BACK	DEVELOPMENT-BANGLADESH: Land Rights Take Poor Out of Poverty Trap

Till a year ago, they were landless, dependent on the local landowner for work on his sprawling farm. When there was no work, they had to buy essentials like rice, salt and cooking oil with money borrowed from the village moneylender.

Now Zohra not only owns farm land, but she and her husband have started selling farm produce on the market, making enough to pay for even small luxuries like new clothes for their children and themselves before the festival season.

Some 1,400 landless families in three sub-districts of Pabna were gifted a little less than an acre of land each by the government, under a campaign led by a non-governmental organisation (NGO).

The 'Samata Samaj Kallayan Samity', a local NGO, which has been campaigning since 1982 against ''jotdars'' (big and politically influential land owners), succeeded in freeing 'khas' or government land from their illegal occupation to distribute it among landless families under a permanent contract.

The NGO is determined to improve the quality of life of the poorest of the poor, by organising and imparting training in nutrition, hygiene, family planning and income generating activities. A credit and savings scheme that was launched simultaneously, has mobilised savings of some 130,000 dollars.

At the heart of the empowerment strategy, is the one acre of land that is leased jointly in the name of the husband and the wife. Under the contract, if the man was to divorce his wife, he loses his share to his wife. But if the woman was to sue for divorce and win, she would continue to keep her share.

As proud owners of land, these families are already savouring big changes in their social status. They have acquired a sense of dignity and self-esteem: 12 of their people have been elected to the 'Union Council', the lowest tier of government.

Moreover, their quality of life has improved. There are fewer incidents of diarrhoea deaths among infants, because most families know the best treatment is oral rehydration, which means increased fluid intake and continued feeding.

Also fewer children are staying at home. ''My children go to school,'' said Zohra, who lives in Ghughudaha village, under Shanthia 'thana' (police station). ''I would like to reduce their dependence on agriculture for a living.''

The fight to give land to the landless here has taken 14 years. Until a few decades ago, people living in the area were fisherfolk, living off the catch from the Ghughudaha lake.

But with time the lake gradually silted up and the low-lying agricultural land that emerged, which by law should have been leased to the landless poor, was grabbed by the 'jotdars' who falsified documents in collusion with corrupt revenue officials.

The 'Samata Samaj Kallayan Samity' was set up by a dozen enthusiastic local youth in 1978. Led by their leader Abdul Kader, a school teacher-turned-social activist, they began organising the landless around the lake to find a long term solution to their endemic poverty.

Since 1983, they have been hammering home the message that the landless tillers are rightful owners of government land. ''The law is clear: the poor are the genuine owners of 'khas' land, not the 'jotdars','' said an activist.

The NGO representatives met with district revenue officials to demand that the land be recovered from the big landowners and distributed among the poor. They filed 20 cases and won each one.

In 1984, 221 acres of land in Ghughudaha lake was leased to the NGO for cultivation. The victory increased the confidence of the landless and inspired them to continue the movement for the recovery of the remaining 'khas' land.

But the landowners were not ready to give up without a fight either. They used all kinds of methods of harassment and intimidation against the 'Samata' leaders and their supporters.

Many false cases of rape, murder and assault were filed. A section of government officials was bribed and the support of political leaders enlisted to influence the cases in their favour.

Though most of the cases were dismissed by the court for the lack of evidence, in one criminal case six 'Samata' members were convicted for seven years. The six appealed to the High Court

which has granted them bail. The case is still pending.

The big landowners also used intimidation: houses of poor peasants were set ablaze and their women were sexually abused. But in the end, they could not stop the landless. Nine hundred and seventy three acres of land in Ghughudaha lake has been leased to the poor tillers on a permanent basis.

For 'Samata' the fight goes on. They have so far identified 22,000 acres of 'khas' land in six 'thanas' of Pabna district and one adjacent 'thana' of Sirajgonj district.

National and foreign NGOs and organisations like BRAC, Proshika, Bread for the World and Asia Foundation are among those backing the NGO, in its campaign to raise the poor from poverty.

Says Samata leader Kader, ''Our landless are dynamic people. They can achieve miracles if they are provided with land, education and proper guidelines.'' (End/IPS/ti/an/97)