A unique village-level initiative to fight polarisation along caste and communal lines, nurture progressive values, and turn the focus on “real” issues was launched in Maharashtra on April 11, coinciding with the 200th birth anniversary of the social reformer Jyotirao Phule. Called Samata Gaon Abhiyan (village equality mission), the movement has Laxmikant Deshmukh as its State coordinator and is supported by a host of civil society organisations—Rashtra Seva Dal, Chhatra Bharati, Antar Bharati, Mahatma Phule Samata Pratisthan, Rashtriya Samajwadi Shikshan Hakka Parishad, Muslim Satyashodhak Mandal, Nari Samta Manch, Rugna Hakka Parishad, and Sarpanch Parishad of Maharashtra.
A leading Marathi author and former IAS officer, Deshmukh has always been known for his forthright views on contemporary issues. In 2017, he was elected president of the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, the prestigious annual conference on Marathi literature.
“We have decided to start work with 200 villages in Maharashtra. The Sarpanch Parishad [association of elected heads of gram panchayats] is with us. With their help, we will initiate the mission in those villages,” said Deshmukh. “The Indian renaissance of the 19th century started in Maharashtra with many social reformers taking the lead against the stagnation of the society. They acted on the ground to bring change. We are trying to follow in their footsteps.”
The Samata Gaon Abhiyan is committed to ensuring that the villages under its umbrella celebrate all religious festivals in a spirit of unity. These villages will arrange science- and knowledge-based programmes to promote the scientific temperament. The focus will be on gender equality and progressive social practices. These villages will shun female foeticide, child marriage, exchange of dowry, and honour killings. Marriages with minimum expenses will be encouraged. Single women will be protected and daughters-in-law will be treated well. Married couples will be encouraged to register property with husband and wife as equal owners.
Mindful of village ecology, the movement will ban plastic use, put an end to felling trees, and focus on keeping social spaces clean. As part of the “Nirmal Gaon” (pure village) initiative, public toilets will be kept clean and functional. To boost the rural economy, farmers will be encouraged to run dairy and poultry businesses on the side and use the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission VB GRAM G effectively (the scheme boosts rural employment by guaranteeing 125 days of wage work per household annually). Another goal is to tap solar energy for electricity needs.
All functions will start with the singing of the national anthem and reading of the Preamble to the Constitution. The mission expects the gram panchayats to make people aware of their constitutional rights and duties through special programmes every year.
Laxmikant Deshmukh is State coordinator for the Samata Gaon Abhiyan movement in Maharashtra. | Photo Credit: THE HINDU ARCHIVES
Maharashtra has been witnessing caste and communal tensions over the last few years. There are strong divisions between Marathas and Other Backward Classes in many places. Hindu-Muslim animosities have also vitiated the atmosphere. The Samata Gaon Abhiyan hopes to reverse this trend through its programmes. Significantly, 2027 will mark the centenary of Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Mahad Satyagraha which was organised in defence of the right of the oppressed castes to access public tanks. The launch of Samata Gaon Abhiyan is a nod to Ambedkar, the champion of Dalit rights, and Jyotirao Phule, Maharashtra’s revered pioneer of women’s education and empowerment.
Civil society support for the movement reflects a broader recent trend. In this case, however, it is striking for the sheer number of organisations involved. It amplifies efforts to shift thinking at the grassroot level.
The inspiration: a gram panchayat resolution
The inspiration for the mission was provided by a gram panchayat resolution against all forms of discrimination, passed on February 5 at Saundala village of Newasa tehsil in Ahilya Nagar district. The resolution declared: “Saundala village will not differentiate on the basis of caste, religion, creed, and colour and henceforth will function on the motto—My Caste is Humanity. All public services, government services, water supply, temples, crematoriums, schools, functions will be open and equal for all.” It also said: “There should not be any communal tension based on any statement related to caste or a religion or religious boycotts or injustice because of caste…”
Security personnel trying to disperse an agitated crowd in Nagpur’s Chitnis park area following communal tension surrounding a demonstration by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal on March 17. | Photo Credit: PTI
The resolution is all the more remarkable because Ahilya Nagar district has been in the news for communal tension and appeared to be a laboratory for Hindutva.
Sharad Argade, Sarpanch of Saundala, said: “We are happy to see that our village is now becoming a source of inspiration for the rest of Maharashtra. We took this conscious decision to make a resolution to avoid any future conflicts. Look around the district or the State. Polarisation has created a deeply divided society. The only way to counter this is through equality practised by common people.”
Bonding over tea: a decade of quiet preparation
Behind the February 5 resolution was a decade of internal debates and diligent work to end discrimination at the grassroots level. Sharad Argade’s wife, Priyanka, was the Sarpanch 10 years back, and she started challenging caste stereotypes. “I started visiting Dalit hutments and drink tea or water there. Initially, everyone was hesitant. But we kept doing it again and again. Now the village has realised the importance of equality,” she said.
Sharad and Priyanka are Maratha by caste. Their initiative is supported by the entire village—not just the Dalits and OBCs but also the Marathas. Tushar Argade, a college student, said: “I have friends of all castes and religions. The world outside Saundala is huge, and these identities of caste and religion don’t matter there. We should all forget about caste and believe that we are one as Indians.”
Caste in India is much discussed and written about. As an institution, caste has led to the stagnation of life in rural India. Social reformers like Phule and Ambedkar tried to eradicate caste and create an equal society. Two hundred years after Phule, the battle is still on and has become more complex than ever before. The Saundala village initiative exemplifies an attempt to challenge that stagnation. The Samata Gaon Abhiyan aims to replicate the model across Maharashtra.
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