Ek Potlee Ret Ki (Kaani Nilam) began its artists mobilisation work as part of the ‘Jawabdehi Yatra’, a 100 days accountability initiative by SR Abhiyan (conglomerate of civil society organisations), with the support of the Government of Rajasthan. We travelled to every district in the state and organised awareness programs followed by grievance redress camps. During the yatra, Ek Potlee Ret Ki took a special initiative to identify and engage artist and artisan communities in the most culturally rich 5 districts of the state; Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Nagaur and Jaipur. We mapped cultural communities living across these districts and mobilised over 10,000 artists and artisan, documented their practices and recorded their grievances, that were then addressed by administrators at the Samwads. 

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We have since replicated this model of mobilisation and advocacy in all three states we work in; Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. An important component in this process is a specially co-developed socio-cultural geo mapping which allows us to identify the most marginalised or neglected among this vast population. We use the information generated to advocate for targeted governmental interventions.

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Going beyond being mere meetings, the samwads also serve as showcase opportunities for artists. District officials watch their performances and hear stories of lived experiences that allowed them to address issues raised with more empathy.