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Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK), Dehra Dun, India
Full case study report
Published October 14, 2003
By Rahul Nainwal
Introduction
OneWorld is part of the Building Digital Opportunities programme sponsored by the British, Swiss, Dutch and Canadian governments. One of the elements in this programme is an ICT survey that aims "to give decision makers a clear understanding of how civil society is actually using ICT and its impact through a comprehensive study". It was decided that could be done best through a number of case studies on different uses of ICTs. Throughout the different studies "impact" is considered in terms of opportunity, empowerment and security(1).
The present study focuses on the use and impact of ICTs by an NGO working with rural nomadic communities in North India. RLEK has implemented a project that uses a wireless communication system to improve the exchange of information and communication between isolated tribal communities.
About RLEK
Centralised forest management models controlled by the state at times alienate the local communities from their traditional territories, lifestyles, cultures and livelihoods. However, there is a case for local communities playing a key role in protecting and sustainably managing their forests. Based on traditional knowledge and through a process of trial and error these communities have devised certain 'best practices' for the use of the forests and these practices have become an inherent part of the traditions and customs of the communities.
However, with more and more forest areas, in different parts of the country, reserved as parks and sanctuaries, forest dwelling/dependent communities are being forced to resettle outside their traditional habitats. The indigenous nomadic Van Gujjars comprise one such community, facing threat of expulsion from their traditional forest homes in the Shivaliks, subsequent to the government declaring its intentions to reserve the area as a National Park.
RLEK is an NGO working with rural communities in North India (Uttranchal), including the Van Gujjars. Their central philosophy is "reaching the unreached and including the excluded". RLEK has been operational since 1972 but the organisation was formally registered in 1989. It has around 150 employees out of which 30 to 40 are based in the head office whereas the rest works through field offices. The head office is based in Dehra Dun, the capital of newly formed Uttranchal State.
RLEK has been working with the Van Gujjar community and fighting for their rights over the use of forestland. They are working towards empowerment of the community through literacy and education and also run a series of welfare schemes. In this backdrop RLEK has equipped the Van Gujjar community with wireless sets for better communication and empowerment.
The wireless communication project
Context
The Van Gujjars live deep in the forests, away from human habitations and are normally cut off from any roads or telecommunication facilities. A long ride on a jeep through the reserve forests, following battered roads and dry riverbeds took us to one of the Dera(2) where the Gujjars live during the winters. This Dera was located some 8-10 kms from the nearest motorable highway, deep inside the forest. Even the other neighbourhood Deras were located at least 300-400 m away for want of easing out the pressure on the natural resources of a particular location.
There is no electricity or telephone in the Dera and the only sign of technology of any kind was the wireless sets and the Jeep in which we travelled. The Gujjar are just too cut off from the rest of the world. Therefore in case of any problem like accidents, poaching or harassment by the forest officials, the Gujjars feel very helpless because they cannot communicate fast enough either within the community or with the RLEK officials. The Van Gujjar community has been provided with the wireless sets to address this issue.
Government regulations
In India wireless communication is controlled by the state and using a wireless set without Government permission is illegal. Only Armed forces and the police and handful of organisations have got the permission to use wireless sets. The use of wireless is sensitive because the equipment can be very easily tuned to eavesdrop on Army or Police frequency. And keeping in mind the security and terrorist situation in the country the state has put a very tight control over the wireless communication.
RLEK has been allotted two frequencies by the Ministry of Telecommunications, Government of India for which they have to pay a license fee of Rs.2 lac(3) per annum to the government
The handsets have been tuned to pick up only the above 2 frequencies because of the sensitiveness of the use of the equipment. However, fiddling with the equipment and tuning for other frequencies is not difficult as per RLEK staff. The whole system runs on trust and there is no room for mistake. Gujjars understand the sensitiveness around the use of wireless equipment and ensure that no misuse of the equipment will be done says Anmol Jain, Project Coordinator with RLEK.
Operations
Some 80 handsets are provided to the community and around 9 handsets are with the RLEK staff. We have set up 3 base camps and one central station in the RLEK office and this pretty much covers all the areas where the Gujjar communities live, says Anmol. Besides, some of the office vehicles of RLEK are fitted with the wireless sets. The handsets work on batteries and once fully charged can work for 8-10 days. Since there is no electricity in the forests RLEK staff picks up the batteries from the community for charging.
The central station is manned 24 hours of the day and any base camp is capable of contacting the central station. If there is a message to be transmitted to the central station the Gujjars normally convey it to the base station, which then communicates the same message to the central station. However, Anmol is quick to point out that the Gujjars have identified certain patches in the forest area on the treetops from where direct transmission to the central station is possible. For normal messages there is a fixed time of transmission, which is 10-11 am in the morning hours and 5-6 pm in the evening. Since the messages sent on one transmitter can be heard on all, it improves intra-community information flow and brings in transparency in operations. It also prevents the possible misuse of the facility. The wireless sets cannot be used to communicate with state institutions like police stations, hospitals, forest department etc.
Governance
A formal committee of Gujjars manages wireless operations through a democratic process for a group of clusters. The committee selects who will be made in charge of the wireless set. Special care is taken to select the person who is not only a good wireless operator, but also trustworthy and approachable by everyone in the community. In every cluster 2 such wireless sets are given one to a male members and another to female members to balance the gender.
The wireless sets are valued like life and the community takes care in handling them. Therefore its not surprising that these wireless sets have been operational for 6 years now though the company specified useful life is only 3 years.
Training
The members of the community are trained at regular intervals with regard to the operation and maintenance of these wireless sets. Refresher training course are also organised from time to time. Each wireless set operator is provided with an identity card as well. Women members in the community are also are encouraged to be trained in wireless communication.
Men folks are moving all the time and therefore there is a need to train women also because they are left behind in the Deras and in case of any emergency they will need the wireless says Talib Hussein, a wireless operator and a master trainer within the Gujjar community.
Use and satisfaction
I can easily communicate with others, says Talib Hussein. He explains that the wireless sets are used to check poaching, illegal felling of trees, natural disasters like forest fires and for medical support in case of accidents. Wireless is also used actively to communicate with other members of the community.
Wireless is a life saver and can make difference between life a death in case of accidents says Talib as he goes on explaining how wireless helped in providing timely medical relief to one of the young boy in the community who had fallen from the tree while cutting leaves.
Whenever there are poachers in the forest or if an animal is in distress we inform RLEK who then informs the forest officials mentions Talib as he explains how people in his community are guarding the forests like their own property. Anmol adds to this: "the primary aim of wireless is to assist the community-based forest management structures (Khol, Range and Sanctuary Committees) in effectively managing the forest resources".
Wireless is also helping us in asserting our rights over forests and empowering us says Talib as he describes the problems and harassment Gujjars face in the hands of forest officials. Earlier we couldnt do much as we were helpless and not able to communicate within the community or outside. Now the whole community can be mobilised if such an incidence happens through wireless.
Talib Hussein was one of the first to be trained in using the wireless sets. He now trains other members of the community. However, we must make a note here that Talib is a very knowledgeable person in his community and has travelled across the world. He is not representative for the whole community; the other people we talked to had much less exposure to the use of wireless.
Impact
The impact of the wireless communication project should be seen mainly in the light of empowerment, but it has also added to the security of the community.
The Van Gujjar problem is the problem of rights over the forestland. Away from the human habitations and deep within the forests they are at the mercy of the forest officials, poachers, policemen, and milk middlemen. In case of medical emergencies, forest fires, accidents they were helpless, as they couldnt do much. With wireless communication the whole community feel secured and empowered and the feeling of helplessness is gone. They feel that now they can share their problems within the community and with RLEK and solve these problems.
Apart from helping in case of harassment or accident wireless sets have also done wonders to increase the self worth and confidence level of the Gujjars and empowered them in that sense. Earlier they have only seen the police and the army using such equipment, and now they feel very proud of the fact that the same equipment is available to them as well. "Through the empowerment process initiated through the use of wireless, the communities have started demanding basic services from the government. Thus, wireless is not the end in itself but a means to achieve the end" adds Anmol.
Apart from improved communication, wireless sets have been lifesaving as well, thus adding to the security of the community. In many cases it was possible to provide timely help to accident victims just because the information was passed on to RLEK on the wireless. The same goes for the incidents of fires in the forests. In other cases information such as breakdown of the milk van was able to save milk worth thousands of rupees.
Wireless has been used more as a tool for communication within the community and with RLEK. It is not really used for any commercial purposes other than relaying messages on the arrival of the milk van. Wireless plays an active part in the Gujjar communitys path towards security and empowerment. But it is important to keep in mind that its effectiveness relies to a big extent on the fact that RLEK runs educational, medical and marketing facilities for the Gujjars and every distress call coming from the wireless is well attended to.
Sustainability and replicability
RLEK has innovatively used the wireless technology to provide communication tools to a nomadic community and help them in their rights movement. However, an important sustainability issue is the huge cost involved in setting up the infrastructure and maintaining it. On an average a handset costs Rs. 14.000 and one time costs of installing the main central station and the 3 base stations is Rs. 35.000. The average recurring cost on one handset per annum comes to around Rs.10.000, including the cost of maintenance activities on the handsets and the batteries, manpower cost and the per annum license fee of Rs. 150.000 being paid to the government for the wireless.
Another sustainability issue that has already been mentioned briefly is the fact that the wireless RLEK provides comes with lots of added services. RLEK provides the community with emergency medical facilities, education services, providing marketing interface for milk produce, communication etc. Without these services the wireless is merely a communication tool between the community. Providing these facilities to the citizens comes under the purview of the state. But like in many cases previously the state has failed to provide these services and thats why RLEK has come forward to fill the gap. The consequence is increased dependency of the community on RLEK.
The question is therefore how long will RLEK keep on providing these services. The direction to go further from here could be to focus on mainstreaming the nomadic communities and put pressure on the state to provide these services. Over a period of time RLEK can also think of exiting from the role of provider of wireless communication to that of an enabler. The community itself can be trained to manage the whole system on their own with some help from outside. In this way RLEK can help the community to move towards self-sufficiency of the operations and at the same time decrease the dependency of the community on itself.
Replicability of the wireless communication system is hard since it is a sensitive subject in India and the whole operation works on trust that no one will misuse the equipment. Homogeneous characteristics of the community are instrumental in building that trust. Government restrictions in getting licenses for wireless make the replication of the project in other parts of the country very difficult. RLEK is in a unique position here because it could lobby with the government to get the license because of its power and reputation.
Conclusions
RLEKs wireless communication project is bringing a lot of benefits to the Van Gujjar tribal community. It is the most useful means of communications in an area as isolated and rough as where the Van Gujjars live. The impact relates mostly to an increased empowerment and security. Since the system is not so much used for commercial purposes, increased opportunity is not so much of an impact.
In terms of sustainability however there is reason for caution. Though the wireless sets are a lot more durable than expected, some day they will have to be replaced. And more importantly, the benefits of the system depend to a large extend on the support provided by RLEK and their influence in the region. Without that support the wireless communication system would be a mere internal communication instrument. As long as the government doesnt provide these basic services to the nomads and they themselves do not own and maintain the sets, the long term sustainability of the whole operation is problematic. This doesnt mean it should be suspended, but does mean some sustainability strategy should be put in place.
Footnotes
(1) According to the World Bank World Development Report 2000/2001
(2) A Gujjar house
(3) 0.1 million makes one lac. Current dollar to rupee rates are 1USD=48 Indian Rupees
Resources
RLEK Website
RLEK annual report 2001-2002
The Van Gujjars of Shivaliks, author unknown
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