Umesh Rishi has more than thirty-year experience of working at the grassroots in Dhanbad Jharkhand. He has been working with the displaced and development projects affected people. He has been tirelessly campaigning for adivasi resource rights and labour entitlements through capacity and perspective building of youth. He has been at the forefront of social protest against illegal mining. He is attempting to bring effective attention to this widely prevalent social and environmental hazard that has the backing of powerful mining lobbies and political sanction. He is advocating on issues related to displacement and exploitation of natural resource. He has been at the forefront of fact-finding teams on various issues related to displacement and environmental degradation.