The battle for the lake

15 women in Devariya near Dhangadhi had the courage to start fish farming in the forest lake. When the other women realised they could earn money they wanted to be part of the group. A conflict in the village surfaced.

The Forestry group argues that they should also benefit from the lake. Photo by Malene Lærke

In 2005 the Srijana Women Fish Keeping Group got a big wish fulfilled. The Forest District Office in Dhangadhi in Kailali district had after two years finally approved that the group got the right to farm fish in the nearby forest lake. The women were thrilled and excited about the challenge and held a big party.

For the 15 women it had taken courage to start the project.

“The other women in the community spat on us and told us that we would never earn any money and that women cannot do anything. We were told that we were useless and even though we received 101.000 rupees from the agricultural office to get started people did not believe in us,” recalls group member Shishu Chaudhary.

“We wanted to make development in our village. By establishing this group we wanted to become clever and gain knowledge about things. We have learned to speak and say our opinion,” continues group member Sundari Chaudhary.

The 15 women are gathered outside Shishu Chaudhary’s house which is placed in the village Devariya a few kilometres outside Dhangadhi in Kailali district. The optimism they had about the project has evaporated and has been replaced with anger.

Back in 2004, when the women fought to get the right to use the lake, one of the driving forces to help them was MS Nepal partner Fisheries Development Center, FDC in Dhangadhi. When the women got the lake they also got trainings and fry from FDC.

The lake was cleaned up, the fry started to grow and it became obvious for other women in the village that the lake was a good business. These women were in the older Forestry group which started out as a saving group. In all there are 197 members and now they also wanted their share of the fish in the lake. The Forestry Office agreed that the two groups should merge so that more villagers would benefit. However, the Srijana Women Fish Keeping Group was not keen on getting the women, who had spat on them, into their group and benefit from all the work they had done.

Photo by Malene Lærke

Now they were going to harvest the fruits of all their hard work namely fish worth above 1 lakh and they had no intention of sharing with the other women.

The Srijana Women Fish Keeping Group calculated that the forestry group should pay 1.450 rupees in order to match the saving that had been done in the group so far. The Forestry group rejected that offer.

“It is the Forestry Office that has given the lake and the land to us. We have the responsibility to look after the land and therefore we should also have the profit. We have done all the hard work and we want to benefit from that work,” tells Laxmi Chaudhary from the Srijana Group.

The news that the group has gathered to talk about the lake has quickly travelled through the small community and people gather to hear what the group members are saying. Especially women from the Forestry group who want to get the right to the lake are keen to hear what is being said. They only leave when they are told that their voices will be heard in the evening.

Photo by Jeppe Beck Danielsen

When the women in the Forestry group could not get into the Srijana Women Fish Keeping Group they tried to get in through the back door. Last year the first Srijana group, according to the plan, should have dug three nursery ponds but they only managed to dig two. The second group dug the third one and now claims the right to be in the first group.

The Forestry group in the evening claims that there is an agreement between the two groups and the Forestry Office that all profit from selling the fish will be divided between the groups. That decision was made at a meeting where all 15 members from the Srijana Group were present says the Forestry Group; however, going through the minutes it shows that only seven members were present, no mutual agreement is recorded and the Forestry Group have no official paper from the Forestry Office.

The Srijana group states that they have never made any agreement.

“We have never thought about increasing the number of members but it is true the forestry office has told us that we should increase with 5 – 10 members. If a person can bring the saving equivalent to 1474 rupees that we have put into the group she can be a member,” tells Shishu Chaudhary.

A central figure in the story is Rubina Chaudhary. She used to be the chair person of the Srijana Group where she is a member today and is currently chair person of the Forestry group. Internally in the Srijana Group there is doubt about what has happened to the group’s money, for example the 101.000 rupees, the group got from the agricultural office and the money they have earned from selling fish. Currently there is 2000 rupees on the groups account in bank. Rubina Chaudhary has together with Sabina Chaudhary and Lal Mati Chaudhary been responsible for managing the group’s affairs.

“These three people have never told us what they have talked about, the papers they have signed or what that has happened to our money,” tells Sundari Chaudhary.

“I have always been honest and I have done nothing wrong,” says Rubina Chaudhary that admits that it has been a difficult task to be in both groups.

“I am main person in both groups and I have to explain in each group what has happened in the other group. This is a big problem and I don’t like it but I however, do not feel there has been any conflict of interest,” she states.

During the meeting with the Srijana Women Community Ban and Fish Farming group later in the day they tell that in the meeting the 62/10/12 was agreed that each member of the group should pay 101 rupees to be part of the first group. In all, 157 members have paid 101 rupees which adds up to 15875 rupees which were all given to Rubina Chaudhary. These 157 members have formed a management committee.

“We feel that we are members of the first group now and we have a right to the fish. We have asked what happened to the money but we have not heard anything,” states secretary in the Forestry Group, Radhika Singh Malla, which adds that they have offered the first group membership of their group. She is puzzled why the first group does not want to work with them.

“We are all old friends. We are sad and we invite them to all our meetings,” she says.

In the Srijana Group there is discussion about what could have been done differently. Rubina Chaudhary suggests that if the Srijana Group had been willing to let the others pay for getting into the group in instalments things would have worked out. The other members are silent while she brings her suggestion forward and she is the only one answering the question.

At the meeting with the Forestry Group chair person Rubina Chaudhary was not present.

The Srijana group has because of the dispute not done any work with the lake for the past seven months.

We have to keep our promises

Looking back at the on-going dispute the members of the Srijana Group realise that they have learned from the experience.

“When we have a meeting and we agree on a point we should stick to it. In this group we have said one thing at the meeting and when we came outside we have been backbiting each other and not kept our promise. That is a big problem that we have,” tells Rupa Chaudhary.

“Everything that is being said at the meeting should be recorded and there should be rules and everybody’s opinion should be heard,” says Sundari Chaudhary.

“When a person has nothing; people will say nothing, but when he does something good everybody will try to pull his leg,” tells Garbhi Chaudhary.