MADHYA PRADESH: On a warm summer morning at Narmadapuram district Police Lines, a group of children raced across the athletics track with joy, cheered on by police officers, coaches and fellow participants. Among them were children from the Pardhi community—many of whom, just weeks earlier, had rarely stepped beyond their remote settlements.
For generations, the Pardhi community has lived with the burden of a label imposed more than 150 years ago. Branded a “criminal tribe” under the British-era Criminal Tribes Act of 1871, the community continues to grapple with prejudice despite the law being repealed in 1952. In MP’s Narmadapuram, an unusual initiative is attempting to change that story—not through policing alone, but through education.
Called ‘Udaan’, the campaign is spearheaded by SP Sai Krishna S Thota, a 2014-batch IPS officer, with a belief: the future of the Pardhi community can be transformed by investing in its children. Thota’s engagement with the Pardhis began during his earlier posting as the SP in Panna district. He got associated with the non-profit Last Wilderness Foundation, which has been working with the Pardhis. After his transfer, Thota’s effort remained unfinished. “When I was posted as Narmadapuram SP earlier this year, we decided to continue that work along with the Foundation,” he said.
The district has Pardhi settlements. Building trust was not easy. Years of strained interactions with law enforcement meant many elders viewed police with suspicion. Rather than approaching families directly, police relied on the long relationship of the Foundation to bridge the gap. The breakthrough came through the children.
This summer, around 30 Pardhi children aged between 5 and 15 were invited to join a two-month summer camp at the Police Lines along with nearly 60 children from police families. Initially, the youngsters remained hesitant, with uniformed officers around them. The children of police personnel broke the ice. The barriers between the community and police dissolved.
Pardhi children participated in educational activities, painting, arts and crafts, music, sports and personality development sessions. Government coaches trained them in kabaddi, judo and athletics. It was on the athletics track that Pardhi children surprised everyone. The camp concluded in June, but the initiative has just begun. Every Sunday, the children still attend special classes at the Police Lines.