On 26 February 2026, Hasiru Dala launched Social Entitlements: From Exclusion to Access, a powerful documentation of what it takes to move from invisibility to recognition, and from exclusion to access.
The film brings into focus the lived realities of waste pickers across Bengaluru, Davangere, and Chitradurga. Through voices from the community, Indra, Gouri, Rathnamma, Indumathi, Huchengemma and Shubha, it traces a simple but profound truth - access to identity documents is not administrative, it is transformational. Without it, entitlements remain out of reach; with it, pathways to healthcare, pensions, and social protection begin to open.
Conceptualised by Hasiru Dala and produced by Team Inner Voice, the film also presents findings from a Social Return on Investment evaluation. For every ₹1 invested, ₹9.83 of social value is created. The film highlights Hasiru Dala’s years of work on improving access to social entitlements for waste workers — an effort that has been deepened and supported in recent years through the Saamuhika Shakti collaborative initiative.
The screening was followed by a panel discussion featuring leaders across sectors. Uma Mahadevan, Additional Chief Secretary and Development Commissioner, Government of Karnataka, emphasised the foundational role of documentation in enabling access and mobility, noting that dignity must be built collectively. Major Manivannan P, Commissioner, Bangalore Development Authority, reflected that policies can only be effective when communities are able to receive and access them.
At the panel discussion, organised during the launch, Shruti Venkatesan, Associate Director, Saamuhika Shakti, Sattva Consulting, highlighted that social security is foundational to development and that trusted grassroots organisations are essential in translating policy into lived reality.
The film underscores a simple truth: when systems recognise waste pickers as citizens with rights and dignity, meaningful and lasting change becomes possible.
On 26 February 2026, Hasiru Dala launched Social Entitlements: From Exclusion to Access, a powerful documentation of what it takes to move from invisibility to recognition, and from exclusion to access.
The film brings into focus the lived realities of waste pickers across Bengaluru, Davangere, and Chitradurga. Through voices from the community, Indra, Gouri, Rathnamma, Indumathi, Huchengemma and Shubha, it traces a simple but profound truth - access to identity documents is not administrative, it is transformational. Without it, entitlements remain out of reach; with it, pathways to healthcare, pensions, and social protection begin to open.
Conceptualised by Hasiru Dala and produced by Team Inner Voice, the film also presents findings from a Social Return on Investment evaluation. For every ₹1 invested, ₹9.83 of social value is created. The film highlights Hasiru Dala’s years of work on improving access to social entitlements for waste workers — an effort that has been deepened and supported in recent years through the Saamuhika Shakti collaborative initiative.
The screening was followed by a panel discussion featuring leaders across sectors. Uma Mahadevan, Additional Chief Secretary and Development Commissioner, Government of Karnataka, emphasised the foundational role of documentation in enabling access and mobility, noting that dignity must be built collectively. Major Manivannan P, Commissioner, Bangalore Development Authority, reflected that policies can only be effective when communities are able to receive and access them.
At the panel discussion, organised during the launch, Shruti Venkatesan, Associate Director, Saamuhika Shakti, Sattva Consulting, highlighted that social security is foundational to development and that trusted grassroots organisations are essential in translating policy into lived reality.
The film underscores a simple truth: when systems recognise waste pickers as citizens with rights and dignity, meaningful and lasting change becomes possible.
