Mittal Patel
Born(1981-01-13)13 January 1981
Shankhalpur,Becharaji, Gujarat
NationalityIndian
OccupationSocial Worker
Organization(s)Vicharta Samuday Samarthan Manch (VSSM), Vimukt Foundation (VF)
Known forFounded VSSM
SpouseMaulik Patel
AwardsReal Heroes Award, Nari Shakti Puraskar
Websitewww.vssmindia.org www.vimuktfoundation.org

Mittal Patel (born c. 1981) is an Indian activist from Gujarat. After her studies, she began to help people from indigenous tribes to integrate into society. In recognition of her work, she was awarded the Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2018.

Career

Patel was born c. 1981 in Sankhalpur village, in the Mehsana district of Gujarat. Both her parents worked in animal husbandry. She married and had one daughter.[1] She took a Ba in physics[2] before studying journalism at Gujarat University in Ahmedabad, and then in 2006 began to work with indigenous peoples. Four years later, she founded Vicharta Samuday Samarthan Manch (VSSM), an organization dedicated to supporting nomads.[3] She worked with the Bawa, Gadaliya, Kangasiya, Meer, Nathwadee, Salat and Saraniya tribes, helping people to get married, set up schools, assert land rights and claim identification papers.[3] The Government of Gujarat had by 2016 issued 60,000 voting card to indigenous peoples. The VSSM acts as a bank, lending money to individuals and runs two hostels in Ahmedabad for over 700 children.[4] Building upon the connections fostered by the VSSM, the Kalupur Co-operative Bank has given microfinance loans of Rs 50,000 to 100 indigenous peoples in order to buy housing and also issued loans of up to Rs 25,000 to small businesses.[5]

Gujarat has 28 nomadic tribes and 12 denotified tribes.[1] These tribes have traditionally worked as knife sharpeners, haberdashers, snake-charmers and rope-walkers.[6] Patel engaged with members of the Dafer community, who were commonly regarded as criminals after being labelled as such under the British Raj. She worked to help them integrate into broader society.[1] There are between 45 and 50 Dafer communities (known as Danga) in Gujarat, with a population of 18,000.[7] By 2018, 90 per cent of the indigenous peoples of Gujarat had become citizens of India. However, Patel was still compelled to organize actions against lynch mobs which targeted tribal people.[8] The following year, Patel was appointed to a board alongside Otaram Dewasi and under NITI Aayog which was intended to suggest welfare measures for indigenous peoples.[9] In 2020, Patel published a book entitled Surnama vinana Maanvio.[2] She has also revived more than 87 Gujarati lakes.[10]

Awards and recognition

Patel's activism for human rights was recognised with the Nari Shakti Puraskar. She was presented with the award on International Women's Day, 8 March 2018, by President Ram Nath Kovind.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c Chandra, Kavita Kanan (30 December 2017). "Mittal Patel has worked relentlessly to provide the nomadic and de-notified tribes of Gujarat with voter ID cards and social benefits". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 22 January 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Dave, Harita (12 September 2020). "Mittal Patel: The Messiah for Nomadic and Denotified Tribes". Ashaval. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  3. ^ a b Madhavan, N. (16 November 2015). "Bringing Nomadic Communities into the Mainstream". Moneylife. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  4. ^ Krishna, Geetanjali (21 May 2016). "A voice for nomads". Business Standard. Archived from the original on 26 September 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  5. ^ Jayaraman, Gayatri (14 February 2018). "A cooperative bank that gives loans to Gujarat's nomadic tribes based on trust". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  6. ^ "Gujarat: Send children to schools, basic amenities assured, CM Patel tells nomadic tribes". The Indian Express. 14 May 2022. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  7. ^ "Gujarat: Dafer community resolves to erase 'criminal tribe' stigma". The Indian Express. 4 December 2019. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  8. ^ Das, Rathin (7 August 2018). "Giving nomads an identity". The Statesman. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  9. ^ Ramachandran, Smriti Kak (15 June 2019). "Key appointments to board for denotified tribes pending". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 26 September 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  10. ^ "Water warriors of India get a voice". The New Indian Express. 24 October 2019. Archived from the original on 26 October 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
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