Professional Documents
Culture Documents
6
DIGNITY DIALOGUE OCTOBER 2008
PVCHR group
E X C L U S I V E
life. Among its 50,000 members in Centre for Human Rights and
five northern states, 3000 are Law, Human Rights Lawyer's
former torture victims whom the Network, People's
Committee has helped. Their Commission against Assault
solidarity demonstrates how he is on Minorities, Sajhaa
creatively building an inclusive Sanskriti Manch, Samanvay,
social movement. Also participating Childline, and the National
are famous intellectuals whose Federation for Right to
integrity and credibility raise the Education. In its legal work,
coalition's public image. Its PVCHR's successes include
approach is two-fold: to have a getting the National Human Rights
strong grassroots organisation to Commission (NHRC) award the
work for the democratic rights of highest compensation to a survivor marginalised in national and
marginalised communities and of extreme torture by his upper- international fora through “People’s
second, to create the structure caste employer. The Commission SAARC”, rehabilitation and
and dynamics to receive also put 42 police officers behind resettlement of weavers of
assistance from national and bars for torturing dalits. Varanasi; Benaras Convention;
international institutions. Dr In 2004, to give voice to the UP Assembly Election Watch;
Raghuvanshi takes the ‘policy to marginalised, Jan Mitra Gaon or prevention of torture; voice against
practice’ approach in villages, 'People-friendly village' was born. hunger and many such activities.
where caste discrimination is In this pilot project, Dr Raghuvanshi Recognition by the international
acute, focusing on implementing adopted three villages and a slum, community of his work is indeed
policies laid down by law. The with plans to reopen an elementary the recognition for the millions
Committee campaigns on various school, abolish forced labour, whose hopes and aspirations rest
issues concerning the dalit make education obligatory for girls on his slender shoulders. His Fair
community -- schooling for and spread non-traditional Play Campaign against child
children, fair wages, land titles, education. There is no elementary labour in the Indian Sporting
and basic rights. On the other education in the vast rural areas, Goods Industry forced the FIFA,
hand, in his work with non-profits, and the PVCHR has opened ICC (International Cricket Council),
activists, academics, and general educational centres for children in World Federation of Sporting
supporters, Dr Raghuvanshi 45 villages. The village committees Goods Industry and Reebok to
believes in the ‘practice to policy’ comprise at least 50% dalits, and prohibit the use of child labour in
approach. His focus at this level seek to realise their greater producing their goods.
is pushing society to acknowledge political representation in village In 2001, Dr Raghuvanshi was
caste discrimination as a councils. The heads of the awarded the Ashoka Fellowship
fundamental human rights issue. committee and council, a for social entrepreneurship and
These strategies complement government representative, and a changemaker from Ashoka:
each other effectively. Groups in PVCHR employee serve as a Innovators for the Public, based
the network include the India conflict resolution group. "Thanks in Washington, DC. The Bunkar-
to the intervention of the PVCHR Dastkar Adhikar Manch (Forum on
before international and national rights of the weavers and artisans),
fora," says Raghuvanshi, "we’ve established in 2004 with a
managed to put hunger on the membership of 3000 to give voice
agenda of government to their plight, has been able to
priorities." make the Planning Commission
Recognition, of India commit Rs 1000 crores
for their rehabilitation. Further, the
Accolades UP Panchayat Act was amended
With meagre resources, but to include a clause which directed
rich with confidence and each village panchayat to hold a
conviction, Dr Raghuvanshi, in fund of Rs 1000 to mitigate
a short period, has managed to emergency hunger situation.
amplify the voice of the (continued on page 17)
Awareness programme 7
DIGNITY DIALOGUE OCTOBER 2008