By Vaibhav Dhotre, Samavesh Fellow
I belong to the Vadar community—one of Maharashtra’s Nomadic and Denotified Tribes (VJ NT). Traditionally stone quarry workers and earth diggers, the Vadars have been historically pushed to the margins—geographically, economically, and socially. Our community has long faced stigma, displacement, and systemic neglect, with limited access to education, stable livelihoods, or legal rights. Despite being Indian citizens, we are often treated as outsiders, largely due to our nomadic history and the criminalization under colonial-era laws like the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871, which labeled entire communities as “habitually criminal.” Although the Act was repealed in 1952, its legacy of exclusion continues today.
One of the starkest examples of this exclusion is the caste certificate requirement. To prove that we belong to the Vadar community and qualify for our constitutional entitlements as an NT-DNT group, authorities often demand a 50-year-old documentary proof—such as land records, ration cards, or school certificates from a time when literacy and documentation within our community were nearly non-existent. Many families, still living in temporary settlements or without ancestral records, are unable to meet this demand. As a result, they are denied affirmative action benefits, scholarships, and government welfare schemes, simply because they lack “proof” of an identity they live every day.
As a first-generation learner who grew up witnessing this injustice, I joined the Samavesh Fellows Program to work at the intersection of justice, documentation, and community-led leadership.
What I Did as a Samavesh Fellow
As a Fellow, I was placed in Pune District to anchor local documentation efforts with a focus on VJ NT communities. These families often live in unrecognised settlements, lack permanent addresses, and are unfamiliar with digital processes. My role was to help them overcome legal, social, and administrative barriers—and to build pathways to education and dignity.
In just the last 6 months, I supported:
- 56 students and youth in obtaining legal documents
- 10 documentation drives in low income and rural areas
- 79 scholarship applications for students
- 100+ youth trained through a 60-Hour curriculum on life skills, career pathways and leadership development
Through these efforts, children and families received birth certificates, Aadhaar cards, caste and income certificates, and domicile documents—unlocking access to schooling, hostels, healthcare, skill training, and welfare schemes.
I also initiated capacity-building and leadership development sessions for students from marginalised backgrounds, helping them build confidence, speak about their rights, and prepare for career pathways. These included career mapping exercises, peer mentoring sessions, and access to vocational information aligned with their aspirations.
Lessons From the Ground
Working with my own community taught me how deeply institutional neglect is embedded. Many elders I approached said, “We’ve tried before. Nobody helps us.” Mistrust ran high—until they saw someone from the Vadar community walking confidently into the tehsil office and returning with results.
At Samavesh, I learned how to:
- Simplify documentation processes for non-literate families
- Assist students in navigating scholarship portals
- Liaise with local officials to verify and expedite applications
- Troubleshoot common barriers like missing school records or mismatched names
“This fellowship taught me that you can’t fight systemic invisibility by waiting on the sidelines. You must become visible—and help others do the same.”
Why This Matters for NT-DNT Students
NT-DNT children are not just out of school. They are often out of the state’s imagination. Without documentation, they are left behind in every scheme—from Pre-Matric Scholarships to hostel access and food security. By enabling legal identity, we are not just filling forms—we are restoring their right to be counted, supported, and seen.
What Comes Next
My journey has only begun. I now aim to:
- Launch a mobile documentation van to reach remote hamlets
- Train youth as Civic Navigators and Scholarship Ambassadors
- Create community support groups in local schools
- Advocate for policy reform that recognises the unique challenges of nomadic and semi-nomadic communities
Because dignity should not depend on a document. But in India today, it often does.
Why Samavesh Matters
The Samavesh Fellowship didn’t just equip me with skills. It gave me the platform to lead from within. It helped me turn lived experience into leadership. What began as a personal desire to serve my people has now become a community-led movement for visibility, justice, and youth empowerment.
“My community was denied documents for generations. Now I help others claim theirs—and in the process, we are reclaiming our future.”
About the Author
Vaibhav Dhotre is a first-generation learner from the Vadar community, one of India’s most historically marginalised Nomadic and Denotified Tribes (VJ NT). He holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and brings over five years of experience working with non-profit organisations focused on education, mental health, and social justice.
As a Samavesh Fellow, Vaibhav anchors legal documentation and access-to-justice initiatives for VJ NT students and families, helping them navigate systemic barriers to identity and welfare.
