Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi Appointed for the Third Time to the District-Level Vigilance Committee, Varanasi

A milestone built on decades of struggle for food security and rights-based governance

People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) is proud to announce that Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi has been appointed for the third time as a member of the District-Level Vigilance Committee, Varanasi, constituted under the National Food Security Rules, 2015.

This recognition by the district administration is not just an institutional appointment—it is a celebration of a long, committed, and often difficult journey undertaken by PVCHR and Dr. Raghuvanshi to ensure food, dignity, and justice for the most marginalized, many years before the Food Security Act came into existence.

A History of Struggle: PVCHR and the Fight for Food Security

Long before the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013 was even conceptualized, PVCHR was deeply engaged in defending the Right to Food for vulnerable communities in eastern Uttar Pradesh.

1. Pre–Food Security Act Groundwork

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, PVCHR documented a series of cases related to:

• Starvation deaths

• Acute malnutrition among Dalit, Musahar, and OBC communities

• Discrimination in the public distribution system (PDS)

• Leakages, corruption, and denial of food rations

• Exploitation of bonded laborers and agrarian workers facing chronic hunger

These interventions brought national attention to the crisis in rural Varanasi, Sonbhadra, Chandauli, and nearby districts—long before food security became a mainstream policy concern.

2. Involvement in the Right to Food Campaign

PVCHR and Dr. Raghuvanshi actively participated in the India-wide Right to Food Campaign, which played a major role in pushing food security into the national policy agenda.

PVCHR:

• Submitted detailed fact-finding reports to the campaign

• Mobilized affected communities

• Advocated for universal food entitlements

• Collaborated with national networks, academics, and human rights defenders

• Pressured the administration to adopt transparency and accountability mechanisms

These efforts strengthened the grassroots evidence base that ultimately contributed to the creation of the NFSA.

3. Legal Interventions and Peoples’ Testimonies

PVCHR pioneered:

• Testimonial therapy with victims of hunger and state neglect

• Public hearings and Jan Sunwais on PDS corruption

• Continuous engagement with NHRC, SHRC, and district authorities

• Documentation of structural inequalities that perpetuate hunger

These interventions helped transform individual suffering into systemic advocacy.

Three-Time Appointment: A Testament to Consistent Advocacy

Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi’s repeated nomination to the District-Level Vigilance Committee is a recognition of:

• His role as a bridge between communities and the administration

• His persistent advocacy for rights-based governance

• His commitment to ensuring that marginalized families receive their legal entitlements

• PVCHR’s long-term struggle for accountability in food distribution systems

The Vigilance Committee monitors:

• PDS operations

• Quality and timely distribution of subsidized grains

• Transparency measures

• Grievance redressal mechanisms

Dr. Raghuvanshi’s presence ensures that the voices of the poor remain central to these processes.

A Proud Moment for PVCHR

For PVCHR, this third-time appointment is more than a personal achievement—it is a moment of pride for the entire peoples’ movement that has fought relentlessly for decades to uphold the Right to Food as a fundamental human right.

This milestone reaffirms:

• The importance of civil society engagement in democratic oversight

• The power of community-centered activism

• The impact of sustained, evidence-based human rights work

The Journey Ahead

As Dr. Raghuvanshi begins his third term, PVCHR remains committed to:

• Strengthening district-level accountability

• Monitoring PDS functioning using survivor-centered approaches

• Advocating for hunger-free communities

• Expanding the fight against exclusion, discrimination, and corruption

The struggle for dignity continues—and this appointment strengthens our resolve.

Together, we move forward toward a hunger-free, just, and inclusive society.