Why does every Indian experience life differently? Why do our perspectives on common issues vary so vastly? As citizens, can we ever truly understand each other, even without full agreement?
The Equals Project was founded in 2020 to explore exactly these questions. We believe that if we have to understand the story of India today, we need to go back to its founding moment.
TEP is a research and teaching organization dedicated to fostering empathetic deliberation, moving beyond simplistic notions of right and wrong. Our goal is to use the model of the Constituent Assembly to discuss Constitutional values with everyday citizens and understand how it influences India and Indian-ness today.
What we do
We explore Constitutional history and nation building with children and young adults, through experiential learning workshops. These workshops include simulations for participants, both real and fictional. Here, we actively discard notions of ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ and explore forces that influence our understanding of identity. Our model is student-led, with a focus on values learnt.
Our workshops are customized to institutional needs, ranging from one day workshops to courses spanning 6 weeks. We work across different age groups, building age-appropriate simulations.
Creating offline communities of practice which discuss and engage with constitutional values is an important focus of TEP. We do this through offline events, reading circles, and collaborations with like-minded organisations. Here, we encourage discussion on the praxis of justice, fraternity and equality in our everyday lives. As always, our goal is to democratize conversations on the Constitution.
We actively encourage and platform diverse voices engaging with Constitution making. We recognize that experiences of the Constitution and Constitution making are intertwined with individual identity. To promote diverse scholarship on constitutional history, we instituted the Dakshayini Velayudhan and Hasrat Mohani Fellowship.
Our core goal is to tell the story of India’s founding in a manner that encourages conversations on constitutional values. It is our firm belief that unless these values are actively embraced by the citizenry, no constitutional provision will prove enough.
Through rigorous research we explore key debates from the founding moment of India and their relevance and impact on India today. Most importantly, we want to ensure that this is shared in language, and through mediums, that are easy to engage with. We use podcasts, heritage walks, art workshops, book clubs to promote discussions on constitutional history.
Picture Credit : Art by Chikoobee
In the media
‘FAQs on the Indian Constitution with Shruti Viswanathan’
Our team
Shruti Viswanathan
Shruti Viswanathan is the founder of the Equals Project. She is a lawyer and policy professional with over 13 years of experience working with national and international organisations in building just,inclusive societies. She is a graduate of the National Law School of India University, Bangalore. Shruti has a Masters from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. She is focused on contributing to community-led social change. Shruti is based in Chennai.
Currently Reading : Assembling India’s Constitution by Rohit De and Ornit Shani
Archie Chatterjee
Archie is a research associate at the Equals Project. She is currently pursuing a Masters degree in history at the University of Delhi. She wants to make history more accessible . Archie is based in New Delhi.
Currently Reading : Mother Mary Comes To Me
Our partners
