India's Rajagopal wins the Niwano Peace Prize
The 40th edition of the "Nobel Prize for Religions" has been awarded to a Gandhian activist who has been fighting for the land rights of tribals and other marginalised communities in India with the method of non-violent marches for fifty years.
Tokyo (AsiaNews) - The Niwano Foundation announced today that the 40th edition of its prestigious peace prize, considered the "Nobel Prize of religions", will go to the Indian activist Rajagopal P.V., a man who for the past fifty years, following the example of Mahatma Gandhi in India, has been fighting for the rights of the poorest and most marginalised populations with non-violent methods.
The announcement was made today in Tokyo, stating that the award - which consists of a medal and a cheque for 20 million yen (about 140,000 euros) - will be presented at a ceremony scheduled for 11 May.
In the motivation, the Niwano Foundation speaks of Rajagopal's struggle "for the recognition of equal human dignity of every man and woman, regardless of caste or gender, which arouses great admiration.
His particular achievements include negotiating surrender and rehabilitating gangs, educating the youth in the service of the poor and, in the knowledge that the primary needs of the poor are water, land and forests, his commitment to caring for the environment'.
Born in Kerala on 6 June 1948 into a family that educated him in the principles of non-violence enunciated by Gandhi, Rajagopal goes by his first name in public to avoid being identified with a caste.
He began his social work in the Chambal valley in Madhya Pradesh, dedicating himself to the children of the dacoits, the violent youth gangs of the most marginalised sections of the population.
Through his work, he has negotiated the reintegration into society of some of these groups, while at the same time initiating national youth engagement programmes in service to the poorest.
The culmination of these efforts was the founding in 1991 of the Ekta Parishad (the 'Forum of Unity'), a coordination of realities that aim to promote through the non-violent method the right to land and a dignified life for the most marginalised communities.
In the style of Gandhi, the means of conducting this battle have been long marches attended by thousands of people. In collaboration with other groups, this movement founded by Rajagopal succeeded in securing land rights for some 500,000 families and in getting the Forest Rights Act, the most important law on the rights of tribal people in India, passed.
"In many parts of the world," writes Rajagopal in a message accepting the award, "people have not seriously assimilated the idea of non-violence and believe that war and violence are the means to make peace. At this moment in history, we see how peace between human beings and peace between human beings and nature is elusive but still remains an imperative... There are the challenges of the arms race, the climate crisis and persistent poverty and discrimination. With the arrival of social media and information technology, there are places marked by intractable divisions and growing distrust. I congratulate the Niwano Foundation because it continues to lobby for peace, identifying different people around the world each year, encouraging them to go forward to advocate for peace despite these problems."
The Niwano Award commemorates Nikkyo Niwano, the first president of the Buddhist organisation Rissho Kosei-kai. The winner is selected from nominations made in a process involving 600 individuals and organisations representing 125 countries and many religions.
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01/03/2011
