Samarthan's journey began long before its formal registration. In 1978, our founders Vivek Pandit (Bhau) and Vidyullata Pandit (Tai) began their vital work fighting bonded labor in Dahisar, Palghar. This grassroots struggle led to the formation of 'Vidhayak Sansad' (1978) and the 'Shramjeevi Sanghatana' (1982). Recognizing that street struggles needed a voice inside the legislature, Samarthan was conceived in 1993 and formally established in 1997. We became the first organization in Maharashtra to lobby for the poor and marginalized, breaking the monopoly of commercial lobbying in the State Assembly.