NGO promotes mental health awareness through art in Dharamsala

People for Action, an NGO, recently organised a three-day mental health awareness camp, which witnessed the participation of artists from across the country, in Dharamsala. People for Action CEO Afsana Cherian said the camp, which concluded on Tuesday, was themed ‘Its Okay not to be Okay’.

About 50-70 million people in the country suffer from mental disorders, she noted, stating that it was alarming that India was the world’s suicide capital, with over 2.6 lakh cases of suicide being registered in a year.

According to World Health Organisation data, the average suicide rate in India is 9 per 1,00,000 people, she added. The stigma surrounding mental health was a significant barrier to seeking help, she said.

Keeping this in mind, People for Action had announced an initiative with renowned Indian artists to promote mental health awareness through the language of art, she added. “The campaign consists of celebrated artists Subodh Gupta, Paresh Maity, Jatin Das, Mona Rai, Sanjay Bhattacharya, Rajendar Tiku, Nupur Kundu, Maya Burman, Farhad Hussain, Vinita Karim, Swapan Bhandary, Asit Kumar Patnaik and Oinam Dilip,” she said.

Cherian said the camp was a celebration of vulnerability, creativity and connection.

According to Sanjay Bhattacharya and Paresh Maity, artists who participated in the camp, the collaboration was a testament to the profound role of art in bridging divides and opening minds to essential issues like mental health. Artist Jatin Das said, “We live in a world that often demands perfection. However, through this platform, we want to celebrate imperfection and the beauty of simply being human.”

Cherian said the Art Yatra Artists Campaign was a collective effort to showcase solidarity and normalise conversations around mental health through art. The camp included live art exhibitions, workshops, mindfulness sessions, and open dialogues on mental health.