Basic Identity Documentation
(We know that sounds boring but it was also a window into Indian bureaucracy and government programmes) .
Well it’s been a busy year in the village. As India began to open her doors to international travellers again (April 2022) the hot months rolled on without too many appearing. Tourism was mostly from domestic travel and this was busy and consistent. The chai shops in the desert were full with camels stopping and jeeps wizzing over the dunes and people dressing up in Rajasthani clothes. It seems tourism does not grind to a halt anymore during the hot time and monsoon. This is good for local businesses and the Bhopa who have established little shops out in the desert. The market took longer to recover. It was open, and mostly fully open but it was not until January 2023 that it became busy.
During the summer months of 2022, the village funded three document camps where an e-mitra (paperwork agent) came to start the process of obtaining ID cards for the Bhopa adults by coming to the village itself. Over three months, adhaar cards (ID) and pan cards (tax) were applied for and some bank accounts. The bank accounts are for government pensions to be paid into and to help promote saving with the Bhopa who are already financially growing.
With 80 children at last count, there remained many more adhaar cards to be obtained. Children in the village tend to be born in the plastic tents out in the desert. The Mother remains in the homestead for 2 weeks minimum post birth. Here she bonds with her baby. With illiteracy as the norm and few powerful friends, birth certificates are unusual in this village. Hopefully this will change over the coming years. The younger generation are more aware of the necessity of documentation as their old way of life fades into memory.
Due to expensive of running the Paperwork Clinic’s alongside other procedural issues regarding the organising of these camps, a new approach for applying for these crucial documents was required. It was decided to apply one household at a time and for the most needy households to be first. Finding a good e-mitra was to be the next long and painful challenge… but find one we did!
We needed an e-mitra who understood the issues faced by the Bhopa. Poverty, no education, prejudice, and discriminatory costs when going to see an e-mitra as well as the general lack of privacy available anywhere in India!
However, after many months of going from pillar to post, the wonderful Shiv @ITGK near Yadav Dharmasala, was recommended to us by Deepu at Flor Di Loto. Our paperwork heroes 😍
Through Shiv’s patience and assistance, a further 15 children acquired ID after multiple visits to the BSNL office also. The young BSNL man (yes, there is only one man there) who works very hard, with only very basic equipment, has also been marvellous. We salute you all! 🙏
Shiv worked to obtain one ration card and this was a really big deal, as well as one widows pension in the village. Two other widows had acquired pensions over the spring and summer of 2022. A number of Jan Adhaars (family ID) started to appear - these list all family members and act as a family adhaar card for rations and health insurance … documents which we hope will come in time to all.
There are many documents required in Rajasthan. Rajasthan seems to be the region where many pilot schemes are initiated. The paperwork, when achieved, puts the families into a much more powerful position to be able to start to obtain the many free social security benefits the government has programmes to address. It is the bridging of the gap between disenfranchised/ illiterate peoples and the help available that proved challenging.
Without Shiv, Deepu and Mr BSNL office, this would have been an impossible mission.
Many thanks to them and to Bunty - our reliable tuk tuk driver who ferried many families to and from Pushkar in this mission.
Without your donations to the project, the funding of this essential work would not have been begun. Your donations are spent well and with great care. The process is ongoing so we kindly request your assistance still.
To donate please PayPal bhopavillage@yahoo.com or sign up for regular donations at www.bhopavillage.com where you can also view our Shop and find out more about our community project.
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🙏🙏🛖🔆💡📚🪪🆔🙏🙏
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