-
Founder-Chairperson,
Global March Against Child Labour,
the single largest civil society movement
of more than 2000 international and
national NGOs and trade unions in
about 140 countries.
-
President, Global Campaign for Education
(GCE), the worldwide network of teachers'
organisations and NGOs, on the issue
of Education for All
-
Founder,
Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) / South
Asian Coalition on Child Servitude
(SACCS), initiated in 1980 as a mass
movement and coalition for total elimination
of child labour.
-
Chair
of another world body International
Center on Child Labor and Education'
(ICCLE) in Washington, D.C. ICCLE
is one of the foremost policy institution
to bring authentic and abiding southern
grassroots perspective in the US policy
domain.
-
Led
and inspired the liberation of over
65,000 bonded child labourers from
hazardous occupations
-
Architect
of the first internationally recognised
child labour free social labelling
system ‘Rugmark'
-
Set
up three rehabilitation-cum-educational
centres for freed bonded children
which resulted in making leaders and
liberators from among the victims
of child servitude
-
Led
and organised several social movements
on the issue of child labour and education
including the 80,000 km Global March
Against Child Labour which covered
over 100 countries; 15,000 km Shiksha
Yatra (Education March), 5,000 km
India March Against Child Labour,
across the length and breadth of the
country.
-
Member
of a High Level Group formed by UNESCO
on Education for All comprising of
select Presidents, Prime Ministers
and UN Agency Heads.
-
One
of the rare civil society leaders
who addressed the United Nations General
Assembly, International Labour Conference,
UN Human Rights Commission, UNESCO,
etc.
-
Invitee
to several Parliamentary Hearings
and Committees in USA, Germany and
UK
-
Addressed
some of the biggest worldwide congregations
of Workers and Teachers Congresses,
Christian Assembly, Students Conferences,
etc. as a keynote speaker on the issue
of child labour and education
-
In
the Board and Committee of several
International Organizations. Amongst
all the prominent ones being in the
Center for Victims of Torture (USA),
International Labor Rights Fund (USA),
etc. Executive Board Member of International
Cocoa Foundation with the Headquarters
in Geneva representing the global
civil society.
-
His
life and work has been widely covered
in hundreds of programmes on all the
prominent television and radio channels
including BBC, CNN, ABC, NHK, Japan
Broadcasting Corporation, Canadian
T.V., ARD, Austrian News, etc. and
profoundly featured in several magazines
like The Time, Life, Reader's Digest,
Far Eastern Economist, Washington
Post, New York Times, Times London,
Los Angeles Times, Guardian, Independent,
The Times of India, etc.
-
Has
survived numerous attacks on his life
during his crusade to end child labour,
the most recent being the attack on
his life during a raid conducted to
rescue Nepali children being held
in a circus in Bihar.
-
Honoured by the Former US President
Bill Clinton in Washington for featuring
in Kerry Kennedy's Book ‘Speak
Truth to Power', where his life and
work features among the top 50 human
rights defenders in the world including
Nobel Laureates Archbishop Desmond
Tutu, Elie Wessel, His Holiness the
Dalai Lama, etc.
-
Edited
magazines like ‘Sangarsh Jari
Rahega', ‘Kranti Dharmi', and
‘ Asian Workers Solidarity Link'.
Besides, authored several articles
and booklets on issues of social concern
and human rights.
-
Recipient
of prestigious International Awards
-
Raoul
Wallenberg Human Rights Award –
U.S.A. (2002)
-
Friedrich
Ebert Stiftung International Human
Rights Award – Germany (1999)
-
La
Hospitalet Award – Spain (1999)
-
Golden
Flag Award – The Netherlands
(1998)
-
Robert
F.Kennedy Human Rights Award –
U.S.A. (1995)
-
Trumpeter
Award – U.S.A (1995)
-
Aachener International Peace Prize
– Germany (1994)
-
Born
on 11 January 1954 in Vidisha in Central
India.
-
Initiated
the Crusade against Child Servitude
after giving up the lucrative career
of an Electrical Engineer in 1980
