Mathiben Devkorbhai Sanghani is a farmer from Kuda, Dhrangadhra, Surendranagar, India. From the early age of 16, she has been going to the salt farms to work and help her family earn a living. Her family owned a 50 bigha land of their own but were helpless as the agriculture there was only dependent on rainfall, in the absence of which they had no access to wells or canals. There was no irrigation facility to aid them in times of droughts. Troubled by this situation, Mathiben and her family decided to take a loan from the government to improve water conditions and this decision changed their lives for a long long time.
Aid from the government
She took a loan of Rs. 9000 (USD 100) from the government to construct a well on her farm. In return, as security, she had to keep her land with the government. To her misfortune, the ground she dug 50 feet deep in search of water failed her and the well did not supply her family with the water they were in desperate need of. Her family’s survival was now in question with land gone as security, no water in the well, and a loan of Rs. 9000 (USD 100) on their head. Her family used to work in the salt farms as laborers and managed to save a meager amount of Rs. 20 (USD 0.23) a month. The situation got worse when her family got a notice from the government that if they did not pay Rs. 12000 (USD 138) soon, their land will officially be taken under the government’s custody.
Approach a moneylender for help
Frightened and extremely worried after receiving the government’s notice, Mathiben’s family decided to get help from a moneylender who was from their village and also of the same caste. They thought that to be their safest option, loaned Rs. 12000 (USD 138) from him and cleared the government’s loan. Though they saved their land from the government’s custody, it was now with the moneylender as security. When they requested leniency on vyaj (interest), the moneylender struck a deal. He will not share with them the benefits of the production from the land and in return, they will not have to pay him any interest at all. In Mathiben’s words, “Jameen nu ghasamannahi, ane paisa nu vuajnahi.”
Assistance from SEWA in the crucial situation
In the year 1992, SEWA was in talks with a group of members from the Banchatmandal. Just then the topic of agriculture came up and a wave of grief spread across the room. Sisters were not willing to speak up on the issue. Amongst this group, was Mathiben who gathered the courage to speak and share her grave situation with Heenaben, the district coordinator for SEWA. She explained how miserable her life was as she gave her land away to take a loan to build a well that would get her water supply to serve the same land that now she did not have.
access to for four years. Reemaben understood the situation and offered monetary help of Rs.18000 (USD 207). Mathibenrequested for additional money cause she knew she would need some cash at hand to meet the interest payments to SEWA for the loan just taken. On sanction of the loan, she could hardly express her gratitude to SEWA.
Payment of loan and release of land
The situation was not as simple as it seemed. As per the prevailing rules, the land could not be taken back instantly from the lender. If the payment is made any day post the start of the season, the owner has to wait for an entire year before he can take his land back. The norm in the village was that the land could be claimed back only and only on the day of AkhatrIj. Mathiben along with her family and Shantiben (the president of SEWA’s district association executive committee) reached the moneylender’s house at 9 pm. They took with them the entire amount of Rs.18000 (USD 207) to be on the safe side; little did they know they would return with empty hands. The lender claimed a sum of Rs.18000 (USD 207) on the argument that he built boundaries around the farm protecting the crops from pests and also altered the farm in numerous ways & for the better. In reality, she understood that the lender was claiming extra cash because he was confident they wouldn’t have excess cash on them, and would not be able to arrange 6000 more in just 3 hours before Akhatrij day ends. As a result, he would get a year more of keeping the land and benefiting from the production. Understanding the situation and weighing all options, the family along with the consent of the SEWA member decided to pay all the money and free the land once and for all. Perplexed and shocked the moneylender was not ready for this move. He had no intentions to give the land away and hence presented a set of forged documents stating that the family had sold the land to him for Rs.12000 (USD 138) instead of keeping it as security. Mathiben could not believe that a man she knew from her village, could be so sly and even forge documents to eat from other’s plates. While she was in distress with the whole situation, her family also began turning back to her. They blamed her for not involving them in the entire process, actually selling the land without their knowledge, and keeping the extra earnings for personal use. She fought her way by standing by the truth and managed to free the land from the lender’s custody and even to an extent win the confidence of her family members. Just when the family was relieved that they got the land back, it struck them that they had no money to pay hafta to SEWA as they could have access to the production only from the next season.
Life after getting possession of the land
It was definitely very difficult to manage interest payments after all that they had been through. After working hard at the salt farms, the family managed to save up to Rs.700-800 (USD 8-9) to give as interest against the expected Rs. 1000 (USD 11). Because SEWA understood their situation and had been with them in the worst times, it allowed the difference.
While everything was falling in place, they realized that although they had the land with them now, they could not farm themselves as the canal water would cost them over Rs.5 lakhs which they definitely could not afford. Hence, they gave the land on rent initially at a meager sum of Rs.1000 per month with all the benefits of the production to be enjoyed by the borrower. As years went by, and the borrower constructed a canal for the supply of water, the production rose and so did the cost of the land. For the last 4 years, Mathiben has been getting Rs.40000 per month for her 12 bigha land given as rent. With the money received as rent, wages earned as salt farm laborers, and timely savings, Mathiben and her husband bought a ‘patto’ of 2 bigha land in the salt farms and could now fully own the production in that small area.
SEWA and Saltpan Farms
Initially, the salt farms business was not very profitable. The laborers didn’t have enough money to fund the production themselves and hence they used to resort to moneylenders. These moneylenders used to exploit their power and sign a contract with the laborers regarding the production and would fix a rate way below the market price. The moneylenders charged Mathiben Rs.80 per metric tonne of salt, while the market price for the same was Rs.120.
When SEWA studied this situation better and understood the exploitation the sisters were facing, they took it upon themselves to educate the sisters. Going right to the basics, they explained to the sisters about two types of salts, one for consumption and the other for industry use. It taught them that industrial salt is way more beneficial and also gave training about how to go about producing more salt at a lesser cost. It also eased the situation between the moneylenders and the laborers, by increasing the supplier power and giving some amount of individuality to the latter as well. Now the sisters were re puppets of the lenders, they had their own say in the contract and got the courage to command a fair price for the produce. The training imparted by the SEWA officials improved the conditions of the sisters to a huge extent.
About giving land on rent and more
Mathiben, a person who has never gone to school, started talking about finance and savings when she decided to give the land on rent rather than work on it herself. She said that had she chosen to work herself she would have to spend lakhs on canal and seeds, the return would be much lower than what she would earn by merely renting it out. Perplexed and happily surprised when we asked her how she managed to make these calculations she said, “Mane aajejo pan aaveche, mane SEWA aesikhavyuche.” (Translation: “Whatever I know today, SEWA has taught me.”) She said she has learned much more related to agriculture, finance, marketing, and the like at SEWA and she can never pay back enough.
Further, she adds, she gives the land on a yearly contract to the same person on contract and thanks to SEWA she has all her papers in place and thus is ensured that the land will stay in her name irrespective of how many years she lends it out.
Final clearance of loans
“Have amarapaasezameenhati, kaamhato, aavakhati, basek loan chukavano tension bakihato,” said Mathiben. (Translation: “Now we had our land, employment, earnings, all that was left was the tension of paying back the loan.”)
The tension and pain on her face made us realize that the challenging phase of her life was not over yet. She said, that when she asked her family members for hafta month after month they started doubting her. They accused her of taking excess money from them to clear out her share of the payment. As much as would defend her, they would yet look at her with a suspicious eye. At that point in her life, she went to her sister-in-law and explained the situation to her. She understood her and helped her pay the entire balance loan amount from the family’s savings. Thus finally ended the entire tragic phase of Mathiben’s life. She couldn’t express in words the feelings of finally being free of all debts and favors. She could now earn and live for herself.
Experiential learning and teaching
This sure was the toughest phase in Mathiben’s life; a phase she would never want to relive again. But she owes this phase of her life a lot because she believes she learned a lot and if not
for all the challenges she faced she would never become the person she is today. Amazed by her optimistic nature, many people around her have taken inspiration from her. People even come to her for advice about land use, loans, and other financial matters. She says with great wit that she will never let anyone else suffer what she went through. She will help and advise as many people who come to her and make sure they benefit from the learning she got during her crucial phase of life.
Life in the present day
From all the meetings attended with SEWA and training taken, Mathiben got to know about solar pumps. She bought one for her field and yet shines bright with happiness on the good it has done for her. She’d never thought she would use a technology so advanced in her field and that literate people would come to her to understand the use and benefits of the solar pump. She said, now she needs just 100 liters of diesel against 150 liters and also saves on one entire traditional pump machine. She took a loan of Rs.1,90,000from SEWA for the same that is now paid in entirety. Continuing to talk about the relief and happiness she finally has in her life with everything going right she said, “Konekhabarhatikisurya pan paanikaadhi sake.” (Translation: “Who knew that the sun also could extract water.”)
Indebted to SEWA for life
Throughout the entire time Mathiben was talking about her challenging journey, there was not one moment she didn’t thank SEWA. With tears in her eyes she said, “Hoonjyare pan maarikhetarnizameenuparpagrakhu, SEWA ne yaadkaru.” (Translation: “Every time I keep my feet on my agricultural land, I think of SEWA.”)She said there was a time when she had lost hope in her life, she thought she had lost her land, her family’s trust and nothing would ever be right; in such crucial times, SEWA held her hand and walked with her through it all. She owes everything that she has in her life right now to SEWA and will be indebted to SEWA till her last breath and even after. When she was approached to talk about her journey and how SEWA tried helping her, she said she was so excited that she left a family function and came because she wants the world to know what SEWA has done for her and hopes that her story inspires as many people as possible to keep the same faith and fight for their rights.
And just as she began walking away back to her fields, she turned back and said, “SEWA pehla, Bhagwanpachi.” (Translation: “SEWA first, God later.”)
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