PIPAL: People’s Initiative for Participatory Action for food Labelling

Tobacco, Slow Violence, and a Policy Turning Point: How Grassroots Evidence from Varanasi Helped Shape India’s New Tobacco Tax Framework “Every public opinion is not policy. For that, we need champions.” — Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi On 7 December 2025, Hindustan Varanasi, Newspaper carried a stark headline: “Tobacco causes cancer in 51.2% of men.” The report, based on district-level screening data, revealed that more than half of cancer cases among men in Varanasi are linked to tobacco use. Among women, tobacco-related cancers stood at a staggering 14.2% . According to the article, 57% of those screened came from rural areas , underscoring how deeply tobacco-related disease burdens India’s poorest and most underserved communities. This data is not merely alarming — it is a call to action. It is against this backdrop that a broader movement for fiscal and regulatory reform has picked up pace. And at its center stands the persistent advocacy of Jan Mitra Nyas and the People’s Vigilance Commi...

  Collaborative Efforts to Curb Rising NCDs: PVCHR, Jan Mitra Nyas, and Now IMA Join Hands for a Healthier Future The alarming rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) —especially heart disease—among young people in India has emerged as a serious public health concern. A recent report from the Heart India Conclave held in Varanasi highlights growing cases of hypertension, heart attacks, and sudden cardiac arrest among youth , signaling an urgent need for coordinated action. For many years, PVCHR (People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights) and Jan Mitra Nyas have been working at the grassroots level to address the long-term social and health consequences of poverty, stress, malnutrition, gender-based discrimination, and post-COVID vulnerabilities that contribute to NCDs. Today, it is encouraging to see the Indian Medical Association (IMA) also stepping forward to intensify efforts toward NCD prevention and awareness. NCDs After COVID: A Silent Crisis Post-COVID studies ac...

  ✨  महिलाओं के हक की लड़ाई, बाल विवाह के खिलाफ बुलंद आवाज़  ✨ श्रुति नागवंशी (वाराणसी) की प्रेरक कहानी पढ़ें 👇 Shruti Nagvanshi’s inspiring journey from Varanasi — fighting for  women’s rights  and raising her voice against  child marriage  👇 🔗  https://www.etvbharat.com/hi/!state/story-of-social-worker-shruti-nagvanshi-in-varanasi-uttar-pradesh-news-ups25092803758 #महिलाअधिकार #बालविवाहखत्मकरो #मानवाधिकार #श्रुति_नागवंशी #वाराणसी #न्यायकीलड़ाई #WomensRights #EndChildMarriage #HumanRights #ShrutiNagvanshi #Varanasi #FightForJustice

 🌍 “Every public opinion is not policy. For that, we need champions.” — Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi As special guest at the I Next–Jan Mitra Nyas doctors’ honour ceremony in Varanasi, Dr. Raghuvanshi spotlighted the urgent links between tobacco, NCDs, and taxation . From that July evening to PVCHR’s 2 Sept 2025 letters to the GST Council, Finance Minister, and LOP, this journey shows how grassroots voices + expert inputs can shape national policy. 🔗 Read the full article here: https://medium.com/@shruti_25784/every-public-opinion-is-not-policy-for-that-we-need-champions-dr-lenin-raghuvanshi-f878307c9445 #TobaccoControl #NCDs #PublicHealth #GST #HealthJustice #PVCHR #AdvocacyInAction #PolicyChange #India

Case No: 4227/90/0/2021 Diary No: 15413/IN/2021 Complainants: Shruti Nagvanshi & Shirin Shabana Khan (Varanasi, UP) Victims: Youth, Women, and Children across India Background On 14 September 2021 , human rights defenders Shruti Nagvanshi and Shirin Shabana Khan filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) highlighting a critical but often overlooked public health issue: the alarming rise of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in India, largely driven by packaged food high in salt, sugar, and fat . The complainants urged NHRC to intervene for the implementation of a Nutrient Profile Model (NPM) and Front-of-Pack Labeling (FOPL) regulations to empower consumers with transparent information and push the food industry towards healthier practices. Why It Matters NCDs like obesity, diabetes, and hypertension are now the leading cause of death and disability in India. Children and young people are increasingly exposed to unhealthy processed foods,...

  🌸   The Right to Breastfeed: One Mother, One Brick, One Act of Courage   🌸 This  World Breastfeeding Week , meet the brave  Musahar women of Varanasi’s brick kilns  who are reclaiming their  right to breastfeed  — building a healthier future for their children against all odds. 🔥 Amidst scorching heat, gruelling labour, and systemic discrimination, these mothers are asserting that  breastfeeding is not just nourishment — it’s dignity, agency, and power. 🤱  “Brick-making can wait, but my baby cannot,”  said Kajal (name changed), as she stood up to her supervisor and chose her newborn’s well-being over productivity — a quiet revolution in the heart of oppression. 🤝 Thanks to the work of  CRY – Child Rights and You  and  JanMitra Nyas (JMN) , more mothers are now accessing institutional deliveries, timely vaccinations, and nutritional support — even while migrating. 🔗  Read the full story : https://www.themi...