Narendra Chauhan: Shattering Caste Barriers, Redefining Dignity for his Community

“My community traditionally adopted caste-based sex work as a livelihood. We are denied birth and caste certificates as the father’s name is kept blank. This makes it impossible to get admission to schools or take up jobs. Isn’t it inhuman?” he asks.

Narendra Chauhan grew up in Sagargram in Neemuch district, Madhya Pradesh. As a member of the Banchada community, he witnessed firsthand the deep-rooted struggles that his community faced. For generations, the community has been forced into caste-based sex work, making it a tradition to be taken on by the generations to come. The practice of dowry too has been prevalent in the community. The systematic deprivation for generations had denied the community a right to a dignified life. However, at a very young age, Narendra was inspired to change this reality for the people of the Banchada community.

Narendra’s pursuit of change began when he was still in school. At the time, the government distributed land to his community but some members of the upper-caste community opposed the ownership. Complaints were filed, but they were ignored. No action was taken until Action Aid – an NGO – stepped in. With their support and the community’s unwavering solidarity, they fought back and won what was rightfully theirs. For Narendra, this victory came with a glimmer of hope. He realised the power of collective action and decided that he wanted to work for his community. Without any further ado, he joined Action Aid and worked with them until 2010, after which his hunger for change motivated him to co-found his own sangathan (organization); Naya Jeevan Foundation (registered in 2017), addressing the issues prevalent in the community such as dowry, the tradition of caste-based sex work, education and the overall development of the community.

His path soon led him to participate in the training with We, The People Abhiyan (WTPA). In the training, Narendra learnt the nitty-gritty of the Constitution changing his approach to work forever. The training broadened his knowledge. He understood the essence of the Constitution and its rights and values. Along with this, he learnt about tools such as the e-Gram Swaraj, which turned out to be one of the key weapons in his fight for his community.

It was in Newad Gaon that Narendra encountered a heartbreaking issue; one that was reflective of the deep-rooted practices of caste discrimination. In Newad there was no cremation ground for those belonging to the lower castes. Families were forced to cremate their loved ones in a barren land – wherever they could find it – denying them the dignity to mourn in a rightful place.

Adding to their hardship, there was no pucca road in the area, compelling them to carry the deceased through the field, struggling through terrain in their moments of grief. This issue had been brought to the Gram Sabha multiple times but was always met with silence.

With careful consideration of the situation and utmost care, Narendra explained to the community that this was a violation of their Right to Life with dignity. The Constitution promised them equality, not as a privilege, but as an inherent right. He encouraged them to stand together and fight for this injustice. With Narendra’s guidance, a formal complaint was written including all the points. He personally accompanied them to submit it. Initially, the complaint was dismissed by the Sarpanch. But Narendra did not back down. He asked the Sarpanch to show them the budget allocation on the e-Gram Swaraj portal. ‘Yeh kisne bataya?’ (who informed you about this?), the Sarpanch asked, taken aback by their knowledge. Nadrendra proudly told him about his work and told him that he had educated the community too! Today, a pucca road is being built and so is a cremation ground. After the cremation ground was built people from the community said to Narendra ‘ab hume sochna nhi padega ki humare logon ka antim sanskar kahan hoga!’.

These victories fuel Naredra’s passion to work towards his community, reinforcing his belief that real change begins from within. Over the years, he has been able to reach 1200-1500 people with his work. He also encourages those around them to aspire for a better future; his mother no longer follows the traditions based on Caste. With Constitutional values at the core of his work, he continues to fight injustice for a better tomorrow!

The above story has been written and published with the explicit consent of the individual involved. All facts presented are based on WTPA's direct interaction with the individual, ensuring accuracy and integrity in our reporting.