Renu Khanna Collection

Content Description

This accession contains 16 publications, such as project reviews, reports, and toolkits/resource guides in relation to healthcare in India published or/and created by SAHAJ (Society for Health Alternatives) and other progressive non-government health organizations. They were published between 1980 and 2015. The publications cover a range of themes in public health such as women's health, healthcare for MSM (Men Who Have Sex With Men) and transgender communities, efforts in community health, healthcare management, and holistic health. They have been authored and created by healthcare practitioners, medical professionals, activists, academics, and non-government stakeholders. 11 of the publications are written in English, one in Hindi, and three in Gujarati. Most of the publications have been created based on grassroots projects, efforts, and experiments in building alternative approaches to health which are attuned to the needs and social realities of marginalized communities in India. SAHAJ (Society for Health Alternatives) empowers communities to claim their entitlements in the health and education sectors through direct community action, research, and policy advocacy. Over three decades, SAHAJ, in collaboration with other organizations, has published a wide range of reports, reviews and resources based on ground experiences for other community healthcare practitioners, policymakers, and the public at large. The reports have been co-created by SAHAJ and/or Renu Khanna (one of the founders of SAHAJ) in conjunction with organizations such as SEWA-Rural, Medical Mission Sisters, Social Action for Rural and Tribal Inhabitants of India (SARTHI), and Low Cost Standard Therapeutics.

Condition Description

A significant portion of the publications in this accession -- comprising books and reports -- are in moderately fragile condition. The materials exhibit signs of aging, including weakened bindings that may result in page detachment if handled roughly. The paper is generally yellowed or discolored, with some pages displaying minor tears. Additionally, several covers show evidence of peeling or partial detachment.

Accession Date

2025-07-07

Disposition

This accession will be transferred to a new collection, 'Society for Health Alternatives Papers' with three series titled - 'Women’s Health’ containing one sub-series titled 'Women Centred Health Project'; 'Holistic Health'; and 'Gujarati Publications.' 9 items from the accession were retained for the archive. These records of alternative and progressive efforts to promote a more inclusive understanding of healthcare feature less frequently in mainstream scientific discourse on health, and thus face the risk of being dismissed to the margins and erased over time, if not preserved. The following were excluded for the reasons listed below: a) One manual, titled "Increasing Men's Involvement in Reproductive Health," which is a duplicate of a manual we received in the previous Society for Health Alternatives accession. b) "Voluntary Effort in Community Health: Review of the Community Health Project of SEWA - Rural," Renu Khanna, NR Mehta, Anil Bhatt, which is available in soft copy online on a stable website c) "Concerns of Men who have Sex with Men and Transgender Communities in Vadodara, Gujarat," SAHAJ, Lakshya Trust d) "Where Women Have No Doctor: A Resource Guide for Women’s Health," and "Management Process in Health Care" by Voluntary Health Association of India. We were not able to receive permission from the copyright holder, the Voluntary Health Association of India. e) One Hindi and one Gujarati publication are not being included in this phase of archiving. Archiving initiatives such as the SAHAJ papers help preserve the learnings and resources from local-level interventions in community health aimed towards addressing health issues of women, transgender and MSM (men who have sex with men) communities. They reflect the efforts of NGOs, healthcare practitioners, academics, and activists at both the grassroots and national policy levels to bring their ground experiences and learnings to the public and other stakeholders concerned with community health.

Acquisition Type

Loan

Provenance

This material was received on 7 July 2025 from the home of Renu Khanna, founder of Society for Health Alternatives, in Vadodara, Gujarat through courier. The items had been stored in a cupboard in her home along with other books she had collected.

Retention Rule

The publications contained within this accession offer a glimpse into the efforts made by activists, NGOs, and healthcare professionals to create resources that enable healthcare practitioners to tackle the lack of adequate, gender-sensitive, and socially rooted community healthcare in India. They provide evidence of how community-based interventions have shaped health policies, reformed clinical practices, and ultimately redefine what constitutes effective treatment - especially for populations historically underserved by mainstream medical systems. They serve as important public resources, making medical, scientific, and experiential knowledge from voluntary community health efforts accessible to both laypersons and practitioners. Partners for Law in Development has been granted full authority in handling the material during the period of processing the items through a loan agreement. Post this period, the materials will be returned to Renu Khanna's library, and the digitized files will remain in the Archive of Partners for Law in Development.

Language of Description

English

Script of Description

Latin

Restrictions Apply

Yes

Access Restrictions

Collection is open for access unless mentioned in specific folders of the finding aid.

Use Restrictions

Copyright may not have been assigned to Archives at NCBS. Permission for reproduction or distribution must be obtained in writing from the Archives at NCBS (archives@ncbs.res.in). See access guidelines for more information (https://archives.ncbs.res.in/access). The Archives at NCBS makes no representation that it is the copyright owner in all of its collections. The user must obtain all necessary rights and clearances before use of material and material may only be reproduced for academic and non-commercial use.