Kailash Satyarthi
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Kailash Satyarthi (born on January 11, 1954) is a human rights activist from India who's been at the forefront of the global movement to end child slavery and exploitative child labor since 1981. As a grassroots activist, he has led the rescue of over 67,000 child slaves and developed a successful model for their education and rehabilitation. As a worldwide campaigner, he has been the architect of the single largest civil society network for the most exploited children, the Global March Against Child Labour, active in over 140 countries. As an analytical thinker, he made the issue of child labor as a human rights issue, not a welfare matter or charitable cause. With forceful arguments he has established that child labor is, in fact, responsible for the perpetuation of poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, population explosion and many other social evils. He has also played an important role in linking the fight against child labor with the efforts for achieving 'Education for All'.
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[edit] Civil Society Groups
In addition, to the Global March Against Child Labor, other organizations he has founded and/or led include Bachpan Bachao Andolan, the Global Campaign for Education, and Rugmark. Rugmark is an international consortium of independent bodies from a dozen carpet exporting and importing countries, which take part in a voluntary social labeling initiative to ensure that rugs have not been produced with child labor. This initiative gives positive alternatives to responsible businesses, protecting them from any possible boycott and sanctions and gives an ethical choice to consumers worldwide. He is pursuing the industries and other stakeholders to adopt a similar system for knitwear, sporting goods and the other international common products.
[edit] Temple Entry of Untouchables
In 1987, Satyarthi led a group belonging to low caste, popularly known as untouchables, for whom entry into temples was almost impossible due to the violent prejudices of the upper caste. Leading a group of about 200 untouchables, he forcibly entered the Nathdwara temple (Rajasthan) which is the biggest and most prestigious Hindu shrine in north India. Entry for untouchables (dalits) was strictly prohibited in this temple. Although, he was mercilessly beaten up by the goons and members of the priest community, he was successful in drawing the attention of the whole country towards this social injustice. The press extensively covered this event, which embarrassed the upper caste and the government as well. The President of India could not remain silently at the sidelines. He announced a personal visit to the temple with the untouchables. The net result of Satyarthi's efforts is that the temple is now open to all castes.
[edit] Soshanmedh Yagna at Varanasi
On December 10, 1996, when the country was observing the World Human Rights Day, Satyarthi chose to honor the day in his unique style. In Varanasi (the holy city of Uttar Pradesh on the banks of the Ganges), he organized a Yagna (oblation to Lord Fire) combining human rights and spiritual values. In an unconventional manner, he invited the parents of enslaved children from the lowest caste, the high caste priest, sociologists, lawyers and human rights advocates to participate in this sacred ritual where a joint pledge was taken to liberate the slave children as the real worship of God. Immediately, the participants set off to physically rescue the children. This was a unique combination of spiritualism, age-old cultural traditions and dedication to human rights.
[edit] Yatras
Satyarthi promotes the approach of walks and marches used by saints and monks in ancient times for mutual learning and spreading of human values. Over the years, he has organized dozens of Yatras (marches) to mobilize the masses, bring media attention, and generate political debate on the issue of child labor. Satyarthi does not believe in combating child labor through an elite, bureaucratic, academic, intellectual or narrow project-based approach. In the course of his crusade, Satyarthi also realized that the battle for child labor eradication cannot be fought by the strength of NGOs alone. Involvement of influential segments of society like religious leaders, politicians, trade unions, lawyers and other intellectual groups is a must. The most significant component of all of Satyarthi's marches is that child laborers, freed bonded children, and their parents have been among the key participants and leaders. A few of these include:
- Bihar to Delhi March traveled 2000 km from the heart of the carpet industry employing child labor in Nagar Utari (Bihar) to Delhi in 1992
- Bharat Yatra Against Child Labor covered over 5000 km from Kanyakumari to Delhi in 1994
- South Asian Child Workers' Freedom March traveled 1500 km from Calcutta to Kathmandu in 1996
- Global March Against Child Labor across the world in 103 countries traveled over 80,000 km in 1998
- Shiksha Yatra was a nationwide march on education covering 15,000 km across the length and breadth of the country in 2001
- South Asian March Against Child Trafficking was a march along the Indo Nepal Bangla border spanning 2,500 km and 20-25 days in 2007.
[edit] Recognition
The life and work of Kailash Satyarthi have been the subject of a number of documentaries, television series, talk shows, advocacy and awareness films, Magazines and news items of all leading print and electronic media worldwide. Satyarthi's contribution has been recognized through several prestigious international awards. These include:
- Raoul Wallenberg Human Rights Award (2002-USA)
- Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Award (1999-Germany)
- La Hospitalet Award (1999-Spain)
- De Gouden Wimpel Award (1998-Netherlands)
- Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award (1995-USA)
- The Trumpeter Award (1995-USA)
- The Aachener International Peace Award (1994-Germany)
[edit] Personal
Satyarthi lives in New Delhi, India. His family includes his wife, a son, a daughter, colleagues and children.
