In Gujarat’s dusty villages, lakhs of nomadic and denotified tribes lived without rights or recognition — invisible citizens once branded as “criminals” under colonial law.
That began to change when Mittal Patel, a former IAS aspirant turned social activist, founded Vicharta Samuday Samarthan Manch (VSSM) in 2006. Nearly two decades on, her organisation has secured legal recognition for more than 7.5 lakh individuals, enabled housing for 1,000+ settlements, provided education and jobs for around 5,000 youth, and extended interest-free livelihood loans to 12,000 families.
Shining the spotlight on Mittal Patel
Partnering closely with tribal communities, Mittal Patel built VSSM into a platform that offers education, legal aid, housing, and microfinance to some of India’s most marginalised groups. Her mission has been to replace invisibility with dignity.
Winner of the ‘Social Changemaker’ category at Optum Presents The Better India Showcase, supported by the M3M Foundation, Mittal has created a model now recognised at state and local levels. By running community hostels, schools, and campaigns for citizenship rights, VSSM ensures that families once excluded from India’s development story now have access to opportunities.
The scale of her work is immense: over 7.5 lakh individuals with legal IDs, thousands of youth in schools and jobs, settlements with housing, and families thriving through small but transformative livelihood loans.
From invisible citizens to empowered communities
Mittal grew up in Shankhalpur, Gujarat, aspiring to join the IAS. After studying journalism at Gujarat Vidyapith, a fellowship with Charkha exposed her to the harsh realities of nomadic and denotified tribes— from precarious housing to systemic exclusion. That experience became a turning point, leading her to found VSSM in 2006 to secure rights, dignity, and recognition for these communities.
Her journey has not been easy. Working in deeply exclusionary and stigmatised communities meant facing skepticism from institutions and society alike. Yet her persistence, resilience, and empathy pushed through barriers.
Today, her work is celebrated nationally. She has even been honoured with the Nari Shakti Puraskar, India’s highest civilian recognition for women, among other awards. But for Mittal, the mission goes beyond accolades:
“For me, these people are my extended family. I want them to live with dignity, not as invisible citizens.”
Nearly 20 years on, Mittal’s work shows that lasting change does not come from charity but from restoring rights, recognition, and respect. Her efforts challenge deeply entrenched social stigmas and highlight the possibility of inclusive development.
While Mittal was among the winners at Optum Presents The Better India Showcase, supported by the M3M Foundation, we believe true recognition is what comes even after the applause. And so, we will be highlighting stories of the winners across categories for the next few weeks.
Read about the other winners here.
Edited by Khushi Arora.
