This is the third part of the three-part series on ‘the plight of the Siddis of Gujarat’ as a part of the Justicemakers’ Writer’s Training Program, run in partnership with Agami and Ashoka’s Law For All Initiative. Find the first and second parts here and here.
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“My nephews and sons have represented our community at the international level through Siddi goma dance and music. I wish the same for my grandchildren. They too shall visit foreign countries not as performers, but as students… As doctors and engineers. Is it too much to ask for?” said a 75-year-old Siddi woman.
She understands the importance of education, and sees it as one of the possible solutions for their empowerment. She has never been to school, but her thoughts resonated what the great, South African, anti-apartheid leader, Nelson Mandela had once said: “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”
With abysmal literacy rate and poor learning abilities due to poverty and malnutrition, education of the Siddis is an area which demands keen attention. According to me, there are three main elements of Siddi empowerment: education, employment and equality.
Education: From Darkness To Light
The schools in Siddi areas lack infrastructure. There is also a huge gap in the teacher-student ratio. Those who do teach are often not enthusiastic enough to bring changes in the lives of their Siddi students. Relying solely on government schools is not advisable, but they don’t have a choice.
According to one report, 700 primary schools in Gujarat are run by a single teacher. Such schools are present in cosmopolitan cities too, then imagine the condition of schools situated in remote areas where reporters and media can’t (or don’t) reach?
While talking to the residents of Talala town of Gir, they said they have no hope on government schools. If they had a sound income and better earning capacity, then they would never enroll their children in a government school where their intellectual growth is not guaranteed.
Civil Society And Self-Help Groups
If the government is not able to undo the infrastructural bottlenecks in schools run by it, then it must invite private participation as far as capacity building is concerned.
For instance, the “Aga Khan Rural Support Programme” (AKRSP) is in the vanguard of providing employment to tribal women. Their efforts for the upliftment of Siddi women were colossal in the sense that their efforts did make an impact in the lives of these women.
By initiating self-help groups, they aided some Siddi women to emerge as entrepreneurs. But, the AKRSP is a not a for profit organisation. With the limited funds they have, they can’t achieve phenomenal success in a short span.
The Gujarat government must consider such NGOs when devising and implementing schemes for the Siddis. They should also collaborate with other NGOs working with the Siddis, and give them financial assistance from the state.
How Do We Reduce Inequality?
The prime minister boasts about the Indian culture whenever he visits a foreign country. In fact, he gives his speeches in Hindi to make people realise how much he values his tradition and culture.
But, in his own home state, one community faces exclusion based on their distinct culture and appearance. And, yet the government is not willing to reflect upon the historical injustices they have endured.
India is striving to achieve 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030. SDG 10 demands for the reduction of inequalities, but do you think we can truly achieve this goal without making even the slightest of changes in the lives of one of India’s most marginalised communities?
The sad part is that the community doesn’t have any role model who has accomplished something phenomenal with the help of education i.e., the likes of Indian and Dalit leader BR Ambedkar. Thus, they find no motivation to pursue higher education.
Upliftment through education is for the little ones who still have their entire lives ahead of them. The injustice done to their parents and grandparents, can be tackled by providing better education to the upcoming generations.
Employment Opportunities And The Olympic Dream
Let’s talk about the youths who live in despicable conditions due to a lack of opportunities. What about their empowerment? Some of them dream of a career in sports. In the late 1980s, the Special Area Games (SAG) programme launched by the then sports minister Margaret Alva, was implemented in Gujarat and Karnataka.
The SAG was meant to find special talent outside of major cities among the Siddis. Their inclusion was a success story: they came as malnourished youths, but in a span of few years, they earned India great glory in sports. But, these efforts ended in 1992 and the government never considered relaunching it.
While the Karnataka government has recognised their potential and has devised many schemes to enhance their sports skill, the Gujarat government has not made any concrete efforts so far.
“Dancing Is Like Dreaming With Your Feet”
The Siddi goma dance is unique in many aspects: costumes, music, patterns of dance. Their dance has a wide fan following in foreign countries. Their dance is displayed as India’s distinct cultural heritage whenever any foreign dignitary visits India.
The government should provide them with better infrastructure to train Siddi children and youths, on a larger scale. With the help of public-private partnerships, Siddi dancers and cultural pioneers should be given opportunities to perform within India and internationally.
Role Of The Siddis In Forest Conservation
The Gir forest is the last abode of Asiatic lions on the earth. With 600 lions left in the Gir, the Gujarat government has done phenomenal work to conserve them. The inevitable effects of climate change can be catastrophic for the lions. The Siddis of Jambur in Gir, should be included in this conservation project.
They already work as lion trackers and beat guards, but they should also be allowed to advance to higher levels such as forest officials and forest guards. The goal should be to provide them with dignified, white collar jobs, but without education and capacity building, this seems near impossible.
Right To Equality And The Scheduled Tribe Status
According to the Indian constitution, the scheduled tribe (ST) tag can be conferred by the president of India. And, it’s a state government’s responsibility to identify a community as ST.
The state identifies such a community and puts forward the document to the governor. Then, the governor recommends it to the president. The Gujarat government has not sent any proposal yet appealing the president to include the Siddis living in cities in the category of ST.
If anyone deserves incentives and aid, it is them. They are unaware of their fundamental rights. They are marginalised to the extent that they don’t know that the Indian constitution guarantees them the right to assemble peacefully for their rights.
The Siddis who don’t live in Saurashtra, have never mobilised to get the ST tag, given to their fellow community members from Saurashtra. They have never taken to the streets to protest for their rights. Because: they have no hope. They have accepted their fate. They see no prospects for a better future.
Of India Becoming A Vishwaguru
But, does this mean that we should continue neglecting them? Can’t we provide a better future to their children? Can’t we compensate for the injustice done to them by empowering the new generations of the Siddis?
Are we even serious about becoming a vishwaguru (world leader)? Is this how we adhere to the philosophy of vasudhaiva kutumbakam (the world is one family)? By excluding India’s Siddis based on their skin colour, African descent, tribal roots and faith?
The least Gujarat government can do is to identify the entire community irrespective of their place of residence as ST, so that they can avail the benefits and incentives they deserve. to get.
People like Hamid (Kambli bhai) and Sunny, have earned us great respect at the international level with their dance and music. Can’t we reciprocate it by providing educational and employment opportunities to their children?
I will end this article with the Persian poet Saadi’s poem (found in the United Nations building in New York city):
“Human beings are members of a whole,
In creation of one essence and soul.
If one member is afflicted with pain,
Other members uneasy will remain.
If you’ve no sympathy for human pain,
The name of human you cannot retain!”