Question

What unique task was the Tawa Matsya Sangh able to do for the villagers and how?

Answer 1

Tawa Matsya Sangh (TMS) is a cooperative federation of the fishermen of Satpura forests in Madhya Pradesh that has championed the cause of displaced tribals and fought for their fishing rights. TMS has been able to cater to different social as well as economic needs of the tribals that can be studied as follows:

1. Fighting for fishing rights of tribals: Since its establishment, TMS has fought for the rights of the tribals to fish into the waters of river Tawa using chakka jams and rallies, which was earlier only limited to the state-level corporations. In 1996, TMS was ultimately granted 5 year fishing rights in the reservoir.
2. Abolishing middlemen: TMS has successfully been able to eliminate all sorts of middlemen and contractors between the fishermen and the markets, thereby passing direct benefits to the former.
3. Economic benefits to tribals: Since the middlemen are not in place, the fishermen could now fetch Rs 15 per kg of fish as compared to Rs 3 per kg provided earlier by the state-level corporations. This enabled the fishermen to earn significantly more than usual. It has significantly elevated many families above poverty line.
4. Taking care of operational needs: TMS has also helped in storing and assembling the produce at its own cost.
5. Marketing requirements: The fishermen are no longer bothered about the marketing issue as it is duly handled by the TMS itself.
6. Regularity in payment: One of the significant contribution of TMS is the regularity in payment to the tribals who were earlier paid seasonally.
7. Collective platform for displaced villagers: Last but not the least, TMs is providing a sound platform for the villagers and the tribals to voice their concern to the respective authorities.