social and economical change, Anna Hazare and the youth group decided to take up the issue of Alcoholism. It was very clear that there could be no progress and happiness in the village unless the curse of alcoholism was completely removed from their lives. At a meeting conducted in the temple, the villagers resolved to close down the liquor dens and ban the drinking of alcohol in the village. Since these Resolutions made in the temple , they became in a sense religious commitments. Over 30 liquor brewing units were closed by their owners voluntarily. Those who did not succumb to social pressure were forced to close down their businesses, when the youth group smashed up their liquor dens . the owners could not complain as their business was illegal.
Through the closure of liquor brewing reduced the alcoholism in Ralegan Siddhi, some villagers continued to drink. They obtained their liquor from neighboring villages. The villagers decided that those men would be given 3 warnings , after which they would be physically punished. Twelve men who were found in a drunken state even after initial warnings were tied to a pole with help of youth group and flogged. Anna Hazare says, “Doesn’t a mother administer bitter medicines to a sick child when she knows that the medicine can cure her child? The child may not like the medicine, but the mother does it only because she cares for child. The alcoholics were punished so that their families would not be destroyed.”
It is now 25 years since such measure were used to cure the village of alcoholism. Along with the removal of alcohol from the village , it was decided to ban sale of tobacco, cigarettes and beedies. In order to implement this resolution, the youth group performed a unique ‘Holi’ 22 years ago. The festival of holi is celebrated as symbolic burning of evil. The youth group brought all the tobacco , cigarettes and beedies from the shops in the village and burnt them in ‘Holi’ fire. From that day , no tobacco , cigarettes ,beedies is sold in any shop at Ralegan Siddhi.
Milk production :
As a secondary occupation, milk production was promoted in Ralegan. Purchase of new cattle and improvement of the existing breed with the help of artificial insemination and timely guidance and assistance by the veterinary doctor has resulted in an improvement in the cattle stock. The milk production has also
increased. Crossbred cows are replacing the local ones which give a low milk yield. The number of milch cattle has also been growing. Which resulted in growth of 100 liters(before 1975) to Around 2500 litres per day which is sent to a co-operative dairy (Malganga Dairy) in Ahmednagar. Some milk is also given to Balwadi (school in Ralegan Siddhi) children & neighbouring village under the child nutrition program sponsored by the Zilla Parishad.
From the surplus generated, the milk society bought a mini-truck and a thresher. The mini-truck besides transporting milk to Ahmednagar is also used for taking vegetables and other produce directly to the market, thus eliminating intermediate agents. The thresher is rented out to the farmers during the harvesting season. Today Ralegan Siddhi earn nearly 1 corer per annum on dairy.
4. EDUCATION FOR LIVING :
Education is considered a necessary input for development. But the educational system in our country has always been biased against the poor. In Ralegan Siddhi the primary school (upto 4th std) was started as early as in 1932 understandably with one teacher and one room. India gained Independence and two Five Year Plans went by with the Second Plan specially acclaimed for its high success (11% growth rate). But even till 1962, for Ralegan primary school it was still the same dilapidated room with one teacher. It was in 1962 that the villagers added one more room to the school by Shramadaan(donation of voluntary labour for community welfare). In spite of these conditions, in 1971 out of the total population of 1209, 30.43% (72 women and 290) men were literate. Many boys went to nearby towns viz. Shirur and Parner to continue their education, but rarely did a girl. The drop-out rate was high, more so for girls, for obvious socio-economic and cultural reasons.
Under Anna Hazare's leadership the people of Ralegan decided to break away from the vicious circle and use education as a meaningful input into integrated development. The Tarun Mandal(youth group) started a balwadi in 1976 so that the children get an early start. They also started paying attention to the functioning of the primary school. Soon they realized that the school was not providing any education to the children. They informed the Zilla Parishad (which runs the school) that the village had decided to close down the government school and run an alternative school on its own. The Zilla Parishad authorities realized the gravity of the threat - that this move on the part of villagers might rock their entire structure. They immediately transferred all the teachers and sent for the best teachers from all over the district and instructed them to work in co-operation with the Tarun Mandal(youth group)and Anna Hazare. Under constant vigilance of the people of Ralegan, the primary school is now working very well.
The people also decided to start a high school in the village itself to ensure proper education to the village children during the formative years and also that more girls could also avail of education. A local body under the name of Sant Yadav Baba Shikshan Prasarak Mandal was registered and the high school was started in 1979.
The grant for the school building under NREP, was released like most government programs. The village people offered shramadaan and worked round the clock with the utilization of the grant Rs. 4 lakhs. within 2 months, The completed school building was constructed ,now it is evaluated at around Rs. 22 lakhs. The school has become so famous that children from far away villages also seek admission here in large numbers.
The unique feature about the school in Ralegan Siddhi , is that it admits children who have poor academic records,who are truants, and who have gone astray, to turn them into responsible, productive citizen. The school also has a hostel, build through shramadaan, for 200 poor students
Besides these physical achievements, the major objective that the people of Ralegan wanted to accomplish with the help of education was that of making better individuals. For this purpose emphasis is laid on the physical and moral development of children by regular physical exercises, social consciousness and inculcating moral values. The programs/methods adopted include games, music, yogasanas, meditation, recitation of Geeta, and superstitions and involvement of students in programs like "Untouchability Eradication Fortnight", Gram Swarajya Camps, tree plantation and maintaining the village clean program. Special coaching is also given to children for attaining proficiency in academics. From the past records of the high school it is observed that ,Result of S.S.C is more than 95 percent.
First girl of Ralegan Siddhi who passed S.S.C is in the year 1982. Now many of them are in good position, Ralegan boasts of a 100 graduates and 250 people pursuing jobs outside the village, with an average income of Rs 2500-3000 a month.
5. REMOVAL OF UNTOUCHABILITY :
The social barriers that existed due to the cast system have been broken down by Ralegan Siddhi villagers and people of all castes come together to celebrate social events .The people of Ralegan have largely succeeded in eradicating social discrimination on the basis of caste. The dalits have been integrated into the social and economic life of the village. The villagers have built houses for the Harijanas and helped to repay their loans to free them from their indebtedness.
6. COLLECTIVE MARRIAGES :
Most rural poor get into a debt-trap as they have to incur heavy expenses at the time of marriage of their son or daughter. It is an undesirable practice but has almost become a social obligation. Ralegan's People have started celebrating the marriages collectively. The feast is held together where the expenses are further reduced by the
Tarun Mandal taking the responsibility of cooking and serving the food. The vessels, the Loud-speaker system, the mandap and the decorations have also been bought by the Tarun Mandal members belonging to the oppressed castes. From 1976 to 1986, four hundred and twenty four marriages have been held under this system.
GRAM SABHA :
The Gram sabha is an important forum for collective decision making in the villages. If villagers are involved in planning and decision making process, they are more open to any changes taking place in the village. In Ralegan Siddhi , the Gram sabha meetings are held periodically to discuss issues relating to the welfare of village. Projects like Watershed development activities are undertaken only after they are discussed in the Gram Sabha. All decision like Nasbandi, Nasabandi, Kurhadbandi, Charai bandi, Shramdan were taken in the Gram Sabha.Decisions are taken in a simple majority consensus. In case of difference of opinion the major consensus . In case of difference of opinion the majority consensus becomes acceptable. The decision of the Gram Sabha is accepted as final.
In addition to panchayat, there are several registered societies that take care of various projects and activities of the village. Each society presents its annual report and statement of accounts in the Gram Sabha every year. The Sant Yadavbaba Shikshan Prasarak Mandali monitors the educational activities. The Vivid karyakari society gives assistance and provides guidence to farmers regarding fertilizers, seeds, organic farming, financial assistance, etc. Sri Sant Yadavbaba Doodh Utpadhak Sahakari sansta gives guidence regarding the dairy business. Seven Co-operative irrigation society provides water to the farmers from cooperative wells. Mahila Sarvage Utkarsh Mandal attends welfare needs \of the women.
VILLAGE BIRTHDAY
In order to foster a sense of unity in the village, the Ralegan Siddhi family celebrated an Village annual birthday on 2nd October of every year, on that day
The eldest male villager is honored as father of the village.
The eldest female villager is honored as the mother of the village.
New clothes are stitched for every infant born in the village during the past year, irrespective of the child's cast or religion.
New brides who have come to the village during the past year are welcomed with the traditional offering of coconut, as they are the daughters-in-law of the village.
Students who have been successful in education are honored.
Youth from the village who have achieved something special are honored.
All villagers gather in the evening during this occasion and have dinner together to celebrate the event.