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Magsaysay award winner wants to cut red tape

Kamla Bora in Jaipur

For the 43-year-old Rajendra Singh, who has tirelessly been working to make water conservation a people's movement in Alwar district of Rajasthan, the Magsaysay Award doesn't personally mean much.

"The thousands of villagers living along the river Ruparel, who joined hands to conserve water, improve quality of soil and enhance productivity, are the real persons to whom the award belongs," the self-effacing Magsaysay Award winner said.

"I hope the recognition of my work would help me overcome official roadblocks and cynicism in a section of society towards environmental issues, particularly water conservation," a hopeful Rajendra Singh told rediff.com.

"I am a humble worker and accept the international award on behalf of the village people who, with their rustic wisdom realise the importance of water conservation," said Singh.

It took Singh, with the ample support of the villagers, more than 15 years to get the dried up Ruparel river flowing again - a feat, every bit a miracle.

Influenced by Jai Prakash Narayan and his call for total revolution during the emergency days Rajendra Singh formed Tarun Bharat Sangh in 1975.

A relentless fighter for people's rights, Singh has a penchant for taking on powerful lobbies head on.

During the 80s Singh took on the mining mafia in Alwar district, which had the famous Sariska Tiger Reserve in its clutches.

In the process he made more enemies than friends.

After succeeding in uprooting the mafia from the reserve, Singh shifted his focus to water conservation.

And soon, his sustained efforts started yielding results.

But he concedes that he got greater encouragement and help from agencies for his efforts at water conservation, than the fight against illegal mining in Sariska.

Although the national and international media have been taking notice of his work, the local media has remained hostile to him.

"I am doing my work. I do not want any publicity because I consider my work as a joint effort with the local villagers. Anybody is welcome to visit the johads (check-dams) we are constructing. But I am not going to run before local press people and pamper them," said Singh in his defence.

"Media persons from national and international agencies come on their own. We do not provide them any hospitality. If they request, we arrange some simple transportation and stay facilities. We want that media persons themselves visit the sites where people's participatory efforts are going on," said Singh.

Singh, however, feels that the Magsaysay award would help him in overcoming official apathy.

Presently, Singh's Tarun Bharat Sangh and the state administration are locked in a battle over the 225-metre long earthen dam constructed at Laava Baas.

A notice was served on Singh by the Irrigation Department in June this year under sections 55 and 58 of the Rajasthan Irrigation and Drainage Act 1954 asking him to remove the structure.

Singh, in his typical style, has replied that the structure belonged to the village.

Many in the village feel that the Magsaysay award will finally open the eyes of the authorities to their folly.

However, Singh is non- committal and said, "I do not know what this award would mean to the state government. If my award makes the state authorities realise the importance of my work I shall be happy."

The Magsaysay man said, "I shall continue to live and work with villagers who are the real support to me and have traditional knowledge of water conservation technology most suited to their local conditions."

Interestingly, it is the second year in a row that a person from Rajasthan has been awarded the Magsaysay Prize. Last year the award had gone to Aruna Roy, who has been campaigning for right to information and fighting against corruption at the panchayat level.

In eighties the maker of Jaipur Foot Dr PK Sethi was given the award.

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