Musahars: Discriminated and Cheated

Bhikar village in Bhadohi district, Uttar Pradesh is home to hundred and fifty families from the Musahar community. This lower caste community is one of India's most marglnalised groups. For them, time has stood still as they continue to be discriminated against by virtue of their caste, as they were a hundred years ago. Community Correspondent Anil Kumar from Uttar Pradesh reports on a case where this discrimination teamed with corruption has denied the community their due food supplies under the government sponsored Public Distribution System. For years the local ration supplier cheated the residents out of their food grains. Instead of the stipulated 35 Kg for Rs. 35, they had to shell out Rs. 100 and received anything between 10 and 25 Kgs depending on the dealer's whim. In August 2013, the communities protests paid off as the errant dealer was fired from his job and the fair price shop was shut down. Their troubles however are far from over. They still need someone to keep the shop open so that they get their monthly rations on time.   About the Partnership: The Poorest Areas Civil Society (PACS) Programme and Video Volunteers have come together to create the Community Correspondents Network. The videos generated by the network will be able to highlight voices from the margins, providing skills to social communicators to provide advocacy tools to community based organisations.

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