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Rajagopal P. V.
Indian activist From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Rajagopal P. V. (born 1948) is an Indian Gandhian activist, former Vice Chairman of the Gandhi Peace Foundation in New Delhi,[1] and the president and founding member of Ekta Parishad, a prominent grassroots movement advocating for the rights of landless communities.[2][3]
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In 1972, Rajagopal joined a Gandhian-led initiative alongside J.P. Narayan and Subba Rao to facilitate the peaceful surrender and rehabilitation of over 500 dacoits in the Chambal region of central India.[4]
In 2012, he led a historic march of approximately 100,000 supporters to New Delhi, demanding land and resource rights for the landless. The movement culminated in the signing of a ten-point agreement with the Government of India.[4]
In recognition of his lifelong commitment to peace and non-violence, Rajagopal was awarded the Niwano Peace Prize in 2023.[5]
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Biography
Rajagopal was born in 1948 in Thillenkery, Kerala, as the fourth of five children. His full name is Rajagopal Puthan Veetil. He attended Seva Mandir school and completed his education in agricultural engineering at Sevagram, Gandhi's Ashram in Maharashtra, where he also learned English.[6]
In the early 1970s, he worked in the Chambal region of Madhya Pradesh to assist in the rehabilitation of individuals involved in dacoits (banditry).[7]
Since 2001, Rajagopal has been married to Canadian social activist Jill Carr-Harris.[8]
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Janadesh 2007
Ekta Parishad, led by Rajagopal, organized a membership of 200,000 people, primarily women, across six states. Employing Gandhian methods such as foot-marches (padayatra), he led a 340-kilometer march from Gwalior to Delhi to pressure the government to address land reforms and forest rights.[9]
Jan Satyagraha 2012
 | This section needs to be updated. (November 2012) |
The Jan Satyagraha 2012 march (Yatra) began in Gwalior on October 2, with the goal of reaching Delhi by October 28 if no agreement was reached with the government. Approximately 35,000 people participated.[10]
Though the Land Reform Commission has issued its report, the government has not yet accepted it.
Jan Andolan 2018
In October 2018, Rajagopal led a march from Gwalior to Morena with around 25,000 people demanding land rights and tribal rights. The march was initially planned from Haryana to New Delhi.[11] The march occurred in the context of the 2018 Madhya Pradesh Legislative election and some months ahead of the 2019 national elections. Political leaders such as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan addressed the marchers in Gwalior before their departure, promising to create a committee to address land rights issues.[12] According to Ekta Parishad, the marchers were not satisfied with the proposals and decided to proceed with the march.[13] In Morena, leaders from the Indian National Congress, the main opposition party, addressed the marchers and promised to satisfy their demands if elected.[14][15] Ekta Parishad indicated that they were satisfied with these commitments and decided to halt the march rather than continue to New Delhi as initially planned.[13]
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Jai Jagat 2020
In 2015, Rajagopal and Ekta Parishad launched the Jai Jagat 2020 campaign as an international movement for justice and peace, aiming to involve civil society organizations and grassroots communities beyond India and Europe.
The 2019-2020 Global Peace March (Delhi-Geneva) connected with individuals and organizations beyond Ekta Parishad's usual networks and generated activity in several countries.
The March was suspended halfway in Armenia in March 2020 due to COVID-19. A few marches to Geneva at the end of September 2020 marked the last significant mobilization under the umbrella of Jai Jagat, outside India. Since then, local and regional groups have undertaken initiatives such as organizing marches or cartoon exhibitions.
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Land Reform Advocacy
Rajagopal's leadership of Ekta Parishad, including the mobilization of tribal peoples, women, and youth, and its advocacy for land reform, has been described as a peaceful alternative to violent movements like Naxalism in central rural India.
New land reforms, 2014 and conflicts
The Modi government has proposed two major changes to the Land Acquisition Act:
- It seeks to dilute provisions such as the mandatory consent of 70 percent of those affected in the case of public-private partnership (PPP) projects.
- It removes the provision requiring a time-bound Social Impact Assessment for land acquisitions.
Rajagopal has stated that Modi is pro-corporate and that these changes will further aggravate the difference between the rich and the poor in the country.[16]
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Documentation
Articles
- Voice of Hope and Voice for Change (English) – A collection of articles by Rajagopal P.V. published by the National Center for Advocacy Studies, Pune.
- Land for Life (English) – A collection of village data during the foot march by Rajagopal P.V. published by the National Center for Advocacy Studies, Pune.
- Main ne Dekha Hain (Hindi)- A collection of village stories during the foot march by Rajagopal P.V. published by Ekta Parishad.
- Pagdandiyom par paav (Hindi)—A collection of village people's story during the foot march by Rajagopal P.V. published by Ekta Parishad.
- Gulamon ki Basti se Gujar raha hoon (Hindi) - A collection of village based stories during the foot march by Rajagopal P.V. published by Ekta Parishad.
- Jo Ghar Khoya Apana (Hindi)- A collection of village data during the foot march by Rajagopal P.V. published by Ekta Parishad.
- Sab ki apani Ho Jameen (Hindi) - A collection of village data during the foot march by Rajagopal P.V. published by Ekta Parishad.
- Journey to the other India – A collection of articles in English during the year long samwad yatra in 2011 – 2012.
- The legacy of Gandhi, Rajagopal P.V. – A life for non-violent resistance by Carmen Zanella of Switzerland.
- Biography of Rajagopal by Dr. Julius Ruibke of Germany.
Audio-Visual
- "Janadesh" (People's Verdict) A film on 25,000 people on foot in 2007 from Gwalior to Delhi (English, Hindi, Spanish, German, and French) Film makers from France, Switzerland, Spain, and India.
- "Land First" A Film on Orissa foot march by Amanda, England.
- "Is Small still Beautiful" A Film Broadcast on BBC News, Traccy Winchester, England.
- "Raja's Raise" A Film based on a story of Elephant, Karl Saurer from Switzerland.
- "Ahimsa"(based on Non-Violence training and Social action), Karl Saurer from Switzerland.
- "Jansatyagrah" (Truth Force) Rajagopal and his initiatives, Vikram Nayak, New Delhi.
- "Peoples Movement Processes", Praveen Pagare, Nasik.
- "Jan Chetana Ka Uday" Struggle of Peoples Movement, Ritu Datta, New Delhi.
- "Manzil ki Aur" Community based Nonviolent Struggle for right, Ritu Datta, New Delhi.
- "Millions can walk" Film on Jansatyagraha by Christoph Schaub, Switzerland.
- Nari Shakti Zindabad (Women Empowerment & Leadership), Praveen Pagare, Nasik.
- Interview on DD National - Aaj Savere Program, DD National.
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Awards
Summarize
Perspective
In 2014, he received the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration, an award granted annually by the Indian National Congress party.[17][18][19]
References
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