JAPAN-INDIA Rajagopal, from India, receives the Niwano Peace Prize

The 40th edition of the “Nobel Prize for Religions” was awarded to an activist disciple of Gandhi who has been fighting for the land rights of tribals and other marginalized communities in India for fifty years, using the method of non-violent marches.

Tokyo () – The Niwano Foundation announced today that the fortieth edition of its prestigious peace prize, considered the “Nobel of religions”, will go to the Indian activist Rajagopal PV, a man who, following the example of Mahatma Gandhi, has been fighting since 50 years ago in India with non-violent methods for the rights of the poorest and most marginalized populations. The announcement was made today in Tokyo, clarifying that the prize – which consists of a medal and a check worth 20 million yen (about 140,000 euros) – will be delivered at a ceremony scheduled for May 11.

In the motivation for the award, the Niwano Foundation talks about its “struggle for the recognition of the equal human dignity of all men and women, regardless of their caste or sex, which arouses great admiration. Among the achievements achieved are the negotiation of the surrender and rehabilitation of the gangs, the education of young people to serve the poor and, knowing that the basic needs of the poor are water, land and forests, their commitment to the environmental Protection”.

Born in Kerala on June 6, 1948 into a family that raised him in the principles of non-violence enunciated by Gandhi, Rajagopal goes by his first name in public, to avoid being identified with a breed. He began his social action in the Chambal valley, in Madhya Pradesh, dedicating himself to the children of the dacoits, the violent youth gangs of the most marginalized sectors of the population. With his work, he has negotiated the social reinsertion of some of these groups, while giving life to national programs for the commitment of young people to the service of the poorest. The culmination of these efforts was the founding in 1991 of the Ekta Parishad (the “Unity Forum”), a coordination of realities that wants to promote, through the non-violent method, the right to land and a dignified life for the most marginalized. Following Gandhi’s teachings, the tool to wage this battle has been long marches that included the participation of thousands of people. In collaboration with other groups, this movement founded by Rajagopal succeeded in securing land rights for some 500,000 families and getting the Forest Rights Act, India’s most important tribal rights law, passed.

“In many parts of the world – writes Rajagopal in the message of acceptance of the prize – people have not seriously assimilated the idea of ​​non-violence and believe that war and violence are the means to make peace. In this historic moment we see that peace between human beings and with nature is difficult to achieve, but it remains an imperative… There are challenges from the arms race, from the climate crisis and from persistent poverty and discrimination. With the advent of social media and information technology, there are places marked by insurmountable divisions and growing mistrust. I congratulate the Niwano Foundation for continuing to advocate for peace, each year identifying different people around the world and encouraging them to continue to advocate for peace despite all these problems.”

The Niwano Prize commemorates the figure of Nikkyo Niwano, the first president of the Rissho Kosei-kai Buddhist organization. The winner is selected from among the nominations submitted in a process involving 600 individuals and organizations from 125 countries and many religions.