People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights

People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR)

Founded	1996
Type	Non-profit NGO
Location	Head office: SA 4/2 A Daulatpur, Varanasi- 221002 India
Fields	Human Rights, Sustainable Development Goals,Democracy and pluralism
Key people	Lenin Raghuvanshi, Shruti Nagvanshi, Sant Vivek Das, Mahendra Pratap Singh, Prof. Shahena Rizvi, Lal Bahadur Ram and Jai Kumar Mishra
Website	www.pvchr.asia www.janmitranyas.in

The People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (in Hindi:मानवाधिकार जननिगरानी समिति ) is an Indian non-governmental organisation and membership-based movement which work to ensure basic rights for marginalised groups in Indian society, e.g. children, women, Dalits and tribes to establish rule of law through participatory activism against extrajudicial killing, police torture, hunger, bonded labour and injustice by hegemonic masculinity of the caste system and patriarchy. PVCHR ideology is inspired by the father of the Dalit movement and modern nation state, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, and father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi, who struggled against patriarchy & the hierarchical caste system. PVCHR and its founders nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to combat masculinity driven militarist traditions, for their contribution to bettering conditions for peace in world and for acting as driving force in efforts to prevent the use of masculinity driven militarist traditions as a weapon of war and conflict.^[1]

PVCHR was founded in 1996 by Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi and Shruti Nagvanshi in collaboration with Sarod Maestro Vikash Maharaj, historian Dr. Mahendra Pratap and poet Gyanendra Pati.

Patron: Justice Z.M. (Zak) Yacoob, Ex-judge, Constitution Court of South Africa & Chancellor of University of Durban, South Africa.

PVCHR's work[]

Vision[]

To establish a true, vibrant and fully entrenched democratic society through the concept of Jan Mitra where there shall be no violation of civil rights granted to a citizen by the state.

Mission[]

To provide basic rights to all, to eliminate situations which give rise to exploitation of vulnerable and marginalized groups and to start a movement for a people-friendly society (Jan Mitra Samaj) through an inter-institutional approach.

Core Values[]

• Equity
• Fraternity
• Non-violence
• Participatory democracy
• Secularism
• Justice – Rule of Law

Core Focus[]

• Freedom and pluralistic democracy
• Education
• Economic empowerment
• Digital transformation
• Governance, sustainable development and human rights

Working Approach[]

• Accurate investigation and documentation of human rights violations connected with advocacy, publication and networking on a local, national and international level
• Direct support and solidarity to marginalized and survivors in general and women, Dalit, minorities, tribes, and children in particular. Bring learning of gaps, challenges, and best practices for institutional reform against hegemonic masculinity.
• Creating models of non-violent and democratic communities (people-friendly villages, torture-free villages)
• Building up local institutions and supporting them with active human rights networks
• Creating a democratic structure for the ‘voiceless’ to enable them access to the constitutional guarantees of modern India in the context of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
• Empowering marginalized communities through capacity building based on human dignity, hope, honor and justice process-based organisational building and access to information
• Promoting a culture of human rights and conflict transformation for sustainable peace based on pluralistic democracy, rule of law and participatory inclusive democracy
• Linking local and international human rights together to support the marginalized and survivors
• Linking grassroots activities and international human rights networks and institutions

Strategy[]

1. Practice to policy: peoples’ advocacy
2. Policy to practice: The model of Jan Mitra Village (People-friendly villages and urban ghettos) based on active listening, empathy for hope, honour and dignity
3. Organization building/capacity building

Comprehensive programs[]

• Comprehensive program for survivors of torture and organised violence
• Comprehensive program for model villages
• Comprehensive program for women and children sectors
• Program for national lobbying, campaigning, and advocacy
• Program for international solidarity, partnership and networking

Geographical Focus[]

Intensively in Eastern (Varanasi, Jaunpur, Sonbhadra, Allahabad, and Ambedkar Nagar) and western (Aligarh, Moradabad, Meerut, Badaun and Aligarh) regions of Uttar Pradesh and Koderma district of Jharkhand. Through networking, working in 16 states of India with the involvement of 99 organisations.

Target Communities[]

• Tribal communities
• Minorities
• Dalits
• Other backward caste
• Survivors of torture and organised violence

Membership[]

72000 as neo-Dalit communities comprising progressive people from upper caste, OBC, tribal and minorities

Milestones[]

Comprehensive program for survivors of torture and organised violence[]

• 1996 to till now intervened in around 7200 cases of police torture, extrajudicial killing and organized violence
• In 2006 JMN partnered as state partner in the project National Project on Preventing Torture in India, the first project on torture victims implemented with the
• In 2008 developed Testimonial Therapy in the Asian Context
• In span of 5 years (2010– 2015) developed 2096 strong cadre of Human Rights Defenders.
• In 2012 launched Detention Watch to monitor any type of detention happening with the adult and children.
• In 2014 launched the campaign “Musician Against Torture”
• Provided psycho- social support through testimonial therapy 2552 survivors of torture and organized violence.
• Rescue and Rehabilitation of 11000 survivors of bonded labour and trafficking
• Compensation of 2800 million INR in the case of torture and bonded labour from 2010 – 2018.

Comprehensive program for model villages and model[]

• In 2007 organized first folk School for Dalit in model village Belwa
• In 2004 started to create child rights centric model village and created 200 child rights village in Varanasi, Sonbhadra and Jaunpur.
• In 2005, JMN developed torture free model villages in the selected 70 villages in eastern Uttar Pradesh in India and Jharkhand states of India.

Comprehensive program for women, youth and children sectors[]

Child Survival:

• Working with 13691 people of 2726 on health and reproductive rights.
• Created 512 women and girls cadets for greater awareness and consciousness among community on health, hygiene and reproductive rights
• 451 families, who first time did kitchen gardening produced 8885 kg of different types of vegetables

Child Participation: In 2001 formed children parliament now 10 parliaments are functioning in 22 with the participation of 195 children (127 female 94 male).

Child Education:

• Providing duniyabitalim (Education for life) and ITE to 3981 children (2192 Male and 1789 Female) in 20 Madarsa of Bazardiha and Lohta
• Providing quality education to dalits and minorities children. Providing scholarship to 150 girls for the higher education and provided bi-cycle to 85 girls as freedom to girls.
• Provided human rights educations and linked with mainstream education to twenty-five thousand children and youths.

Women

• In 2012 Built “Savitri Bai Phule women center”-a short stay home for women in Baghwanala, Varanasi. In 2002 created a platform/forum “Savitri Bai Phule Mahila Panchayat".
• Launched neo dalit campaign and organized women Folk School as a process against hegemonic masculinity.
• Provided psychological support through testimonies therapy to 1011 survivors of Gender based violence.

Program for national lobby, campaign and advocacy

• Organized Benaras Convention in 2004 and 2014
• In 2005 Conceived and convened People's SAARC at Varanasi.
• In 2009 Formed of “National Alliance on Testimonial Therapy” (NATT)
• 2010: New branding and outlook: more professional organizational structure, website and brochure
• 2011:Established Neo dalit movement as new non-violent people’s movement to formulate positive conflict resolution all different identities against injustice, culture of silence with impunity, neo liberalism and communal fascism.
• In 2013 Submitted the comment to Justice Verma Committee Report on Gender Violence.
• Organized several multi – stakeholder interface public hearing and National conference
• Meeting with parliamentarian and policy makers
• In 2014 Organized “Satyagraha” as a human rights movement
• In 2010 submitted comment to the select committee for enactment of prevention of torture bill
• Lenin Raghuvanshi was appointed as a member of the NGO core group
• Lenin Raghuvanshi selected as National Coalition to end Bonded Labour& Human Trafficking Note and Coalition Letter

Program for international solidarity, partnership and networking

• Submitted thrice in Universal Periodic Review and report to UN special Rapporteur during their visit to India
• 2012: Dr. Lenin along with Yap Swee Seng (ED, Forum Asia) participated in Bali Democracy Forum
• Lenin Raghuvanshi was elected as a co-ordinator of South Asian Network against Torture and Impunity (SANTI)
• Book “Justice Liberty Equality: Dalits in Independent India ” and Margin to Center published by Frontpage publication.
• Global India project is a Horizon 2020 funded European Training Network. The network is based in Dublin City University.^[2]
• A chapter include on the work of JMN in book written Identity, Rights, and Awareness: Anti-caste Activism in India and the Awakening of Justice through Discursive Practices ,
• Chapter featured on the work of JMN Touching the untouchable: Dalit empowerment through consciousness- raising in an Indian village published by Routledge publication
• Lenin Raghuvanshi is one of a 12-person strong Editorial board of Torture for next two years. The Torture Journal is an international scientific journal that provides an interdisciplinary forum for the exchange of original research and systematic reviews by professionals concerned with the biomedical, psychological and social interface of torture and the rehabilitation of its survivors.
• Lenin Raghuvanshi became member of advisory board at Journal of Tran disciplinary Peace Praxis (JTPP) .
• Lenin Raghuvanshi is also member of the IRCT Data and Research Methods Reference Group (Data Reference Group)
• Deed Indeed Foundation profiled PVCHR founder as 'Tireless Service to Humanity' and describes, “Lenin Raghuvanshi is one of the Caste System’s greatest nemeses and is one of Society’s Downtrodden’s most dynamic champions and we can all take a humane leaf from his book."
• Lenin has spoken at colleges and universities across the globe.

PVCHRs' Work in academic sphere[]

PVCHR has been mentioned in follows academic sphere:

• On Management Board of Global India: Global India-an Ireland-based Horizon 2020 funded Marie Sklodowska-Curie European Training Network.The network is composed of 6 different EU Universities and has 9 partners in India. PVCHR is one of member of Management Board.^[3] 
• Narrative Reconciliation as Rights Based Peace Praxis: Custodial Torture, Testimonial Therapy, and Overcoming Marginalization: This paper Published by Canadian Mennonite University looks at how marginalized communities utilize discursive practices to contest against an unresponsive state malfeasance and hegemonic bureaucracy to ensure basic rights and state services for the marginalized. Focusing on the People's Vigilance Committee for Human Rights (PVCHR), a member-based human rights movement in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, the paper aims to tell the unique story of PVCHR's work to combat custodial torture through an innovative method called "testimonial therapy." The testimonial therapy process is aimed at producing both legal testimony and cathartic release of suffering among torture survivors. In underscoring the importance of attention to narrative practices, the paper, while not overlooking narrative's risks, focuses on the practical opportunities that narrative practices create for peace builders.^[4]
• Book on anti-caste work of TBM, BAMCEF, and PVCHR written by Jeremy Rinker, Ph.D : Elaborating the significance of each of these organizations, Rinker writes that as "the vanguard of turning all of India into Buddhists" the TBM activists promote Ambedkar Buddhist identity among Dalits, seeing this as the first step towards re-establishing Buddhism in postcolonial India. In contrast, the author points out that PVCHR stands for a range of civil rights in the localities it serves. Rinker notes that PVCHR was founded by "an educated upper-caste Kshatriya," Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi, and his wife, Shruti Nagvanshi. For the author this has its own advantages. That is, "a high caste working for the low-caste rights places him [Lenin Raghuvanshi] in a socially complicated position with both elites and the less fortunate downtrodden." In fact, for Rinker PVCHR is a "neo-Dalit movement," although he does not explain what he means by neo-Dalit vis-a-vis the category Dalit (which means "oppressed" or "broken"). Even as PVCHR functions as a "neo-Dalit" organization, it has an inclusive focus by working with communities that are "Dalits, Adivasis, Muslims, and other excluded segments of the Indian population." Cultural, religious, and historical aspects and identities are not part of PVCHR's agenda, the author explains. In Rinker's analysis, the BAMCEF, in divergence to TBM and PVCHR, stands for "Phule-Ambedkarite ideology." That is, BAMCEF aims to combine the thoughts and practices of anticaste leaders from Maharashtra, those of Jotirao Phule (1827–1890) and Ambedkar (1890–1956), to spread their relevance in the all-India political transformation.^[5][6]
• Testimonial therapy. A pilot project to improve psychological well-being among survivors of torture in India published at Torture Journal: Although this small pilot study without control groups or prior validation of the questionnaire does not provide high-ranking quantitative evidence or statistically significant results for the effectiveness of our version of the testimonial method, we do find it likely that it helps improve the well being in survivors of torture in this particular context. However, a more extensive study is needed to verify these results, and better measures of ICF activities and participation (A and P) functions should be used. Interviews with human rights activists reveal that it is easier for survivors who have gone through testimonial therapy to give coherent legal testimony.^[7][8]
• Testimonial Therapy: Impact on social participation and emotional wellbeing among Indian survivors of torture and organized violence: Traumatizing events, such as torture, cause considerable impairments in psycho-social functioning. In developing countries, where torture is often perpetrated, few resources exist for the provision of therapeutic or rehabilitating interventions. The current study investigated the effectiveness of Testimonial Therapy (TT) as a brief psycho-social intervention to ameliorate the distress of Indian survivors of torture and related violence.^[9]
• From Hunger Deaths to Healthy Living:A Case Study of Dalits in Varanasi District, Uttar Pradesh, India: The success story presented in the article provides insight to learn and theorize working models of Dalit empowerment and checking caste-based discrimination.^[10][11]
• Conscientisation of Untouchables in Indian Society: The practice of untouchability, though constitutionally outlawed, has been deeply ingrained in the socio-cultural contours of India. It has its roots in the caste system, a traditional form of apartheid, which is still widely prevalent in various spheres of Indian social life. ‘Dalits’ who are at the lowest rung of caste hierarchy, have been typically experiencing discrimination and social exclusion in myriad of ways. Some expressions of untouchability are – the Dalits are invariably having thatched houses at the periphery of the village; their infants did not receive immunization, their children did not get supplementary nutrition, as upper-caste healthcare functionaries do not touch Dalits to maintain their ‘purity’; and children were denied enrolment in schools. There is no dearth of pro-poor programmes, but their benefits hardly reached the impoverished Dalits. Located at the villages of Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh, India, Dalit inhabitants for generations together have been living in deplorable conditions. People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR), an NGO, worked extensively in these villages for several years. As both upper-caste perpetrators and Dalit-victims had internalised their respective superior-inferior status as part of their identity since early childhood, breaking the psychological barriers was the most difficult challenge. With the framework of rights based approach, awareness generation, reflection and conscientisation were the strategies used to deal with intra-psychic barriers. The paper highlights the process of mobilization of the Dalits to voice their concerns, fight for justice and pave way to their own empowerment and to build an egalitarian and just social order.^[12]
• Margin to Center stage: Empowering Dalits in India: This book is an attempt to fulfill a widely felt need for documenting the process of empowerment of marginalized and oppressed groups and communities at the grassroots. It has traced and recorded consistent and rigorous efforts of a group of individuals who have brought positive change in the lives of disadvantaged and downtrodden people. Located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, this book sketches the plight, struggle for survival, and fight for decent living, dignity and rights among the downtrodden and marginalized Dalits who learnt to raise their voice against the injustice and tyranny. It highlights the efforts for an egalitarian social order by people who ordinarily are resource-less and powerless.^[13][14]

References[]

External links[]

• Official website
• Legal Holder of PVCHR
• Blog of the PVCHR
• Film about the history and the work of PVCHR
• Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi on: The Caste System in India: Slavery in modern time.
• Congratulation message of Indo-German Society,Remschied,Germany on 25th Anniversary of PVCHR foundation
• Collaboration between PVCHR and DIG,Reschied,Germany