Our History

From the Hills of Satpuda: Our Story

Loksamanway Pratishthan was founded in 1994 by a group of young activists — including Pratibha Shinde and Sanjay Mahajan — who emerged from the student movements of the early 1990s. Inspired by both protest and possibility, they sought to build an organization rooted in struggle (sangharsh) and constructive work (rachanatmak kaam) for Adivasi communities.

The organization took shape in Taloda, on the edge of the Satpuda mountain range, home to Bhil and Pawra tribes whose history stretches back thousands of years. Despite this deep connection to the land, tribal communities faced growing threats: deforestation, displacement, lack of infrastructure, and the erosion of local livelihoods.

Loksamanway Pratishthan began as a response — not just to poverty, but to disempowerment.

A Catalyst for Tribal Rights

Since the early 2000s, Loksamanway Pratishthan has played a critical role in advancing forest and governance rights across North Maharashtra.

  • In 2006, when the Forest Rights Act was enacted, the organization helped tribal families secure Individual Forest Rights (IFR) and guided Gram Sabhas through the process of claiming Community Forest Rights (CFR).

  • In 2014, following Maharashtra’s notification of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), Loksamanway Pratishthan began facilitating village-level planning and building local governance capacity to implement PESA in practice.

From modest beginnings, Loksamanway Pratishthan has grown into a respected grassroots institution with work spanning health, education, agriculture, forest governance, biodiversity, and women’s empowerment. Across Nandurbar and Jalgaon, its staff continues to live, speak, and work among the people — in over 80 villages today.

Whether supporting CFR micro-plans, leading adolescent girls’ forums, or training health workers in tribal dialects, the organization has remained committed to its founding values: dignity, rights, and self-rule.

🌱 “In the valleys of Satpuda, we learned that true development walks with the people.”