The Constitution of India recognizes that all Indians are equal before the law and states that no person shall be discriminated against because of his religion, sex, caste, or whether is rich or poor. All adults in India have equal rights to vote during elections and this 'power over the ballot box has been used by people to elect or change their representatives for many years.
However, the sense of equality on the basis of "one vote one person" does not really apply to Poor people who face neglect and these people do not get justice in matters of health, education, etc. Domestic helpers, small farmers, and many others are forced to work in destitution due to poverty and lack of resources. People in India also face inequality based on religion, caste, and gender.
Tawa Matsya Sangh (TMS)
It is a federation of fishermen's cooperatives that fights for the rights of forest dwellers who have been displaced from the Satpura forest in Madhya Pradesh. From the start of construction of the Tawa Dam in 1958 until its completion in 1978, large parts of forest and agricultural areas were flooded. The inhabitants of the forest thus had to suffer from multiple shortages, earning very little. In 1994, the government gave fishing rights in the Tawa reservoir, but only to private contractors.
When the contractors started exploiting the poor villagers, they came together to form a union and formed an organization to protect their rights called Tawa Matsya Sangh. Rallies and Chakka jams were organized again and again. In response, the government provided fish; rights to villagers in 1996. With the takeover of TMS, fishery workers were able to substantially increase their earnings.
Tawa Matsya Sangh is an organization fighting for the rights of the displaced people of Satpura forest in Madhya Pradesh. The Tawa Dam began construction in 1958 and was completed in 1978. It flooded large areas of forest and agricultural land. The inhabitants of the forest were left with nothing. Some of the displaced people have started fishing in the dam.
In 1994, the government gave the figure eight for fishing in the Tawa Reservoir to private contractors. These suppliers were not friendly. They started pushing out the local people. The villagers now stood united and formed the Tawa Matsya Sangh (TMS) to protect their rights.TMS held rallies and chakka jams demanding their right to continue subsistence fishing.
Finally, the government accepted their request and they started fishing on January 2, 1997. Later, TMS established a cooperative that bought catches from fishermen at a decent price. Now they were able to earn three times more than before.TMS also began providing loans to Fishworkers to repair and purchase new nets
In a democracy, there are always communities and individuals who seek to expand the idea of democracy and promote greater recognition of equality in existing and new issues. Issues of equality are therefore central to democracy. The dignity and self-respect of each person can only be realized if they have sufficient resources.