Disha Social Organization was founded in 1984 in Sultanpur Chilkana area of Saharanpur district. The roots of the organization lie in the initial hard work put in by the two young people from the adjoining Dehradun district. These youth came to the place in the early 1980s at the invitation of Cendit (Centre for Development of Instructional Technology), trying to bring about social change through media like plays, films and video. During the two years they surveyed the area extensively and concluded if social change has to be brought in an integrated approach would have to be adopted. Following this observation Cendit left the place making room for Disha Social Organisation. It was registered as a society.

To begin with Disha took up health and education programmes. These programmes helped it to establish wider contacts with the local people. Later it took up the adult literacy programme. Its literacy efforts found the maximum success with adolescent girls, particularly from the Muslim community. These girls had missed the school, but were keen to become literate before their marriage.

The above-mentioned constructive works helped create bonds with the local community, which were to prove helpful for struggles involving conflict with the entrenched vested interests. Such conflicts appeared quite soon when Disha tried to help artisans who made baan rope from bhabbhar, a wild grass growing in the Shiwalik foothills. Despite early setbacks Disha continued efforts and set up an organisation of baan workers by the name of Ghad Kshettra Mazdoor Morcha (GKMM), or Ghad Area Workers Front.

The above-mentioned constructive works helped create bonds with the local community, which were to prove helpful for struggles involving conflict with the entrenched vested interests. Such conflicts appeared quite soon when Disha tried to help artisans who made baan rope from bhabbhar, a wild grass growing in the Shiwalik foothills. Despite early setbacks Disha continued efforts and set up an organisation of baan workers by the name of Ghad Kshettra Mazdoor Morcha (GKMM), or Ghad Area Workers Front.

Disha gave special attention to mobilise women for social change, particularly from weaker sections. Several Mahila Jagriti Kendras, or Women’s Awakening Centres, were set up. A number of labour camps were organised to inform workers about their legal rights. This led to the birth of the organisation called Mahila Mazdoor Evam Laghu Kisan Morcha (MMELKM), or Women Labourers and Small Farmers Front.

In 1989 Disha agreed to implement a government programme called Mahila Samakhya, or Women’s Equality. The programme was implemented in 60 villages of two developmental blocks of Saharanpur district. It further strengthened the organisation’s involvement with women. As the programme progressed instances of violence against women started pouring in because women got a voice in it. Thus was laid the foundation of legal aid to women. The legal aid programme forms one of the major programmes of the organisation.

When Mahila Samakhya programme was withdrawn prematurely, Disha took up a major programme of self-help groups in most of these villages, initially only with women but later also with men.  This was based on the premise that along with social awakening economic empowerment was a must for the overall development of any community, including women.

Although the work of Disha brought significant gains to the weaker sections, the opening of liquor vends in villages and the subsequent increase in liquor consumption threatened to snatch away some of these gains from them, apart from leading to the ruin of health, domestic violence and other problems. Women were the worst sufferers of this increasing spread of the liquor menace in villages. In Pather village, where Disha had been working for a long time, the people decided to launch a movement for the removal of liquor vend from the village. This movement supported by Disha continued for nearly three months. Finally the movement won and the liquor vend was removed from this village.

Since 1991 Disha has ventured beyond the confines of the two block of Saharanpur district and is now working in Saharanpur, Uttarkashi and Dehradun districts.