Meet the fiery Dalit women working to preserve millet biodiversity for 30 years

This is the story of the Sanghams of Zaheerabad, Telangana who have been working to preserve grain and millet biodiversity for more than thirty years now.

With the help of the Deccan Development Society, an organisation working to uplift triply marginalised Dalit women they are also proud climate warriors now.

They have fought against all odds to reduce gender discrimination in their society, caste hierarchies and also the domination of monoculture.

In the arid regions of Telangana which has always received scarce rainfall, millets survive well. They are hardy and resilient to changes in climate patterns today. Moreover, since they also save seeds it protects them from low quality seeds of the market and fluctuations that take place in prices.

While the money these women make might not be as much as cash crops like sugarcane or wheat, they have managed to end hunger and ensure food security for themselves.

Courtesy : Down to earth

Note: This news piece was originally published in downtoearth.org.in and used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes exclusively for Human Rights