Subhash Mendhapurkar
While global frameworks like the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) offered a vision for a more just, equitable, and inclusive world, SUTRA translated that vision into lived action at the grassroots. Since its inception, SUTRA has worked not from the top-down, but from the inside-out—through communities, collectives, and local institutions. Long before MDGs were declared, our work reflected the same aspirations: to improve health, ensure education, advance gender justice, reduce inequality, and make justice accessible to all.
From remote Himachali villages to crowded Panchayat halls, SUTRA’s engagement with the MDGs has not been about meeting indicators, but about transforming lives. Whether advocating for maternal nutrition, reviving Nyaya Panchayats, empowering single women, or building inclusive platforms for governance, our efforts have always centered people over policy, and participation over prescription.
This section shares how SUTRA’s grassroots actions have resonated with—and enriched—the global development discourse, reminding us that true progress begins where people stand.
Despite numerous public health schemes—such as the National Rural Health Mission, maternal and child health programs, and health insurance initiatives—the lived health outcomes of women and children in Himachal Pradesh remain far from ideal. According to National Solidarity Statistics (2015–16), 47% of girls and 45% of boys aged 10–19 are anemic, and one in every two pregnant women suffers from anemia, revealing a persistent public health challenge masked by economic growth indicators.
SUTRA’s interventions aim to bridge this gap between policy and lived reality. We work to address nutritional deficiencies through awareness drives in schools and villages, especially promoting low-cost, iron-rich food like green vegetables and jaggery, while discouraging fast food habits among children. We also advocate for comprehensive health screenings, including hemoglobin checks, to ensure timely diagnosis and support.
In health-focused development blocks such as Dharampur, Nalagarh, and Nahan, SUTRA has supported ASHA workers and Panchayats in spreading awareness about tuberculosis (TB) and encouraging home-based treatment adherence. These efforts have helped reduce stigma and increase treatment completion.
Our health-related work also focuses on:
SUTRA believes that true health and well-being cannot be delivered through schemes alone—it must emerge from knowledge, nutrition, and care rooted in the community itself.
SUTRA envisions a future where every child in Himachal Pradesh—regardless of gender, caste, or geography—has access to quality education that is meaningful, inclusive, and future-ready. We align with the broader goal that by 2030, all boys and girls should complete free primary and secondary schooling that opens pathways to employment and dignified livelihoods.
While the state government has initiated professional training programs in fields like information technology, tourism, and agriculture, these opportunities largely begin after high school. SUTRA advocates that vocational education should be integrated into the high school curriculum itself, enabling students to build skills and direction early on.
Furthermore, we emphasize the importance of early childhood education. Every child deserves to enter primary school with a strong foundation. We support the Government of Himachal Pradesh's current efforts toward universal pre-school education, and continue to call for its equitable expansion across all communities.
SUTRA has long recognized that gender equality is not just a goal—it is the foundation for a just, inclusive, and sustainable society. Through decades of grassroots work, SUTRA has sought to challenge and transform the deep-rooted gender inequalities that persist in Himachal Pradesh across caste, religion, color, and socio-economic status.
Our interventions aim to end all forms of gender-based violence and discrimination, including trafficking, child marriage, and domestic violence. SUTRA has consistently advocated for policies and practices that ensure women's equal participation in social, political, and economic life—from the village panchayat to community-level collectives.
We support and engage with a range of government initiatives and legal provisions aimed at women’s empowerment, including:
SUTRA believes that true empowerment means not only access to schemes, but building the confidence, voice, and collective strength of women to claim their space in decision-making at every level.
SUTRA acknowledges that social and economic inequalities are at the root of most forms of injustice and violence. In Himachal Pradesh, systemic discrimination based on caste, gender, religion, and economic class continues to shape access to opportunities, safety, and dignity—especially for women.
Despite progress in economic indicators, inequality has deepened, often reflecting in everyday life: from private education and healthcare becoming the domain of the rich, to gender-based violence becoming more visible and severe. Reports show a 10% rise in violence against women, a 25% increase in sexual harassment, and over 50% of women in the state remain anemic—a stark reminder of how inequality directly affects women's bodies and lives.
SUTRA works at the grassroots to raise awareness, build community voice, and push for systemic change. We believe that without a collective, conscious effort to address these layered inequalities—especially in rural and marginalized communities—economic growth alone will only widen the gap between the privileged and the excluded.
Our efforts are focused on:
SUTRA’s approach to reducing inequality is not limited to statistics—it is about creating social environments where justice, inclusion, and equality are non-negotiable values
SUTRA believes that justice must begin where people live—at the grassroots. A peaceful and inclusive society is not built solely through laws and policies but through community trust, accessible justice, and democratic accountability.
SUTRA’s work aligns with the vision of Himachal Pradesh to eliminate all forms of violence, exploitation, and abuse by 2030. This includes ending trafficking and child abuse, promoting institutional transparency, and creating platforms for people to participate meaningfully in governance at every level.
While citizens can file complaints in higher courts, there has long been a vacuum in accessible justice mechanisms at the Panchayat level. Between 1952 and 1978, autonomous Nyaya Panchayats played a vital role in delivering swift and equitable local justice. However, after their merger with Gram Panchayats, these responsibilities became diluted as Panchayats were overburdened with development and administrative duties.
SUTRA has consistently advocated for the revival of independent Nyaya Panchayats, arguing that justice must be community-based, timely, and sensitive to caste and gender realities. The current structure has led to reduced responsiveness in cases involving Dalits, backward communities, and women—further deepening distrust in local justice systems.
Our work focuses on:
SUTRA envisions a justice system rooted in the values of dignity, participation, and local accountability—where even the most marginalized feel seen, heard, and protected.
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