Behind the birth of every social welfare movement, there is a history and a cause. So, it is with Gana Unnayan Parshad which was born in early 80’s in the wake of a daring decision by a band of young social activists at Bankura town to a form a national level voluntary organisation for building a social welfare movement and taht with a specific objective – People’s comprehensive Development through the Ideas of “Khadi”.
Gana Unnayan Parshad (GUP) got duly registered under West Bengal Societies Registration Act-1961 in the year 1984, by a few dedicated social workers to narrow the great chasm that existed between poverty and plenty in the Indian society. The aim was to bridge this gap by pulling the downtrodden masses out of the deep morass of dark poverty into the open light of civilized existence. The central theme was to undertake comprehensive development programmes through the idea of Khadi and People’s Action Group. The objective was to instil new hope and courage in the mind of the millions of socio culturally oppressed and economically exploited to become self-reliant and self-supporting and maintain self-respect.
GUP visualizes a world wise social system where all people shall enjoy social and economic justice and freedom as well as democratic rights subject only to one stipulation that these rights are conducive to the well being of the human society, peace and prosperity of nations.
In such a social system, all forms shall be decentralized and vested in the people, who shall be self-governed and masters of their own destiny, as they will form themselves voluntarily into small administrative units and ultimately join a federal network coordinating all such units.
In this new social order, people shall not be exploited socially or economically by one another. Men and women will have meaningful relationship with nature and environment which they will conserve by all means, keeping the future mankind on this earth in mind.
The multifaceted activities of GUP can be broadly categorized and enumerated as follows :-
CONDUCTS : survey, meetings, conference, seminars and issue based awareness
generation programme for promotion of collective action by the people.
PROVIDES : Orientation, motivation , skill development , capacity building training for
strengthening potential People’s Action Groups.
ACTS : As an advisory, referral, implementing and follow up agency for regional, National
and International Organisation seeking to carry out development projects in India.
SETS UP : Model development projects in the areas of its intervention.
CATERS : To the needs of the S.C. ,S.T. , Minority people, women children and other
backwards classes , especially those living below the poverty line.
PUBLISHES: Books and booklets in the name of ‘Gana SIKSHA SERIES’ for
dissemination of information, awareness generation and knowledge up-
gradation of people to take better action for social development in their
respective areas of operation.
To encourage our organisation for implementing various community development activities through promotion of ‘People’s Action Groups’ many renowned international donor agencies like EZE- Germany, Ford Foundation, USAID, UNICEF extended their financial assistance since its very inception. As a result we have been successful to form and strengthened more than 10,000 CBOs in the east and north-eastern part of India. A Women Network called ‘NARSS’- Nari Adhikar Raksha Samannaya Samity was formed with active participation of more than 300 NGOs, CBOs and VOs. to cater socio-economic-cultural-legal aid services to the women in need in organized manner. GUP has also got a profound experience of implementing various Govt. projects and schemes initiated under different 5-years Plannings in collaboration with different Ministries and departments of both Central and State govt. since its inception.
With the changes of Govt. planning , policy and strategies for development of the people of our country due to globalization of market economy , GUP has also been constrained to change its strategic plan of action for sustainable development of people of focused groups in its areas of operation during this 33 years’ span of journey towards development.
Malay Dewanji
Hony. Secretary
Gana Unnayan Parshad
join your hand with us for a better life and beautiful future