Documents of ADATS - Book 1

4th Progress Report (March 1979)

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These past weeks, we have succeeded in obtaining tangible result in major issues like the Pathapalya Tenants struggle for their lands, the Yellampalli Harijans attempts to get houses, etc. but to claim that the Pathapalya and Yellampalli Harijans now have a greater faith in their organized unity would be a clear overstatement. This leads us to question the very validity of tackling issues, since in the last analysis they seem to have only a propaganda value for officials and other leaders. But still, issues involve struggle in their being solved, and this struggle has a great value in helping the people overcome their fear. Further, by taking issues that are close to the people’s hearts, we are in the process of building a base of acceptability in the village.

We also realise that to attempt to conscientise the entire labour population of the villages is clearly impossible. It is much more realistic to attempt to build up a critical cadre of youth who have the potential to mobilise their people in the villages. Therefore, the monthly Cadre Training programme we have started for 3 days every month from January 1979 has now assumed a pivotal role around which our being relevant rotate.

We have also felt, these past few weeks, the need to have a more conventional activity which will give us an acceptable footing in the villages. Otherwise we fall easy prey to vested propaganda by the Landlords and others. Since we are already working with children in the villages, conducting games and classes for them in the evenings, we thought that this would be an ideal programme to systematise and strengthen.