This website is under construction. For archives of information on activities of asha parivar please visit:
http://www.thesouthasian.org/asha_parivar.html
Asha parivar is working with the underprivileged through community empowerment, education and human rights campaigns.
The right to information campaign in Uttar Pradesh is changing the level of participation of citizens in governance through citizenship education. There are extensive gains in corruption free governance, right to food and work, awareness of the civic rights such as better government schools and attendance of teachers at these schools. Vallabh bhai coordinates the right to information campaign activities in UP.
Mahesh Pandey, Asha volunteer since 1997, is committed to research and implement innovative learning methods through teachers’ interaction and training camps in multiple villages and towns. He is also focusing on Right to Information campaign in Kanpur region and on issues of children of migrant labor. Recently he has given shelter (in consultation with the parents) to 10 children rescued from labor and is providing them complete support and education at local school.
In addition, Asha parivar team members also support, visit, and guide numerous education efforts in U.P. This effort is coordinated by Vallabh Pandey, a senior volunteer based in Kaithi, (near Varanasi) U.P.
Asha Ashram Lalpur is the central place for right to information activities where area meetings with the administration officials are held in addition to village and volunteer meetings. Schoolroom cum library, sleeping room for volunteers, and a kitchen are part of the facilities. Bee-keeping and honey production activities are also showing results.
http://www.ashanet.org/india/lalpur-1.htm
Asha Parivar Campaigns: Right To Information
Asha Parivar right to information campaign is changing the level of participation of citizens in governance through citizenship education strengthening democracy. There are extensive gains in awareness of the civic rights, better government schools, corruption free implementation of government schemes, and right to food and work.
The campaign of Asha Parivar for empowerment of people continues and volunteers will continue their vigorous efforts to ensure transparent and good governance in panchayats.
Social Audit Report from Hardoi, U.P.
Asha Parivar conducted social audits of NREGS in Bharawan and Sandila blocks of Hardoi district. An analysis of the findings shows inadequate implementation of the program and significant inconsistencies.
Victory for Democracy in RTI
Under pressure from citizens all over the country, the UPA government has decided not to introduce any amendment to RTI during this session.
Contribute to Awareness on the RTI Amendment
Requesting financial contributions to support civic society led national awareness campaign against the amendment to constrain our Right to Information. Please click here to donate. 6% of our target has been raised at this point.
Join the National Campaign for RTI
Communities around the nation have joined hands in opposing the amendment to the Right to Information. We are asking you to take small steps that can strengthen the freedom of India.
People Find it Difficult to Use RTI
Visting Hardoi, Sitapur, Unnao, Chandauli, Varanasi and Sultanpur during the ongoing 1st to 15th July, 2006, RTI campaign, which has now become popular as ‘Use RTI : Don’t Pay Bribe’ national campaign, one finds that the officials are quite reluctant to see the Right to Information Act, 2005, implemented in its true spirit. Sandeep Pandey reports from UP.
`Breaking the Silence`: Summary of Right to Information work in Hardoi U.P.
Without transparency, the law cannot assure employment to the needy
Right to Information movement receives Without transparency legitimacy in Hardoi
Hamarey gaon mein hamara raj (`Our Rule in Our village`)
Asha Parivar Campaigns: Employment Guarantee Act
Without transparency, the National Employment Guarantee Act cannot assure employment to the needy. Asha Parivar continues to work on empowering communities and holding administration responsible vis-Ã -vis this act
After the passage of the Employment Guarantee Act last year a journalist went to the village Purwa Maan in Hardoi district of UP, one of the 200 districts covered under the Act, to ask how the villagers felt about the new law. Most villagers, except for a few associated with social or political organisations, were not aware of the passage of the new law.
Challenges in Implementation of the NREG Scheme Report of a research study on implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in Bharawan block of Hardoi district, U.P. This study was conducted by Indian Institute of Rural management student Mr. Samar Singh over a period of few months in summer of 2006. The report details the findings on level of awareness among the villagers and additional problems in implemetation. It concludes with comments on the cost of the NREGA program.
Hunger Strike in Sandila Called Off
The 2 day old hunger strike has now been called off after the district officials started processes to meet some of the demands of the local communities.
Hunger Strike in UP to protest Corruption
Villagers of Hardoi District who have been staging a sit-in at Sandila since February 7th, 2006 have decided to now convert it into a hunger strike.
Right to Employment Yatra in U. P.
In the last couple of weeks, the Rozgar Adhikar Yatra travelled through Bihar and U. P., using public debates and conversations with various sections of our communities to discuss the need for minimum wage employment programs for the economic sustenance of India.
A dharna has been going on to press for rights of workers to employment, pending food grains as part of PDS, possession of people holding genuine land titles but denied of land rights, income-expenditure details under RTI Act. to ask how the villagers felt So far, except for showing some progress on getting possession to people holding land titles and getting illegal possessions vacated, the local SDM has not intervened in other matters; Feb 2006
Dharna for Demanding Employment , improvement in PDS and other matters; Feb 2006
Exciting news has been trickling in from various places. For instance, in Hardoi activists from Asha Ashram had been demanding work but to no avail. Fed up of government inaction, local residents took a collective decision to initiate works in their area and demand payment from the government (see the letter to the District Magistrate, Hardoi pasted below).
Campaigns: Education and Empowerment
Education should lead to self-reliance and values for a just society, empowering various members of the society to be just and to be able to demand justice. Asha Parivar has chosen education as a tool for betterment of the underprivileged. Almost all of these children are first generation children getting the opportunity to go to these non-formal schools run by Asha volunteers and Asha parivar members. A few of these children are now going to formal schools.
My Idea of Education is Empowerment - Sandeep Pandey; July 2002
More than schooling - Sandeep Pandey; June 2001
Hardoi area schools have passionate involvement of local youth volunteers, some of them have returned to their village after a college education. The community supports the schools in the form of land and classroom donations. Efforts of Asha fellow, Mahesh Pandey, in education and awareness campaigns
Community Empowerment, Governance, and Education : by Melli Annamalai and Sirish Agarwal; 2005
Natpurwa village school and village area activities are coordinated by Neelkamal and Guddu.
http://www.ashanet.org/projects/project-view.php?p=350
Beginnings of a self-help group for women and a school : July 2002
Six education centers in Lucknow slums are coordinated by Chunnilal. http://www.ashanet.org/projects/project-view.php?p=452
ASV Deoria – coordinated by Keshav Chand
ASV Gonvara – coordinated by Manoj Kumar
Most of these schools have involvement of local youth volunteers and receive community support (land and classroom donations etc) and minimum funds have been sought.
Campaigns: Child Rights
Beti Bachao Campaign in Haryana
It is really outrageous and a matter of national shame that when India is talking about a knowledge society and being a regional superpower that the prosperous areas of the country are witnessing the worst form of medieval barbarism where a female fetus is killed in the womb. Click on the link above for more information.
Campaigns: Nuclear Issues and Peace
Peace Convention in Lahore Attracts Attention
The second visa-free and peaceful South Asia convention held in Lahore – widely covered in the Pakistani Press – was a forum for much discussion by various members of Indian and Pakistani citizen groups.
Pakistanis, Indians in Joint Fast at Lahore
As part of the second gathering of Indians and Pakistanis for a Visa free and Peaceful South Asia, visiting Indian citizens join in a fast in Lahore with their Pakistani hosts. Leading up to the event, Pakistani youth had organized a program where they pledged to work for Indo-Pak peace.
Delegation for Peace and Justice to Kashmir
From June 29th to July 12th 2006, Asha Parivar is going to organize the visit of a Delegation for Peace and Justiceto Kashmir.
Peace Activities:
1) Peace March from Delhi to Multan: March 23, 2005 to
May 11, 05
In yet another move to promote people-to-people ties
between India and Pakistan, 150 enthusiasts from the
two countries will participate in a peace march from
Delhi to Multan from March 23.
"The peace march will provide an unique opportunity
for people to intermingle and negate the destructive
tendencies of distrust, hatred and enmity and spread
the message of peace," Sandeep Pandey, an organiser of
the 'People's Peace March' told reporters here.
http://203.200.89.68/pti_news.asp?id=283736 (This is outlook
india.com)
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050324/nation.htm#2
http://hamaramultan.com/viewnews.asp?id=156
http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=124373
2) Karachi-to-Delhi Friendship March
June-October 2004: The proposed 1700 kilometer long
Friendship March will begin on June 11, 2004 and will
reach Lahore on 4 September, 2004, the day of the 10th
anniversary of the formation of Pakistan-India
Peopleís Forum
http://www.sacw.net/peace/karachiDelhiMarch2004.html
3) Pokhran to Sarnath:
In May 1999, one year after the Pokhran blasts, he led
the Global Peace March from Pokhran to Sarnath to
protest against India's nuclear arms programme.
http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1917/19171270.htm
4) Gujarat riots:
Pandey took up a 500-km peace march from Chitrakoot to
Ayodhya in the aftermath of the Godhra carnage. "We
wanted to give the message that the common man is
religious but not communal," says Pandey, who intends
to give part of the cash prize to the victims of
communal riots in Gujarat. Surely, a ray of hope in
times of darkness.
http://www.ashanet.org/pandey/press_coverage/week.html
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020811/edit.htm#6
Peace March Movie made by Sanat:
http://www.menet.umn.edu/~dnguru/1.txt
Campaigns: Opposing Colas and Water Issues
Another Coke Plant, More Pollution Dumping
In a shocking finding, another Coca-Cola bottling plant in India has been found to be operating in complete violation of environmental laws and regulations in India. Communities around this plant have begun protests at this discovery.
Coke is Polluting Neighborhoods
A study of water samples in the vicinity of the Coke plant in Mehndiganj conducted by People’s Science Institute, Dehradoon, and Hazard Center, Delhi, finds Coke responsible dangerous levels of toxic metals of Cadmium and Chromium in the groundwater.
Court Drops Charges Against Coke Protesters
A fast track court of Judge Brijmohan Gupta has dropped all charges filed against Nandlal, Shivlal, Rajesh Gupta and Laxman Rathore – members of Lok Samiti and residents of Mehndiganj – that were filed by the government and Coke after the mass rally outside the Mehndiganj plant in 2004.
More Instances of Colas Dumping Pollutants
The march for Rights to Water has discovered more examples of effluent dumping by the Colas in Hathras and in Mathura.
Pollution Board to Investigate Coke in Varanasi
As the Right to Water March goes through its third week, there has been huge support in the heartland of Northern India. The march has already passed through 7 communities in the neighborhood of bottling plants and these communities - schools and colleges, village sabhas, small town meetings - have expressed solidarity through signature campaigns and return invitations to the marchers. Under pressure from these communities, CPCB has agreed to investigate pollution dumping by Coke at its Mehdiganj plant.
North Indian Communities Join March Against Coke, Pepsi
Jal Adhikar Yatra (March for Right to Water) began in Mehdiganj, Varanasi, on September 10, 2006, and shall conclude in Delhi on October 5, 2006. This is led by people directly ill-effected by Coca Cola Plant in Mehdiganj who are demanding access to water and protection from indiscriminate siphoning of water by large companies.
On the Right to Water Campaign
In an interview with Nandlal on the first day of the Jal Adhikar (Right to Water) Yatra, we learn about the goals of the yatra, the importance to right to water and evidence of Coke's role in the rapidly dropping water levels in Mehdiganj.
Jal Adhikar Yatra Takes Off
The Jal Adhikar (Right to Water) Yatra that makes its way through communities in UP, MP and Rajasthan that are demanding respite from privatization of water, its indiscriminate overuse by for profit agencies and falling of water tables.
Coke Responsible for Water Depletion
A study of the water tables in the communities around the Coke bottling plant shows that activities in the plant have severely affected water availablitiy in the region.
Water Levels Around Coke Plant Drop 30 feet
In a preliminary survey conducted by Swadesh Science Movement of India(Delhi) with in the Mehndiganj area where the Coca-Cola plant is based, the water level in the villages of Nagepur, Bhikaripur and Mehndiganj villages have decreased to 27, 43 and 32 feet respectively.
Thousands in Mehendiganj Protest Coke
Hunger Strike in Mehendiganj Ends
Central Pollution Control Board orders state board to investigate Coke; National awareness drive of unethical Coke policies to begin.
CPCB Report, Hunger Strike Corners Coke
As Nandlal Master and Mukesh Kumar continue their second day of fast in Mehdiganj, people continue to show their solidarity by coming to the dharna site.
Resources for Reference:
Articles by Sandeep:
“My idea of education is empowerment”
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jul/31inter1.htm
“More than schooling”
http://www.indiatogether.org/opinions/pandey.htm
2004 Write-up on Asha Wide explaining approach
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/asha-wide/message/5512
More articles at: http://mycitizennews.blogspot.com/
Progress Reports and Accomplishments
Right to Information movement receives legitimacy in Hardoi (July 2005)
Hindustan Times Article: “Asha Ashram: Hope for a village” (July 2002)
“Community Empowerment, Governance and Education” (September, 2005)
Other Reports
http://www.ashanet.org/pandey/
http://www.indiatogether.org/people/pandey.htm
Movie clips and Photos:
http://www.ashanet.org/chicago/publicity/films/Brimful_of_Asha2.wmv
http://photos.yahoo.com/annam38
Other Reference Websites:
http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/000466.html - Overall trip coordination, includes peace march and Coke activities in detail as well.
www.ashanet.org/canada/sandeeppandey/ - Canada visit
www.ashanet.org/pandey/visit2005 - pending site for US visit listing Asha work
http://rti.aidindia.org
http://www.thesouthasian.org/