By Irudaya Jyothi

Bangalore, Oct 6,2018: Lok Manch is a platform of community leaders and civil society organizations for advocacy at different levels or the rights of the marginalized communities. It was born out of felt the need of the Jesuits in Social Action in South Asia to form alliances with the marginalized.

Last three years on this common platform they worked with specific Entitlements.

In 12 States with 92 organisations directly and another six indirectly they reached out to some 3 Lakh households both of urban and rural India.

‘Together we make a Difference’ is the theme of the consultation plus the four day workshop (3rd to 6th October held in Indian Social Institute (ISI) Bangalore.

The workshop began with inspirational talks by Human Right Activists. Adv. Henri Tiphagne of People’s Watch, Prof. Babu Mathew of NLSIU, both besides on alience building and moving in to Rights Based approach for Lok Manch recollected their formation years in All India Catholic University Federation (AICUF) and how some of the Jesuits were their inspirations even for todays their active ministry.

Brinda Adige, Raja Bhaiya of Chingari Movement in UP and Bhanwar Sign of ASTHA movement of Rajasthan shared how they started their movements and how they constantly faced challenges yet moved ahead with courage to make life meaningful for themselves and others.

Jesuit advocate Savari from Netarhat movement presented how tribals with peaceful resistance movement sustained so the land grab last 26 years with committed local Adivasi leadership.

Every one of these Activists inspired the participants who are basically working on Food Rights and allied rights.

The Lok Manch Partners who been working at the grassroots for the last three years have come to evaluate their intervention in the lives of the people and share their successful stories and to draw road map for the years to come.

The President of the South Asian Jesuit Conference, Jesuit Father George Pattery said, “It is an achievement collaborating with around 100 odd NGOs and CBOs on ‘entitlements’ and while preparing the local leaders. The Lok Manch basically worked on the implementation of National Food Security Act (NFSA) in and through various levels of trainings.”

Most partners work with marginalized groups including Dalits, Tribals, Muslim minorities, women, urban poor and tea garden labourers.

Even within these, some partners work with Tribal groups categorised as particularly vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) and most vulnerable Dalit groups such as the Musahar.

Dalits, Pahadia Tribals, Paniya Tribes Dalits who accepted Christianity (and now find themselves deprived from Scheduled Caste status) and some really marginalized Other Backward Communities (OBCs).

In addition to the identified issues of NFSA, Scheduled Castes (SC) / Scheduled Tribes (ST) sub plan and Water, sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), other issues too have been picked up in different contexts.

Therefore, there is good amount of organic growth in this work in different states. Linkages with state and national level were de-centralized and made directly by local units depending on their work and past connections.

The Lok Manch leaders at the grassroots have been systematically trained and facilitated for taking up rights-based action through several issue as well as skills related training. Such as, Fundamental rights, National Food Security Act –, Scheduled Caste / Scheduled Tribe sub plan, Training on WASH (Water, sanitation and hygiene), Panchayati Raj Act, PESA, RTI, RTE, Minimum age act, Social audit, etc.

The next phase the Lok Manch is expected to move into a Movement mode unlike the Program mode! For this smooth transition a lay partner is planned as coordinator of the 2nd Phase.

This Jesuit initiated people’s movement is moving into another phase of Collaboration and Networking as the mandated by the General Congregation of 36, says Sannibhai the Coordinator of JEsuit in Social Action (JESA) and Lok Manch.

Swornalath of Adivasi Social Service Educational Trust (ASSET) 2012. Kanjepuram District Chengalpattu. Talku of Tamil Nadu. We reached out minimum of 3000 family.

We learned to document properly on our organization through LM. 96 villages we reached out and contacted for their rights. I got a train on how to lead and also I got in touch with other agencies .

Mallika Kerala Tribal Development Society (KTDS) working in Attapadi are of palakad district of Kerala said, Lok Manch has given me leadership training and training on Rights of my Entitlement which empowered me to reach out to my people and give them new hope.

On the side lines of the Lok Manch the Jesuits seriously reflected on the Jesuit Social Activists contribution in the last 50 years in the National Building since General Congregation 32 when they were precisely mandated to ‘Opt for the Poor’. They have planned to profile the Jesuits who contributed in National building through various people’s movement in different states.

The Lok Manch Partners worked on their ‘Charter of Demands’ to be submitted to different Political parties and candidates to be included in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election 2019 in their ‘Manifesto’.

Xavier Jeyaraj the director of Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat in Rome expressed, ‘people are motivated, and moving towards movement mode which is great. It is going to be a challenge to sustain the leader with values in the coming days when different forces induce them with gifts for their ulterior motives’.

Lok Manch is very much in the direction of various movements taking place in the Society all over the world like Fey Alegria and Environmental movement and Network among the Migrants to name a few said Jeyaraj.