Coolie Sangha
What is the Coolie Sangha?
The Coolie Sangha is a 44 year-old membership based people’s organisation formed by small and poor peasant families (landed and landless agricultural labourers) in their respective villages.
The Coolie Sangha embraces all and every facet of its Member Coolie families' day to day living. It is not based on the principle of unity-at-times-of-need. It is much more than a "functional grouping" of the poor to solve pressing problems. Though born through ADATS' community organisation efforts, it is not a "beneficiary organisation" of the NGO.
Identity and Protection
The Coolie Sangha gives an identity and protection to it's Members and supports them in issues and struggles aimed at their empowerment.
The Coolie Sangha implements various grassroots planned developmental activities, including children's education, community and referral health, petty credit for Coolie women, activities to support young widows and deserted women, a village level decentralised credit activity, agricultural development, etc.
Membership Strength
The Coolie Sangha is a membership based people’s organisation comprising of small and poor peasant families who struggle to rid themselves of Ryot exploitation and take control of their own lives in order to undertake grassroots planned development activities.
The Coolie Sangha is a 44 year-old membership based people's organisation formed by small and poor peasant families (landed and landless agricultural labourers) in their respective villages. Small and poor peasant families do not become a part of it merely by virtue of their caste-class. Every year, they have to renew their membership by declaring their annual income a paying a percentage of it to their respective village Coolie Sangha Unit.
- Currently, 9,985 small and poor peasant families are active Members in 445 functioning village Coolie Sangha Units.
- 55,126 families from the functioning villages as well as 466 dropped out villages are dormant this year.
- In addition, another 13,638 non-Coolie Sangha families benefit Climate Change programmes of ADATS.
Self Finance
The Coolie Sangha is self-financed through a system of Sangha Fund contributions made by the Member families and the annual declaration of incomes and paying of Sangha Tax.
As on 2 August 2024, these Sangha Funds stand at ₹ 9,50,09,728.