I am Abishek Raja, from Ramanathapuram district. For the past seven years, I have been volunteering with NGOs and social movements, working for social change. I am interested in continuous learning. Recently, I participated in the Social Advocacy and Lobbying training conducted by IDEAS Centre, Madurai, from May 21–26. This was my fourth training programme with IDEAS.

Over the years, I have learned about caste discrimination, patriarchy, corruption, environmental concerns, and several social challenges. I have also met people and groups affected by these issues and those fighting against them. Earlier, these realities made me angry and emotional. Through the Social Analysis Training at IDEAS, I learned to observe and understand social problems more critically. I realised that many marginalised people are unaware of their rights and the ways to seek justice when those rights are violated. Social Advocacy training helped me understand government welfare schemes available for marginalised communities.

I learned how to access information through tools, such as RTI and e-Gram Swaraj. I also got an opportunity to draft and submit an RTI application. The training taught me how to create awareness among people, engage with the media, and address issues through collective action and legal processes. Listening to experienced activists and trainers inspired me greatly. Their stories showed me new pathways. Without expecting changes from others, I must become an agent of change.

I plan to address the issue of educational scholarships not reaching Arundhathiyar students properly. I will submit an RTI application on this issue. Using RTI in my environmental work will make my efforts effective. This training has given me confidence, clarity, and motivation to take action for social justice.

Mr. Abishek Raja, Ramnad