Rural Living and Learning Experience (RLLE)

Village Report (VR)

In the partial fulfillment of the requirement of RLLE of the MBA in Rural Management

Village: Dolatpar
Gram Panchayat: Dolatpar
Block: Lakhpat
District: Kutch
State: Odisha

Submitted By
Animesh Biswal (UR21007)
Siddharth Durvasula (UR21054)

Guided By
Prof. Pradeep Kumar Mishra

School of Rural Management (SRM)

XIM University

Page 1 of 59
 Certificate

This is to certify that the ‘Village Report’ title ‘A study of Dolatpar’, submitted in partial
fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of ‘Masters in Business Administration-Rural
Management (MBA-RM), of the School of Rural Management, XIM University, Bhubaneswar, is
a record of the bonafide original academic writing work carried by Mr. Animesh Biswal and Mr.
Siddharth Durvasula, under the guidance of Prof. Pradeep Kumar Mishra.

The published part has been fully acknowledged. All assistance and help received during the study
have been duly acknowledged by the author, under the able guidance of guide. No part of the
academic writing has been plagiarized and submitted for any other degree.

Name of Student/s: Animesh Biswal

Siddharth Durvasula

Sign of Student/s:

Date:

Name of Guide: Prof Pradeep Kumar Mishra

Sign of Guide:

Date:

Page 2 of 59
Contents

List of tables.................................................................................................................................... 6
List of Figures ................................................................................................................................. 7
List of Pictures ................................................................................................................................ 8
List of abbreviations ....................................................................................................................... 9
Acknowledgment .......................................................................................................................... 10
Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... 11
1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 12
2. Methodology ........................................................................................................................ 13
2.1. Observation: ................................................................................................................... 13
2.1.1 Participant Observation:............................................................................................... 13
2.1.2. Non- Participant Observation ..................................................................................... 13
2.1.3. Field Notes .............................................................................................................. 13
2.2. Interviews: ...................................................................................................................... 13
2.2.2 Semi-Structured: ...................................................................................................... 13
2.3. PRA ................................................................................................................................ 13
2.4. Surveys ........................................................................................................................... 14
2.5. Convenience Sampling .................................................................................................. 14
3. Demography: ....................................................................................................................... 15
4. Infrastructure ...................................................................................................................... 16
4.1. Physical Infrastructure ................................................................................................... 16
4.1.1 Road Network ................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
4.1.2 Drainage ......................................................................................................................... 19
4.1.3 Electricity. ...................................................................................................................... 19
4.1.4 Communication facility .................................................................................................. 19
4.1.5 Irrigation………………………………………………………………………………..20
4.1.6 Water Supply for household
Purpose………………………………………………………………………………….20
4.1.7 Police Station.................................................................................................................. 20
4.1.8 Post Office ..................................................................................................................... 21
4.2. Financial Infrastructure ................................................................................................. 21
4.2.1 Banks .............................................................................................................................. 21
4.3 Social Infrastructure ....................................................................................................... 22
4.3.1 Housing. ......................................................................................................................... 23
4.3.2 Aanganwadi .................................................................................................................... 23
4.3.3 Hospital. ......................................................................................................................... 23
4.1.4 School ............................................................................................................................. 24

Page 3 of 59
5. Livelihood ............................................................................................................................ 26
5.1. Castor Cultivation ......................................................................................................... 27
5.2. Animal Husbandry ......................................................................................................... 28
6. Culture ................................................................................................................................. 30
6.1. Dominant Caste .............................................................................................................. 30
6.2. Discrimination ................................................................................................................ 30
6.3. Untouchability ................................................................................................................ 31
6.4. Political Economy .......................................................................................................... 32
6.5. Social Capital ................................................................................................................. 32
6.6. Cultural Capital .............................................................................................................. 32
6.7. Feudal Liberal Continuum ............................................................................................. 33
6.8. Jatt Community .............................................................................................................. 33
6.9. Patidaar Community(Patel) ............................................................................................ 38
7. Migration ............................................................................................................................. 40
7.1. History of migration of Dolatpar ....................................................................................... 40
7.2. Current Scenario ................................................................................................................ 41
7.2.1. Out-migartion:......................................................................................................... 41
7.2.1.1 For Employment ..................................................................................................... 41
7.2.1.2.For Education .......................................................................................................... 41
7.2.1.3 Inmigration .............................................................................................................. 42
8. Governance .......................................................................................................................... 43
8.1. Dolatpar Gram Panchayat .................................................................................................. 44
8.1.1 Election of Sarpanch and Ward Members .............................................................. 45
8.1.2. Gram sabha ............................................................................................................ 46
8.1.3. Panchayat Meeting .................................................................................................. 46
8.2 Water and Sanitation ............................................................................................... 46
9. Market .................................................................................................................................. 48
9.1. Seller............................................................................................................................... 49
9.1.1 Product ......................................................................................................................... 49
9.1.2.Price ............................................................................................................................. 49
9.1.3.Promotion..................................................................................................................... 50
9.1.4 Place: ............................................................................................................................ 50
9.2. Buyer .............................................................................................................................. 52
9.2.1 Product ......................................................................................................................... 52
9.2.2.Price ............................................................................................................................. 53
9.2.3.Promotion..................................................................................................................... 53

Page 4 of 59
 9.2.1 Place: ............................................................................................................................ 53

10. Our Reflection of 45

days………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………55
Annexures .................................................................................................................................... 59

Page 5 of 59
List of Tables
Table 3.1 Population distribution of Dolatpar(Source- Census Data 2011)
Table 3.2 Gender wise distribution of castes (Source: Census 2011)
Table 5.1 Livestock in Dolatpar (Source: Census 2011)
Table 8.1 List of the members of the Gram Panchayat

Page 6 of 59
List of Figures

Figure 3.1 Pie chart showing population distribution of different communities (Source- Census
2011)
Figure 5.1 Distribution of cultivators, agri laborers and non-agri workers (Source:Census 2011)
Figure 8.1 Three tier system in Gujarat

Page 7 of 59
List of Pictures

Picture 4.1 A view of the village street

Picture 4.2 Street lights on the main village road
Picture 4.3 Post office in Dolatpar
Picture 4.4 Housing compound of a Jat family
Picture 4.5 Jat family house at night
Picture 4.6 School classroom
Picture 4.7 Vaccination centre in school
Picture 5.1 Castor (Arenda) Cultivation
Picture 5.2 Milking a buffalo in the evening
Picture 5.3 Milk collection centre run by Sarhard dairy
Picture 6.1 Temple for women of Patel household

Picture 6.2 Temple for men of Patel household

Picture 6.3 Jat women in ghagho

Picture 8.1 Dolatpar Gram Panchayat

Picture 9.1 Dayapar market on a Friday afternoon

Picture 9.2 The advertisement showing products of Rajani group

Picture 9.3 Advertisement through AV Van

Picture 9.4 Vegetable shop in the Dayapar market

Picture 9.5 The counterfeit product of D &G

Picture 9.6 The counterfeit product of Oreo

Picture 9.7 Rajani distributor

Page 8 of 59
List of abbreviations
GP: Gram Panchayat
MBA: Master of Business Administration
MGNREGA: Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
PRA: Participatory Rural Appraisal
RLLE: Rural Living and Learning Experience
SC: Schedule Caste
ST: Schedule Tribe
ZP: Zilla Parishad

Page 9 of 59
 Acknowledgement
We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to each and every person who was involved in
making this endeavour successful. We start by thanking the School of Rural Management for
making the Rural Living and Learning Experience a part of our curriculum and providing us with
on-field knowledge and experience about the workings in a village.
We would then like to thank our faculty guide Prof. Pradeep Kumar Mishra for guiding us in each
and every step through our journey. Without him, the process of learning would have been a lot
more complicated. We would also like to thank Dean, Prof. Neeraj Kumar, for standing with us
during the troubling times and trusting us in completing the RLLE process. We would then like to
thank the RLLE coordinators, Prof. S. Peppin and Prof. Nandini Sarangi, for arranging the RLLE
program successfully.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to Mr. Gopal Bharwad, the Cluster Field Incharge of the Lakhpat
branch of KNNA-Setu, for ensuring our safe stay in the border town of Dayapar and arranging our
accommodations. We also learned a lot from him during our visit there.
Last but not least, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the people of Dolatpar for their
hospitality and love. Without them, this endeavour would not have been successful.

Page 10 of 59
 Village Report
Dolatpar Village
(Dolatpar, Lakhpat, Kutch, Gujarat)

Abstract
Animesh Biwal and Siddharth Durvasula
(Guided By: Prof. Pradeep Kumar Mishra)

The Rural Living and Learning Experience is a program that is designed to help the students of
Rural Management have hands-on experience with rural life. The program lasts for 45 days, where
the students are assigned to an organization that decides the village the students will be staying in.
The program aims to ease the students' apprehensions regarding the rural area. It also seeks to
separate the students from certain preconceived notions about the life of rural people.

The following village report is a part of the RLLE deliverable, which focuses on the seven
dimensions of the assigned village, i.e., Demography, Infrastructure, Livelihood, Culture,
Migration, Governance, and Market. The report will include detailed information a. Its village and
its consist oft will consist of the various areas involved in the people’s daily multiple have used
vapor our study, include structured and unstructured interviews, PRA tools, observation, field
visits, and field notes. These methods helped us in analyzing the opportunities and problems that
are faced by the villagers. We have studied the various advancements in the village starting from
its date of establishment. We also aimed to study the working of the Gram Panchayat in the village.

The report the included studying various livelihood opportunities and problems, available
infrastructure, and the lack of connectivity to the village. We also aimed to study the history of the
diverse communities in Dolatpar and the problems that the advent of the Covid-19 has caused. The
45 days stay in the village has definitely contributed to the change that has occurred inside of me.
This is one of the most unforgettable experiences that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Keywords: Infrastructure, Jats, Patels, Migration, Livelihood, Gram Panchayat

Page 11 of 59
 CHAPTER1-Introduction

The Dolatpar village is located in Lakhpat Taluka(sub-district) in the Kachchh District of

Gujarat. The district headquarters is in Bhuj, which lies to the west of Dolatpar at 103 KM,
from Lakhpat it is 17 KM, and from Gandhinagar, the state capital, it is 451 KM. The nearby
villages of Dolatpar are Matana Madh (8 KM), Khadak (11 KM), Ravareshvar (6 KM), Virani
(9 KM), Ghaduli (12 KM).

Also, Dolatpar is surrounded by Abdasa Taluka towards the South, Nakhatrana Taluka towards
the East, Mandvi Taluka towards the South, Bhuj Taluka towards the East. Bhuj, Mandvi,
Mithapur, Adipur are the nearby Cities of Dolatpar. Dolatpar Village Gram Panchayath name
is Dolatpar. Dolatpar is particularly at a 4 km distance from Sub District Headquarter Dayapar,
and it is 102 km from District HeadQuarter Bhuj. Bhuj's nearest statutory town and the major
political parties are Bhartiya Janta Party and Indian National Congress. Dolatpar has a total
area of 733.34 hectares of that the non-agricultural land is 16.59 hectares, and the entire
irrigated land is 80 hectares. The language spoken is mainly Gujarati, while some sections like
the Jat community speaks also speak Hindi.

Picture 1.1 Location of Dolatpar in Gujarat map (Source: Google maps)

Page 12 of 59
2. Methodology
A methodology can be a set of procedures, techniques, tools, and documentation aids that, when
combined with philosophy, will aid systems developers in implementing a new information
system. (Avison and Fitzgerald).

2.1 Observation
Observation is a critical component of the village study. In Observation structure of the village is
examined in great detail. It includes the total number of schools in the village, health care facilities,
Gram Panchayat, sources of water supply such as borewells, tube wells, or water tankers, various
crops grown in agricultural fields, the structure of households such as Pucca houses, Kuccha
houses, or thatched huts, and culture of the village, etc.
2.1.1 Participant Observation
Participant observation is a data collection toolthat involves observing the participants by
involving ourselves with their activities. During our stay in the village, we have used participant
observation to gather data related to physical infrastructure, livelihood practices, problems faced
by the people, the role of the GP, etc.
2.1.2 Non participant observation
Nonparticipant observation means we need to observe the activities and daily life participants, who
are the villagers, without involving ourselves in their activities. The observer needs to ensure that
they are not influencing the participant’s activities. The data collected involves the types of crops
grown involved, products in the market, banks, ATM facilities available, etc.
2.1.3 Field notes
Field notes are the observers note down during transect walk, participant and non-participant
observations. It is necessary to write the report, qualitative analysis, etc. It also comes in handy
during the interviews with the villagers. It contains the practical experience of the observer.
2.2 Semi-structured interviews
Semi-structured interviews are those interviews where the interviewer already has some pre-
determined questions that he is going to ask,. Still, new questions come up during the interview,
and responses to those are also recorded. This is a very helpful tool of data collection as we will
be able to get extra information, which we were not hoping for. To make it successful, one needs
to be a good listener and let the interviewee guide the process.

2.3 PRA Tools

PRA tools are a set of methods that facilitates the local people to share and analyze the knowledge
that they possess with the observers. In the process the observer should only act as a facilitator and

Page 13 of 59
should by no means influence the decision of the participant. The PRA tools will help the poor in
analyzing their own reality and they also feel empowered. We brought together the villagers with
the help of our village guide Mr. Karim Khan and took the initiative to conduct the process to
collect information and get the PRA tools done.

2.4 Survey
Surveys help to clearly understand the larger population of the village by taking into account
various parameters such as the availability of PDS services, the availability of toilets, Job Cards,
Bank accounts, and so on. The questionnaire was created, and 50 household surveys were
conducted to better understand the villagers' reactions to various aspects of the village. Surveys
enable us to analyze and draw appropriate conclusions about the village.

2.5 Convenience Sampling

Convenience sampling belongs to the category of non-probability sampling where the sample is
selected as per convenience, i.e., the sample that is readily available to us is taken up for sampling.
Pilot testing can be easily done with this kind of sampling method. We did the survey while
walking around the village and we asked permission from them before the survey.

Page 14 of 59
Chapter 3- Demography
Dolatpar's total Population is 1208, and the number of houses is 243. The female Population is
48.9%. The village literacy rate is 66.8%, and the Female Literacy rate is 29.6%. The sex ratio is
almost the same for males and females; along with that, the literacy rate is quite decent. But where
the village is lagging the most in terms of female literacy, which is only close to 30 per cent. The
working Population is an alarming indication of the current employment situation in the village;
this clearly states that Dolatpar lacks sustainable employment.
Table 3.1 Population distribution of Dolatpar(Source- Census Data 2011)

Parameter Data

Total Population 1208

Total No of Houses 243

Female Population % 48.9 % (591)

Total Literacy rate % 66.8 % (807)

Female Literacy rate 29.6 % (358)

Scheduled Tribes Population % 2.0 % (24)

Scheduled Caste Population % 13.5 % (163)

Working Population % 28.4 %

Child (0-6) Population by 2011 170

Girl Child (0-6) Population % by 2011 45.3 % (77)

Page 15 of 59
Table 3.2 Gender wise distribution of castes (Source: Census 2011)

Population division on Male Female Total

the basis of category

Total Population 617 591 1208

General 361 376 737

Other Backward 164 120 284

Classes

Scheduled Caste 79 84 163

Scheduled Tribes 13 11 24

Figure 3.1 Pie chart showing population distribution of different communities (Source- Census 2011)

Patel(General) Jat Muslims(OBC) Rabaris (OBC)

Mahar(SC) Pasi (SC) Valhar (SC)

Tetaria (ST)

Page 16 of 59
Chapter 4- Infrastructure
In a developing economy like India, the importance of infrastructure for economic growth and
development in rural areas cannot be overstated. With poor rural infrastructure, even a minor
increase in quantity and quality could significantly impact economic development and human
well-being. Improving basic infrastructures, such as roads, transportation, electricity,
telecommunications, housing, health, water, and sanitation, is critical for rural development and
well-being. Rural infrastructure development could promote economic growth, raise people's
living standards, and reduce poverty by creating farm and non-farm employment and earning
opportunities, increasing productivity, providing access to essential goods and services, and
improving people's health and physical condition (NCAER, 2007).
There is a strong link between infrastructure, economic growth, rural development, and poverty
reduction. Despite the critical importance of infrastructure, significant deficiencies in rural
infrastructure have persisted across Indian states. The quantity and quality of infrastructure
facilities in rural areas are significantly lower than in urban areas. The expansion of basic
infrastructure facilities in rural areas is hampered by a relatively low population density, low
household incomes, and the absence of scale economies. In Dolatpar, the infrastructure is well
developed.
4.1 Physical Infrastructure
4.1.1 Road Network
There are well constructed and maintained road networks that facilitate travel from the village to
other villages and towns. Similarly, these road networks also facilitate easy travel to the village.
There are no railway stations within a radius of 70 km from the Dolatpar village, but regular buses
facilitate long-distance travel from the village to other places. These well-developed road networks
have played a significant role in developing the village and the entire district. It made possible the
success of the wind farm project in Kutch, which is the largest wind farm in India. The road
networks have ensured in-migration and out-migration in the village, as most of the teachers
working in the Dolatpar’s primary school and schools in nearby villages are migrants. Many
migrants who work in the wind farms are tenants in the village.
Only a few vegetables are locally grown and in small quantities. Most vegetables and fruits are
imported from Bhuj every day to be sold in the local market. There are no warehouses, godowns,
or other storage facilities available in the village or the nearby villages. The well-developed road
networks have made it possible for the trucks to deliver vegetables and fruits daily to the local
vendors. Trucks are used to transport goods while Bolero Camper is used to move goods and
used as a taxi by the local people to travel shorter distances. All the stationery and grocery are
imported from the larger cities like Bhuj, Rajkot, etc., through trucks.
The village's main road is made of cement, while the outskirts of the village are the kaccha roads
that connect the village with the agricultural field and the grazing areas. There is a bus stop at the

Page 17 of 59
village entrance where the villagers wait for the bus in case they have to travel longer distances.
The marketplace and the hospital are at a 5 km distance from the village. The villagers face no
problem traveling to either of these two places. The roads are well constructed pucca roads, and
there is always a Bolero Camper or bus available for traveling purposes. Many villagers also have
their motorcycles, which they use to travel to the market or the hospital. The police station is at a
distance of 3-4 km from the village. The well-maintained roads have helped the police in
responding to any situation faster. Many villagers are engaged in livestock rearing. The villagers’
income depends upon this livestock as they sell the milk produced by the cows or buffaloes in the
two dairies in the village. Better road networks have facilitated faster transport of the milk to the
larger dairy plant, which exists in the Lakhpat district. As a result, the milk is not damaged. The
process of collection and transport of milk is done twice a day.
The district road which connects the village to the market, hospital, police station, and bank has
no street lights, which poses difficulty in traveling after 7 pm. The main village road has street
lights on both sides, and on each side, the street lights exist at a gap of about ten meters. The streets
that branch out of the main village road spreading inside the village have three street lights in each
lane.

Picture 4.1 A view of the village street

During rainfall, the kaccha roads in the village become very difficult to operate on as the rainwater
stays on the road for a longer time. There is no facility for draining the rainwater from the village
roads. When the water dries out, the road becomes muddy, making it difficult for the villagers to
walk on it.

Page 18 of 59
4.1.2 Drainage System
There is a well-maintained drainage system that exists in the Dolatpar village. Most of the
households have closed drainage, while a few households, generally those families who live at the
end of the village, have open drainage lines. A pit of about 200 meters deep is dug at a significant
distance away from the village in the grazing land, and all the drainage lines in the village are
connected to this pit. So, all the liquid wastes get deposited in this pit. This initiative was taken
eight years back. Earlier each family used to dig a pit in the premise of their houses, and the
drainage lines used to connect to these pits. When this pit used to get filled up, the family would
use a motorized pump to empty the pit. Generally, this process took a lot of time, and sometimes
the male members had to stay back to monitor this process instead of going to work. The drainage
systems are much better in the village now. Since all the drainage lines run under the village roads,
there is no chance of water leaking onto the streets from these sewers.
4.1.3 Electricity
Dolatpar was electrified twenty years back in 2001. Every household in the village has an
electricity connection. There is one transformer which exists in front of the Panchayat office. The
village rarely experiences any power cut, and even if there is a power cut, it lasts not more than
one hour. During the survey and structured interviews, it is concluded that electricity is not a
problem for the people as there are hardly any power cuts and load-shedding. People use LED
bulbs and tube lights in their houses. The electricity office is 6 km away from the village in
Dayapar, where the people visit to pay their electricity bills. The main village road has street lights
on both sides of the streets, and these street lights consist of LED bulbs. Many streets branch out
from the main village roads, but only those streets used for transit by the villagers have street
lights. A few roads are used to dump solid wastes like tea wrappers, cow dung, etc., and these
streets do not have a street light.

Picture 4.2 Street lights on the main village road

Page 19 of 59
4.1.4 Communication facility
There are two communication towers on the east side of the Dolatpar village. These
communication towers facilitate the Jio and, to some extent, Vodafone and Airtel networks.
Among the three Jio networks is the fastest and is available at all times, unlike Airtel and
Vodafone. Most of the people in the village use the services of the Jio network. During the structure
and unstructured interviews, it is observed that most of the households have as many as five
smartphones, and rarely does anyone in the village use qwerty mobile phones. The women of the
households also use smartphones, and rarely do the elderly people possess smartphones.
4.1.5 Irrigation
There are approximately 700 acres of agricultural land in Dolatpar, out of which 400-500 acres
belong to the Patels. There is only one kind of irrigation system which is available in Dolatpar,
i.e., water from the borewell. Each farmer has a separate borewell for their farms. The borewells
are about 300 meters deep except some deeper than 300 meters depending upon the groundwater
level. The farmers use motor pumps to pump out water from these borewells for irrigation
purposes. Electricity connection is made available to run the motor pumps from the same
connection provided to the village. The Panchayat office bears the electricity charge for running
the pumps. Drip irrigation is also available with very few villagers, but it is not used frequently.
The primary reason for this is that the salt constitution in the groundwater is very high, which
causes corrosion of the sprinkler, which is made of steel. Some residue gets deposited at the pores
of the sprinklers blocking the flow of water.
4.1.6 Water supply for household purposes
Every household in Dolatpar has access to water. Taps and pipelines are present in every house.
Every morning at 5 am, the Sarpanch switches on the motor to store the water in the water tank,
and this process takes place only once a day. The people of the village have to store water in their
respective water tanks to meet the necessities of the entire day. This water pipeline system has
been laid down by the Gujarat government's Water and Sanitation Management Organisation
(WASMO). The pipeline system allows water to flow from the river Narmada to the village. No
separate drinking water is provided to the villagers. The water from Narmada is used for drinking,
bathing, cooking, and other necessities. This is 1700 TDS water which is unsuitable for drinking,
as a result, many households in the village buy water tanks for drinking purposes.

4.1.7 Police Station

The police station exists at a distance of 3 km from the Dolatpar village. It is a two-storey building.
According to the villagers, the response of the police is fast. The police station opens in the
morning at around 10 am and is closed before 8 pm in the night.

Page 20 of 59
4.1.8 Post Office

The post office exists inside the village on the east side. There is one employee who works in the
post office. It is only a single room office and is funded by the Government of India for its
functioning. Aside from performing its regular work of proving mailing services, receiving parcels,
etc some villagers also visit the post office for paying the electricity bill, money transfer, and also
deposit money with the post office as savings.

Picture 4.3 Post office in Dolatpar

4.2 Financial Infrastructure

4.2.1 Banks
Currently, there are three bank branches that are used by the people of Dolatpar i.e., Bank of
Baroda (BOI), State bank of India, and Grameen Bank. Earlier there were four bank branches.
Along with the above-mentioned banks, there was a branch office of Deena bank which was later
merged with the Bank of Baroda. Many villagers had their accounts in the Deena Bank but their
Deena Bank merged with Bank of Baroda all of the accounts got transferred to the later. The
villagers visit the bank to collect money that they earn after selling milk in the dairies in the village
after the end of the first 15 days of a month and then again in the next 15 days interval. At the 16th
and 30th of every month they go to the bank branch to collect their money. A large number of
people are involved in livestock rearing in Dolatpar as well as the nearby villages, as a result, the
bank gets crowded on these two dates. Due to lack of adequate staff in the bank, slow internet
connectivity, and server problems the villagers have to return empty-handed and then again visit
on another day to withdraw money. The villagers have also complained about the same to the
Sarpanch and after repeated attempts, even by the Sarpanch the problem still remains till date.

Page 21 of 59
4.3 Social Infrastructure
4.3.1 Housing
Every person in Dolatpar village has a pucca house. The walls of the houses are made of cement
and bricks. The roof of the houses of all the Patel households are either reinforced brink concrete
(RBC) or reinforced cement concrete (RCC) with an exception of a few houses using either tiles,
GCI (Galvanised Corrugated Iron) sheets or asbestos as materials for roofs. The Muslim
community has very few houses with RBC or RCC roofs and the rest are either GCI sheets or
asbestos. The SCs and OBC houses on the other side of the district road also have pucca houses
with most houses having RBC and RCC roofs. Each household has an open sitting area where the
family gathers during the evening after the working members of the households return back from
their work. The toilets in the households exist within the premise of the households. The toilets
have an Indian-style commode and a tap water facility is provided to every toilet in the village.
Each household in the village has its own toilet. There are no community toilets in the Dolatpar
village. Most of the households have separate spaces for bathing and defecation. Each household
is provided with an electricity connection. The windows are made of wood protected by iron
railings. The doors of the houses are made of wood and some households also have an iron gate.
In houses with more open areas, has various trees planted in their premises like a lemon tree, drum
sticks, etc. Some households also have the traditional U-shaped mud Chula which they used for
cooking, aside from using LPG gas.

Picture 4.4 Housing compound of a Jat family

Page 22 of 59
Picture 4.5 Jat family house at night

4.3.2 Anganwadi
The Anganwadi in the village was built three years ago in 2019. The Anganwadi has one teacher
and one cook. Aside from providing education to the children, the Anganwadi workers are also
responsible for looking after the nutrition of the pregnant women, young mothers and the newborn
children of the village. They also provide awareness about the vaccination necessary for newborn
babies and help the illiterate people with the documentation for banks and government schemes.

4.3.3 Hospital
Healthcare is a major problem for the people of Dolatpar. The hospital is located at a distance of
5kms in Dayapar. The hospital has no specialist doctors and it is the only hospital near the village.
Any other hospital is located in Bhuj which is 110 kms from Dolatpar. There are no nursing homes
for pregnant women and new born babies, so they depend upon this hospital for treatment. Since
this is the only hospital in Dayapar and there are only eight doctors, the people of Dolatpar are
unable to receive proper treatment. In case the villagers want to avail services from specialist
doctors they have to visit Bhuj.

4.3.4 School
There is a primary co-ed school in Dolatpar which was constructed in 1956 and the rooms were
kaccha rooms. The school was reconstructed in the year 2002 with the help of the Rotary Club
which was funded by the Government of South Korea. The school management comes under the
School Committee which consists of all the teachers, the headmaster, and also the parents of each
student. The committee looks after the allocation of funds received by the school. The school is
entirely funded by the Government of Gujarat and the funds are deposited directly in the school
account. The classes are available in the school from one to the eighth standard. There are ten
rooms in the school and there is one classroom allotted for each class from one to eight. There are
about twenty to twenty-five students in each class and there are six teachers. Out of these six

Page 23 of 59
teachers, three teachers are responsible for teaching the students from class one to five whereas
the rest three are responsible for teaching students of class sixth to eighth. The classrooms are well
maintained by the school teachers. There is also a storeroom in the school where broken desks,
benches, sound systems, etc are stored.

Picture 4.6 School classroom

The school begins at morning 9:30 am with the school prayer. The mid-day meal is provided in
the school to every student. There is a separate kitchen for cooking the mid-day meal for the
students and the menu for each week is decided by the teachers. Most of the time, the ingredients
used for cooking the mid-day meal come from the kitchen garden in the school. The school has a
RO purifier where the students get the drinking water. The students receive education about seven
subjects, i.e., maths, science, social science, English, Gujarati, Hindi and Sanskrit.

Picture 4.7 Vaccination centre in school

Page 24 of 59
There is a library in the school where books are kept and also the various science project models
are also kept in the library. There is a lab in the school but it is not functional. There is also a covid
vaccination center in the school and the staff responsible for vaccination is available till the time
school is open. There are four toilets available in the school, two for boys and two for girls. The
school has a large playground for the students where the students play cricket, football, kho-kho,
etc.

The schools are closed during the nationwide lockdown. The teachers had put forward a plan for
teaching the students of different classes on different days which was rejected by the parents during
the meeting of the School Committee. The computer lab in the school also not functional.

Page 25 of 59
Chapter 5- Livelihood
In the present existence, the concept of livelihoods of people in rural areas has been gaining
prominence. It is central to the issues of poverty alleviation, environmental management, and
human development. Livelihoods are defined as the means by which households acquire and use
the resources required for their immediate and long-term survival. A livelihood is made up of the
skills, properties, stocks, resources, claims, possessions, and activities needed to make a living. A
sustainable livelihood is one that can cope with and recover from pressures and anxieties, maintain
or improve its aptitudes and possessions, and provide for long-term livelihood opportunities for
future generations. Thus, livelihood strategies incorporate assets, approaches, and well-being as
seen through the socioeconomic framework, as well as through the lens of procedures, rules,
organizations, and processes that have an attitude toward how these resources are converted into
movements that are consistent with people's livelihood approaches in rural areas (Narang, 2013).
As per the Census 2011, there are 343 employed people and 865 unemployed people. Out of the
343 employed people, 11% of the people are cultivators, 43% are agricultural laborers, and 46%
of them are non-agricultural workers. According to the problem ranking, unemployment is a
significant problem as per the people of Dolatpar village as employment opportunity is minimal.
In the past five years, no villager has been employed under MGNREGS and PMGSY. Eight
villagers own their shops in the primary market, which is 5kms away in Dayapar.
Figure 5.1 Distribution of cultivators, agri laborers and non-agri workers (Source:Census 2011)

LIVELIHOOD
As per 2011 Census Cultivators
11%

Non-Agri workers
46%

Agricultural
labourers
43%

Castor, locally known as ‘arenda,’ is the most prominent crop, which is grown in a total area of
250-300 acres by the villagers. Groundnut, also locally known as ‘magfali,’ mango, tomato, and
green gram are also grown. The groundwater level in recent years has gone down, and the seawater
has taken its place. As a result, only salt water is available for cultivation, so other crops cannot be
grown in the entire block of Dayapar. Borewell and drip irrigation systems are used for irrigating
agricultural land, but since the saltwater content has grown over the years, drip irrigation systems
Page 26 of 59
are no longer functional. During the harvest season, landless people work as agricultural laborers
in the agricultural land of Dolatpar and the nearby villages for Rs 300- Rs400 per day.
Animal husbandry also forms a significant part of the livelihood of the people of Dolatpar. Table
no 4.1 shows the total number of livestock reared by the people of Dolatpar, as per Census 2011.
Table 5.1 Livestock in Dolatpar (Source: Census 2011)

Cows Buffaloes Ox Goats Sheep Camel Horse Total

273 276` 10 460 245 5 2 1271

5.1 Castor cultivation

Castor, locally known as ‘arenda,’ is the major crop which is grown by the people of Dolatpar. It
is grown over an area of 250-300 acres and over a period of eight months. According to the
villagers, the planting process starts in August and ends in mid-September. But before the seed is
planted, the land is irrigated, and land is overturned with the help of a plough. After the seeds are
planted, the land is irrigated every 15 days. The seeds are purchased at the local market in Dayapar
at a rate of Rs 400 per kg, and one acre of land requires 2.5kg of seeds. The process of irrigating
the land is done six to seven times in total. In order to irrigate one acre of land, approximately
6000 liters of water is required. Irrigation is done through the borewell. According to the villagers,
around Rs 1400 is spent on pesticides and insecticides. These insecticides, pesticides, and
fertilizers are brought to the local market in Dayapar, which is 5kms away from the village. The
villagers hire agricultural laborers to cut the castor plants manually during harvest season. The
seeds are then extracted from the castor plant. One acre of land yields 2000-3000 kg of castor seeds
sold in the local Dayapar market at a rate of Rs 45 per kg. The villagers believe that castor
cultivation has always been profitable over the years as it is not heavily dependent upon rainfall,
and rainfall is scarce in the Kutch district, which the village is a part of.

Picture 5.1 Castor (Arenda) Cultivation

Page 27 of 59
5.2. Animal husbandry
A large amount of livestock is reared by the people of Dolatpar, as can be seen in table no 4.1, and
60% of the livestock is with the Patel households. In most households, it is the women who are
involved in taking care of the livestock, from fetching fodder for animals to clearing the sheds.
The grazing land for the cows, buffaloes, and sheep exists about 2 km from the village, and a
shepherd from the village is tasked to take their animals to the grazing fields. Khor, groundnut,
jowar, and wheat are used as fodder for the animals. Animals like cows and buffaloes are reared
in Dolatpar for their milk as no animal slaughter occurs in the village. The reason for this is that
the majority of the village comprises the Patel community.
The cows are bought at the rate of Rs 20,000- Rs 35,000 and the young buffaloes are bought at Rs
75,000 per buffalo. In the villagers’ opinion, raising a buffalo is more profitable than cows as
buffaloes give 20-25 liters of milk every day, and since the fat content in their milk is more, they
fetch close to Rs1000 per day as compared to cows who give about 10-12 liters of milk. After the
buffaloes and cows become old, they are sold to the slaughterhouse.
The milking process starts from 5:30 am in the morning and goes on till 6:30 am, after which the
milk is taken to the two milk collection centers in the village, i.e., the Maahi Milk Producer
Company Limited which started four years back and a milk collection center run by Sarhad
dairy. Both of these milk collection centers are under the ownership of the Patels of the village.
After the villagers deposit the milk at the two milk collection centers, the fat percentage in the
milk is checked using the milk fat testing machine payment is made to the villagers, and payment
is made on the basis of the fat content in the milk. The villagers receive the receipt on their
mobile phones in the form of a text. The money is deposited into their accounts on the 15th and
30th of every month. The milk is then collected by the agents of the two dairy plants and
transported to the branch plant in Dayapar. This process repeats in the evening at 6 pm as well.

Picture 5.2 Milking a buffalo in the evening

Page 28 of 59
Picture 5.3 Milk collection centre run by Sarhard dairy

Livelihood challenges

• Although there is a veterinary hospital in Dayapar, it is not functioning efficiently in the

opinion of the villagers. The villagers also treat the animals through natural remedies
when they suffer from diseases like charia, which is the most prominent and lasts for two
to three months. In this disease, the mouth of the cows and buffaloes burns from inside,
and holes develop in their hoofs where the insects breed. As a result, they are unable to
walk and eat, and eventually they die.
• With the advent of Asia’s largest wind farm project in Kutch, vast areas of grazing land
have been damaged. Due to this, villagers have to purchase fodder from private shops at a
higher price.
• Most of the villagers have not received schooling beyond primary level due to which they
lack technical knowledge. As a result, they cannot receive employment in the private
companies that function in the Dayapar block. This is one of the primary reasons why the
wind farm project did not bring out a significant change in the unemployment rate of
Dolatpar.

Page 29 of 59
Chapter 6- Culture
Dolatpar is mainly divided into two religions, i.e., Hindus and Muslims, with 85 and 15 per cent
population respectively. In Hindu, the dominant community are the Patels which belong to the
General category and then the Muslim Jats, which belong to the Other Backward Class category.
These are the two main castes of the village comprising the maximum population. The OBC's have
Mahajans, Sonis, Rabaris etc., followed by a few SCs and STs. Here people mainly speak Gujarati,
and a few speak Hindi as both languages have many common words. People here like to talk and
strike a conversation for hours, even with a stranger. Also, they usually want to talk things over a
cup of tea, which is one of the most consumed things in the entire village and sub-district.

6.1 Dominant Caste

The Patels stand as the dominant caste in the village of Dolatpar mainly because of the richness
and affluence. They've got a relatively bigger house in the village itself. They mainly have two
sources of income. In a family, one to two brothers are involved in agriculture. The rest are
handling big businesses in the major cities of Gujarat and Rajasthan.
As they are the more affluent people in the village, they have better command and prove to be
helpful when informal money lending is needed.

6.2 Discrimination

Dolatpar is mainly divided by main district road. On one side of the village, the Patels, Jats and a
few Rabaris have their houses. On the other side, the village SCs, OBCs, and STs have their houses.
This highlights the structural discrimination based on the category that has been continued since
the village's inception. The village was made 110 years when a few Patel heads of the different
families asked for a better village location from Kutch's King. The current village location is what
the King gave them. The Patels, the new village's first entrant, had immense control and decided
to occupy all the houses close to the main village gate. The Patels, later on, brought an SC(Dalit)
family to the village because, as per them, Dalits were the only ones who would clear carcasses to
clean the dirt pit. For this primary reason, SCs were brought to the village. The SCs were straight
away given a place far from Patel settlement, which is now the other side of the village; since then,
they have been living at the same home, although pucca houses are made for the SCs too. Close to
SCs, they have OBCs and STs. This indicates the discrimination that has been continued since the
commencement of the village; only Generals and OBC live in one part of the village or the main
village. The main village is also divided by a road. The Patels live close to the village's main gate,
and the Muslim Jats live in the backside of the village, which is close to the lake.The signboard of
Dolatpar also points only towards the main village and not the other side of the village. The
discrimination is more of a structural distance in terms of locality.

Page 30 of 59
Picture 6.1 Temple for women of Patel household

Picture 6.2 Temple for men of Patel household

6.3 Untouchability
Although the SCs have been given a different place to live, there is no concept of untouchability
today. This is very evident because, along with the SCs, there are also OBCs who live right next
to them.

Page 31 of 59
6.4 Political Economy Approach

As per our conversations with many villagers, we realized that the Patels were the least affected
by Demonetisation. The Patels have high contacts in the banks, and because of that, they were not
affected. They said that none of the Patel was seen in the bank to replace their notes. Only those
people were found in the banks, standing in line that did not belong to the Patels. Apart from that,
no NREGA work has been done in the village for five years. Whenever such tough government
decisions are being made, only the poor and backward people are affected.

6.5 Social Capital

In Dolatpar, the Patels have higher social capital, namely because of two reasons, i.e., agricultural
land availability and migration. As they have more agricultural land with them, they belong to the
wealthy caste, leading to more inflow of money generated through the cultivation of Eranda and
Groundnuts. Secondly, 75 per cent of Dolatpar Patels have migrated to big cities and have started
their own business, mainly of Wood like a Plywood factory, Sawmill, Hardware store etc. All these
migrated Patels are well settled also their ancestors were one of the prominent personalities of the
village and nearby places, so they have good contacts both in the sub-district and in different states.

If a Patel student is willing to study further, he can quickly go to their uncle's place and continue
his higher studies in either of the major cities of Gujarat or India. Also, for business purposes in
the sub-district, the Patels have good contacts with the banks, too, which is why they were not
affected during demonetization. The remaining category of people has a comparatively low level
ofsocialcapital.

6.6.CulturalCapital

Embodied State- Cultural capital in the embodied state is higher in the Patels as they believe in
educating their kids as much as possible. Although they couldn't be taught the basic alphabets of
English as the parents are usually not that educated, good manners and habits are already taught in
both Hindus and Muslims.

Objectified State-Patels show their affluence by constructing big houses in the village, thereby
highlighting their social status. Also, when the migrated Patels visit the village, they come in their
expensive cars.

Institutionalized State- Higher education is only seen in Patels and not in Jats. By attaining higher
education, they can exchange economic capital. So on, it will continue in the family as the person
Page 32 of 59
would now educate his kids, which will strengthen the childs social capital.

6.7 Feudal- Liberal Continuum

The extent of modernity has been sighted in Dolatpar, mostly in dressing. The Jat men have typical
attire of wearing Pathani, but the youngsters now wear modern clothes like Jeans, shirts or t-shirts.
But the Jat women still wear their standard Jat attire, called "Ghagho". In terms of women, there
is no change in dress for Jats. Typical Patel men used to wear a "Kedia", and women used to wear
thick sarees. This aspect of dressing has entirely changed for Patels as for many years Patels are
wearing shirts and pants, and women have shifted towards wearing a normal saree which is much
morecomfortable.

Women's education is given importance in both the Hindu and Muslim religions of the village.
Muslims have been paying attention to this aspect for the last year. Education till 8th grade is
ensured. Patels and Jats have not changed their occupation until now. Their primary work is still
Farming and animal husbandry, respectively.

6.8 Jat Community

According to the people of Dolatpar, this caste of Muslims are the “Maldharis”. The literal
meaning of Maldhari is the Keeper of Animals (Dhari - Keeper and Mal- Stock). According to
their own opinion, about 500 years ago, people from Iran and Iraq came to Kutch via Sindh from
"Halaf". Although this belief is not the basis of history because it was found in Sindh in the 12th
century, the 12th century Farsi book "Mazmal ut Twarikh" says that Jat lived in Sindh at that time.
After coming to Kutch, the Jats involved in animal husbandry were known as "Dhaneta Jat".
Dhanneta Jats are in Kutch Banni, Abdasa and Lakhpat talukas.
The Jat which got Garas(Grass) settled in the grassy land and started cultivating are known as
"Garasia Jat". Garasia Jat are found in Abdasa, Lakhpat, Nakhtrana, Bhuj, Mundra talukas. The
Jat who began living a life of Fakiri by devoting themselves to God's service is known as "Fakiri
Jat". They are mainly found in the coastal areas of Abdasa and Lakhpat talukas and have a tiny
population.

According to the belief, the origin of Fakirani Jat in Kutch is considered to be the "Pipar" village
of Lakhpat taluka. About four hundred years ago, their original ancestors lived there. They were
not able to have children. A Fakir blessed them, but he said that the child would grow up and be a
Fakir in the future. As the Fakir said, the child grew up and became a Fakir and settled near the
sea; the people living in that area considered him "Pir" and called him "Savalapir ". He loved the
sea, and after his death, his Dargah was also built on a small island in the sea, which is situated in

Page 33 of 59
the sea, a short distance near Koteshwar on the western bank of Kutch. He is considered to be the
special Pir of Fakirani Jat.

In Gujarat, the Jat caste, OBC, is mainly inhabited in South Gujarat and Saurashtra, Varahi, Kutch.
Jat is a military and animal husbandry caste. This prominent centre in Saurashtra is Bajana and its
surrounding areas of Surendranagar district, known as small Jatwad. Kutch, Varahi and its
surrounding areas are known as big Jatwad. Sultan Mohammad Begada of Gujarat took the help
of Jats and, fascinated by their courage, gave the Jat caste Sardar Shri Malek Hedoji, Bajana, and
twenty-four villages. Also, the Jats took the surrounding villages. Malek Isaji stayed in Waliwada,
Malek Lakhaji in Sitapur and Vanod, and Malek Haider Khan in Bajana. Malek Ishaji then won
the Varahi from The Raomas. Thus, the dynastic caste was established in Gujarat.

6.8.1. Jat Surnames

Jat, Malek, Baloch, Banrohi, Cher (Hazrat), Hassan, Jokhia, Thim, Talpura, Khosha, Ludhi,
Mabanani, Chandia, Lashari, Ladhari. A total of 15 surnames are there in the Jat caste.
Among the surnames in this society are Mundrakh, Khanani, Lakhani, Pothani, Mithani, Nathani,
Jasani, Kothani, Kankoi etc. There are around 37 villages in the Kutch of Jat community. Of
those villages13 are in Lakhpat.

6.8.2. Culture and social practices of garasia Jat in Kutch region-customs

6.8.2.1 Engagement and marriage date decision

Engagement is called "Chundari Odhavi" (Covering with cloth). In which two to four men from
the groom's side and ten to twelve men from the bride's side put a pair of clothes. In the tradition,
Rs. 5.25 or Rs. 25.25 are tied in the Chundari. The leader present speaks formally in front of the
gathering, followed by feasts. After two or three years of this "Chundi Odhaya", the date of
marriage is decided by both parties. In the meantime, when the "Mai Mela" comes in the middle,
one pair of clothes will be offered to the bride and groom. Ten to fifteen people go from the groom's
side to the bride's side and decide the marriage date. As a blessing, Rs. 551 is given to the bride
from the groom's family, called as “Naat-Vahwar.”

6.8.2.2. Wedding Procession

The procession will have 50 to 300 people, decided per both parties consent.
One piece of jewellery, Silver bangles are given. The bangles are given as a bunch of twelve, which
is called Muthiya in the community. Anklets are also offered, which are mandatory. Apart from
these, they are free to give anything else. But only the mother and father of the bride can give the
nose and ear ornaments, not the bride's in-laws.

Page 34 of 59
6.8.2.3. Chhab

Chhab takes place during the marriage, where one pair of clothes or one "Ghagho" is given to the
bride by their in-laws Ghagho is commonly referred to as "Churi" in Kutch.

6.8.2.4. Nikah

It is entirely done according to the Islamic way. After the procession arrives, lunch is held in the
afternoon, and everyone returns to the house before dusk. According to each other's convenience,
the bride will return to her home five to fifteen days after the marriage. The bride should stay at
her parent's place for the first Ramzan after marriage. In marriage, the whole process is called
"Vevaar", called "Nighar” in Kutch.

6.8.2.5. Death

On the third day of the burial ceremony, all the relatives will come to their place for mourning. In
other villages, this ceremony takes place on the sixth or seventh day after burial. This ceremony is
called Jayarat.

6.8.2.6. Dressing style

Men wear local Kutchi Attire, that is, Pathani. Young girls wear "Ghagho" (Churi in Kutch.) The
same is for older women, and one can adopt "ghagho" and wear other clothes at any time. In Jat
Malek Samaj, which is part of Kutch, once adopted this "ghagho", the women have to wear it for
their entire life red in colour. But as time changes, they are also changing their attire.

Picture 6.3 Jat women in ghagho

Page 35 of 59
6.8.3 Business

Most of them are associated with animal husbandry. Also, some parts of the village do agriculture.
They have also adopted other traditional businesses.

Traditional Jat Bharat is very famous by women in which "Ghagho", "Dhadk" and "Chham Takko"
are very famous. In their free time, women weave this dress and do their embroidery on their own.
Jat Women of Dolatpar believe in making their dresses, and it is a tradition also they don't sell this
art as it would indicate disrespect to their tradition

6.8.4. Caste Panch and Mai Mela

The Jat community is "maldhari", so they migrate to different places. They gather once a year; the
Jat community of the entire Kutch district gathers in the Mai Dargah near Mankuwa village of
Bhuj Taluka every year. This is one of the best deposit aspects of the Kutch Jat community. A fair
is organized at that place. Once a year on the first Monday of the Mahamas. In this Commission,
the president, Vice President, Minister etc., are determined. At present, the President is
Salemmadbhai Mamadbhai (Mandvi). When a committee of 25 to 30 members sits down, those
who have any internal disputes social objections make a presentation so that the committee will
listen to both sides. A five-person commission, acceptable to both sides, is decided from within
the committee. Both sides agree to accept the commission's decision, and then the five-person
commission will discuss among themselves and announce their decision, which has to be accepted
by both sides.

The issues of society the ways and ways of the Jat samaj are discussed. The leaders of the
community fulfil their leadership. Social problems are solved with persuasion. The society leaders
pass resolutions on the manner of the Jat samaj - customs, development of society, literacy. These
resolutions are followed by the entire Jat family of the Kutch district.

Thus, such objection disputes are appropriately addressed by this name. As a result, objection
disputes do not last long. And the settlement comes in the same as the consent of both parties. So
that internal unity remains high. In court proceedings, expenses like lawyers etc., are saved. The
member per village in this committee is decided from that village. And the committee chooses its
president-vice president, minister.

It is believed that wherever a person is having mental problems due to trauma, he goes to Mai Mela
and takes a bath in the well will be cured of their trauma.

Page 36 of 59
6.8.5. Speciality

For years, the Jat community has been associated with the animal husbandry business, so their
links with animals are ancient and very closely linked to animals. They have more knowledge than
veterinary doctors. Women work called Jat Bharat, which is very famous.

6.8.6 Education and Girl Education

Ten years ago, girls of Garasia Jat samaj were not educated. But it has gradually improved from
the last 8-10 years. At present, girls of Garasia Jat samaj are taught up to the primary 08th standard.

6.8.7. Child Marriage

Ten years ago, the Garasia Jat samaj witnessed child marriage. But with education coming into the
Jat society and gaining understanding and knowledge from other cultures it has been improving
gradually for the last 5 years. The opinion of the Jat community leaders and elders’ states that the
Jat community's child marriage has come down by 80%.

6.8.8. Group Marriage (Samuh Lagan)

The motive behind the mass marriage and what inspired it was a car painter from a Garasia
community. One day, a car painter from the Garasia community was working as a labourer to
support his family. One day he came to a head's office and started saying that he has two daughters
who have reached the age of marriage. So, there is not enough money to marry the daughters. This
issue was brought to the limelight, and the group wedding started at Mundra Taluka in Kutch
district during 2009-2010 by Haji Salim Mamad Bhai and his co-friends. Three years it was in Jat
Community, then it in the following years it started in the Muslim community and since 2014
people of all castes and religions who are poor are married. One hundred twenty-six couples
participated in the group wedding in 2016. A feast of about 70,000 people was held at this group
wedding. In a group wedding, the grocer pays Rs. Sixty thousand worth items to be given to
couples. In a group wedding, both parties of couples get Rs. 2500 and is charged at a fee. Free
service is provided for widows. This year was the 21st mass wedding; 2368 couples have joined
the group wedding from 2008 to 2021.

Page 37 of 59
6.9 Patidar Community (Patel)

Patel's origin came begins in Punjab, and from there, they migrated to Unjha or North Gujarat,
Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. They were also referred to as "Kanbi". Patels have an ancestry of
Luv and Kush, and hence they were divided into two communities, i.e., Kadwa Patel and Leva
Patel. Kadwa Patel is from Kush's lineage, and Leva Patel is from Luv's ancestry. Further, Patels
are divided according to the Gods they look up to, so there are Laxminarayan Patel and
Swaminarayan Patel. Patels were initially involved in agriculture, and during the King's rule in
India, Patels played a pivotal role in developing agricultural growth. To promote agriculture in
their land, Kings gave the land to Patels for agriculture purposes.

Patels are usually the head of the village or someone who wears a turban. The turban was worn
only by the head, and hence that person is called Patel. Fifteen surnames are there in the village,
namely, Chavan, Ratrani, Sankla, Jabwani and many more. As per their tradition, a Patel cannot
marry someone with the same surname. So a marriage where the bride and groom are from Chavan
will not take place as they would be brothers and sisters, although they can marry people from
differentPatelsurnames.

The Patels of Dolatpar, 110 years ago, lived near the lake initially; the land was hilly and uneven.
They felt a need to change the village's location and went to the King to change their location. The
King allotted them a new land, i.e., the current place of the village. A total of 5 families came to
the new village initially- Chavans, Ratranis, Sanklas, Limbanis and Ghogharis. Further, more
Patels went to the village.

6.9.1. Business

Dolatpar's 75 per cent of Patels have migrated to cities like Ahmedabad, Surat, Valsad and are
mainly involved in three types of businesses- Sawmill, Contract building and Hardware. The
Patels have migrated primarily for cities because the taluka receives less rainfall, which makes
the scope of agriculture less, so only one of the brothers would be involved in farming, and the
rest of the brothers would migrate to other cities. A typical Patel household will not have all the
family members in the village; only one earning member and his own family would stay in the
village to take care of the farm, the rest would migrate. As per the sarpanch, if all those Patels
came back, they would need four times more houses than the current houses in Dolatpar.

6.9.2. Education
Patels believe in education and would send their children to nearby schools. The whole community
supports education; if someone cannot fund their children's education, the Patel community will
support their education. The money can be returned when the person starts earning. Children are

Page 38 of 59
also sent to cities for studies, and the children would be living with their uncle.

6.9.3. Marriage
Patels in Lakhpat and Dolatpar believe in Group marriage where the fathers of both the bride and
groom have to pay Rs. Five hundred to the Patel community, and the rest of the expenses will be
borne by the whole community. There's no tradition of dowry in Patel's community.

6.9.4 Festivals

All the Hindu festivals are celebrated at Dolatpar but, mainly Janmashtami is the most celebrated
festival by the Patidar; they would observe the day by fasting, staying up all night, breaking "dahi
handi." Also, there is a tradition to practice gambling while they stay up all night. All the migrated
Patidars would come back to Dolatpar and stay for fifteen days to celebrate Janmashtami.

Page 39 of 59
CHAPTER 7- Migration
“When a person is enumerated in the census at a different place than his / her place of birth, she/he
is considered a migrant. This may be due to marriage, which is the most common reason for
migration among females-or for work, what is the case as generally among males, etc.” (Census
of India, 2005).

“The UN Migration Agency (IOM) defines a migrant as any person who is moving or has moved
across an international border or within a State away from his/her habitual place of residence,
regardless of (1) the person's legal status; (2) whether the movement is voluntary or involuntary;
(3) what the causes for the movement.” (UN Migration Agency (IOM)).

According to studies on Indian villages, there is a growing association between villages and urban
centers in changing the villages' socioeconomic, political, and cultural profile. Rural-to-urban
migration is becoming one of the most common metaphors for the modern globalizing process of
population movement, acting as a "transformation bridge" between rural and urban areas.
Changes in capital flows, investments, commodities, and information have opened new
opportunities for people to engage in economic activity outside their villages. The development of
information, communication, and transportation infrastructure is becoming a determining factor in
facilitating and strengthening people's movement and improving their link with rural origin areas.
The economic impact of migration on rural life has been extensively debated. However, the non-
economic impact of migration in facilitating structural changes in villages' socio-economic,
political, and cultural domains requires further investigation.
Migration is quite evident in the Dolatpar village. Through the primary and secondary data
collection through FGDs, structured interviews, and data from the village profile from the
Panchayat office, it can be observed that the phenomenon of both out-migration and in-migration
exists in the Dolatpar village. The Patel community amounts for most of the population involving
out-migration; the Panchayat office estimates that approximately 75% of the Patel households have
migrated outside the village and outside the state to set up business and education. In-migration
has increased in the Dolatpar village with the advent of the wind farm project in the Lakhpat
district. The road network used for transportation purposes for farther places like Ahmedabad,
Bhuj, etc., is well-developed. There are bus facilities to these places, making traveling easy for the
people. Migration is scarce among the Muslim community, SCs, and OBCs.

7.1 History of Migration in Dolatpar

The Patel community was the first to settle in the current Dolatpar. Previously, they used to live in
a nearby area which is known as ‘old Dolatpar’. Since it was a hilly area with no water resource
nearby they searched the nearby areas which would have a water resource and would have land
suitable for cultivation. In order to shift to the current location they requested the then king of
Kutch to grant them permission to shift to the current area. In the beginning five Patel families the

Page 40 of 59
Chavans, the Ratranis, the Sanklas, the Limbanis and the Ghogharis settled down in the current
Dolatpar area. After that, the families from the nearby villages started coming and settling down
in the village. After a few years the Patel families realized there is a need for someone to clean the
carcass and perform other related activities, they invited the SCs and the OBCs to the village, and
to promote animal husbandry they invited the Muslims to settle down in the village. This long-
term migration resulted in the current population constitution of the Dolatpar village.

7.2 Current Scenario of migration

7.2.1 Out-migration
7.2.1.1 For employment
Long-term migration is prevalent in Dolatpar as the Patel community, which constitutes the most
significant number of out-migrants, have moved out of the village along with a large chunk of their
families and settled elsewhere. Agrarian distress in the Dolatpar village is one of the primary
reasons for the out-migration of the Patel community. The climate in Dolatpar is not suitable for
cultivation as there is irregular rainfall and groundwater level has fallen. As a result, seawater has
filled in this gap. It is estimated that 75% of the Patel community have migrated to seek better
employment opportunities in urban areas like Ahmedabad, Bhuj, Surat, Valsad, etc. Inter-state
migration also occurs as many of these households have settled in Odisha, West Bengal, North-
eastern states, Maharashtra, etc. They have set up their own business, which involves saw-mill,
plywood factories, and contracts for the construction of buildings. It is primarily rural to urban
migration that occurs when we talk about out-migration. The villagers have moved to urban areas
to set up their businesses or better employment opportunities.
Short-term migration is evident in the case of Muslims, SCs, and OBCs, as they migrate to nearby
cities and towns in search of employment. The size of the families, especially in the case of Muslim
households, is very large, and these households have very little agricultural land. So, when one or
two male members are already engaged in agriculture, the other male member has to migrate out
of the village in search of employment which generally involves driving, construction work,
welding work, etc. Unlike the Patel community, where most of the family has migrated, in the
Muslims, SCs, and the OBCs, only the male member can migrate out of the village for
employment. The reason for scarce migration in these communities can be attributed to lack of
education among the adults and lack of financial capital. The people have apprehension regarding
migrating to farther places as they fear they will not have a place to live. They will be spending a
significant amount of money to move out of the village but not get a suitable job.
7.2.1.2 For education
Dolatpar has a primary school that offers schooling till class eighth. Most of the children in the
village attend the village school, and a very few children from financially well-off families go to
the CBSE school in Dayapar, which is 6kms away from Dolatpar. In order to get further schooling,
the children have to attend the school in Dayapar. There is also a college in Dayapar where children

Page 41 of 59
of the village pursue further education. Still, it is only limited to the households of the Patel
community, very few Muslim households, and SCs and OBCs. There have been instances where
families in the village have moved to the urban areas to facilitate higher education like engineering,
medical studies, etc., for their children. Still, they have not returned to the village. So, it can be
said that migration for education in Dolatpar is scarce.
7.2.2 In Migration
In-migration existed in the Dolatpar village in the past few years. People working in the
government offices like the Talati/Patwari, teachers working in government schools in the nearby
villages, and the school in Dolatpar formed the in-migrant population. These people live in the
empty houses of the Patel households, who have already migrated and settled outside of the village
for a long time. With the recent advent of the wind farm project in the Kutch which is Asia’s largest
wind farm, the number of in-migrants mainly from Bihar has increased in Dolatpar village. The
increase in the number can also be attributed to Dolatpar being the most developed village in the
district with a significant amount of Hindu population and the empty houses left by the Patels who
have settled outside. The wind farm requires workers with technical knowledge, so it hires people
from outside as people in the Lakhpat district lack technical knowledge due to the non-existence
of higher education institutions. These workers stay in the empty houses of the Patels and pay rent
of about Rs 2,500- Rs 3,000.

Page 42 of 59
8. Governance
The entity exercising that authority is referred to as the government. The most basic definition of
authority is legitimate power. Whereas power is the ability to influence others' behavior, authority
is the legal right to do so. Thus, authority is founded on an acknowledged duty to obey rather than
any form of coercion or manipulation. Weber distinguished three types of authority based on the
various grounds upon which obedience can be established: traditional authority is rooted in history,
charismatic authority is based on personality, and legal authority is based on a set of impersonal
rules. Studying government entails studying the exercise of authority. (Heywood, 1997)
Citizens are rightly concerned about a government's responsiveness to their needs and protection
of their rights in governance. Governance issues, in general, concern the government's ability to
create an efficient, effective, and accountable public management process that is open to citizen
participation and strengthens rather than weakens a democratic system of government. (The
USAID, Office of Democracy & Governance). Governance refers to decision-making and
administration at any level, including national, regional, local, corporate, family, and so on. The
government is an essential player in governance. Other actors would include cooperatives, bodies,
associations, unions, NGOs, religious leaders, influential landlords, industry, political parties,
finance institutions, lobbies, think tanks, military, and so on, depending on the level of governance
discussed.
As per the 73rd Amendment of the Constitution of India, the three-tier system exists in the state of
Gujarat. There are thirty-three Zila Panchayats m two hundred forty-seven Taluka Panchayats and
about fourteen thousand Gram Panchayats in the state of Gujarat.

Zila
Panchayat(33)

Taluka Panchayat ( 247)

Gram Panchayat(14,017)

Page 43 of 59
Figure 8.1 Three tier system in Gujarat
In the district of Kutch, the Zila Panchayat is located in Bhuj. The Zila Panchayat consists of the
elected members who are elected from among the qualified voters of the same district. The Zila
Panchayat of Kutch has a President and vice-president elected from among the elected members.
There are seats reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. One-tenth of the total
seats are reserved for socially and educationally backward classes that State Election Commission
allots. A Taluka Panchayat is subject to the authority of Zila Panchayat or the District Panchayat
and consists of the members who are elected from among the voters. Like the Zila Panchayat, the
Taluka Panchayat also has a President and Vice-President elected from among the members.
Before the election, the State Election Commission divides a taluka and district into many single
territorial constituencies, and one member is elected from these constituencies.
The Village Panchayat or the Gram Panchayat consists of Sarpanch and Talati (Upa-Sarpanch)
elected from among the ward members. Seats are reserved for the SCs, STs, socially, and
educationally backward classes, and also some seats are reserved for women.

8.1 Dolatpar Gram Panchayat

The Gram Panchayat office is located at the entrance of the village. The Gram Panchayat (GP) is
responsible for the functioning and upkeeping of public properties. The GP is also responsible for
agricultural reforms and supervision of the crops on the outskirt of the village. When the villagers
want to register under any scheme for benefits, they approach the village Talati or the Sarpanch.
The GP also works closely with various NGOs to spread awareness about many issues like issues
relating to vaccination, registration for schemes, benefits under schemes which the villagers are
not aware of, etc. Under the current Sarpanch, no work under the MGNREGS has been brought to
the village.

Page 44 of 59
Picture 8.1 Dolatpar Gram Panchayat

8.1.2 Election of Sarpanch and ward members

The election for Sarpanch and the ward members is held every five years. The State Election
Commission shall divide a village into as many single-member wards as the total number of
members specified in respect of the village panchayat for the purposes of elections to a village
panchayat. and in such a way that, to the greatest extent possible, the population of all the wards
is the same; and one member shall be elected from each such ward. The notification for the election
of Sarpanch is released one month before the election. After the notification is released, the
submission date for the form is released. The election is held through the EVM machine and ballot
paper. Two days after the votes are counted, the results of the election are released.
Every five years the position of the Sarpanch is changed between Patels, Muslims, and SCs. In the
election held in the year 2018, only people of the Patel community were allowed to fill-up the form
for Sarpanch and in the coming election in 2023, only a woman from the SC community is allowed
to contend for the position of Sarpanch.

Page 45 of 59
Table 8.1 List of the members of the Gram Panchayat

8.1.3 Gram Sabha

In Dolatpar, the Gram Sabha is held four times in a year but Sabha is also called by the Sarpanch
on special occasions like Gandhi Jayanti, Republic Day, etc. The Gram Sabha is responsible for
resolving any disputes in the village and bringing in new initiatives to the village.
8.1.4 Panchayat Meeting
The Panchayat meeting is held once every month and only the ward members, the Sarpanch and
the Talati meet to discuss the working of the GP in the past month and the future course of actions
to be taken in the coming month. Issues relating to the administration, meetings with the
Commissionerate of policies, etc are taken up in this meeting.

8.2 Water and Sanitation Committee

The ward members of the Panchayat and some elected villagers consist of the members of the
Water and Sanitation Committee. The committee looks after the operation, care, maintenance, and
repairs of the water facilities in the village. The committee has the right to decide how the
management of the water supply and sanitation facilities of Dolatpar. The committee coordinates
with the various service companies for repairs and maintenance. The members meet every two
years to discuss any major initiatives and issues relating to the supply of water and sanitation. The
Sarpanch is also a part of this meeting and in this meeting, they decide whether to maintain certain
members or add other members. The Water and Sanitation Committee has a Chairman, secretary,

Page 46 of 59
treasurer and caretakers. The decision-making power lies with the Chairman of the committee. The
committee also conducts meetings with the villagers to discuss water management issues, activities
of the committee, issues relating to water fees, etc.

Page 47 of 59
Chapter 9- Market
The primary market of Dolatpar and for other 99 villages are in Dayapar, the main centre of the
Lakhpat sub-district. The primary market is a one-stop destination for almost everything that the
villagers need to buy. From a single piece of cloth to spectacles, this market has everything. The
market mainly has three types of shops- Retail Shops, Fruits and Vegetable stalls and, service
providers like Flour mill.
The marketplace has two main entry points wherein fruits and vegetable stalls are in the middle.
The rest of the parts of the market are evenly distributed with service and retail shops.
Also, there are snack counters at the entry point that sell Gujarati snack items. As the Lakhpat sub-
district has an abundance of the Muslim population, the market's busiest day is Friday due to
Jumu'ah. As per many shopkeepers, there is no place to walk in the market on a Friday because of
the crowd. The busiest hour on a business day is between 10:30 AM to 2 PM; post that, the market
becomes inactive compared to the morning time, this is due to the people from distant places only
come in the morning to shop. There is some activity in the village between 3-5 PM, but it is mainly
by the people in proximity of the market. The marketplace opens at 8 in the morning and closes at
10:30 in the evening.

Picture 9.1 Dayapar market on a Friday afternoon

To identify the four Ps of marketing, we conducted a small survey to get a better picture of all the
intricacies of the market. As this market has a wide variety of shops ranging from provision stores
to watch shops, we went to a few shops with our set of questionnaires and collected data through
the means of primary data collection. We conducted interviews with a few of the shopkeepers and
recorded their responses with the help of a voice recorder. We mostly got similar answers with
respect to the procurement of goods and the busiest days and hours.

Page 48 of 59
9.1 Sellers

9.1.1 Retail Shops

9.1.1.1 Product
As this is the leading marketplace for around 100 villages, the products available are of almost
all brands that we usually see in the major cities, such as ITC, Hindustan Unilever, Nestle, etc.
Along with these brands, there are also local products such as Rajani and Gopal. The
marketplace has both big and small shops. The big shops majorly have all the branded products
and a few local brand products, whereas the small shops majorly have the local products,
counterfeit products and a small proportion of branded products. Counterfeit products were seen
only in the small shops. Also, a point of observation was that the branded products included
Mamaearth, Wow, Tresemme, Garnier products.

Picture 9.2 The advertisement showing products of Rajani group

9.1.1.2 Price

In the primary market, the sellers here set their margin at 6-7 per cent. The price is sold at MRP
only, but they procure it in bulk when they procure the goods. The margin varies on how much
quantity is procured, so the more the quantity, the lesser the procurement cost and more will be
their margin and vice versa. Almost all the retailers follow both the payment method: cash and
digital payment methods such as Phonepe and Gpay. The sellers are mostly comfortable with
both payment methods. Still, they prefer online more because it is fast and convenient. After all,
when they procure goods, their payment method to the wholesaler/middleman is online.

Page 49 of 59
9.1.1.3 Place

We interviewed a lot of sellers, they don't sell to any other places and have only one shop. Neither
do they have any other shops of their own at different locations. Elaborating on the supply chain,
the products are procured from Bhuj, Ahmedabad, Surat, Mumbai. The sellers who deal with the
consequences of high shelf life buy from the wholesaler in bulk. As per the order, the salesman of
the wholesaler brings the products to the shops within the first ten days of the month. The sellers
are not entirely aware of their entire supply chain; they only know the last party, which is the
wholesaler.

9.1.1.4 Promotion
Here sales promotion methods like sales, discounts, loyalty offers are not followed. The
shopkeeper will deduct the discount amount if the product pack indicates any discount percentage,
even if the buyer did not pay attention. Only a few shops have photos of any celebrities in the shop
banner, and they only have the name of the shops, which is either their surname or the name of a
god.

Picture 9.3 Advertisement through AV Van

9.1.2 Fruits and Vegetable Stalls

9.1.2.1 Product
There is only one shop that sells fruits and vegetables, which is the biggest shop for vegetables
and fruits. The small ones are usually sold on karts and sell either vegetables or fruits. The

Page 50 of 59
vegetables are generally seasonal vegetables or the common ones such as Potato, Onions,
Tomato etc.

Picture 9.4 Vegetable shop in the Dayapar market

9.1.2.2 Price
There is no APMC mandi in this sub-district. The APMC mandi is in Bhuj, where all the prices
are decided. And that is the place from where all the fruits and vegetables come from, to the
primary market. The pricing margin is not calculated in percentages, but it is done in rupees. The
sellers put a margin of Rs. 1-2 over the price they have paid for procurement. Also, the orders will
never be in bulk because of their high perishability. They have to sell their stock anyhow before
the evening, which is why they have to reduce their price in the evening. Pricing is also done as
per the demand. The seller showed us a high-quality pomegranate, he told us that this fruit is
usually sold at Rs.80 per kg when it is in demand, but now that it doesn't have any demand, we are
selling at Rs.10. So demand is a deciding factor for price setting in terms of fruits and vegetables.
The sellers have the system of both cash and digital payment, but they prefer to be paid in cash
because the sellers have to pay in cash to their wholesalers.
The wholesalers have not yet started accepting money through online transfers. Also, Dayapar or
any closeby village doesn't have a functioning ATM. The ATM doesn't have money in it, so cash
withdrawal is a big issue. The bank is one of the most crowded places, so cash withdrawal is a
problem too; people have mostly complained about its poor servers and the way bank officials
address the customers. People have to stand in long queues to withdraw money. This is why none
of the fruit and vegetable vendors is inclined to accept payment in cash only.

9.1.2.3 Place and Promotion

All the fruits and vegetables are procured from the main APMC mandi in Bhuj. The wholesalers
come early in the morning so that the vendors can purchase it. The only promotion method they

Page 51 of 59
use is to keep announcing the rates along with the name of the vegetables or fruit names that they
are selling.

9.2 Buyers
9.2.1 Product
The buyers are really into buying branded products, and also they ask for the same while buying
also. Also, we encountered people who believe in quantity rather than quality as they would buy
products that last longer and are cheaper than other products and deliver the same service that the
other branded product would. Herein, in the sub-district, we have observed that most of the men
we've seen are wearing a brown D&G jacket which is a first copy worth Rs.800. The same model
is worn by mostly all the men. While we went to the shops that sell clothes the person clearly said
that people now want to wear anything in fashion and that everyone is wearing.

Picture 9.5 The counterfeit product of D &G

Page 52 of 59
Picture 9.6 The counterfeit product of Oreo

9.2.2 Price

As the people want quality products, they are willing to spend only to a certain extent. They are
still conscious that quality products will be a pain in their pocket. Also, people are now using the
digital method of paying too. As the primary market is in Dayapar, people have to spend money
travelling. Here, the public transport system is either bus or jeeps, which charge Rs. 10 for one trip
if someone travels from Dolatpar to Dayapar for buying something.
So, for a typical villager from Dolatpar, the price he would be paying is
Rs. 20(Two-way bus trip) + product price + 24 minutes (Travelling time in the bus for a two-way
trip). This is what a villager would be a sacrifice to reach the market, along with that the market
stays open till 2 PM, after that the shops will close. So a person has to sacrifice his working hours
to get to the market.
9.2.3 Place and Promotion
The place of the central marketplace is 5KM from the village of Dolatpar. Also, people in the
village watch TV channels that are watched in major cities too, such as Sony, Sab TV etc., so
that is how they get an indication of which products are of good quality. If a product is being
advertised on TV, then it is of good quality.

9.3 Rajani Group as an example

At the village entrance, we came across an AV Van of the brand Rajani Group near Dolatpar and
interviewed with the sales executive of Rajani Group.
Rajani group operates in the entire Kutch district, which has a 50 per cent share for its tea product
in Lakhpat. Mainly its supply chain follows a simple structure, wherein the manufacturing unit is

Page 53 of 59
in Junagadh. The products go to wholesale dealers, shops, and then the customers. All the products
are stored in the warehouse together, and from there on, the entire transportation is done through
trucks. In 20 days, a Rajani salesperson would go to the village shops to take orders for
procurement post that the wholesale dealer would send the product. Generally, all the Rajani
products will be sold out in 15-20 days.

Picture 9.7 Rajani distributor

There are other national tea brands too in the market. Still, they have a comparatively lesser market
share because tea is one of the most consumed products in the entire sub-district and district, and
people here trust the local product more.
With the leverage of their market share of tea, they also sell other products like soaps and spices.
As they trust the Rajani tea, they would also trust the other products provided by the brand.

Rajani Group also pays attention to their sellers and is executing the reward schemes successfully.
For the sales of total 30,000 kg of tea in a specified time, Rajani rewards its seller with a KIA car.
For the sales of 15,000 kg of tea, a mobile phone or an activa is rewarded to them. This motivates
the sellers to push more products of Rajani to the customers. The sellers usually set their margin
at 6-7 per cent, also the margin depends on the bulk of quantity. If the quantity ordered is more the
dealer will give for a lesser price and thereby the shop keeper can set a higher margin while selling
at MRP. Rajani group promotes its products through AV vans, Hoarding, Televion ads, Radio ads,
Posters and wall painting. The AV van is mainly used to give out free samples of tea and other
products. The primary objective of these AV vans is brand awareness.

Page 54 of 59
Chapter 10- Our reflection of the 45 days

The forty-five days we spent in the village were one of the most insightful living and learning
experiences. We understood how a typical village functions and its associated problems. Along
with that, people here are amicable and always want to discuss things over a cup of tea, which in
our further conversations, we got to know that they drink tea six to seven times a day. Dolatpar
village has two major communities, the Hindu Patidars and the Muslims Jats. Their living setting
caught out eyes, as even though they were living in the same village, they had different types of
houses, the structure, the wall colours were entirely different. Even though these two are different
communities, they celebrate marriages together. There is always another feast arrangement so that
both religions can enjoy their preferred food without hesitation.
In Dolatpar, the primary occupations are agriculture and animal husbandry. The crops grown are
castor and groundnut; through our survey and semi-structured interviews, we learned about the
associated problems in this. Regarding agriculture, the issue is rainfall. Kutch experiences water
scarcity to a very high level, and proper irrigation methods cannot be used because the surface
water is very salty. Even drip irrigation is a complex proposition as the drip pipes will get clogged
due to salt deposits. In animal husbandry, we learned about the entire process of milking and its
channels. This occupation mainly has two problems, lack of grazing land and financial
infrastructure. As Kutch has significantly less rainfall, grazing land does not have many animal
suitable plants; as a result, people have to buy fodder at exorbitant prices. Secondly, people cannot
withdraw cash as there are no functional ATMs in proximity; the banks always have a massive
influx of people, so withdrawing money from there is also an issue due to long queues. Moreover,
fodder has to be paid in cash only; due to the abovementioned issue, people do not have much cash
in hand with them.

Page 55 of 59
ANNEXURES

APPENDIX I- Problem Ranking

Source: Sumra Siddiqui, Karim Khan, Mukhesh Bhai Patel, Umar Pinu, Sakir Hamza, Arjun
bhai Rabarri, Vikram bhai Ghoghari

APPENDIX II- Preference Ranking

Source: Sumra Siddiqui, Karim Khan, Mukhesh Bhai Patel, Umar Pinu, Sakir Hamza, Arjun
bhai Rabarri, Vikram bhai Ghoghari

Page 56 of 59
APPENDIX III- Daily Activity Chart

Source: Karim Khan, Mukhesh Bhai Patel, Asefa Khan, Minaben Patel

APPENDIX V- Mobility Mapping

Page 57 of 59
Source: Sumra Siddiqui, Karim Khan, Mukhesh Bhai Patel, Umar Pinu, Sakir Hamza, Arjun bhai
Rabarri, Vikram bhai Ghoghari

APPENDIX V-Venn Diagram

Source: Sumra Siddiqui, Karim Khan, Mukhesh Bhai Patel, Umar Pinu, Sakir Hamza, Arjun bhai
Rabarri, Vikram bhai Ghoghari

APPENDIX VI- Seasonality Mapping

Source: Sumra Siddiqui, Karim Khan, Mukhesh Bhai Patel, Umar Pinu, Sakir Hamza, Arjun bhai
Rabarri, Vikram bhai Ghoghari

Page 58 of 59
APPENDIX VII-Video Explanation

The entire focus of this video is on, the milking process of Dolatpar village. One of the primary
occupation of this village is Animal Husbandry. The people of the village especially Jat Muslims,
wake up early in the morning to feed the cows and buffaloes and and milk them. Later on they,
take the milk to the milking channels of the village where fat content is tested and the people are
paid money by the milking channels. Further, the milk is sent to the dairy plant. Moreover, the
video also focusses on the issues faced by the villagers which mainly pertains to the lack of
financial infrastructure and untimely rains.

Page 59 of 59