“Janunaath, what is your age ?”

We visited 40 settlements in various districts in Gujarat, to facilitate voter’s registration of nomadic and de-notified tribes. In most of the settlements, there was not a single person who could read or write. In some, children have just started going to school from this year. Members of ‘Dafer’ community had learnt to write their name in jails while members of ‘Vadi’, ‘Saraniya’, ‘Gadaliya’, ‘Madari’ had learnt to sign only to show off amongst others.
In Tharad (Banaskantha district) settlement of ‘Naathvadi’ community more than 80 families are residing for years. But not a single family had voter’s ID card. We started filling up forms for the registration. All the people in the settlement gathered and set in a row. Youth from the row came foreword to narrate his details.
“What’s your name?”
“Janunaath”
“Father’s Name?”
“Rumalnaath” he answered.
“Place of birth?”
Janunaath didn’t answer. I repeated, “What was your birth place?”
“I don’t know”, he answered.
“Then ask your mother”
He looked at a lady sitting in a row. She looked blanked and she again looked at one person, who was her husband; but all three looked confused. They come to me and said, “God knows where his birth had taken place”
“But try if you can tell approximately” I pushed. They consulted the oldest person in the settlement and a lady replied, “Ben[1], write what you feel appropriate”.
“Tell me the name of any village where you migrate during the year, to write” I asked
“Ben, we roam all over the state, you write what you feel right in your heart”
I wrote, Place of Birth – ‘Diyodar’, district - Banaskantha !!!!!
The next field in the form was of ‘age’. “Janunaath, your age?”
“18 years”, he promptly answered.
I was amazed, as Janunaath looked quite elder. I said, “You must be elder. Your age doesn’t seems to be 18, are you married?
“Yes. I have four children”
His mother came to our help and said, “He only looks elder, but he is the youngest son amongst 6 children of mine”.
Now we were confused. I was feeling hesitated to approximately write his age as we did for ‘place of birth’. My fellow worker Sandeepbhai asked his mother, “what is your age”, the idea was to judge Janunaath’s age based on his mothers age. “40 years she said” We were more confused.
Sadeepbhai asked Janunaath to call his eldest child. Devnaath, came running to his father. He was approximately of 14 years. And we estimated age of Janunaath and filled the form. And then we estimated age of each applicant by looking at her or his eldest child.

The campaign of Voter’s Registration amongst Nomadic and e-notified tribes was done in association with State Chief Electoral Officer’s Office. There was special recommendation made for NT-DNTS settlements from CEO office. Thus local administration pro-actively visited some of the settlements to fill up registration forms. However they asked to produce Birth certificate.
In some of the settlements community didn’t not disclose the fact they did not have the one. While in some, community told about not having any proof of birth. Officers advised then to approach government hospital for getting such proof. People were disappointed as they were not having money to travel up to Government hospital at block level. While Dafer community members from Rajula block (Bhavnagar district) reached the government hospital. They moved from table to table and room to room till afternoon, only to know that government hospital will not be able to issue them a birth Certificate!!!

When they telephoned us in the office, we informed CEO office about the issue and it was resolved.

In nomadic and de-notified community, even today, deliveries are in the settlement and community is totally unaware about the birth registration procedure. The fact is that these settlements are not covered under ICDS. Where community is aware and they approach nearest Panchayat for registration, Panchayat refuse as they feel threat that community may take share from village common resources. Vicharata Samudaay Samarthan Manch has now started working with women but there is long way to go!!! The major challenge non-acceptance of NT-DNT’s in the society. Every little activity, programme or effort we do, we put maximum efforts for sensitization and involvement of the society. We do see changes in the society’s approach. But the process is extremely slow, painful and requires lot of patience that we tend to loose at times!!
[1] Ben means sister in local language, a lady with respect is called as “Ben”