A POST CARD TOWARDS EMPOWERING RURAL WOMEN……..

-B.Mohan Rao B. Research Scholar in Law, Dr BR Ambedkar College of Law guided by

Prof. A.Subrahmanyam Prof of Law, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam.
“…….Credit is the last hope left to those faced with absolute poverty. That is w
hy ……the right to credit should be recognized as a fundamental human right….” Mu
hammad Yunus.
Thanks to the Nobel laureate of Bangladesh Prof. Yunus who conceptualized and pr
oved that ‘poor women are bankable’. Kudos to the great reformer, social scienti
st living legend microfinance expert striving for women empowerment in a poor co
untry making. This was a story of poor women replicating the experiment of the l
argest women’s Bank in the World/Asia ie., Bangla Grameen Bank. running Thrift c
o operatives under the Andhra Pradesh Mutually Aided co operative Societies Act,
1995 in East Godavari District Uppada Kothapalli Mandal.
The Thrift co operatives were formed when the government machinery was yet to fo
rmulate a programme for the formation and organization of any federations of the
women’s self help groups. The status of the women’s SHGs was only to run the SH
Gs for the sake of the revolving fund the government used to provide. There were
overnight formations of SHGs claiming for the revolving funds. Shramik Vidayape
eth Kakinada [NGO sponsored by Government of India renamed as Jan Shikshan Sanst
han more than 150 JSS are functioning all over India] had derived a plan and it
had facilitated formation of the First four Mutually Aided co operative society
in the district the first among them was registered on 01.01.1998.
The MAC societies formed through the facilitating role played by the SVP/JSS wer
e Desabandhavi Duvvuri Subbamma Women’s Mutually Aided Co operative Society Limi
ted (Uppada), Kasturiba Gandhi Women’s Mutually Aided Co operative Society Limit
ed ( Komaragiri), Kandukuri RajyaLakshmi Women’s Mutually Aided Co operative Soc
iety Limited ( Kondevaram) and Vedantham Kamalamma Women’s Mutually Aided Co ope
rative Society Limited ( Nagulapalli). The objectives for the women’s cooperativ
es were unity, thrift, co operation and mutual aid. The women who were involved
in the DWACRA groups were re organized into the Thrift co operatives and there h
ad been regular thrift and other activities unlike the other SHGs/DWCRA groups s
ponsored by the DRDA.
The government has issued a GO to encourage the formation and organization of th
e thrift co operatives. The DRDA was expected to release grants in a phased mann
er. But despite the continuous persuasion and relentless efforts of the JSS DRDA
did not sanction any amounts.
However, the poor women in the rural MACs were trained in such a way that there
could be regular thrift and banking activity paving the way for developing entre
preneurial skills among themselves or adding to their basic artisan skills. Seve
ral petty trades, tiny business ventures and mini Production units started and r
un by the poor women supported by the MACs. Besides the women developed leadersh
ip qualities in organizing their own regular meetings. Some of the poor women we
re presiding over the meetings where the chief guest was the district collector
or the Project Director, DRDA. The women had at least a vague understanding and
a realization about the concept that if they can make up their mind for growth t
hrough the micro finance they can win over.
During the course of time as the government initiated to organize Federations of
SHGs and there is a downtrend in the rates of interest the administrative costs
of the WMACs have become burdensome for the –the WMACs sought to close down the
WMACs to save at least the administrative costs and to reduce the loss. The stat
us of the members in the co operatives was that the genuine members have no fund
s for their withdrawal and the loan repayments are due from the loanee members.
Yet, even at this stage, the DRDA did not respond. The top brass in the co opera
tive approached the district collector but in vain. Then, on the author’s advise
to the members to address postcards- to the Minister for Co operatives, the Chi
ef Minister, Governor, the Finance Minister praying for justice, some of the mem
bers reacted from different villages in the WMACs area of operation. About 50 po
st cards reached the concerned authorities. Net result was a call from the PD, D
RDA requesting the author to visit his office and to help them reimburse the los
s caused to the WMACs for smooth closure of the activity.
[Obviously, the author came to know that the then Finance Minister and the Minis
ter for Co operatives, the Present Chief Minister wrote to the PD DRDA to settle
the matter and report back clipping the entire set of post cards to the letter.
] Thus a post card from the poor and active women could get their problem solved
saving them from the huge loss they were afraid of getting suffered.