The Association for the Social and National Service Society (ASNSSS) was founded in 1992 with a deep commitment to serve the tribal communities of the Western Ghats in India. These communities, along with bonded laborers and socially backward groups, have historically been excluded from mainstream development. For more than three decades, ASNSSS has worked tirelessly to restore dignity, improve livelihoods, and preserve the cultural and ecological heritage of tribal people. Today, the organization supports more than 2,000 families across six tribal communities, focusing on empowerment, health, education, child welfare, and cultural preservation.
The tribal clans of the Western Ghats once lived in harmony with nature. Under the rule of local kings and zamindars before independence, they had access to forests and fertile land, which ensured food security, strong health through traditional medicine, and an economy rooted in self-sufficiency. Their culture and traditions flourished in close connection with the five natural elements — earth, air, water, fire, and sky. However, the stability of this lifestyle began to change in 1927, when the British colonial government introduced the Indian Forest Act, which stripped tribal people of their rights over forests and transferred control to the state. This marked the beginning of displacement and the erosion of their autonomy.After India’s independence, instead of restoring these rights, the government handed over fertile tea estates and agricultural lands to private industries, further pushing tribal communities to the margins.
