Right Based

Maulik Adhikar — Organizing Communities for Justice, Dignity, and Accountability

In western Rajasthan, Dalits and marginalized communities face a dual exclusion: they are physically distant from government services, and socially denied the rights that legally belong to them. Caste-based discrimination continues in schools and public spaces. Atrocities go unreported out of fear. Government benefits are captured by the powerful. The voice of the poor is rarely heard in administrative corridors.

Vasundhara Sewa Samiti’s work on fundamental rights is built on the understanding that rights are not given — they are claimed. Through collective organizing, legal support, democratic advocacy, and strategic use of information tools, the organization works to shift the power balance so that the most marginalized communities can access justice, dignity, and accountability.

Programs Under Right Based

Community Organization Building — Sangathan Nirman

The foundation of all rights work is collective strength. Vasundhara Sewa Samiti builds and nurtures democratic people’s organizations at multiple levels — from the village to the block. These include Gram Vikas Samitis for men and women separately, youth organizations, collectives for persons with disabilities, single women’s groups, Dalit rights organizations, artisan collectives, and registered mine worker unions. Each organization meets regularly to review issues, plan advocacy actions, and hold government and community institutions accountable. This network of grassroots organizations creates the social infrastructure through which all other programs operate.

Combating Atrocities — Anyay / Atyachar Nivaran

Caste-based violence and exploitation of Dalits remain deeply embedded in rural western Rajasthan. Incidents of physical assault, wage denial, domestic violence, and humiliation frequently go unreported because victims fear retaliation and distrust the justice system. Vasundhara Sewa Samiti provides courage and support to victims by taking up cases through the community organizations, helping register FIRs, and providing continuous follow-up through the legal process. The organization ensures that perpetrators are held accountable and that victims receive justice through formal courts, sending a clear message that atrocities will not go unaddressed.

Eliminating Discrimination — Bhedbhav Nivaran

Untouchability — particularly the denial of equal access to drinking water and mid-day meals in government schools — persists in many villages despite being constitutionally prohibited. Dalit children are made to sit separately, denied food and water alongside upper-caste peers, and subjected to humiliation in educational institutions meant to offer them equal opportunity. The organization identifies such cases through its community network, documents them, and takes formal action through letters to school authorities and local administration. The approach is firm and non-negotiable: discrimination in any public space or institution must end. Follow-up continues until the problem is resolved and confirmed by the community itself.

Public Demonstrations — Dharna, Rally, Pradarshan

Democratic public pressure is a vital tool for social change. Vasundhara Sewa Samiti regularly organizes rallies, public demonstrations, and community protests to amplify the voices of Dalits and the marginalized on issues of atrocities, discrimination, and denial of rights. These demonstrations create public awareness, build solidarity among marginalized communities, pressure government officials to act, and signal to the broader society that injustice will be resisted collectively. The organization participates in and mobilizes for events like Human Rights Day marches at divisional and state levels, connecting local issues to larger movements for dignity and justice.

Dalit Reference Centre — Dalit Sandarbh Kendra

The Dalit Reference Centre is a one-stop support hub where Dalits, women, and marginalized families can come for guidance, legal information, and facilitation in accessing their entitlements. Many community members do not know what schemes they are eligible for, how to apply, or where to go when applications are rejected. The Centre provides this support completely free of cost — helping people understand their rights, prepare applications for government schemes, follow up with authorities, and access legal aid when needed. It functions as a bridge between marginalized citizens and the often-inaccessible administrative machinery of the state.

Right to Information — Suchna Ka Adhikar

The Right to Information Act is wielded as a powerful accountability tool. In the monthly meetings of Gram Vikas Samitis, members are educated about RTI and supported to file applications seeking information on government programs in their villages — from NREGA work records and BPL lists to Indira Awas Yojana beneficiaries and electricity connections. The information obtained is used to detect corruption, identify eligible families who have been excluded, restart stalled projects, and ensure that public funds actually reach their intended beneficiaries. RTI has proven to be one of the most effective non-legal tools for grassroots accountability in the organization’s experience.

Letters to Administration — Prashasan Ko Patra

Local problems related to drinking water, employment, roads, and welfare schemes are systematically taken up with the concerned government departments through formal letters and representations. Community members, supported by the organization, write to Jaldaya Vibhag for water supply, to Sub-Block Officers for NREGA employment, to MLAs for road construction, and to Social Justice departments for scheme enrollment. Every letter is followed up until a response and action are obtained. This program embeds a culture of civic engagement and accountability in communities that previously had no channel to communicate with the administration.