Voice. Right. Resistance.

When word spread that the reserved forest around Pulwari ki Nal Sanctuary was being included into the Tiger Reserve project, there was confusion in the people followed by fear. What did this mean? Would they lose their homes? Why weren’t they consulted? What would happen next?

No one knew how to respond - except Dhanraj.

He gathered the villagers and calmly explained what a Tiger Project would mean, how it would affect their lives, and how the PESA (Panchayat Extension to Schedules Areas) Act, 1996 guaranteed them a right in the management of their resources. Together, they drafted a bold petition, detailing the risks of displacement and the violation of their legal rights. It was sent to the Tribal Affairs Minister. When no response came, Dhanraj went further, approaching the Member of Parliament of Udaipur, and then writing to the central government. This time, their voices, backed by constitutional clarity were heard. The area was withdrawn from the Tiger Project list.

But this was not his first fight, and certainly not his last.

Dhanraj, a grassroots worker from Phalasiya village in Udaipur, belongs to the tribal community. He knows how power moves and how it often skips his people. In the villages he works with, people still struggle for what should already be theirs: basic education, fair wages, functioning schools, and dignified work. Though the Constitution gives tribals the right to participate in local governance, most are unaware and so, they’re unheard. Not in panchayats, not in assemblies, not in policies. The Tiger Project was just another reminder of that silence.

“Loktantra mein toh awaaz uthani hi chahiye,” he says.

“In a Democracy, one must raise their voice.”

And Dhanraj has been raising his. 

Through the Constitution, and through his fundamental rights. 

Constitution became a part of Dhanraj’s life when he started working with Van Uddhan where he learned about the legal rights of tribals and forest dwellers. But it strengthened when he  joined Aastha Sansthan in Udaipur. There, he began working on constitutional awareness, and soon after, he attended a training by We, The People Abhiyan.

That training shifted something in him. For the first time, he connected constitutional articles, duties, and values directly with the fieldwork he was doing. And a lot has changed ever since. He has written multiple petitions - for opening of public library, for better infrastructure of school, opening of a new classroom and stopping the tiger Project, attaching Article 21(Right to Life) and Article 21A (Right to Education) respectively. Dhanraj has been unstoppable ever since. 

But Dhanraj doesn’t just use the Constitution as a legal tool,  he uses it as a language. Working primarily with the Kathudi tribal community, Dhanraj began visiting three Gram Panchayat - Gurad, Anjroli and Panarwa regularly, reaching close to almost one lakh people. He didn’t begin with laws. He started with stories. Sitting with the people, sharing tea, listening to their lives and then gently introducing the idea that they had rights. That the Constitution was theirs too. This approach is working. Tribal youth are stepping up with constitutional awareness, speaking in Gram Sabhas, and carrying their voices from the gram panchayat to the district collector and public representatives. But speaking up comes with pushback. Local political bodies have shown resistance.

“Jab main awaaz uthata hoon, toh kehte hain, seedha office mein aake bolo,” “When I raise my voice, they say - come and speak directly in the office”, he shares. 

The pressure is constant. But so is his resolve.

His determination has led to some remarkable outcomes. In 2022, Dhanraj was honoured with the Ummedmal Lodha Environmental Award for his work in raising environmental awareness. He was also recognized at the sub-division level for his contributions to independent journalism and for supporting school development through the Bhamashah scheme.

To reach even more people, he became a Freedom Reporter, blending journalism and social media to highlight what elected officials often ignore. He recalls an incident where a Punjab National Bank official misbehaved with an elderly man, delaying his pension. Dhanraj filmed the incident, posted it online, and framed it not just as mistreatment, but as a violation of rights and dignity. The response was swift - the account was opened, the pension released, and the official apologized.

He has never stopped raising his voice and ensures others find theirs too.

Perhaps the most powerful expression of this is his new initiative he’s still building - Samvidhan Paathshala. A school where children come to learn what equality means, why justice matters, and how to question what’s unfair. The school, still new and struggling, is nonetheless charged with Dhanraj’s vision of democracy.

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.