Patna Jesuit Social Action

Human Touch... Empowering People... Building Communities

Patna Province of The Society of
Jesus

I
am extremely happy to present this Profile of Patna Jesuit
Social Action. This is the first time our men in Social Action
field thought of gathering the fruits of our work among our people in
Bihar. The Profile of Patna Jesuit Social Action is an excellent work
which crystallizes the work of Patna Jesuits in the field of Social Action.
This gives us the vision, the mission, the history of our involvement in
the field of Social Action, the present status and a road map for the
future.

Inspired by the 32nd General Congregation’s revolutionary idea of

the preferential option for the poor and service of a faith that necessarily
promotes justice, our men ventured into the remote villages of Bihar to
be with the people to learn from them how to serve them. This immersion
into the lives of the people by the pioneers of Social Action in the Province
has set into motion a new wave of enthusiasm among the young Jesuits
to work among our people. Our pioneers had to face the wrath of the
Land Lords of the place, but nothing could prevent them from doing
what is good for our people. We have engaged in adult literacy, non-
formal education, legal literacy etc. to conscientise our people of their
inherent rights and dignity. Using the cheap and effective media of
communication, we have helped them to be aware of the exploitation
they undergo. Our men, with our people fought for the liberation of
bonded labourers and increase of the minimum wages. We have
learned a lot from our people. This new learning forced us to change
our life style and our way of involvement in different ministries. The
option for the poor began to guide all our involvements and our ministries.
We can be proud of the work we have done with our people. As the time
changes, we have to learn to read the signs of our times every day.

The present generation of young Jesuits involved in the Social

Action is well equipped with diverse skills they need to read the signs of
the times and act accordingly. I am really happy to have such a bunch of
young men who are ready to launch into the new frontiers without looking
for their personal security or comforts for serving our people in Bihar.
Their enthusiasm is contagious and their stamina is unbelievable. With
such an enthusiastic team of Social Activists in collaboration with Jesuits
involved in all other ministries and with the active participation of our
people, I am sure that we will be able to change the face of Bihar. May
God Bless all of us.

Joy Karayampuram.S.J
Provincial of Patna Jesuits
Provincial Residence, St. Xavier’s School,
Gandhi Maidan Marg W.
Patna, Bihar 800 001, India
Patna Jesuit Social Action Policy
2010

“The essential dimension of social

action is its well-designed actions
that will have a bearing on the
transformation of social structures
within which the vast majority of our
people come to be poor, powerless,
marginalized and excluded. Direct
contact with the victims of unjust
social structures, direct participation
in their struggle for more egalitarian
and just social structures are the
distinguishing features of Patna
Jesuit Social Action.”

Patna Jesuit Social Action ● 1 ● Profile

Patna Jesuit Social Action
Profile

Profile
Patna Jesuit Society (PJS) is a
charitable organization, registered
under society’s registration act 1860.
PJS has a large network of educational
institutions and social service centers
across different districts of Bihar.

Patna Jesuit Social Action (PJSA) is a

wing of PJS that coordinates the
manifold activities of socio-economic
and political empowerment of the Dalit
communities in Bihar. PJSA is
comprised of 9 social service centres
organized at three zones. Xavier
Institute of Social Research (XISR),
Patna provides much needed
research and documentation
assistance to our grass root centres.
These centres are managed by a
group of diversely and professionally
qualified social scientists, social
workers, activists and managers

Patna Jesuit Social Action ● 2 ● Profile

 Vision
We envision an egalitarian and self-reliant
society founded on human values by developing
self-confidence and leadership among the
underprivileged sections of our society

Mission
In solidarity with the struggling masses, we
commit ourselves to accompany and empower,
the most excluded sections in society by enabling
them to affirm and uphold their dignity and rights
through a process of sensitization and
organization.

Priority groups
I People whose basic rights and entitlements
are being denied and unmet; who live under
chronic poverty, oppression and livelihood
insecurity, like Dalits, Tribals, Women,
Unorganized youth & Children
I Victims of natural calamities, disasters etc.

Patna Jesuit Social Action ● 3 ● Profile

 Where we work
NORTH ZONE CENTRES
READ, Bettiah-zonal Centre
Jan Shiksha Bhawan, Gaunaha
Sewa Sadan, Rathanpurwa
CENTRAL ZONE CENTRES
Manthan, Patna-zonal Centre
Asha Deep, Muzaffarpur
Prabhat, Madhubani
BDVS, Patna
Patna Jesuit Social Action
PJSA undertakes its developmental and
organizational works in the state of Bihar, one of
the most backward states in India. Presently, we
are operating in seven districts, namely, West
Champaran, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Patna,
Rohtas, Gaya, and Aurangabad under three zones
through nine Social Service Centres. Moreover,
Bihar Dalit Vikas Samiti (BDVS), an independent
dalit organisation founded and supported by PJSA
personnel, is working in 11 districts of the state
exclusively for Dalit issues.
BDVS: AREA SOUTH ZONE CENTRES
REAP, Sasaram-zonal Centre
SVS, Aurangabad
Jeevam Sangam, Gaya
● 4 ● Profile
 Thrust, Strategy and
Values

a re as
Thr u s t
● Socio – Economic and Political Empowerment
o ad strateg
● Promotion of Quality Education
Br y
● Promotion and Protection of Human Rights &
Gender Equity
● Expansion of people’s access to entitlements Educational
mainstreaming Research
● Strengthening of good local governance
of the deprived &
● Enhancement of human, social and cultural sections Advocacy
Social
capital
● Protection of natural resources
Exclusion
led Poverty
Women
Legal aid,
empowerment and
Capacity
Sustainable
building,
livelihood
Grass root
Democracy &
Gender Equity

Governance

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Patna Jesuit Social Action ● 5 ● Profile

 Our approach
Right based perspective:
It is our firm conviction that poverty must be viewed
in the larger context of social exclusion and multiple
deprivations. People should have equitable access to
resources and services as well as rights and entitlements.
Participatory:
PJSA strongly believes in community participation
in implementation of its programmes. The poor are not
just the passive beneficiaries but they are the active
participants who own up the responsibility to shape their
own future.
Partnership and networking
PJSA is committed to meaningful and long term
collaboration with local organizations, government
agencies, networks and alliances. Our partnership is
based on equality, transparency, accountability and mutual
trust and respect.
Patna Jesuit Social Action
Advocacy:
Our advocacy efforts spring from our grass root
interventions and not an isolated effort. We do not advocate
on behalf of the poor, but with the poor and led by them.
This is to ensure that advocacy and grass root experience
have perfect correlation and in the process the poor are
capacitated and enabled to fight for their rights and
entitlements.
Who we work with
We undertake interventions, projects that address
the needs and rights of the poorest and the most excluded
social groups with particular focus on women and
children. Therefore, we promote, collaborate and network
with grass root movements and people’s organisations.
We welcome partnership and collaboration with
organisations and agencies sharing a similar vision and
are willing to address the issues of our priority groups.
● 6 ● Profile
Historical overview of
PJSA

Genesis
The genesis and existence of PJSA to be part
of the struggles of the marginalized people
of the area is directly associated with the
option made by the Patna Jesuit Province
in particular and the Jesuits in General way
back in 1970s. It was a decade of
awareness-liberation of the third world,
especially of the oppressed. This attempt
to be part of the poor in their lives and
struggles has come to be known as social
apostolate. Translating our option for the
poor in the Indian Context, we came to
identify the Dalits, the Tribals, women,
children and unorganized sector workers as
the poor. Keeping this in mind, social action
centres as well as social institutions were
founded to address the issues of these
segments of Indian Population to work for
structural change, structures that bound
the marginalized communities to
exclusion, exploitation.

Bihar of the 1970s was infected with low

level of grass root organization, illiteracy,
discrimination and exploitation of women.
Hence, the founding of various social
service centres was an outgrowth of this
social and historical process. Ambedkar’s
“educate—agitate- organize and Frieirian
“Methodology of conscientisation through
contextualized problem posing and life-
oriented education’ were the ideological
tools of social change that various centres
of PJSA adopted initially. Thus from the
beginning PJSA worked with the
marginalized landless, Dalits, and Tribals,
with particular emphasis on children’s
education and women empowerment.

Patna Jesuit Social Action ● 7 ● Profile

Journey down the years...

We began our journey of social

transformation with massive adult literacy
programme in collaboration with the central and
the state governments. An important component
of this programme was fighting the issue of
bonded labour by identifying, releasing and
rehabilitating the victims. As an example, one of
our centres, Sevasadan, Rathanpurwa, after 15
years of persistent struggle got released and
rehabilitated over 900 bonded labourers of West
Champaran.

This was followed by involvement in non-

formal education with special focus on girls,
enrolling many thousands of poor or deprived
children to the near-by government schools.

Another major thrust of our involvement has

been the empowerment of women. SHGs have
been used as a platform for social transformation
and economic upliftment. Simultaneously the
centers addressed issues of human rights
violations through legal assistance and legal
awareness programmes.

A few of our centers functioned as District

Resource Unit (DRUs) as well. Collaborating with
government agencies, networking with other
likeminded CSOs on the issues that affect the poor
has been the hall mark of our approach.

Patna Jesuit Social Action ● 8 ● Profile

 Today the main focus of our activities
is centered around creating a pool of
human resource among the most
disadvantaged communities, such
as, Musahars, Doms, Dhankads and
Bhuiyas and enlarging people’s
accessibility to entitlements and
rights.

Over the years many of our centers

have come to represent the
collective voice of the poor. They have
been looked upon by the poor,
government and other agencies as
centers of integrity, transparency,
commitment and expertise. They
have evolved into well equipped
resource and training centers with
sufficient infrastructure facilities.

Patna Jesuit Social Action ● 9 ● Profile

 A glimpse of our present
involvements…

Our present activities are revolving around the realisation of:

Child Rights... Women’s Rights... Human & Dalit Rights...

a) Enhancement of human capital & b) CBDP & DRR

community mobilization among
mahadalit communities
We have been making a concerted effort in all our
centres towards creating a pool of human resources
among the most disadvantaged communities of Bihar
with specially designed educational interventions and
community mobilisation. Through community specific,
innovative educational models of accelerated learning
developed by our social service centres, we educate
nearly 6000 Bhuiya-Musahar children and organise nearly
13000 women through empowerment action and micro-
financing enterprises. Various activities to enhance health,
hygiene and human capital within these communities are
integral part of this focused intervention.
Besides this, in the perennially flood affected zones
of Bihar, we have been engaged in community based
disaster preparedness (CBDP) and disaster risk
reduction (DRR).
c) Our centres are engaged in the
following interventions as well:
● Legal Aid and Human Rights Advocacy
● Networking with government agencies and other
NGOs
● Rehabilitation of migrant child laborers

● Grassroots advocacy

● NIOS Residential programme for girl children

● Prevention and alternatives of child labour

● Mainstreaming stone quarry child labourers to

schools

● Promoting good governance

Patna Jesuit Social Action ● 10 ● Profile

Patna Jesuit Social Action ● 11 ● Profile
 PJSA
Zones & Social Service Centres

Patna Jesuit Social Action ● 12 ● Profile

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Patna Jesuit Social Action ● 13 ● Profile

 Major achievements of
PJSA
Rural Education and Conscientisation
PJSA, through its various social service centers, has
made yeoman contributions in the field of rural education
and conscientisation. Through numerous rural b)
educational programmes, trainings and non formal
centers, thousands of adults, children and youth were
brought to the light of literacy and education.
a) The massive adult literacy programmes and
awareness creation
The massive adult literacy programmes
implemented in our centers, has contributed not c)
only to the growth of literate adults in the state, but
also initiated irreversible social transformation in
the following manner:
● The idea of justice and rights was introduced in
a highly feudalistic and oppressive society. It had
its impact on wages, bonded labour, women
oppression etc, d)
● A large number of women had been organised
to come out of the clutches of patriarchic and
feudalistic oppression
● Various tools for social analysis were used for
analyzing the social relations and existing
unequal power equations in society.
Patna Jesuit Social Action
● Large number of training programmes using
these tools facilitated the emergence of
conscientious leadership at various levels
Increase in the enrollment and retention of children
in govt. schools
Through hundreds of non-formal education centers,
PJSA has spread the awareness of education
among the poorest of the poor, especially, girl
children. Many thousands of children including child
laborers have been enrolled into govt. schools.
Networking & Partnering with Govt. schools
We have made honest efforts to motivate and
capacitate the government school teachers of our
operational area to ensure a friendly learning climate
and better education for the children of the socially
excluded groups.
Innovative Educational Initiatives for Mahadalits
Our centers have evolved an innovative educational
model to facilitate accelerated learning for children
belonging to the deprived communities. This model
is being successfully implemented in many of our
centers with outstanding results.
● 14 ● Profile
Research and publication of rural
education materials
a) Teaching-learning material
Many of our centers were District Resource Unit
(DRU) for a decade. We have produced well
researched, contextualized texts books and other
education materials that are meant to promote
critical awareness among the oppressed and invest
in them self-respect and self-confidence. ‘Chirag’
vol 1&2- Hindi and Mathematics (Text books till 5th
Std) are very well appreciated and received by people
and agencies alike. Chirag is the main text book
used by UNICEF, Bihar, and many other NGOs for
non-formal education even today.

b) Awareness songs, street plays and audio/video

productions
Awareness creation and social mobilization has
been the hall mark of all the activities. We have
produced awareness songs, street plays; puppet
shows etc and used them extensively in all our
activities.

Patna Jesuit Social Action ● 15 ● Profile

Community mobilization and institution
building
All our centers have made outstanding contributions in
the area of women empowerment, community mobilization,
nurturing leadership and organization among women and men
of the deprived sections of society.

a) Grameen Mahila Vikas Samiti

We have had recognized the role of women as community
builders and social change agents from the very
beginning and incorporated various programmes aimed
at their socio-political and economic empowerment. Our
women SHGs were a force to reckon with for the corrupt
officials and exploiters as they took up many issues of
human right violations, gender abuse, rape etc., apart
from achieving greater economic self- reliance. Forming
some of the SHGs into clusters and cooperatives, many
groups have initiated livelihood enhancement through
entrepreneurship activities.

b) Training and capacity building

Another notable contribution has been in the area of
cultivating conscientious and committed social change
agents. Our centers have carved a niche for training and
capacity building of community animators, social activists
and development agents etc. It is a matter of great pride
that PJSA has contributed immensely to the growth and
capacity building of committed CSOs.

Legal Aid & Awareness

We have had full time lawyers and legal team to provide
legal support, spread legal awareness and have taken up
human rights violations on a consistent basis. With this
women and oppressed groups were able to stand up to
feudalist oppression and mindset.

Networking
Dalit human rights campaign under NCDHR has been
initiated by us in Bihar. PJSA has been part of many networks,
such as ATSEC, Bihar; Bihar Panchayat Nav Nirman Abhiyan,
PUCL etc Also we are networking under a larger umbrella of
70 likeminded organisations in Bihar named- Bihar Social
Forum.

Patna Jesuit Social Action ● 16 ● Profile

Patna Jesuit Social Action ● 17 ● Profile
Future Dreams

Patna Jesuit Social Action ● 18 ● Profile

 The challenges facing us are numerous and
complex. However, we have identified the
severe dearth of human capital among the
most disadvantaged sections of society,
such as, Musahars, Doms, Dhankads &
Bhuiyas that hampers their socio-political
empowerment and perpetuate their social
exclusion, as the immediate task that
deserves our complete attention. Hence,
PJSA has identified the need for building
up human resources within these
communities to initiate the process of self
sustained social and economic
empowerment. The following are the
major components of this focused
intervention in all our social service centers
for coming 10 years:

● Expanding the Educational Base of the

Focused Communities
● Creating a diversified talent pool within
these communities
● Developing conscientious women
leaders as community builders and
agents of social transformation
● Gathering and preserving the fading
cultural memories, myths etc, for a
renewed identity

Patna Jesuit Social Action ● 19 ● Profile

 PJSA
Administrative Structure

PJS
President

PJS PJSA PJS

Treasurer Coordinator Secretary

Social PJSA
Research Unit Commission
XISR

Zonal Programme
Coordinators

Zonal Documentation Zonal Monitoring Zonal Accountant

Incharge Officer

Unit Programme
Coordinators

Project Staff Administrative Staff

Office assistant/ Accountant

Patna Jesuit Social Action ● 20 ● Profile

 Contact Details

Contact Address Anto Joseph S.J

Social Action Coordinator
St. Xavier’s, Gandhi Maidan Marg,
Patna-800 001, Bihar

Registration No. 195 of 1930 - 31

Phone Number 0612-2219677, 2211487,

09471828633

E- Mail pjsa.bihar@gmail.com
antothunda@hotmail.com

Website www.patnajesuits.org

Legal Holder of PATNA JESUIT SOCIEY,

any Project St. Xavier’s, Gandhi Maidan Marg,
Patna 800 001, Bihar, India

Bank Name Canara Bank Main Branch,

South Gandhi Maidan, Patna

Account Number 0352101013401

Swift Code CNRBINBBCFD

Finance Officer Johnson Kelakath, S.J

Patna Jesuit Social Action ● 21 ● Profile

Details of the Social Service Centers

SL. No Name Address Registration Operational Area

Central Zone

1 Manthan, Khagaul Catholic ChurchKhagaul (P0) Society’s Blocks 3 Panchayats 35

(Zonal centre) Patna – 801 105 Reg.462/ 89-90 Villages 95

2 Asha Deep, Subhash Nagar,

Muzaffarpur BibigunjBhagwanpur
ChowkMuzaffarpur 842 001

3 Prabhat Madhubani Prabhat Bhawan Purani Bazar, Blocks 4 Panchayats 37

Sakri, Madhubani 847 239 Village 53

North Zone

4 READ Bettiah READC/0 K. R High School, Society’s Blocks 6 anchayats 30

(Zonal centre) Bettiah, W. Champaran845 438 Reg.30 / 87-88 Villages 120

5 Jan Shiksha Rampurva village, Gaunaha (PO) Block 1 Panchayats 18

ParishadGaunaha West Champaran 845 102 Villages 70

6 Sevasadan Ratanpurva (P0)Via Ramnagar, Blocks 2 Panchayats 45

Rathanpurva West Champaran 845 106 Villages 180

South Zone

7 REAP Sasaram New Area, Sasaram, Society’s Blocks 6 Panchayats 27

(Zonal centre) Rohtas 821 115 Reg.481/ 91-92 Villages 175

8 Jeevan Sangham Dumuhan, Bodh Blocks 3 Panchayats 12

Gaya Gaya, Gaya 824 234 Villages 55

9 Sampurna Vikas Gayatri Path, Near By pass Society’s Blocks 5 Panchayats 25

Samiti Aurangabad Chowk Aurangabad 824 101 Reg.826 /93-94 Villages 250

10 BDVS Patna Administrative Office Society’s Districts 11

Rukunpura, Bailey Reg.172/85-86 Blocks 28 Panchayats 86
Road, Patna 800 014 Villages/wards 504

11 XISR Research Unit Digha Ghat Patna Important Publications

800 011 1. Bihar Subaltern Study series:
a) The Nishad community of Bihar (Hindi)
b) The Nats of Bihar (H)
c) Dalit Folk culture and resistance (H)
d) Tharus: A unique Tribal community (H)

Patna Jesuit Social Action ● 22 ● Profile

 No. of Beneficiaries of the Present Programmes
Staff Strength Rural Educational Programmes Total No. of
Women Indirect
& volunteers Total Beneficiaries
Empowerment beneficiaries
Boys Girls Youth

30 1300 1200 150 2650 1300 19750 23700

Proposed centre for Human Resource Development

37 266 223 102 589 1227 9080 10896

47 900 700 165 1765 900 13325 15990

35 545 225 250 1020 1800 14100 16920

41 740 700 45 1485 7425 8910

32 700 800 300 1800 1690 8450 17450

28 600 500 500 1600 1000 13000 15600

24 250 150 300 700 2600 13000 16500

1276 783 500 2559 1178 2600 125000 128737

2. Human Rights studies: 3. Primary Education in Bihar (H)

a) People, Law and Rights (H) 4. Bihar Panchaythi raj campaign (H)
b) Child human rights in Bihar (H) 5. Issues of the common man (H)
c) Dalit Rights in Bihar 6. 20 Research articles on issues affecting Bihar, etc
d), Women human rights in Bihar (H)
e) Children’s Rights in Bihar (E)
f) Dalit Human Rights and Media (H) etc

Patna Jesuit Social Action ● 23 ● Profile

 Profile of the Jesuits in
Social Action

Sl. No Name Present Responsibility Educational Qualification Experience in Years

1 Joy Karayampuram President LL.M (National Law School, 10
Bangalore)
2 Dr. Anto Joseph State Coordinator PJSA M.A (Economics) PhD 8
3 Philip Manthra Human Rights, B.A, B.Ed. 30
PUCL State President
4 Dr. Louis Prakash JRS, South Asia Coordinator M.A, PhD 15
5 Dr. Jose Vadassery Director BDVS M.A, PhD 20
6 Dr. Tomy Nishant Head- Research Wing M.A, Sociology, PhD 13
7 Jose Kariakkat Director, Jeevan Sangham, M.S.W 19
Bodhgaya
8 Sudeep Chacko Director, SVS M.S.W 15
9 Martin Poras Research Scholar M.S.W, PhD 5
10 Joseph Sebastian Director, READ PGDM-Rural Management 3
(XIM, Bhubaneshwar)
11 Stephen Raj Administrator, Prabhat M.S.W 5
12 Joseph Srampickal Director, M.S.C Mathematics 30
Jan Shiksha Bhavan,
Gaunaha
13 Sumit Edwin Menezes Asst. Director, M.A, Sociology 18
Jan Shiksha Bhavan, Gaunaha
14 Tony Pendanath Director, Prabhat, M.A, Sociology 20
Madhubani
15 Siji Varghese Director, REAP M.S.W 6
16 Victor Virendra Administrator, Madhubani B.S.W 3
17 Jesuraj Director, M.A, Philosophy 3
Kulandaisamy Asha Deep Muzaffarpur
18 Stanislaus Ranjan Barbigha M.S.W 12
Lazarus
19 George Joseph Director, Sevasadan, B.A, PGDC- Manila 4
Ayyankanal Rathanpurva
20 Prashant Pius Ass. Director BDVS B.A, LLB 12
21 Jose K.P Ass. Director BDVS M.A, LLB 10

Patna Jesuit Social Action ● 24 ● Profile

 Way ahead

“Empowerment of the poor through

animation, mobilization and capacity building to
channel their collective power to collective action
to transform the unjust structures is the core of
Patna Jesuit social Action”

In broad terms, the focus of our action

aimed at the empowerment of the poor would
include:

1. With focus on children - creating a pool of

well-developed human resources for the
poor through planned, participatory,
collective and innovative educational
programs;

2. With focus on women - enhancing fearless,

creative and enlightened leadership;
enhancing social consciousness and
entrepreneurship of women through
animation and mobilization, training and
capacity building, and initiating economic
activities.

3. With focus on community - enhancing the

social capital of the poor through effective
methods of conscientization to make the
village community responsible and capable
of protecting human rights, environment and
Panchayath Raj institutions.

4. With focus on our vision of a new social order

- developing a socio-economic ideology and
paradigm; developing analytical tools,
through painstaking and rigorous social
research and collective reflection.”

Patna Jesuit Social Action Policy 2010

Be a partner with us in building the lives of the poor.....
Social Action Coordinator, St. Xavier’s, Gandhi Maidan Marg, Patna 800 001, Bihar
Phone : 0612-2219677, 2211487,
Mobile : +91 9471828633, +91 9471864233
Website : www.patnajesuits.org
E-mail : pjsa.bihar@gmail.com