Aradhana Bhargava

Work area : Chhindwara district, Madhya Pradesh

Aradhana Bhargava has been working with farmers and peasants for land rights and agricultural reforms as part of Kisan Sangharsh Samiti in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, since 2007. She holds the distinction of being the first female advocate of the Chhindwara district court and leads the women’s wing of the sangathan – Mahila Sangharsh Samiti. In the region, the political-industrial complex around mining, energy production and large dams has aggravated concerns of displacement, evictions, land grabs and other human rights concerns. At this juncture, the work taken up by the sangathan creates much-needed platforms for communities to organise themselves and assert their constitutional rights. 

She takes a vivid interest in exploring new places, organizing perspective-building shivirs for youth, opening up dialogues in the community on caste, gender and religion and conducting legal training on issues of land and forest. Her sharp analysis and wit have allowed her to build bridges across age groups and engage with them effectively.  

She attended all School for Social Change shivirs with other participants who were much younger than her, and took up learning opportunities with a lot of excitement. She advocates the importance of constant learning and unlearning and takes an active role in organizing discussions, conferences and meetings. She moderates regular dialogues on contemporary issues through the online platform ‘Bahujan Samvad’ and organises legal aid and support for marginalised community members.  

Her experience in working with the legal system allows her to counsel and represent distressed farmers, and victims of caste-based and gender-based violence, and defend the rights of workers in the informal sector.