The Banjaras or the Lambadas are historically a nomadic tribe who ancestrally are of Rajasthan descent and are housed in hamlets called as “Thandas’’. One such hamlet is the Sarwapuram Thanda in Mahabubabad District, Telangana State, 200kms away from Hyderabad.
The only connectivity this Thanda had until Nov 2020 was the narrow walkway along the Railway Tracks. To reach the nearest town that was 10 kms away, the villagers had to travel additional 5 kilometers as there was no proper road. The denizens had to travel this long distance for shopping because that was the closest market available. Sarwapuram Thanda had remained disconnected from the rest of the society since its existence.
Being virtually cut off from the rest of the world, it was not surprising that 85% of the population was illiterate. The fortunate 15% were those who were initiated into education in the early 90s by one Brahmayya, hamlet’s first teacher. The first known school was a 40 square feet space let-out by the iron smith in his thatched hut workshop. When the rains came pouring in, this temporary school space would remain shut for months. It was Brahmayya’s initiative to sow the seeds of education in this hamlet that brought forth a number of success stories.
This Thanda didn’t have uninterrupted domestic electricity connectivity to all its inhabitants until 2010.
There were two private open wells and as many public hand pumps that were the major source of water for both human and cattle use. Many farmers used to sell their sheep and cattle in desperation for survival through the summers. More than 50% of the population suffered on account of knee and joint related problems that attributable to the high fluoride content in the water.
Lakhavath Suresh had it in him even before he joined the civil service. He had this burning desire to become a catalyst for change even as he was preparing for the UPSC exam. Hence, he appreciated the need for transforming what he saw in his native place, what he witnessed at “Thandas”.
It all began in 2013. Suresh worked towards increasing the number of class rooms and construction of toilets in the primary school building. The next step was to get an electricity connection for the school building. This was obtained with the support from his friend Prashant Patil, an IAS officer from the 2011 batch. Thereafter in 2017, when an attempt was made to construct an internal road, Suresh’s father was attacked. Even false charges were levelled against him. However, despite all odds and with the help of his batchmate friend Preeti Meena, IAS 2010 batch, this internal road initiative was successfully completed in record time before the monsoon.
Finally, attention was given to the everlasting problem of connectivity of the Thanda to the nearest Railway station. Suresh had been engaging with the Collector personally. He had also approached many other senior officials as well as the ministers for this work since 2012. There were many hurdles and the project was not making a headway but Suresh never gave up. This dream was kept alive.
It was only in November, 2019 that some definite help came around. Work related to this road project actually commenced during the lockdown period on account Corona Pandemic in July 2020 when the train services were shut down. Initially, there was major resistance from the Railway authorities as the road had to be made through the railway land. Suresh approached some of his friends in the Railways. Thanks to their intervention, this road finally took off. The lockdown actually made this road happen as the train services were shut on the route during the entire period the road construction could be undertaken.
Another challenge faced was the resistance from the villagers of Annaram, a village where the road was to pass through. However, Suresh managed to explain and convince the villagers about the benefits that would accrue to them if the road project came about.
All this was not easy. There was a cost to be paid. Suresh’s father was attacked by the vested interests that saw this development adversely impacting their interest. However, such incidents strengthened Suresh’s resolve further in bringing these projects to fruition.
An initiative was also taken under CSR to install a RO plant to supply drinking water in October,2020. This is being done with the help of the district administration, led by V P Gautam who belongs to the 2013 batch.
Having experienced it himself, Suresh was empathetic to the plight of the poor people in the village. He took the initiative to support the educational needs of economically weaker tribal students. Their tuition fee was taken care of and assistance provided for preparing for competitive exams. The support was primarily in the form of providing for books and helping with payment of fee. Apart from this, some make-shift libraries, equipped with books for competitive exams were established to help students during the pandemic. As a consequence of these efforts, a number of students managed to get employment, including those that found employment with the government. However, the most recent and notable story is that of a tribal girl, Sirisha. She hails from Beruwada Thanda in Mahabubabad District and has secured admission at the Miranda House, Delhi University in 2020. She aspires to be in the IAS.
Suresh is one of the many examples of individuals who have in them a burning desire to make-it-happen. He saw the deplorable conditions himself and resolved to transform them. One of the primary reasons of joining the civil service was to bring about a change not necessarily in his official capacity but by using his position to do so. He never gave up or gave in despite adverse set of circumstances and despite a few setbacks as he went along. It required unflinching commitment, meticulous planning, perseverance, capability to resolve issue and take the stake holders along with him. It is hoped that Suresh will take up more “Thandas” for transformation and he will inspire many more to bring about transformation in other villages.
Anil Swarup has served as the head of the Project Monitoring Group, which is currently under the Prime Minister’s Offic. He has also served as Secretary, Ministry of Coal and Secretary, Ministry of School Education.