The Pallur Dalit Women Collective Farm

The Pallur Dalit Women Collective Farm started in 2016 when a group of 40 landless Dalit Women from Pallur sought the help of the Dalit Women’s Movement, to claim 7.5 acres of illegally occupied land in two places in their community. After series of training meetings on Dalit Rights and Land Rights, the women were organized and mobilized to assert their entitlements at the District Administration for land titles for landless Dalit women. Though their right to land is clearly stated by law, they met with serious challenges in the process of claiming their lands.

They hired a JCB to clear the land , they toiled and eventually cleaned the rocky and thorny land themselves.The Dalit Women’s Movement supported them by providing a solar water pump to irrigate both lands. They were also provided with agricultural instruments and seeds that helped them preserve their own seed bank. Through the Dalit women’s perseverance and collective action, the lands became fertile and rain-fed. They dug up a Pannai Kuttai (farmwater-saving pond) to collect rain water and built tanks to store water. All these efforts were met with obstacles from the government and local bureaucrats.

They demanded to get their land titles but the Revenue Officer told them that, while they can continue to cultivate the lands, no titles would be given to them because the lands are supposedly intended by the government for cattle-grazing. In the end, the women succeeded in asserting their rights. They now have claimed the lands which they have fruitfully utilized for collective farming.

The Pallur Dalit women faced their biggest challenge yet when a landlord interested in buying their land attempted to have their leader, Shakila, assassinated. The women exposed and fought this sinister attempt by supporting each other and asking the help of their supporters. Once again, the Dalit women’s strength in their unity and collective action enabled them to fight and overcome this grave threat against one of their sisters.

As Dalit women who historically were not allowed to own lands, be independent in decision-making, and were always discriminated against due to caste and gender, the Pallur Dalit Women Collective serves a model and inspiration to all Dalit women. 

Through the years and presently, as a collective, the women have been cultivating and harvesting lentil, corn, green gram, red gram and millets. SRED assisted them with various training programs on natural farming methods, also the preparation of vermicompost, natural manure and pesticides. Shakila and other collective members have started driving the tractor. The collective members equally share the produce after harvest. They have built their own water tanks and rainwater-collecting ponds from scratch. They put up their own pipe lines for irrigation. They have their own office where they keep their agricultural instruments and seeds for collective farming.

The Pallur Dalit women have also attended meetings and conferences in local, national and regional events to share their successful and inspiring story. They attended the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partners (RCEP) meeting in Hyderabad, the All-India Kissan Movement in New Delhi, the Delhi National Conference of Women organized by Makaam, and the National Dalit Conference in Pune. 

Despite all these, the Pallur Dalit Women’s Collective Farm continues to face challenges.

Uzhavan Foundation working for agriculture recognized and awarded Pallur Dalit Women farmers' Collective with a trophy and one lakh cash. This award has encouraged them to develop the farm, and the village communities are perceiving them as a role model.

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