Recasting Citizenship for Development - File UPI

The Sangha Mané 299
the actual owners, so they revoked their permission for the sangha mané.
They asked the women to identify another plot. The women were extremely
unhappy at the turn of events, as all their efforts had come to naught.
Meanwhile, they continued to conduct their meetings in front of the temple.
They came to the conclusion that it may be possible to use the temple
premises to build a sangha mané, and install the idol within the mané. In
1995, they put in an application for this place. The GP contacted the SC
community, who were amenable to this, on condition that the idol was
reinstalled. In 1996, the women received the title deeds.
Agasanahalli, Bijapur District: The women contacted the traditional
village leader (Gowda) who was more powerful than the elected representatives.
During the first few visits, he was unresponsive, but seeing
their perseverance, he agreed, provided they were able to identify an appropriate
plot. The women identified a piece of gaothan (community land
owned by the GP), which was being used by the Kurubaru and the Malagaru
(shepherds and OBCs) to store agricultural implements and produce.
Both communities opposed this request, despite the fact that this sangha
has members from these communities. This reaction can be attributed to
the fact that the men did not want women to assert their identity in public.
Nonetheless, the Gowda asked them to measure the plot. The women
earmarked a plot of 60 by 40 feet. They also approached a taluka panchayat
woman member who belonged to Agasanahalli. No help was forthcoming
from this quarter, so they contacted the Gowda again who approached
the GP. This issue was discussed in the gram sabha, and finally after six
months, the title deeds were issued.
Kudli, Gulbarga District: The women approached the sahyogini
for advice in October 1995. She told them to put in an application at
the panchayat. Three sangha women accompanied the sahyogini to the
panchayat. The panchayat president and secretary maintained that there
was no suitable plot available. The women approached the GP again after
15 days. The members took them to a site 2 km from the SC colony, but
the women felt that the plot was not conveniently located. The GP members
showed them another site close by, which had a tank that had been
constructed for drought relief. At that time, it was not being used. The
women sold their crops to raise Rs 400 for registering the sangha. After
three visits to the GP, they received the title deeds in December 1995. In
the middle of December 1995, the sangha women and their husbands