Visthar began as an experiment in counter-culture 35 years ago. Today, it stands as one of Karnataka's most trusted champions of constitutional values, quietly nurturing a generation of changemakers who refuse to accept inequality as inevitable. "We have been negotiating and positioning ourselves as searchers for relevance," explains founder David Selvaraj. This search has led Visthar to the heart of India's most pressing social challenges, where they work alongside communities fighting for dignity and rights.
Source: Visthar website
What sets Visthar apart is their belief that constitutional values aren't abstract concepts to be studied, but living principles to be practiced. In villages across Bagalkot, Bellary, Bengaluru, Chitradurga and Koppal, their fellows are rewriting the rules of social change. Some organize street plays that spark conversations about equality. Others provide free legal aid to survivors of violence. Many form community collectives that help people claim their rightful entitlements.
The organisation's Samvidhana Payana Fellowship programme recognizes that real change happens when passionate individuals are given the freedom to innovate. Rather than prescriptive programmes, Visthar offers something rarer: trust. Fellows design their own approaches to promoting justice and fraternity, whether through art installations that challenge prejudice, consciousness-raising sessions that build solidarity, or films that celebrate constitutional values in action.
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This flexibility stems from Visthar's understanding that marginalized communities know best what they need. The fellowship specifically supports young people from these backgrounds, providing not just financial support but a network of mentors, activists and artists who share their commitment to transformation.
Over the years, Visthar has witnessed ordinary people achieve extraordinary change. Community facilitators have mobilized entire neighbourhoods. Artists have shifted conversations through powerful performances. Journalists have amplified stories that mainstream media ignored. Educators have helped young people see themselves as agents of change rather than passive recipients of their circumstances.
The organisation's work extends beyond individual transformation to systemic change. By embedding constitutional values in community consciousness, Visthar's fellows create ripple effects that strengthen democratic participation and social cohesion.
As India grapples with rising inequality and social division, Visthar's approach offers hope. They prove that when young people are equipped with skills, support and the freedom to innovate, they can transform not just their own lives but entire communities. Their legacy lies not in grand declarations but in the quiet revolution happening in villages and neighbourhoods, where constitutional values are becoming lived realities.
