Documents of ADATS - Book 1

7th Progress Report (September 1980)

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In the past one year the Coolies Sangha Units have become much stronger. At the taluk and district levels, they are a force to be taken into account when considering any programme of mass mobilization. No more are they a mere handiwork of a group of young people who had started out to seek a viable and effective alternative to conventional development work. In this context, our role has to be re-examined and clarified for ourselves through a process of informal debates, studies and critical self examination.

While a whole lot still remains to be done to give the CSUs and Bagepalli Coolies Sangha a concrete structure as one that will ensure the pursuance of a definite direction and goal, we are satisfied with the progress made thus far. Concrete experiences are giving us, as well as our cadre a clearer vision of how the organisation should shape out.

In the past one year, our Group has learnt a lot. It was a very full year with rich experiences that have deepened our understanding of society on the whole and made us to make irreversible choices and commitments.

The starting of the NOVIB supported project in July 1980 eased financial restraints and permitted us to work unhindered by interruptions and uncertainties. We will now try to share our experiences by narrating some of the struggles of the labourers, our reflections, the lessons learnt from them, and also the main debates in our Group as well as amongst the people.