New repository to archive mental health narratives
The Banyan and BALM are launching the Keshav Desiraju Lived Experience Repository, a project dedicated to preserving first-person narratives from marginalised socioeconomic contexts.
Participants at the Transdisciplinary Research Diploma programme
Across archives and official records, the voices of people who have lived through mental health struggles are strikingly absent. “When you look at archival material, whether from The Banyan’s early records or from mental hospitals across the Madras Presidency, you mostly see the voices of administrators. The perspectives of people who actually lived through these experiences are largely absent. Yet these stories hold immense value. They shape how we think about care, empathy, and community,” says Lakshmi Narasimhan, CEO of the Banyan Academy of Leadership in Mental Health (BALM).
To address this gap, The Banyan and BALM are launching the Keshav Desiraju Lived Experience Repository, a project dedicated to preserving first-person narratives from marginalised socioeconomic contexts. The initiative is named in memory of Keshav Desiraju, former Union Health Secretary, architect of India’s Mental Health Policy, and a trustee of The Banyan and BALM. The launch is scheduled at The Savera, Mylapore, on December 6.
The repository aims to house stories that rarely find their way into mainstream platforms: narratives that are complex, unconventional, and sometimes uncomfortable. These are accounts that defy linear storytelling and are often overlooked simply because we have failed to listen. “This platform brings forward narratives missing from traditional discourse. They challenge how we think about mental health, dignity, and community,” Lakshmi says.
As part of the launch, two illustrated books will be introduced. ‘Jothi’, illustrated by Deepti George and ‘Waggy Tales’, written by Arundhati and illustrated by Anushka Madhavan. A revised edition of ‘Jacklin & Amali’, a comic by Rega Jha and Anushka Madhavan, will also be released. “For decades, The Banyan has worked with individuals experiencing mental health issues across India. Through community mental health programmes and direct engagement, we have come across stories that can influence policy and practice. This repository supports people in telling these narratives in their own voices,” concludes Lakshmi.
