SWAMI AGNIVESH
Offices Held:
Founder-Chairperson of Bandhua Mukti Morcha (Bonded Labour Liberation
Front) since 1981.
President – Sarvadeshik Arya Pratinidhi Sabha (World Council of Arya
Samaj) since Sept. 2004.
Chairperson
of the United Nations Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery
(January 1994 to December 2004)
-
Member of the Haryana Legislative Assembly
(1977–1982). Minister of Education in Haryana 1979
-
National Coordinator – Adhyatma Jagran Manch
(Spiritual Awakening Movement) since April 2003.
-
Vice President - Interntional Niwano Peace Prize
Committee,
Tokyo (January
2003 to 2005)
-
Member - International Peace Council (since
January 2003)
-
Convenor-Sarva Dharma Sansad (Parliament of
Religions) since
5th
October 2007.
Present
Mission:
-
Perpetuating the fight against the Hedonistic
Model of Development leading to crass consumerism and mass poverty,
ecological destruction of the
Third World in
general and
India
in particular. Questioning the cultural imperialism and that of
market forces in the name of profits and shareholder values,
negating all higher human and spiritual values.
-
Carrying on anti-liquor movement throughout
India –
networking with Religious leaders of all major faiths, Women’s
Organizations and social political activists.
-
Strengthening the Arya Samaj Movement to fight
against various forms of casteism, communalism, religious
obscurantism and other social evils.
-
Assisting women’s movement with a view to
ensuring their equal participation in all walks of life –
particularly sharing of political and economic power.
-
Continuing the fight against bonded labour and
child labour system and child prostitution by making Right to
Minimum Wage & Right to Education Fundamental Rights.
-
Trying to get the debate on religions into the
mass media such as Radio and TV.
-
Struggling against all forms of religious
fundamentalism, bigotry, dogmatism, casteism and all narrow-minded
racial or other such ill feelings between the different sections of
society. Striving for establishing a liberal, egalitarian society
based on tolerance and mutual accommodation. Coordinating efforts
under the banner of “Religions for Social Justice”.
-
Social Action Achievement: Led a multi Religious
Pilgrimage to the site of the senseless killing of Graham Stewart
Staines and his two little sons in Orissa in the month of March
1999. It comprised Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist
religious leaders, thinkers and social activists. Prayers were held
at Manoharpur and Narayanpur. The goal of this pilgrimage was to
inspire people of
India to form
multi-religious initiative for social transformation and nation
building.
-
Sustained campaigning against Female Feticide.
-
Pioneered several peace initiatives along with
Late Shrimati Nirmala Deshpande, Asma Jehangir, Kuldeep Nayyar,
Justice Rajendra Sacchar etc. to promote harmony and friendship
between Southeast Asian countries in general and
India and
Pakistan in particular.
Social
Actions
Launched the
Anti-Liquor Movement in Haryana, UP and Rajasthan. Led numerous
marches against alcoholism. Introduction of total prohibition in
Haryana has been a significant success. (From 1st July 1996 to 31st
March 1998). It was subsequently withdrawn by the Haryana Government.
-
Founded a political party – Arya Sabha
(1970-77). This party has been in the forefront of struggles for
farmers, laborers, women, teachers and students.
-
Led a successful movement of wheat growers for
remunerative prices for their produce (1973-1974).
-
Organized a communal amity march from
Delhi to Meerut
against the massacre of some 42 Muslim youth by the police and
against the VHP led movement on Ayodhya.
Bonded
Labour and Child Labour
-
Spearheaded the movement towards liberation of
bonded labour and child labour throughout the country – especially
in the stone quarries and brick-kilns of Haryana and Rajasthan,
carpet-weaving belt of Mirzaput-Bhadoi (UP), glass-bangle industry
of Firozabad (UP) and in the farm sector of Koddai Kanal (Tamil Nadu),
Chennagiri Taluka of Shimoga District (Karnataka), etc.
Approximately 1,75,000 bonded (including several thousand child
bonded) labourers have been released and rehabilitated during the
last 20 years.
-
Filed many public interest writ petitions in the
Supreme Court of India for the rights of bonded and child labourers.
Bandhua Mukti Morcha Vs Union of India (3 SCC 1984) is a landmark
judgement by the Supreme Court of India.
-
Testified before the Working Group of
Contemporary Forms of Slavery at the United Nations Human Rights
Commission in
Geneva
(1983-1989).
-
Campaigned for the National Minimum Wage for all
unorganised workers. (Nearly 350 million in
India today)
Women’s
Causes
-
Led an 18 day long epochal marathon from
Delhi to Deorala
against the Sati (self-immolation by a widow) incident. The Indian
Parliament responded by enacting a Sati Prevention Act 1987.
-
Led march from
Delhi to Pura
Mahadev (Meerut) to challenge the Shankaracharay of Puri for a
public debate against his obscurantists views on Sati and on women’s
right to equality in the Vedas.
-
Launched an agitation, along with other women’s
organisations, against large scale female foeticide. This created
conditions for the Government of India to pass a bill banning the
sex determination tests.
-
Led a rampant crusade against Female Feticide
throughout the country and especially in Haryana.
Work for
Dalits, Harijans and Backward Classes
-
Denial of entry to the Dalits (Untouchables)
into Hindu temples, posed a new challenge for the struggle of the
downtrodden class. As a symbol of this struggle, led a march to the
famous
Nathdwara Temple (Udaipur, Rajasthan 1988-1989)
-
Conducted extensive tours throughout the country
to promote self-confidence and awareness among the most vulnerable
sections of Indian society.
Awards:
-
Anti Slavery International Award :
London 1990
-
Freedom and Human Rights Award :
Bern,
Switzerland 1994
-
Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award : New
Delhi 2004
-
Right Livelihood Award 2004 :
Sweden
(Alternative
Nobel Prize)
Published
Works:
-
Vedic Socialism (Hindi) ; Paradigm of Social
Spirituality that is contrary to Materialistic Paradigm of
Communalism and Capitalism.
-
Religion Revolution and Marxism (Hindi and
English) ; Comparative study of Marxism and urge for Social Justice
as the common denominator.
-
“Rajdharma” – Chief Editor of this fortnightly
(1968-1978)
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“Kranti Dharmi” – Chief Editor of this monthly
(1989-1991)
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Published various articles on national, social
and political issues in leading newspapers and magazines.
-
A Book titled – ‘Swami Agnivesh – Religion,
Spirituality, Social Action – New Agenda for Humanity’ (Compilation
of his writings & Social Actions taken has recently come out of the
press).
-
Hinduism in the New Age ; Relevance of the
ancient Vaidic social philosophies in modern age.
-
Swami Dyanand – Man, Message and
Mission;
Compilation of essays on Swami Dayanand by a Muslim, a Sikh and a
Christian scholar.
(1) Maharshi
Dayanand Bhawan, 3/5 Asaf Ali Road, New Delhi – 110 002
Ph: 011- 232 61843 Fax: 011 2326 1926
(2) 7-Jantar
Mantar Road , New Delhi - 110001 (India )
E-mail:
agnivesh70@gmail.com
Web:
www.swamiagnivesh.com
www.agnimanthan.com
www.bmm.org.in
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