About Us
Navsarjan is a grassroots organization dedicated to ensure human rights for all. Our mission is to eliminate discrimination based on untouchability practices. We also campaign for equality of status and opportunities to all, regardless of caste, class or gender, and ensure prevalence of the rule of law.
Navsarjan is one of the largest grassroots organizations in Gujarat, active in more than 3,000 villages, as well as in major Gujarat cities. A field staff of about 80 women and men — most of whom come from the communities in which they work — keep Navsarjan in tune with the needs of the people. Our outreach is spread out across India. We are associated with national and international platforms and networks.
Navsarjan’s work is mainly focused on the following themes, based on which it undertakes programmes and campaigns:
- Human rights value education
- Women’s rights
- Eradication of manual scavenging
- Minimum wage implementation
- Land rights
- Digitization of data
- Local governance and political rights
- Youth awareness and motivation
Navsarjan ensures continuous evaluation, adjustment and reevaluation of its programmes, in order to make them as successful as possible.
Navsarjan’s core work is to create awareness among the marginalised and oppressed communities in such a way that people are able to develop independent thinking about the world around them, so that they can fight oppression and inequality without the organisation’s support. To this end, the field staff is incessantly involved in mobilising and organizing meetings and training programmes. Women’s rights groups, land rights groups, youth groups, village paralegals, agricultural workers’ groups, etc. are formed and trained to exist independently of Navsarjan, though Navsarjan’s support remains intact.
Navsarjan works to strengthen the movement for equality, and believes that energy for all such movements must come from within the oppressed marginalised communities.
In its more than two decades of work, which include setbacks and successes, Navsarjan has grown to be widely recognised locally, state-wide, nationally, and internationally.