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Journalism of Courage
The only school in Zitapati, a tiny village in Betul district, was proud of its unusual roll of honour. It didn8217;t comprise children who had excelled academically, but those who no longer came drunk to school. In fact, the 39 names were proudly displayed at the school entrance, as reported in The Indian Express recently.
The development was remarkable because it8217;s a village that survives on liquor brewed for truck drivers and where families routinely get together with their children for a drink. In an interesting spin-off, the predominantly tribal village has seen its crime rate fall to almost zero because the consumption of liquor has drastically reduced even among elders.
It all began when he found almost half of the 88 children in the school drunk, slow to react and learn. The campaign had begun with a request to parents not to drink before their children. 8220;We can8217;t reform the village but we can wean the children away from liquor,8221; he had said earlier.
It was during his follow-up visits to the homes of students whose names are on the honour roll that Tarkaswar came across the drastic change. He then decided to take the message further and began coaxing the villagers not to approach the police for minor fights and instead resolve them themselves.
Recently at a function held in the village, the district judge announced that he would recommend Zitapati to be declared Vivadrahit Gram a village without disputes. Elders from five neighbouring villages felicitated the 39 students on the occasion. This honour is yet to be bestowed on the village but may eventually come its way.
Inspector A.J. Khan of Amla police station, who has been posted here for the past one year, says the villagers have improved a lot and the crime rate is non-existent.
8220;We are enjoying the attention,8221; says 60-year-old Ganesh Uike, whose grandchildren go to the primary school. 8220;Even if there are fights, we try to solve them without going to the police,8221; say 30-year-old farmer Mangal Singh Vadiwa, and Umashankar Uike, an activist of Gondwana Gantantra Party.
But not everyone is happy with the campaign and the recent media attention. It8217;s not good news for those who survived by selling liquor and have fallen on lean days.
Sarpanch Johari Wadiwa gives it a different spin. 8220;Please don8217;t write anything about our village. When our children go to Betul, the district headquarters, or other places, they are teased as drunkards. Even those who have never consumed a drop of liquor are called addicts.8221; Villagers think the campaign has brought them a bad name, he alleges.
But Wadiwa has few friends in the village. That8217;s why he made it a point not to be around when the children were felicitated.
8220;The number of those opposing us is hardly ten. They will eventually fall in line,8221; says Mehta, describing how the village has started opposing the sarpanch. 8220;The villagers ask him, 8216;So many prominent people come to our village, why are you not there?8217;,8221; says Mehta.Their persistent questions may soon persuade him to join them.
