Social Studies LONG ANS. QUESTIONS(5 Mark)

1. The pioneer of all struggles wanted the Indian Constitution to be implemented in letter and spirit.
2. Indian Constitution gives equality to all, freedom to all, dignity and respect to all, end of discrimination and special benefits to marginalised and disadvantaged section.
3. It has real meaning in our lives, this makes it a living document.

1. TMS organised rallies and chakka jam (road blockade) and enabled locals to think of having the right to livelihood through fishing.
2. A committee was formed, which said that fishing rights should be given to villagers for their livelihood.
3. In 1996, people displaced by the Tawa dam got the right of fishing in the reservoir by the Madhya Pradesh government.
4. TMS helped fishworkers to improve their income substantially.
5. They set up a co-operative to ensure that fishermen get a fair price.
6. TMS also gave loans to fishworkers for repairing and buying nets.
7. TMS has demonstrated that people’s organisations can also be good managers.

There are many reasons which displace people and communities for example:

• When dams are built or forests are declared sanctuaries, thousands of people are displaced
• Villages uprooted and people have to start afresh.
• In urban areas, when bastis of poor people are relocated outside the cities
• Their work, children’s schooling gets disrupted due to distance.
• This displacement has become a widespread problem. People or different organisations usually come together to fight against this. For example Tawa Matsya Sangh.

1. The Tawa Dam was built on River Tawa, a tributary of Narmada between 1958 and 1978.
2. People were displaced due to the dam.
3. Their livelihood was affected.
4. In1994, the government gave the rights for fishing in Tawa reservoir to private contractors, who forced villagers to vacate the area.
5. The villagers stood united and organised the Tawa Matsya Sangh to protest.

The Indian Constitution as a Living Document:

• The foundation of all movements for justice and inspiration and for all the poetry and
  songs on equality is the recognition of equality among people.
• The Indian Constitutipn recognises the equality of all persons.
• Movements and struggles for equality in India continuously refer to the Indian constitution to make their point about equality and justice for all.
• The fishworkers in the Tawa Matsya Sangh (TMS) hope that the provisions of the Constitution will become a reality through their participation in this movement.
• By constantly referring to the Constitution, they use it as a 'living document' i.e., something that has real meaning in our lives.
• In a democracy, there are always communities and individuals trying to expand the idea of democracy and push for a greater recognition of equality on existing as well as new issues.

• Throughout the world- in every community, village, city and town, there are some people Who are known and respected because of their fight for equality.
• These people stood up against the act of discrimination that theydaced or which they witnessed.
• They are respected because they treat all persons with dignity and are therefore trusted.
• They are called upon to resolve issues in the community.
• Often these persons become more widely recognised because they have the support of large number of people who have united to address a particular issue of inequality.
• In India there are several struggles in which people have come together to fight for issues that they believe are important.

Women started women's movement to raise issues of equality.

• The Tawa Matsya Sangh in Madhya Pradesh is another example of people coming together to fight for an issue.
• There are many such struggles like these among beedi workers, fisher folk, agricultural labourers and slum dwellers and each group is struggling for justice in its own way.
• There are also many attempts to form cooperatives or other collective ways by which people have more control over resources.

Achievement of Goal of Fishing Right:The newly formed Tawa Matsya Sangh (TMS) organised a Chakka jam (road blockade), demanding their right to continue fishing for their livelihood.

• In response to their protests, the government created a committee.
• The committee recommended that fishing rights be granted to the villagers for their livelihood.
• A five-year lease agreement was signed.
• With the TMS taking over, the fishworkers were able to increase their earnings substantially because they set up the cooperative which buys the catch from them at a fair price.
• The cooperative arranges to transport and sell this in markets where they get a good price.
• They have now begun to earn more.
• The TMS has also begun giving the fishworkers loans for repair and for buying new nets.
• By Managing to earn a higher wage as well as preserving the fish in the reservoir, the TMS has shown that when people's organisations get their rights to livelihood, they can be good managers.