Ekta Parishad ("united forum") is a mass movement based on Gandhian principles of non-violence. It mobilizes people (especially the poor and deprived sections) on the issue of proper and just utilization of livelihood resources (i.e. primarily land, but also forest, and water).

The majority of the campaigns (called "morchas") continue year-round. Periodically there are larger actions (such as padyatras - long marches, or rallies and public meetings), that are designed to press the state government into action.

Ekta Parishad is a non-party political entity. The organization is not trying to “grab power” per se, although it has at different times provided backing to candidates who support the land issue and pro-poor policies. It promotes people’s politics and it is a non-party political formation.
Rather Ekta Parishad sees itself as “deepening democracy” by including the poorer sections in the governance structure. It is increasing “the public space” for people to demand their rights without having to align their loyalties to one or another party. This stand is not uncommon in India politics. It was first carticulated by a well-known Indian political scientist, Rajni Kothari in the late 1970s who maintained that there was a strong formation of “non-party political actors” in India.
The question arises as to how this formation stays together if it does not have the target of electoral victory and state power? This is basically because Ekta Parishad is constituted as a large number of campaigns and advocacy programs that are helping groups of people (as opposed to individuals) to struggle for different livelihood issues on a large geographic scale -- in four states. Rajgopal as the charismatic leader has taken on the task of bringing the different state level organizations together around a set of common strategies. Earlier on the campaign was focused on rights of tribal communities, and later the agenda of livelihood rights evolved. More recently Ekta Parishad has launched a land rights campaign, first in 1999 - 2000 in Madhya Pradesh, 2001 in Bihar, 2002 in Chambal Valley in Madhya Pradesh, 2003 in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala and later in 2004 in Orissa.
These land campaigns galvanized the people at the grassroots level, with villagers along with local leaders and Ekta Parishad activists. All of their particular demands have been put in the framework of land reform. Land reform is a structural issue that provides much of the glue related to people’s livelihood.
At the moment the paid membership is roughly 150,000 although there is clearly a formation that crosses half a million persons. Ekta Parishad is unique in that it is not calling for rights only for tribals, or dalits or women. It is trying to build large formations that bring people together and to oppose those that fracture groups apart. This is a very unique and timely methodology. Rajgopal more than anything else is known for “bringing people together”.
The inspiration that carries the organization is Gandhian. Based on Gandhian values of decentralization and local self-reliance, and at the same time it presses for active non-violence. The hope is that in the long-term there will be a different kind of political culture and leadership that emerges that is not based on the conventional power politics and politics of exclusion.