Combating pandemic: Janvikas-CSJ response mechanism, support to vulnerable sections

A note on Covid-19 response mechanism and support to the vulnerable communities by the civil society organization (CSO) Janvikas, Ahmedabad, with its associates, Institute for Development Education and Learning-Centre for Social Justice ( IDEAL-CSJ) and Institute for Studies and Transformations (IST):

***

Relief provided by CSOs included food, ration kits and safety kits to 45,804 individuals in Gujarat and Delhi; support to 42,596 migrants in Gujarat, including travel support to 14,000 migrants; legal support to 6,428 persons in Gujarat, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh; capacity building to 1,600 community leaders of Gujarat, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh; cash transfer to 416 individuals; five sanitization tunnel built in Gujarat and Rajasthan; and dissemination of information to three lakh individuals in Ahmedabad.
It all began with advocacy efforts by engaging government with the aim of activating the Public Distribution System (PDS), mid-day meal and ICDS system through state, city and local government engagement. The district collectors of Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and Sabarkantha were approached for relief work to migrants.
Letters were written to senior government officials, including Gujarat chief secretary, for necessary permissions to reach out to communities regarding provision of cooked food and water to stranded migrant labourers. There was successful collaboration with DCP Zone-5 Ahmedabad for setting up community kitchens for migrants.

Following necessary permissions, dry ration and hygiene kit distribution was carried out in order to support to 37,555 individuals. In all, 7,511 kits were distributed. Loose ration was provided to 1,300 migrant workers at IIM-A construction site and Thaltej. There was also reach-out to vulnerable sections in Ahmedabad, Petlad, Khambhat, Himmatnagar, Panchmahal, Kheda, Nakhatrana, Jambusar and Vadodara, as well as in Delhi, in collaboration with CSOs Aatapi, Sahaj, Muslim Women’s Forum, Dalit Shakti Kendra and KMVS.
Dry food packets were distributed to migrants leaving by trains to their hometowns. As many as 14,040 dry food packets were distributed to migrants leaving by train from Ahmedabad in collaboration with the district collector’s office, Ahmedabad. Also, 20,000 biscuit packets were supplied to migrants leaving by train from Gandhinagar in collaboration with the district collector, Gandhinagar. Further, 5,749 daily wagers were provided with food packets in Ahmedabad and surrounding areas with the support of local donors and community engagement.
Support was provided to migrants leaving for hometown by foot. As many as 2,500 food packets with water, medicine, foot wear, etc.. were provided to migrants who were walking by foot to their hometown via the highway along the Gujarat-Rajasthan corridor along the Gandhinagar to Ratanpur (Rajasthan) route.

Self-help dignity community kitchens were set up to feed migrants in Gujarat. In all, 2,65,200 meals were provided by setting up 12 community kitchens. They fed 4,500 migrant workers twice a day. The entire operation was facilitated by DCP Zone-5 of Ahmedabad. The community kitchen at Gota fed 600 migrants.
As many as 416 persons were offered cash support, with cash transfer of Rs 7,000 each to 61 daily wage earning households in Ahmedabad, supported of the CSO Give India. Rs 1,000 each was given to 16 families for purchasing ration in Sabarkantha district. Rs 3,000 help was given to 31 young girls and boys, who were trained by Janvikas, but lost their jobs owning to the Covid crisis.
As many as 500 safai karamcharis were equipped with safety gears in Ahmedabad. Also, 309 health workers of the government health department were equipped with personal protective equipment kits in Ahmedabad, Panchmahal and Anand districts.
There was technology intervention in the form of setting up smart disinfection and sanitization tunnels. In all five such smart disinfection and sanitization tunnels were installed to contain Covid-19 at Manav Garima, Vejalpur; Sahyog, Vatva; Dalit Shakti Kendra, Nani Devti; Conflictorium, Mirzapur; and Vaagdhara, Rajasthan.

Needs assessment was conducted by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) in South Gujarat’s adivasi areas, in Amreli and Bhavnagar districts’coastal belt, North Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. Based on the assessment, representation was made to various departments, leading to government authorities of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat recognizing CSJ’s efforts. The authorities were provided CSJ’s Law Centres’ contact numbers so that people could avail of the support and assistance with regard to shelter and food.
In all, 7,000 non-migrant labourers were directly supported by the CSJ Law Centres in Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand so that they could avail of the benefits of state/central schemes. This helped them accessration, safe space to stay, benefits of government schemes like Jandhan Yojana, Widow Pension, etc. and compensation/salaries from their owners.
CSJ activists co-ordinated and arranged travel for more than 14,000 migrants to reach their hometown. They also coordinated and arranged to provide food and ration to more than 3,000 people, even as helping in capacity building to 600 volunteers associated with 40 NGOs across the country. They were trained in using toolkit to monitor the entitlements announced post-lockdown.
There was also legal services support through the disaster victim legal services scheme (DLSA), which was activated for creating evidence for future advocacy. Victims were supported with legal issues related to immediate relief of food supply, shelter, transport and compensation through. In all approximately 6429 victims were supported in Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

A mobile solution was developed by a CSO, Awaz De, which was and circulated to more than 25,000 people across the country. All relevant schemes and policies were compiled and widely circulated among various WhatsApp groups. Simplified and translated Covid-19 related schemes/policies were distributed in Hindi and Gujarati.
CSJ developed a tracking app to support igrants in availing their entitlements in order to facilitate and follow up on entitlements to migrant laboures, women, children, Dalits, Adivasi and other vulnerable sections.
In all, 10,000 voice messages were disseminated through 20 voice messages (Awaz De) regarding various entitlements in Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Jharkahand. Supported by local police, sound recording facility with the help of community radio, Nazaria, was used for broadcasting educational messages as well as through auto rickshaws and cabs. In all abput three lakh people were reached in Ahmedabad.
Online training and capacity building was carried out for community leaders to develop competency for preventive measures, hygiene, social distancing, combating stigma in communities and psycho-social care required for Covid-19 by collaborating with the Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPH), Gandhinagar in Gujarat, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh.

Community leaders were trained to develop understanding on Covid-19 for creating awareness and prevention about other communicable diseases for sensitizing the communities in collaboration with Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPH), Gandhinagar. Healthcare training centre in collaboration with IIPHG and IIT, Kharagpur, was set up to serve remote areas along with sustainable healthcare intervention in order to help vulnerable communities to mitigate healthcare risks.

Comments

The curious case of multiple entries of a female voter of Maharashtra: What ECI's online voter records reveal

By Venkatesh Nayak* Cyberspace is agog with data, names and documents which question the reliability of the electoral rolls prepared by the electoral bureaucracy in Maharashtra prior to the General Elections conducted in 2024. One such example of deep dive probing has brought to the surface, the name of one female voter in the 132-Nalasopara (Gen) Vidhan Sabha Constituency in Maharashtra. Nalasopara is part of the Palghar (ST) Lok Sabha constituency. This media report claims that this individual's name figures multiple times in the voter list of the same constituency.

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

1857 War of Independence... when Hindu-Muslim separatism, hatred wasn't an issue

"The Sepoy Revolt at Meerut", Illustrated London News, 1857 By Shamsul Islam* Large sections of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs unitedly challenged the greatest imperialist power, Britain, during India’s First War of Independence which began on May 10, 1857; the day being Sunday. This extraordinary unity, naturally, unnerved the firangees and made them realize that if their rule was to continue in India, it could happen only when Hindus and Muslims, the largest two religious communities were divided on communal lines.

Spirit of leadership vs bondage: Of empowered chairman of 100-acre social forestry coop

By Gagan Sethi* This is about Khoda Sava, a young Dalit belonging to the Vankar sub-caste, who worked as a bonded labourer in a village near Vadgam in Banskantha district of North Gujarat. The year was 1982. Khoda had taken a loan of Rs 7,000 from the village sarpanch, a powerful landlord doing money-lending as his side business. Khoda, who had taken the loan for marriage, was landless. Normally, villagers would mortgage their land if they took loan from the sarpanch. But Khoda had no land. He had no option but to enter into a bondage agreement with the sarpanch in order to repay the loan. Working in bondage on the sarpanch’s field meant that he would be paid Rs 1,200 per annum, from which his loan amount with interest would be deducted. He was also obliged not to leave the sarpanch’s field and work as daily wager somewhere else. At the same time, Khoda was offered meal once a day, and his wife job as agricultural worker on a “priority basis”. That year, I was working as secretary...

Ground reality: Israel would a remain Jewish state, attempt to overthrow it will be futile

By NS Venkataraman* Now that truce has been arrived at between Israel and Hamas for a period of four days and with release of a few hostages from both sides, there is hope that truce would be further extended and the intensity of war would become significantly less. This likely “truce period” gives an opportunity for the sworn supporters and bitter opponents of Hamas as well as Israel and the observers around the world to introspect on the happenings and whether this war could have been avoided. There is prolonged debate for the last several decades as to whom the present region that has been provided to Jews after the World War II belong. View of some people is that Jews have been occupants earlier and therefore, the region should belong to Jews only. However, Christians and those belonging to Islam have also lived in this regions for long period. While Christians make no claim, the dispute is between Jews and those who claim themselves to be Palestinians. In any case...

Bangladesh alternative more vital for NE India than Kaladan project in Myanmar

By Mehjabin Bhanu* There has been a recent surge in the number of Chin refugees entering Mizoram from the adjacent nation as a result of airstrikes by the Myanmar Army on ethnic insurgents and intense fighting along the border between India and Myanmar. Uncertainty has surrounded India's Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport project, which uses Sittwe port in Myanmar, due to the recent outbreak of hostilities along the Mizoram-Myanmar border. Construction on the road portion of the Kaladan project, which runs from Paletwa in Myanmar to Zorinpui in Mizoram, was resumed thanks to the time of relative calm during the intermittent period. However, recent unrest has increased concerns about missing the revised commissioning goal dates. The project's goal is to link northeastern states with the rest of India via an alternate route, using the Sittwe port in Myanmar. In addition to this route, India can also connect the region with the rest of India through Assam by using the Chittagon...

How AMU student politics prioritises Islamist ideologies rather than addressing campus-specific concerns

By Yanis Iqbal* In his recent piece titled "Unmasking the Power Struggles of Soqme Teachers Behind the AMU Students’ Agitation," Mohammad Sajjad, professor of modern and contemporary Indian history at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), has has approached the recent protests against fee increases at AMU with a skeptical eye. He portrays them not as a pure, student-led reaction to financial burdens, but as possibly intertwined with deeper institutional rivalries. While recognizing that the university administration faces ongoing demands from the government and the University Grants Commission (UGC) to boost self-generated revenue via fee adjustments, he highlights a key shortfall: neither the administration nor the protesters have shared clear, comparative data on fee structures or their rationale.

A wake-up call for Uttarakhand: The human cost of unchecked development, environmental destruction

By Dr. Gurinder Kaur* On August 5, 2025, a cloudburst in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district caused significant destruction. A sudden surge in the Kheer Ganga river's flow triggered a flash flood that hit the town of Dharali, completely destroying 40–50 buildings and houses and claiming five lives. More than 100 people are still missing, including nine army personnel. Due to heavy rainfall and landslides, traffic has come to a complete halt on 163 roads and five national highways in the state. Rescue teams are continuously assisting people in the affected areas. A large number of pilgrims heading to Gangotri usually stay in Dharali, which is why there are many hotels, restaurants, and homestays in the town.

NREGA Sangharsh Morcha demands rollback of NMMS App, restoration of workers’ rights

By A Representative The NREGA Sangharsh Morcha (NSM) has strongly demanded the immediate revocation of the National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) App used for recording workers’ attendance under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Citing the Union Ministry of Rural Development’s (MoRD) July 8, 2025 directive acknowledging widespread misuse and discrepancies in the NMMS App, NSM accused the government of admitting to deep-rooted corruption while continuing to impose a failed digital system.

Search This Blog