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Website of the MKSS (Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan), Rajasthan, India: Among the pioneers of the Indian RTI (Right to Information) movement. This website contains articles, writings, social audit reports, videos, online tutorials, RTI Act/Rules, sample petitions and other tools and information, about the MKSS, Right to Work and Employment Guarantee and the Indian RTI movement … (Homepage).
Online RTI Training;
Presentations;
RTI in action;
RTI Acts;
Sample Petitions;
Writings;
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Address: MKSS, Head Quaters: Village Devdoongri, Post Brar, District Rajsamand, Rajasthan, India;
Contact.
About: … Right to know, right to live – Building a campaign for the right to information and accountability – Sowmya Kidambi. Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS)- Championing the « Right to Information » in Rural India – Soumya Kidambi.
Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan is a grassroots organization that was formed in 1990, working in rural Rajasthan. Its objective was to use modes of struggle and constructive action for changing the lives of its primary constituents – the rural poor. In the period leading up to its formation it had taken up issues of re-distribution of land and minimum wages. These were seen as the two basic issues of the rural landless and the poor of the area.
To understand the reason why the demand for minimum wages and the subsequent demand for access to records came about, it is important to try and understand the geographical as well as the socio-political setup of the area where the MKSS works. Rajasthan being a desert area, the people are faced more often than not with a drought. During the time that the rains fail, the only choices that people have to earn a living is to either migrate or work at the famine relief work sites. A famine relief site is basically the work sites that are opened up by the government to provide employment for the people. This could be building a road, digging a well, or desilting ponds/lakes etc. In most of these work sites it is seen that women are there in larger numbers than men. Men tend to migrate in search of livelihoods and the women are left behind to tend the family … (full text).