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Astha Santhsan

Astha is a Hindi word, which means “deep faith or conviction.” Astha has “faith in the people”—faith that people have abilities, strengths and knowledge to solve the problems they face. The Mission of Astha is to help people to organize, expand their capacities and equip themselves for the struggles they must wage to obtain economic and social justice.

Astha Sansthan is a registered society (since 1986) that works in southern Rajasthan. It has used a two-pronged strategy of organizing people and training them (employing issue-based training and leadership training) very effectively to increase the influence that people have over development processes within their communities.

Since Astha is located in South Rajasthan, which is the "tribal belt" of Rajasthan, Astha has worked with adivasis or tribals to claim land and water rights, the right to work their land, and drought mitigation. Astha has also focused on employment and minimum wage, debt alleviation and, overall, the right to survival with dignity.

For more than 10 years the tribal people of South Rajasthan have been trying to obtain the right to stay on their forest land homestead farms, where many of them have lived for decades, if not centuries. The tribals, after joining with other tribals from other states of India, have obtained legal right to their land, but the law’s implementation has been delayed and Forest Department officials have not cooperated in processing their claims. Astha helped to organize the forest dwellers which led to the formation of the Forest Land People’s Movement. By demanding their rights before state officials and national officials, including meeting with India’s Prime Minister, the tribals helped to get the “Recognition of Forest Rights Act of 2006” passed, which made tribal families eligible for land ownership papers. Over 20,000 tribal families are associated with this movement in Rajasthan which continues to work to ensure implementation of the law.

Gender justice is another key area Astha works on, including helping women to organize to fight violence, superstition and inequality.

Astha Sansthan has supported Ekal Nari Shakti Sangathan (literally: 'The Association of Strong Women Alone') since ENSS emerged as a membership-based self-help organisation of widows and single women in January 2000. The Rajasthan-wide ENSS now has a membership of about 19,780, all low-income rural and urban women who are widowed or separated. Rajasthani society is strongly patriarchal; separated and widowed women are viewed as inauspicious burdens. They are vulnerable to discrimination and abuse. An important objective of ENSS is to ensure that social welfare benefits reach their membership (and other women in similar position) and that the public perception of these women as 'weak, inauspicious and dangerous' changes. ENSS' key activities include mobilizing and organizing widows and single women, leadership development, lobbying and advocacy.

Astha Sansthan/ENSS anticipates that as a consequence of these activities, widowed and separated women in Rajasthan will

Have better access to government resources and services,
Face less harassment and persecution,
Have a membership organization that is able to function independently,
Have a new confident and articulate leadership,
Have a membership organization with 24,000 members.

UUHIP supports Astha Sansthan/ENSS' pioneering effort to address the rights of tribals and widowed or single women in a manner that has a strong and sustainable base of ownership and empowerment.

Please visit the Astha website for more information.

Last updated on Thursday, October 9, 2008.