The late 1990s were a period of intense tension for Kanera village in Rajasthan's Chittorgarh district. Residents, already living in poverty, faced constant dread from a feudal landlord who had encroached upon a significant portion of their farmland, exacerbating their hunger and deprivation.
A glimmer of hope appeared when Prayas, a voluntary organization, and KKMS (Khetihar Khan Mazdoor Sangathan), a union of farm and mining workers, began to oppose their eviction. However, the landlord retaliated with increased terror tactics. In a horrific act of intimidation, a young man from the landlord’s family raped a woman from a family resisting the land eviction.
Despite this atrocity, the villagers, who had been quietly mobilizing, rose with renewed determination. They forged unity and protested the landlord's actions relentlessly. Their sustained efforts led to the punishment of the culprits, and the landlord's power and influence rapidly eroded, bringing immense relief to the community.
This incident was just one example of the profound changes taking place in several villages across the region since Prayas began its work in the late 1970s. These changes far exceeded what Narendra Gupta, the founder of Prayas, had envisioned at 25 when he arrived in Devgarh village (then part of Chittorgarh, now Pratapgarh district) as an idealistic young doctor with an MBBS degree from Ajmer Medical College.
After a hesitant start in a crumbling castle room, Prayas's clinic moved to the outskirts of a temple and eventually to a wider campus thanks to land allocated by the village panchayat. A health program was initiated with good response. While these developments were somewhat expected, what was not anticipated was Prayas's involvement in a wide range of other initiatives, including resisting the landlord's terror in Kanera.
A Journey Shaped by Community Needs
This highlights perhaps the most fundamental aspect of Prayas's 46-year journey: the organization has never adhered to a rigid, pre-decided framework. Instead, it has constantly adapted to community needs for various justice and development initiatives. As Prayas members often express, how can they confine themselves to mere medical check-ups when extreme acts of injustice unfold before their eyes?
This defining characteristic became evident early on when Narendra Gupta became involved in identifying bonded laborers in nearby villages. While some local officials were inclined to deny the existence of bonded labor, Gupta, with the help of his local colleagues, firmly established the presence of a significant number of bonded workers. This identification paved the way for subsequent efforts to release and rehabilitate them.
Overcoming Obstacles for Justice
This justice-based work fostered the emergence of several community organizations that shared similar concerns for justice and development, particularly for the poorest and most vulnerable groups. Some senior officials were sympathetic to these concerns. However, some officials and, more significantly, powerful local individuals were unhappy, leading to obstructions for Prayas. For instance, after being asked by the government to run a primary health center, funds were withheld, necessitating legal intervention to secure them.
Despite these challenges, Prayas's efforts continued to yield positive results. When dam-evictees resettled in a sanctuary area faced harassment and apprehension about further displacement, Prayas's intervention helped stabilize the situation and brought significant relief. Simultaneously, efforts to resist land alienation and eviction continued, aimed at protecting the meager landholdings of weaker sections, including tribal communities.
KKMS actively resisted the bonded labor system and low wages in mines and quarries. Various justice-based initiatives also positively impacted other wage rates, such as those in forest-based work. However, a larger problem arose during an extended drought when the state government's drought relief work offered wages even lower than the minimum wage. Prayas, along with other social organizations and activists, sought legal intervention for minimum wage payment, and a favorable court decision improved the situation. This also laid the groundwork for Prayas's ongoing efforts to strengthen the implementation of NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act).
Empowering Local Governance and Tribal Communities
During droughts and normal times, it was crucial for panchayats to undertake development work that benefited weaker sections. Unfortunately, large-scale misuse of funds was common. Through investigations, social audits, and public hearings, Prayas strived to improve this, with their efforts in Karjaali village gaining particular attention. Subsequently, with Prayas's encouragement and educational work, more honest individuals from weaker sections began winning panchayat elections, further improving the situation.
Education, Women's Empowerment, and Policy Influence
Prayas has also been involved in several educational initiatives in remote areas, providing basic education to children living far from schools. Their adult literacy work has been closely tied to social justice concerns.
Prayas helped mobilize women's self-help groups in villages, which became involved in various development and welfare activities. Preeti Oza made a particularly important contribution to these efforts before she left to pursue wider initiatives related to women's empowerment. Narendra Gupta also took a temporary leave for a postgraduate course in Environmental Health from the Harvard School of Public Health and for other academic work. He also held significant positions with both the Rajasthan state government and the central government.
Prayas's efforts have been widely appreciated by several senior government functionaries, especially for their support in policy reform. The Chief Minister of Rajasthan thanked Dr. Narendra Gupta for his suggestions and support regarding the state's free medicine initiative. During a government-organized consultation, a prominent Rajasthan minister praised the current director of Prayas, Chhaya Pachauli, for her profound understanding and articulation of complex issues at a young age.
Grassroots Action Meets Policy Reform
Thus, Prayas's 46-year journey offers an interesting blend of grassroots work and broader policy reform initiatives. Phoolshankar, a team member, recalls being threatened with guns by powerful individuals. Sudhir Katiyar, a former director known for his deep commitment to the poor, was even detained by the police for several days. Rameshwar Sharma, a senior Prayas member, reflects, "There were several struggles for the dignity and equality of weaker sections where even supporting Prayas members faced serious threats, but no one backed out and faced such dangers boldly."
While Prayas's grassroots work has primarily focused on Chittorgarh and Pratapgarh districts, its broader policy and health improvement work, including research and advocacy, has extended to other parts of Rajasthan and beyond. Its research and consultation reports, published independently or in collaboration with other reputable organizations, have been well received. Some of Prayas's legal interventions have achieved important public interest goals, such as ensuring the payment of legal minimum wages in drought relief work (at the state level in Rajasthan) and checking the spread of unnecessary hysterectomies (at the national level). Policy reforms assisted by Prayas have helped millions of patients and their family members access free medicines.
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The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include A Day in 2071, When the Two Streams Met, Planet in Peril, and Saving Earth for Children
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