The outline of the course was pretty solid and covered all the major protests and

movements happened in India and abroad. The course has unsettled me at times,
questioned my beliefs and forced me to revisit my ideals. The pedagogy with a mix of
student presentations, speaker sessions and lectures is an unique approach which
strengthens the ideas that we can learn from everyone around us. I would like to reflect on
the learnings I made from this course and understanding of social movements.

First, people protest not only if they have been deprived of their rights but also if they have
shared grievances and feel they have been treated unjustly historically. So, it is essential to
understand the cause of their struggle and address their concerns.

Second, the conscious efforts of an individual or a group of individuals are needed to make
the people aware of their rights, educate them and steer them towards the achievement of
what they are fighting for. A section of people inspires other sections through their fight for
justice, truth and against the power. The course gave me a new way of evaluating social
activists.

Third, careful listening to other side’s perspectives really helps in appraising the situation
and shows the path towards a solution. For that we need to be aware of societal biases;
have empathy, compassion and fair understanding of their lives; and essentially be free
from prejudices.

Fourth, the changing nature of the state changed the interpretation of democracy and
constitution which keeps common people at bay. The policies are being made without clear
consultations and confrontations from those sections which can be affected adversely. It
takes a strong mindset, courage, coordinated efforts and spirit of justice to oppose the
governments in power.

The report on CSR activities made me understand the nature of decision taken by
corporates. I understood that CSR should align with the values of community. The
interaction with the tribal rights activist gave me first hand information on the tribal
protests, the life of an activist and the social work. Field immersion helped me understand
the effect of a pandemic on a poor family and how the vicious cycle of poverty works.