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Udayani Social Action Forum

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Udayani Social Action Forum

Udayani Social Action Forum is an Jesuit run NGO, working for the empowerment of Dalit and Adivasi women in the rural Bengal.

30/06/2026

Hul Diwas: Remembering the Spirit of Resistance and Self-Determination 🌿

Today, on 30th June, we commemorate Hul Diwas, marking the beginning of the historic Santhal Rebellion of 1855 led by the legendary leaders Sidhu Murmu and Kanhu Murmu. The word "Hul" means rebellion or liberation in the Santali language. The uprising was a courageous and organized resistance against the exploitation and oppression of the British colonial administration, landlords, and moneylenders. Though brutally suppressed, the rebellion became a significant milestone in India's freedom struggle and continues to symbolize the fight for dignity, justice, and indigenous rights.

To honour this historic day, women associated with Udayani Social Action Forum observed Hul Diwas in their respective villages through prayer gatherings, cultural programmes, songs, discussions, and speeches highlighting the history and significance of the Santhal Hul. The celebrations provided an opportunity to remember the sacrifices of the martyrs, reflect on the struggles of the Santhal community, and inspire future generations to uphold the values of unity, courage, and social justice. Through these village-level observances, women reaffirmed their commitment to preserving their cultural heritage and strengthening collective voices for rights and empowerment.

✊🏾 Johar to the brave heroes of Hul!
🌾 Let us continue to honour their legacy by standing for justice, equality, and dignity for all.

আজ ৩০শে জুন, আমরা পালন করছি হুল দিবস। ১৮৫৫ সালের এই দিনেই সিধু মুর্মু ও কানু মুর্মুর নেতৃত্বে সাঁওতাল বিদ্রোহের সূচনা হয়েছিল। 'হুল' শব্দের অর্থ বিদ্রোহ বা মুক্তির লড়াই। ব্রিটিশরা জঙ্গল কেটে কৃষিজমি তৈরি করতে শুরু করে, যার ফলে সাঁওতালদের জীবন-জীবিকা, সংস্কৃতি ও বসবাসের পরিবেশ গভীরভাবে ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত হয়। এর সঙ্গে জমিদার ও মহাজনদের শোষণ-অত্যাচার মিলে সাঁওতাল জনগোষ্ঠী বিদ্রোহে সামিল হতে বাধ্য হয়।
যদিও এই বিদ্রোহকে দমিয়ে রাখার চেষ্টা করা হয়েছিল, তবুও এটি ভারতের স্বাধীনতা সংগ্রামের ইতিহাসে এক গৌরবময় অধ্যায় এবং আজও আদিবাসীদের অধিকার, মর্যাদা ও ন্যায়ের লড়াইয়ের প্রতীক।
ই দিনটি উপলক্ষে উদয়নী সোশ্যাল অ্যাকশন ফোরাম-এর উদ্যোগে বিভিন্ন গ্রামের মহিলারা নিজ নিজ এলাকায় হুল দিবস পালন করেছেন। প্রার্থনা, সাংস্কৃতিক অনুষ্ঠান, গান, নৃত্য এবং হুল বিদ্রোহের ইতিহাস ও সংগ্রাম নিয়ে বক্তব্যের মাধ্যমে তাঁরা সিধু-কানু ও অন্যান্য শহীদদের প্রতি শ্রদ্ধা নিবেদন করেন। এই কর্মসূচির মাধ্যমে নতুন প্রজন্মের কাছে হুলের ইতিহাস ও আদিবাসী সংস্কৃতির গুরুত্ব তুলে ধরা হয় এবং সকলকে ঐক্য, অধিকার ও ন্যায়ের পথে এগিয়ে চলার আহ্বান জানানো হয়।

হুলের বীর শহীদদের প্রতি আমাদের বিনম্র শ্রদ্ধা।
জোহার! 🌿

#হুলদিবস #সাঁওতালবিদ্রোহ #জোহার #আদিবাসীঅধিকার #উদয়নী #নারীশক্তি #সম্প্রদায়ের_উন্নয়ন

06/06/2026

"The Earth is what we all have in common." — Wendell Berry 🌍

This World Environment Day, women from all five blocks gathered not just to celebrate nature, but to reconnect with it. Through moments of quiet reflection in nature meditation, powerful discussions, songs, slogans, collective action planning, and tree plantation using the Marmara Methodology, we reaffirmed our commitment to a greener and more sustainable future.

Every sapling planted today carries a promise for tomorrow. 💚🌍

30/05/2026

🩸 Menstrual Hygiene Day I 28th May 2026

The women of Jamalpur, Kalna-I and Pandua came together to observe Menstrual Hygiene Day and raise awareness about menstrual health and hygiene.

The programme provided a platform for women to openly discuss menstruation, share their experiences, and address the myths, stigma, and taboos that continue to surround this natural biological process. Discussions also highlighted the importance of safe menstrual practices, access to hygiene products, and creating supportive environments for women and girls.

By encouraging open conversations and spreading awareness, the participants reaffirmed the importance of ensuring dignity, health, and equal opportunities for all women and girls.

Let us continue to break the silence around menstruation and work towards a society where periods are understood, accepted, and managed with dignity.

18/05/2026

A unique 3-day puppet-making and performance workshop was conducted at Pandua with women participants, where creativity, awareness, culture, and environmental consciousness came together beautifully. 🌿✨

During the first two days, the women learned to make puppets and dolls using waste paper, highlighting the importance of recycling, reusing waste, and protecting the environment through creative practices.

The participants then chose different social themes that they wanted to raise awareness about through their performances. Some of the themes included environmental protection, child marriage, the condition of government hospitals, and Santali culture and identity.

On the third day, the women performed powerful non-verbal presentations using puppets, theatre, music, and dance as mediums of expression. Without using words, they beautifully conveyed important social messages and reflected the realities and experiences of their communities.

The workshop became a space for creativity, collective learning, cultural expression, and community awareness, while also encouraging sustainable and eco-friendly practices. 🌱🎭

23/04/2026

🌍 পৃথিবী দিবস উপলক্ষে পরিবেশ রক্ষায় সম্মিলিত উদ্যোগ-

২২ এপ্রিল পৃথিবী দিবস উপলক্ষে “উদয়নী”-র উদ্যোগে বিভিন্ন জেলায় পরিবেশ সচেতনতা বৃদ্ধির লক্ষ্যে একাধিক কর্মসূচি আয়োজন করা হয়। স্বনির্ভর গোষ্ঠীর মহিলাদের সক্রিয় অংশগ্রহণে গাছ লাগানো, প্লাস্টিকমুক্ত পরিবেশ গড়ে তোলা, আলোচনা সভা, চিত্রাঙ্কন এবং গ্রাম পরিষ্কার রাখার মতো নানা উদ্যোগ নেওয়া হয়।

পূর্ব বর্ধমান, হুগলি এবং দক্ষিণ ২৪ পরগনার বিভিন্ন গ্রাম ও বিদ্যালয়ে এই কর্মসূচিগুলি বাস্তবায়িত হয়, যেখানে শিশু ও মহিলারা একসঙ্গে পরিবেশ রক্ষার বার্তা ছড়িয়ে দেন।

উদয়নী হেড অফিসের কর্মীরাও এই উদ্যোগে অংশগ্রহণ করে লেখা, আঁকা ও কবিতার মাধ্যমে সচেতনতা বৃদ্ধি করেন এবং দৈনন্দিন জীবনে পরিবেশবান্ধব অভ্যাস গড়ে তোলার ওপর জোর দেন।

✨ সম্মিলিত প্রচেষ্টাতেই সম্ভব একটি সবুজ, সুস্থ ও সুন্দর পৃথিবী গড়ে তোলা।

21/04/2026

🎭A powerful series of community theatre performances was conducted across four blocks of Jamalpur, Pandua, Kalna 1 and Kalna 2 to raise awareness on critical social issues affecting children’s rights, safety, and future.

Led by the Udayani Theatre Group, with active support from team members, the campaign used street theatre as a direct and engaging medium to connect with the community. The play "কন্যাকে দাও সম্মান" (Give Respect to All Girls) highlighted important messages around the harmful impact of child marriage, the dangers of human trafficking, and the need to ensure education, safety, and dignity for every child.

Performed in public spaces, these theatre acts reached a wide audience—sparking conversations, encouraging reflection, and creating awareness at the grassroots level. The initiative demonstrated how powerful theatre can be in engaging communities and driving dialogue on issues that truly matter.

✨ Change begins when communities come together to listen, reflect, and act.

21/02/2026

We are delighted to invite you, on behalf of the OBR Network, to join us for One Billion Rising (OBR) 2026, a global initiative launched in 2012 by V-Day on 14th February to end gender-based violence and stand up for justice, equality, and human rights. This initiatives was inspired by the alarming statistic that one in three women worldwide will experience violence in their lifetime—equating to approximately one billion women and girls. OBR harnesses the power of dance, art, and collective solidarity to raise awareness and demand systemic change.

This year’s event will take place on 24th February 2026, and to mark the occasion, we are organising a programme at Ranu Chaya Mancha, beginning at 3:00 PM.
Location: Cathedral Rd, Maidan, Kolkata, West Bengal 700071

As OBR is a colourful celebration of resistance and solidarity, we kindly request you to wear clothes in red, orange, purple, or pink.
Let’s come together, dance together and celebrate One billion rising!🩷💜🧡❤️

05/02/2026

Udayani Social Action Forum organised a two-day Gross National Happiness (GNH) workshop on 28th and 29th January at Seva Kendra, Kolkata, bringing together participants from Udayani along with a few other partner organisations. The workshop created a powerful space to pause and reflect on what we truly mean by “development.”
Too often, progress is measured only through numbers — income, targets, outputs. The GNH framework shifts this focus to people’s real quality of life: emotional well-being, strong community relationships, care for the environment, and a sense of purpose. It reminds us that growth is incomplete if it does not lead to dignity, balance, and happiness for people.
The vision of GNH is to create a society where material progress goes hand in hand with emotional, social, cultural, and environmental well-being. Its mission is to promote balanced development that values people, nature, and good governance equally.
Bhutan is the only country in the world to formally adopt GNH as a national development framework. We were guided by resource persons from the Gross National Happiness Centre, Bhutan, who shared how this model is practiced at both policy and community levels. Their work stands as a powerful example for the global development sector.
Through interactive sessions, reflections, and group discussions, the two days created a meaningful space for learning and connection. For Udayani, this perspective strongly aligns with our work with Adivasi and Dalit women and youth, reaffirming our commitment to programmes that are not only effective, but also meaningful and rooted in people’s well-being.

Here, happiness is not just an emotion — it is a measurable condition of life. 🌱

03/02/2026

Udayani Social Action Forum was pleased to host the 4th semester MSW students from the North East Institute of Social Sciences and Research (NEISSR) as part of their academic study tour to Kolkata.

The purpose of the visit was to observe and understand the structure, functioning, and community-based work of Udayani. Through this exposure, the students gained insights into grassroots development practices and organizational processes.

NEISSR is managed by the Diocese of Kohima and is affiliated to Nagaland University, offering specializations in Peace and Conflict Transformation Studies, Community Development, Social Entrepreneurship, and Youth Development. As part of their curriculum, study tours help students connect classroom learning with field realities. In this context, students who opted for Social Entrepreneurship Development visited Kolkata.

We had the pleasure of interacting with a group of 22 student trainees (13 female, 9 male) accompanied by one faculty member. We thank the NEISSR team for their enthusiasm and engagement, and wish them the very best in their learning journey and future endeavours.

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75/1 Ballygunge Place
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Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

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+913329723344

Website

https://udayani.org/

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