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Yes
But still they have to be given a lot of strength
A lot of them do not speak out still
Women and three or four men coming in
and surveying the whole village
How many women stay here, what is their age
How many men stay here, what is their age
What is the age of the young people
How many kids are there
What are the general illnesses they have
What is the water supply
Where do they drink the water
Because 80% of the diseases
come from the water
So they say what is the water source for them
So they look after all these things
and tried to tell them that what can be done
to improve your life
What can be done in small ways?
So, as I told you the example of the hand pump
So they wanted a reason to talk to them
so they introduced the hand pump
They said that they will give you a hand pump
if you'll need it
The people said of course we need a hand pump
There is irregularity of electicity
we don't get good water supply
So they said ok, now you collectively get relief
If someone from the village says
I will give you 5,000
A big shot like me says I'll give you 5,000
The HCC said no
But if all the people collectively
collected 10 rupees, 20 rupees, 5 rupees
and they collect 5,000
we then will give the people hand pumps
So they thought it was something from us
within us
I told you the Ex Chief Minister's scheme
really changed the lives
because 10,000 was the most you're going to get
and the 10,000 can really do a big
development work in a village like this
If we paid up to 50,000 rupees
by collecting donations from the whole village
and this really made a difference
If 10,000 is given to this village
They have all got cement roads
before they had to walk on mucky mud
It was really a mess
So now they have access to roads in the villages
because of the scheme
And when HCC was here
the changing of the mentality of the people
it is the biggest example in the world I think
Out of the 11 talukas
the amount that came from the state government
to the talukas to be distributed
around this scheme
40% of the amount alone in Akalkot Taluka
you can imagine that 10 talukas
having the same population, even bigger,
they were all put into the 60%
10 talukas
and that means that each taluks got 6%
and we got 40% of the amount
it was really a very big surprise
and so we told them this is because
HCC was here in every village
day and night
The minister cannot speak to you in English
but he would say
"whenever I was roaming around at night"
he works from 12 to 1 in the night, he said
"I would find the HCC jeep coming in front of me"
and at that time the project in charge was
Mr. Suryavanshi, he is in Andaman now
He does not have one leg right from here.
He has an artificial leg
So whenever he would try to get out of the jeep
he would need to adjust his leg
So the minister said
"Mr. Suryanvanshi just wait, I get down,
you don't get down.
You are working so much for us
for the people of Akalkot
so you stay in the jeep
I'll come and meet you."
They were really hard working
and really dedicated toward their work.
Even I myself for at least two to three months
did not go near these people, the HCC people
I was just watching because people come and go
the NGO's come and go
but no one is serious about these people
so when I saw that they really meant business,
then I tried to help them out
because the problem over here is the language
spoken in Maharashtra is Marathi
and since this taluka is on the border
of Karnataka, people here,
75 - 80% speak the language
of the other state, Kanada
They all speak fluent Kanada.
So it was very difficult for HCC to get through.
So I saw this problem
and since I had a political background,
my father and myself,
so when I could just phone these people
and say just that the main leaders of this village
please be there and we will be coming.
HCC people will be coming
So they were there, present at the time
which I told them
HCC people came, they told them
what they meant and what they wanted to do
for the changing of the situation
and in one meeting things were finished off.
Otherwise because of the language problem,
the HCC people would come meet someone
they couldn't translate
the Marathi's people language
their main language is Marathi
so it was very difficult for them.
We got together and things started very fast.
I was like the communicating gap between
the people, and it really worked.
After that I did not need any introduction
HCC was known throughout taluka,
and whenever Mr. Suryawanshi
and the HCC was there
the people would directly go to him.
Whoever could not speak Marathi would take
the Marathi chap with him, and then speak to him
in Marathi or Kanada, and get his work done
because there is no decision, no higher authority
to take decisions.
Mr. Suryawanshi would see the situation
over here and he phoned up Mr. Phillip,
Mr. Phillip phoned up Mr. Steven David,
tell him the situation, and we are to get it done.
He would say yes, and it was yes,
and tomorrow morning it was done
That is the biggest belief.
What happens is that the govenment
takes months and months
Lots of time is wasted in the process.
So if things are needed
and if they are given tomorrow morning to you,
people really start believing in you.
That is the biggest thing.
If people believe in you,
now I am here with you, so I have to tell you
It is not a very big thing of myself,
but twice I've been elected to Panchayat Samiti,
but I have been elected in a very different way.
I have been elected as a bishopite
to tell you that, as you know or may be reading
that we need to spend a lot of money,
a lot of muscle power to win an election in India.
But I have done it in a different way.
I have been elected twice,
I have told the people that I am not going to
fold my hands in front of you and beg.
I am not going to touch your feet and beg.
I am not going to give you money.
If you think I can be a good member of the
Panchayat Samiti you can vote for me,
If you think I am not a good member
the you please vote for Mr. so and so
who is standing in opposition of me.
And that's it.
And I won't come back to you before the election
And that's it, in only one meeting
I passed away from the village
I didn't go there or anything, and I was elected.
So people really get the feeling
that you are a good worker and if you think
for them they will support you.
But the thing has to come within us,
the confidence should be there
which was given to me by my school.