Mrs. Sudha Varghese
Started the Organization- Nari Gunjan for rural, Dalit, landless-agricultural laborer women in 1987, with a view to organizing them and creating awareness among them, and thus they come to know their rights as women and to be able to access their rights. They raised their voice against caste-based violence and discrimination, atrocities on women, demanded minimum wages, land rights, fair dealing in PDS, and scholarships for their children in schools.
- About her work: A number of rape cases were registered from among the Musahar community and arrest of the accused in each case was procured by sheer protest and pressure from women.
- Led many agitations by women on the district, state, and national levels against atrocities on women, rape, caste violence, and domestic violence, World March of Women against poverty and violence, etc.
- Sudha Varghese is born in Manjoor, in the District of Kottayam in Kerala, in the year 1950.
- Early education was completed in Kerala and came to Bihar in the year 1965.
- Completed studies- Graduation from Mysore University in the year 1973 and completed Law Studies in 1989 from Bangalore University.
- Entered into Social work in 1979 with the marginalized communities in the districts of Dhanbad, Bhojpur, and Munger.
- Came to Patna District in 1986 and started working with the most marginalized community- the Musahars – in the Block of Danapur. Got the children and women together to play, sing, and gradually to learn and to come in contact with the alphabet. Organizing and initiating any change in the marginalized Dalit communities began with education, non- formal and functional.
- Jamsaut Musahar tola was the base from where the Social Analysis, Discussions, Planning and Concept Development and laying the foundation of a strong organization of women-poor, illiterate, insecure, vulnerable in every sense of the word but determined and clear and strong fearless, and ready to risk and challenge, and when they got together, they were a force difficult to reckon with. And this was the beginning of Nari Gunjan.
- At present Secretary of Nari Gunjan with about 75 Kishori Kendras of education for Dalit Kishoris,
- 40 Anand Shiksha Kendras for Musahar children of 4 to 7 age group
- Danapur, Patna-, India
- 1000 women’s SHGs in Danapur and Phulwarisharif Blocks
- Regular campaign for Primary education and against child marriages in the Blocks of Danapur, Phulwarishariff, Punpun, Bihta, and Naubatpur
- Right To Education
- Attended the Fifth World Conference of Women in Beijing, a member of National Alliance of Women,1995
- World March of Women in New York, 2000
- Attended World Social Forums in Bombay, Hyderabad, and Brazil, 2005
- Public Hearing on Violence against Dalit Women at Hague,2007
- Attended Commission on Status of Women- UN, 2010
- Received PADMASHREE AWARD from President of India, Abdul Kalamji in 2006
- Part of Bihar Women’s Network
- National Alliance of Women
- National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights
- NIRMAL GRAM PANCHAYAT, RAGHURAMPUR, through Nari Gunjan’s work on Sanitation
- Convener of Dalit Watch-Bihar ( Network for monitoring discrimination and exclusion in Disaster situation)
- State Representative of NCPCR for monitoring the provisions for children under 18
- Member of Working Group for NRLM under Rural Development Ministry for 12th Five Year Plan.
- Appointed as Vice-Chairperson of Minority Commission, Government of Bihar, Aug.2012
- Participated in Kaun Banega Crorepati in September 2018