20 Years of Disha
Epilogue

In the preceding pages we have chronicled our 20 years. Compartmentalisation of history is a rather difficult task for one event unfolds from the other. This event unfolds into another. This event builds upon the other event. Events lead to growth of the organisation. Events force the organisation to learn and probably de-learn too.

Looking back at 20 years, we find there were several events, which really shaped our destiny. The first was coming up of Ghad Kshettra Mazdoor Morcha and Mahila Mazdoor Evam Laghu Kisan Morcha. These fronts established and strengthened our bonds with the community. Later these fronts struggled for the community whom they represented. And these struggles made us a household name in the area and took our name to distant places in the state and the country.

The next was our association with a central government sponsored programme Education for Women Equality. This association expanded our presence from just a few villages to almost 70 villages in two development blocks of Saharanpur district. Later we got a real taste of government style functioning when following a change in programme strategy we were asked to hand over our structure related to this programme to the government established Mahila Samakhya Samitis. We refused. We searched alternative funds and got them from an international donor.

The earthquake of Uttarkashi in 1991 took us there for demonstration of earthquake resistant construction technology. Since then we are present there. We constructed a few structures and handed over them to village representatives. Then we turned our attention to other things water, land and forest – so vital for a hilly area. We later implemented a joint forest management project and are at present busy in developing a watershed area.

Five years later in 1996 we entered Tehri Garhwal district. Though our intervention was very small one it created some community based structures, which came very handy when we had to rush to the area with relief after an earthquake struck the area in 1999. The year 1996 was an important milestone for us in another way. This year we were selected as a lead agency for working with other voluntary organisations, community based organisations and development oriented individuals in western Uttar Pradesh. We got exposed to organisations and individuals of all hues and worked with some of them. We were able to reach our ideology to an area as wide as western Uttar Pradesh.

Three years down the line in 1999 our first formal full scale evaluation was done. The evaluation report suggested a perspective planning, a dose of organisational development exercise and formalisation of organisational structure. We did that in the coming three years. This really helped us strike a balance between activism and professionalism. Five years down this evaluation we are now a professionally managed organisation.

Year 1999 was important in another way. We got involved with a government sponsored activity aimed at diversification of agriculture. This activity resulted in our outreach widening from about 100 villages to almost 600 villages. Of course this also led to problems on the administrative side.

Last year in 2003, we made a beginning in rural areas of Dehradun district to combat violence against women and to impart education to adolescent girls. By this time Uttaranchal had also come into existence by separating hill areas of Uttar Pradesh into the new state. This nascent state provides ample opportunities to work. Technically we can say that we are at present working in two states of the country.

During these years we have earned banquets as well as brickbats. A number of honours and awards to the organisation and its individual workers are testimony to this. We have bagged prizes for promoting self-help groups. Our communication team has bagged prizes for its performances at several venues. Our workers Ram Rati and Rehana have bagged prizes for their exemplary work. Our director KN Tiwari has won several laurels, including prize for social bravery. He has reached voice of the people we work with to international community.

The powerful lobby of vested interests is still not to terms with us. They see in us a rival out to ‘destroy’ power equations in the area we work in.

Now it is the time for us to pause (is that really possible) and look ahead. Though we have made visible impact, sheer number of people who are in a disadvantaged state does not allow us to rest. Therefore, our struggle to bring about positive change in the lives of people will continue. That is our commitment.

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