This is a glimpse of our Mann Mela – Mental Justice Fair!
Launched in 2018, this is a module with 8 games – created for and by grassroot leaders.. Anubhuti’s founder Deepa Pawar, with lived experiences as a woman, from a nomadic tribe, with multiple vulnerabilities, first conceptualized in 2016 such a highly accessible, replicable, locally contextualized, grassroot-led process of Mental Health literacy and support. She had coined the term ‘#MentalJustice‘ (read more here: https://www.epw.in/…/mental-justice-nt-dnts-context…), to respond to the MH realities of grassroot communities – which are not adequately represented in prevailing MH theories that are derived from Western experts and privileged contexts. Mental Justice is going beyond simply making MH services more inclusive (also very important); it recognizes the mental impact of historical, social, political, administrative, legal injustices – and that solutions to such MH issues need to go beyond health responses. These can be found in our Indian Constitution.
Mental Justice is the accessibility of development, opportunities, participation, leadership, and other rights in a dignified and non-discriminatory manner that the Constitution safeguards.
Deepa Pawar, Founder Anubhuti
Mann Mela takes these concepts to create interesting, unique games such as My Choice, Target Practice, Ring Toss, Emotion Masks, Snakes & Ladders to talk about intersections of MH with caste, gender, sexuality, criminalization.. It is hope-filled, always taking the participants towards solutions, packed with discussions, sharing, information, conceptual understanding, technical & legal knowledge, and strategies.