Zenith Organisation:

In April 2023, Zenith Society’s Community Engagement Lead, Sunil Kumar, chanced upon a Sahariya Adivasi settlement (basti) in Gwalior District. The basti residents were living in extreme poverty, lacking basic facilities such as housing, electricity, and clean water. Motivated to establish contact, raise awareness about their rights, and encourage them to reach out to Zenith’s team, Sunil ji visited the settlement regularly to gain their trust. His efforts took a serious turn when he learned that Ratan Sahariya, a young man from the tribe, had been shot during a petty altercation with a member of a powerful community shortly thereafter. Shocked by the violence, Sunil ji and Zenith Society’s legal team committed to fighting for justice on Ratan’s behalf. 

Zenith Society’s team closely monitored the case, ensuring the charges were correctly framed and successfully opposed bail applications of the accused and his driver. Sunil ji informed Ratan about the government’s financial relief under the SC/ST Act, which included ₹2 lakhs upon registering the FIR, ₹1 lakh when the case went for trial, and ₹1 lakh upon case resolution. However, another challenge emerged. Ratan did not possess a caste certificate or a bank account to claim the compensation. Zenith Society supported him to open a bank account and secure a caste certificate through proper channels. The team also ensured he received medical support through the Ayushman Bharat scheme, which provided up to ₹5 lakh for medical treatment. 

To the team’s surprise, no compensation under the Act was provided as the department kept stalling the request, citing a lack of funds. Meanwhile, Ratan, his family’s sole breadwinner, could not work due to injuries, and consequently, the family suffered each day, barely managing food expenses. 

One day, Ratan called the team to the basti with a request that he no longer wishes to pursue the legal battle. He feared that being hopeful about getting justice from the system would not yield any benefit.

“Hamari na hi kisi ne suni hai, na hi koi sunega” (Neither has anyone listened to us, nor will anyone listen in the future).

Sunil ji persisted and advised that Ratan continue the legal battle, but he stood firm. 

“Right now, I want to save my family from hunger – justice for me is not punishment for the accused but financial aid.”

Eventually, Ratan decided to settle the matter. There were two options before him: securing punishment for the accused or negotiating a settlement that would improve his family’s future. Ratan chose the latter, believing it to be the true justice he sought.

He used the funds to reconstruct his house, which was destroyed during the monsoon when the case was under trial, and buy an e-rickshaw to ferry the children of the settlement to school as his new livelihood.

This case has left a lasting imprint on the team with many larger questions:

• Was Ratan right in choosing what he chose? 
• What is justice after all?
• Should external individuals be allowed to define justice for a community?

This article was published in Zenith’s Newsletter in February 2025. To read the newsletter, click here

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हिंदी अनुवाद:

रतन सहारिया को न्याय: विपरीत परिस्थितियों पर विजय की कहानी

ज़ेनिथ संगठन की पहल

अप्रैल 2023 में, ज़ेनिथ सोसायटी के कम्युनिटी एंगेजमेंट लीड सुनील कुमार को ग्वालियर ज़िले में सहारिया आदिवासी बस्ती मिली, जहाँ लोग अत्यधिक गरीबी और मूलभूत सुविधाओं की कमी से जूझ रहे थे। सुनील जी ने समुदाय से जुड़ने, उनके अधिकारों के प्रति जागरूकता बढ़ाने और भरोसा कायम करने का बीड़ा उठाया।

इसी दौरान उन्हें पता चला कि रतन सहारिया नामक युवक को एक प्रभावशाली वर्ग के व्यक्ति ने मामूली विवाद में गोली मार दी थी। ज़ेनिथ सोसायटी की टीम ने रतन के लिए न्याय की लड़ाई लड़ी – एफआईआर दर्ज करवाई, आरोप तय करवाए और आरोपियों की जमानत का विरोध किया।

सरकार द्वारा एससी-एसटी एक्ट के तहत दी जाने वाली आर्थिक सहायता की जानकारी तो थी, लेकिन रतन के पास न जाति प्रमाणपत्र था, न बैंक खाता। ज़ेनिथ टीम ने रतन का सहयोग करते हुए उसके दस्तावेज़ दुरुस्त कराये व बैंक खाता खुलवाया और आयुष्मान भारत योजना से इलाज की सुविधा भी सुनिश्चित की।

फिर भी, मुआवज़ा विभाग के “फंड की कमी” के बहाने अटक गया। घायल रतन, जो परिवार का एकमात्र कमाने वाला था, अब भूख और निराशा से जूझ रहा था। अंततः उसने कहा – “हमारी ना किसी ने सुनी है, ना ही कोई सुनेगा।”

रतन ने मुकदमा वापस लेने का निर्णय लिया। उसने कहा, “मेरे लिए न्याय अब सज़ा नहीं, बल्कि परिवार का पेट भरना है।”

अंत में उसने समझौता किया, जिससे मिली राशि से उसने अपना टूटा घर दोबारा बनाया और बच्चों को स्कूल ले जाने के लिए एक ई-रिक्शा खरीदा – अपनी नई रोज़ी-रोटी की शुरुआत की।

यह घटना न केवल रतन के जीवन की दिशा बदल गई, बल्कि कई गहरे सवाल भी छोड़ गई:

• क्या रतन का फैसला सही था?
• न्याय की असली परिभाषा क्या है?
• क्या बाहरी लोग किसी समुदाय के लिए न्याय का अर्थ तय कर सकते हैं?