Atiben the Land Rights Crusader

32-year-old Atiben Varsat from the Pahadia village in Meghraj Taluka of Gujarat’s Aravalli District, is an inspiration for hundreds of women in the area. With her calm and peaceful presence, this Paralegal worker from the Swabhoomi Kendra has spearheaded the movement for land rights for women in this rural area and has ensured several Adivasi women understand and get rights to family land in their name.

She focusses specifically on widows and single women as they are the most vulnerable and often get cheated of their rights. A tireless worker, she makes three or four trips, sometimes more, and puts in hours of work to visit the homes of women in need. She helps these illiterate women fill out ‘Varsai’ (inheritance) or individual land title applications and also helps older women to the office when they need to file a claim

When HDRC asked Atiben about ways in which they could support her at a personal level, she immediately said, “My only concern is supporting widows. They struggle a lot and do not know their rights and when they do there is a lot of support needed to take them to the office and make them go through the formalities”. Even when her family asks her why she works mainly with widows, her response is clear, “they need the most support”.

Whether it is organizing rallies to sensitize the community, coordinating the Swa Bhoomi Kendra (SBK) table at the Taluka District Office (TDO) office on Mondays and Thursdays, following up on applications, or coming to Ahmedabad for trainings, Atiben is always there. The Working Group for Women and Land Ownership (WGWLO) trains grassroots paralegal workers like Atiben on land and agriculture issues, and these workers run the Swa Bhoomi Kendra (centers) at the block level. The Human Development and Research Centre is a member of this network.

Atiben has made the most of this guidance provided by WGWLO and HDRC. She shares valuable insights from her experience of working with these underprivileged women. She suggests simplification of procedures to help more women. “The process is so challenging for the women. We should be able to accomplish filing the claim in one day, not in 30-45 days. Tragedies are a part of life and the least the society and government can do is to help a woman who has lost her husband, says Atiben.

Unfortunately, she says the reality is that in most cases women who are widowed are cheated by their own families for land rights. It needs immense courage and clear understanding of one’s rights to stand up against such injustice and this is her inspiration to walk hand-in-hand with these helpless single women.

Her concern for these vulnerable women is evident in her apprehensions, “If there is a death in the family, or I am unable to keep doing this work, my main concern is that the process will start and end with me. If I go, the whole process could end right there”

Atiben has found a deep sense of fulfilment in being a paralegal worker. She reflects humbly, “You never know when you yourself might need to know all this. If tomorrow, this happens to me, I know exactly what I need to do. I am grateful to know how to help rural women support themselves.”

Courage is a contagious thing, and Atiben’s courage is without a doubt, spreading the fire of land rights to the women in Meghraj!