Navsarjan
The mission of Navsarjan is:
- To eliminate discrimination based on untouchability practices,
- To ensure equality of status and opportunities for all, regardless of caste, class, or gender,
- To ensure the rule of law.
Navsarjan legally supports the communities who suffer from discrimination based on caste, gender and religion by ensuring that they get justice through the courts. Navsarjan believes in and practices the principle of equality.
Navsarjan creates social pressure along with legal intervention in serious cases such as murder, rape, or excommunication of the Dalits. Two examples of court cases that Navsarjan pursued follow.
Navsarjan addressed the issue of discrimination against Dalit children when they were not receiving their mid-day meal. A complaint was filed against the village council and the school authorities. The court ruled in favor of the Dalit children and implemented a minimum 5 year punishment to the accused. As a result of this court case the state mid-day meal commissioner issued notification to all the district magistrates to ensure that there is no discrimination based on caste or religion in the government run primary schools of Gujarat.
Navsarjan also filed a writ petition against the Gujarat government stating that manual scavenging exists in Ranpur village of Ahmedabad district. The state was ordered by the High court of Gujarat to implement a law prohibiting employment of manual scavengers and requiring construction of dry latrines.
Please see additional information about the founder of Navsarjan, Martin Macwan.
Last updated on Thursday, October 9, 2008.
