Facilitating the Women and Community of Kole Basava to Access Social Protection (Widow Pension)

There was a smile on the face of Ramakka, 55-year-old widow from the Kole Basava community, when she received her first pension payment last month. She has reason to feel relief. Thanks to the efforts of a team from the Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR) which facilitated the pension to Ramakka who was struggling to make ends meet. Hailing from the Kole Basava community of Andhra Pradesh, which is known for their traditional lifestyle of roaming with decorated Basava (bulls) in Bengaluru streets, Ramakka lives in the outskirts of Bengaluru city with her two children and bulls. Tragedy struck the family when she lost her husband in an accident in 2020, leaving Ramakka on her own to take care of her family. It was during a recent Janadikara survey, a CFAR team member learned about her story. The CFAR team then helped her to apply for the widow pension under the national pension scheme. However, this process required a BPL ration card from Andhra Pradesh, a document Ramakka did not possess. Sri Latha, a dedicated team member, facilitated Ramakka’s application for the BPL ration card through the Department of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Civil Supplies portal, Government of Andhra Pradesh. Unlike Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh had no restrictions against issuing the card. Within a month, Ramakka’s application was approved, and she received her ration card.

With this critical document in hand, Ramakka applied for the widow pension in September last year. The application was approved, and an order copy was issued in October. Unfortunately, due to a technical error, Ramakka did not receive her pension immediately. Neither Ramakka nor the CFAR team was willing to give up and kept pursuing the matter. Their perseverance finally paid off when in July Ramakka received her first pension payment, along with arrears amounting to Rs. 24,000 (3000 per month as per AP government).

“I was struggling to make ends meet after my husband’s death. This pension amount will help me to ease our sufferings. Without CFAR’s help, I wouldn’t have been able to secure the pension. This gives me hope that with proper support we can secure our rights,” said Ramakka. Explaining the efforts made by CFAR, Sri Latha said, “We came to know about Ramakka’s story during our Janadikara survey. Realizing the urgency, we guided her to obtain a BPL ration card from Andhra Pradesh and then applied for her widow pension. We couldn’t get them any local schemes because of the local address requirement, but seeing her now receiving the support she needed was worth every effort.”

For the Kole Basava community, their age-old customs are no longer sustainable in today’s world, leaving many families struggling to make ends meet. To compound their difficulties, government support is often out of reach due to the bureaucratic apathy, and difficulties in obtaining local address proof. Most community members possess documentation from Andhra Pradesh, while authorities in Karnataka insist on local address proof, effectively excluding them from various government schemes and services. This lack of documents and segregation from mainstream populations have led to poor access to social entitlements to the community.

To mitigate some of the hardships faced by the community, the Janadikara project in Bengaluru, which works for the urban poor, focuses on facilitating social security schemes like widow pensions and other health services. The main challenge the team encounters in aiding highly marginalized and vulnerable communities is their inability to provide documentary proof of address, age, and other details requirements that formal systems demand, often overlooking the specific context and predicaments of these communities. Realizing that on most occasions the system is not prepared to be flexible and even trusting people, the team felt that it is more opportune to find ways to comply with what is expected from them. That’s how the team worked and facilitated the pension to Ramakka. CFAR’s intervention also highlights the crucial role that advocacy and support by the organizations play in bridging the gap between marginalized communities and essential government services. By encouraging the community to take charge and creating awareness about the processes involved, CFAR has facilitated interstate applications and navigated bureaucratic challenges, providing a lifeline to individuals like Ramakka, ensuring they receive the support they are entitled to.

It also illustrates the potential for positive change when dedicated individuals and organizations work together to address systemic barriers. It is not just about receiving financial aid; it’s about restoring dignity, providing hope, and ensuring a better future for her children.