RUPEES 30 See a AGEING = reife ry > —t ‘ a a Drlenin » = Bee Ucn Raghuvanshi i " j Down Melody ee ert 4 . Zo) v1 sur = TEMuLad = i te 4 TOU a ; ; . Banda Singh _ ma BahadurEXCLUSIVE ___In the Footsteps of the Mahatma DR LENIN RAGHUVANSHI "| The work of Dr Lenin Raghuvanshi marks a shift in the Indian movement for human rights; he is one of a relatively few activists who insist that caste-based discrimination goes against democratic principles. In Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh - one of the most traditionalist, conservative and segregationist regions in India — Dr Raghuvanshi, with a few resources but plenty of confidence and determination, has managed, within a short time, to bring the problems of a marginalised people to national and international i attention. Sant Vivek Das and Shabana Khan bring you the modern Messiah of the ‘Harijan’. shape while he worked with enable them access to the bonded labourers. He noticedthat constitutional guarantees of riot a single bonded child in the modem India, and on the other, sari or carpet industries came his innovalive advocacy forced Seiya wa adentistice stated ffm upper caste, even though the ‘state’ to sensilise its iiatee Sutter retied Judge, some familes were just as poor mechanisms to deliver social HighGoutserKeraleand Mumba, 28 8 lower castes, He realised justice in @ manner where justice eee Lenin Reghuvansni, caste, not lass, was atwork, and is not only done, but perceived to _ -eRettedthcnangiretne course started championing the rights of he done, His work marks a shiftin cP Onlt Pulities invindis ang the lower-castes, Early — thelndianhumanrightsmovement, prngng inte foses an inovatve exPeriences taught him which has been reluctant to ceo entre: approach to confrontation was dangerous and adress injustices inthe name of eee home signiyrinacaste, not the most effective method. caste as @ fundamental human Medan nan cocaty’ The gamut lnoteasingly, herecognised caste ighisissue. Heis one of ahandul ceeeevtesscleechleecconal ial Kinds of social confict and of activists to declare that such ciibolyeelepen andprowdes erwslonedamovementthat could discrimination goes against een ards sense of Dreak the closed, feudal democraticprincpesby promoting coeapletenece to the work he etarchies ofconservativesiums inequality Goes. His care for details, 272 vllages, by building up local Winds of Change meticulous planning, diligent institutions and supporting them — -Uniggs the Indian society deals patience, and sincere advocacy with @ high profile and active with the injustices of the caste of the issue of the marginalised, human rights network system head-on, it will not attack has made milionsofhis supporters AS a self taught Dalit ideologue, social conflict at its root.” optimistic abouta dignified future, Dr Raghuvanshi understood from Translating these convictions into Recognising his efforts, the the beginning that vilages in ndia__ action, Or Raghuvanshi has built |__| ndia’s hope for the future rests : in the selfless services of activists who are informed, - International Commission for Dalit are thecradles of exploitation, and local, national, and regional Rights (ICDR) has made him its that ‘caste’ needed to be tackled institutions that challenge caste. Executive Member. by both its horns. On the one” His People's Vigilance Committee DrRaghuvanshi's views oncaste, hand, he created a democratised for Human Rights (PVCHR) draws conflict and social change took structure for the ‘voiceless’ to in people from different walks of “DIGNITY DIALOGUE OCTOBER 2008EXCLUSIVE life. Among its 50,000 members in Centre for Human Rights and five northern states, 3000 are Law, Human Rights Lawyer's former torture vicims whom the Network, People's Committee has helped. Thelt Commission against Assault solidarity demonstrates howheis on Minorities, Sajhaa creatively building an inclusive Sanskrit Manch, Samanvay. Socialmovernent.Aisoparicipating Childline, and the National are famous intellectuals whose Federation for Right to integnty and credibilty raise the Education. In its legal work, Coalition's public image. Its PVCHR's successes include approach is twe-fold: to have # getting the National Human Rights strong grassroots organisalion to Commission (NHRC) award the work for the democratic rights of highest compensation toa survivor marginalised communities and of extreme torture by his upper- Second, to create the structure caste employer. The Commission and dynamics to receive also put 42 police officers behind assistance from national and bars for torturing dalits international Institutions. Dr in 2004, to give voice to the practice’ approach in villages, Peopie-friendly village’ was born. Where caste discrimination iS inthisplotproject, Dr Raghuvanshi cute, focusing on implementing kynsiodtiree ilages and a sh, policies laid down by law. The — Sartangtoreoperenclementary Committes campaigns on various school, abolish forced labour. issues concerning the dalit aks edyeation opigatory for gis community -- schooling for and spread non-traditional children, fair wages, land files, Savcaton Terois no elementary and basic rights. On the other equcation inthe vast rural areas, hand, inhis work with non-profits, £04 the BYCHIR has opened activists, academics, and generel educational centres for children in supporters, Dr Raghuvanshi 45 villages. The village committees believes inthe ‘practice 10 Policy — comprise atleast 50% dallls, and approach. His focus at this evel seek to realise their greater |s pushing society toacknowledge —pojtical representation in village caste discrimination as @ councils. The heads of the fundamental human rights issue. Sourcis, The Reads ot tne These strategies complement Sov rmont reprasentatve, and a each other effectively. Groups in Pycrin employee serve as a the network include the India Evo ocotttiongroup.“Thanks to the intervention of the PVCHR before international and national fora,” says Raghuvanshi, ‘we've managed to put hunger on the ‘agonda of government Priorities.” aw busaey Recognition, Aye Accolades i ,* ‘With meagre resources, but rich with confidence and convietion, Dr Raghuvanshi, in fa short period, has managed to amplify the voice of the Awareness programme DIGNITY DIALOGUE OCTOBER 2008 marginalised in national and intemational forathrough “People's SAARC”, rehabilitation and resettlement of weavers of Varanasi; Benaras Convention; UP Assembly Election Watch: prevention of torture; voice against hunger and many such activities. Recognition by the international community of his work is indeed the recognition for the millions whose hopes and aspirations rest on his slender shoulders. His Fair Play Campaign against child labour in the Indian Sporting Goods Industry forced the FIFA, ICC (International Cricket Counc!) World Federation of Sporting Goods Industry and Reebok to prohibit the use of child labour in producing their geods. In 2001, Dr Raghuvanshi was awarded the Ashoka Fellowship for social entrepreneurship and changemaker from Ashoka: Innovators for the Public, based in Washington, DC. The Bunkar- Dastkar Adhikar Manch (Forum on. Fights of the weavers and artisans), established in 2004 with a membership of 3000 to give voice to their plight, has been able to make the Planning Commission of India commit Rs 1000 crores for their rehabilitation. Further, the UP Panchayat Act was amended to include a clause which directed each village panchayat to hold a fund of Rs 1000 to mitigate emergency hunger situation. (continued on page 17)In my sixties-era childhood, the distinction between quality and quantity time hadn't yet emerged; dads knew their role was The Provider. My own dad epitomised this, says Karen Tahiliarmani.. nether Mother's Day's roots are ancient pagan rituals or Hallmark marketing, Father's Day seems to be merely a cloying attempt to share in the spoils. Yet, you can't go wrong setting aside @ day to appreciate selfless actions by fathers, grandfathers, and father- figures. Good fathers are important for children and virtually priceless for society. Eternal Debate For most of human time, the trait soughtin fathershasbeen ‘quantity time'in the most ealsense. Young women attempted to choose men Who would stick aroundto support the family for the long haul. In the last generation or so, ‘quality time! emerged as an alternative. The treasure of quality time is bome coutin its increasing rarity in our hyper-connected world. | realised this irony watching @ blank-looked toddier walking beside her dad, who was talking animatedly on a cell phone. A glance at the toddier’s expression left no doubt that she knew her father wasr't “there” for her. Ditto for a dad | saw driving with his teenage daughter: she was texting while her dad looked exasperated, It takes a lot of potential quality time to get actual quality time. In my sixties-era childhood, the distinction between quality and quantity time hadn't yet emerged; dads knew their role was The Provider. My own dad epitomised this, The quality times | recall with him are the ones where | felt his warmth, physically or emotionally At the beach, he'd loan me his T-shirt to wear over my swimsuit when | was either too cold or too sunburned by the day’s end, The greying white shirt was thin, DIGNITY DIALOGUE OCTOBER 2008 almost translucent from wear, and enveloped me in his warm, athletic smell. The shirt dangled to my sandy calves, its sleeves billowed like @ kimono. | feit as warm as if | wore a parka ‘Sometimes, itwas Dad's patience that demonstrated his love, as when my sister, sitting in the seat behind the driver on the start of a road trp, threw up on him several successive times, By the end of the first day he was on his last shirt. | don’t remember harsh words, though | was probably busy throwing up as well. He tolerated it as part of what came with being a family. On the few times | stayed home sick from school, Dad brought home ice cream or some other treat to brighten my evening. He called mehis "Peety Swie" (Sweety Pie) and sat on my bed, putting his huge cool hand on my forehead and inquiring how | fet. Dad can be a bit economical with words, but the ones he used with us as kids were typically nurturing, reflecting the nurturing role foisted ‘onhim by his childhood. Conceived\within @ month af the Depression’s. crash in October 1929, dad lost his mother when he was three. His father developed Parkinson's disease soon after, and dad was his primary caretaker and part- time breadwinner until his father died when he was 13. Add Swedish genes to a difficult childhood and you get a stalwart father: low on outward demonstrativeness, but one ‘whose love and devotion showed through in consistent support and ‘occasional lavish praise. Almost a Father ‘Somehow, when searching for a mate myself, | didn't think to ask my potential spouse if he'd be both father and mother if | didn't live through our potential children's continued from page 7 The 2007 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights has been jointly given to two Indians ~ Dr Lenin Raghuvanshi and Irom Sharmila from Manipur. This is the first time Indians have figured in the recipient list. The past recipients include Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, the NLD General Secretary in Myanmar, and Xanana Gusmao, President of East Timor. This Prize recognises individuals, groups or institutions globally, that have contributed in promoting and advancing human rights, democracy and peace in their work. “Over the years, I've been very involved in and worried about the situation of marginalised children. In 1993, with Swami Agnivesh, | founded the Bachapan Bachao Andolan (Save the Childhood Movement) and in 1996 the PVCHR was born to re-educate children who were forced to work," says Dr Raghuvanshi. MIND MATTERS potential childhoods. Somehow | didn't think to ask if he'd give his, potential children endearing pet names or be prepared to lose the shirt off his back for them. Yet somehow, that's what | got: 4 husband who coached soccer, rearranged business trips to attend "Spring Sings," and even helped navigate college schedules. He stil consults on their taxes, though I'm sure this is a naked attempt to spend some quality time with his twenty-somethings. This, from a guy whose mom was his best father-figure! How could | have known? Perhaps it was a lucky pick, but I think my luck started much earlier, when I picked my dad. Hnpy Fete end Fathe-feweps Day! Not Without Thorns Trying to reform a deeply- emoedded system in a country notorious for caste-poltics comes with murderous obstacies trom state and society, In July 1996, the Para Military Forces subjected Or Raghuvanshi to severe beatings with rifle butts: while leading a demonstration for rehabilitation of treed dali and child labourers, an¢ land allotment for the landless. His brother was murdered in 1996 by his relatives, because of his views on caste politics. In 1998, the state police tried to malign his reputation by a fake encounter at his parental residenca, His family was coerced to make a statement implicating him in the case, which was disposed off by NHRC after reviewing the details Made for Each Other Born on 18 May 1970 at Varanasi and married to Shruti Nagvanshi, Dr Raghuvanshi has an 8 year old DIGNITY DIALOGUE OCTOBER 2008 son, Kabir Karunik, He completed his Bachelors in Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery from the State Ayurvedic Medical College, Haridwar, in 1994, with distinction. The couple started this *peoples' forum” as a way to construct a community-based organisation that addresses the injustice of the Indian caste system ‘Although both were born into high castes, they have spent their lives—oftenatgreat isk—fighting for the rights of all. Evan though there have been laws against treating peopieas"untouchables” fordecades, the practice persists and PVCHRis animportantforce for change. Writes Otto Tausig, Austrian Film Actor: “I wear the T-shirt you gave me so that peopleask whose faceitis. Then J tell them of a country where people like you and Safdar Hashmi fight for things worth fighting or. andthet we too should work fara better world.