No identity
“Gradually they began talking about their
biggest stumbling block – identification. No identification meant they could
not get permanent government jobs or access any government schemes. They
were also vulnerable to being exploited by the street mafia and the police.
We also realised how important identity was to individuals as it gave them a
sense of pride and acceptance in society,” says Sanjay.
AAA decided to make the issue of identification its first task, in 2003,
working through 42 street points across Delhi. After several awareness
programmes, the organisation came up with Abhiyan Saathi identity cards.
“That was a turning point,” recalls Sanjay, as the AAA team met the election
commissioner (EC) with a petition of ensuring the homeless their voting
rights.
“The EC was very sensitive. They designed a Form 6, and 1,000 people filled
it in. And so, 200 homeless people became a part of the public that voted
the Manmohan Singh government to power.”
AAA also came to realise that homeless people were often excluded from
savings schemes. Sanjay says: “The RBI guidelines make financial provision
for weaker sections of society, but this does not include the homeless.”
Determined to break new ground, Sanjay met officials of the Union Bank of
India and explained to them the need to extend reliable savings schemes to
homeless people in order to enable them to deposit their daily earnings.
As talks between Union Bank and AAA progressed, Ramanathan, Banking
Secretary, GoI, visited the shelters and met the inmates.
Meanwhile, Fino Foundation agreed to pitch in with ATM cards made especially
for the homeless. Each card is printed on biometric lines using individual
fingerprints to cater to the illiterate.
This also means that even if the card is stolen or lost, the finder cannot
withdraw money unless his fingerprint exactly matches that recorded on the
card.
Saving for a better tomorrow
“An agent from the bank comes to the shelter, and people can withdraw or
deposit their money. By 4 pm all transactions cease and the machine is fed
into the main server of Union Bank,” says Sanjay, explaining how the system
works.
“Our target for this year is to open up
10,000 accounts. The scheme started on February 1, 2008. Biometric cards
take time to be made, that is why only around 600 accounts have been opened
so far.”
At the Fatehpuri shelter, Dega grins and holds his ATM card up in front of
his face. His pride is evident.
Two years ago when he fell sick his friends advised him to start saving for
a time when he could no longer work so hard. Like them, he began depositing
a portion of his daily earnings with the local rajaiwala (person who does
business in bedding).
“I earn anything between Rs 100 and Rs 150 a day. Of this I have to pay a
daily rent of Rs 35 to the rickshaw owner, besides paying for food. I am
able to save at least Rs 50 -- this I give to the rajaiwala. But there have
been cases of people being cheated of their savings. Keeping the money in a
bank is foolproof; our money is safe. Saving has now become a nasha
(intoxication). It makes me believe, for the first time, that my future is
not so bad”, says Dega.
Madhu Gurung is a
Delhi-based researcher and writer.
Photo credit: Infochange
