Lenin Raghuvanshi
Encyclopedia
Lenin Raghuvanshi is a Dalit rights activist and an Ashoka Fellow from India. He is one of the founding members of People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR), which works for the upliftment of the marginalised sections of the society. His work has been recognized with awards like Gwangju Human Rights Award (2007), the ACHA Star Peace award (2008) and the International Human Rights Prize of the city of Weimar
(2010).
in 1994. Lenin married Shruti Nagvanshi on 22 February 1992 and has a 12 year old son, Kabeer Karunik.
. The movement adopted three villages near Varanasi and an urban slum, with an objective of providing better education to the children there. He was elected in 2001 into the executive council of Voice of People, supported by Child Rights and You
(CRY), an organisation active in 15 districts of Uttar Pradesh, which works for the rights of the children. He was appointed as a member of the District Vigilance Committee on Bonded Labour under Bonded Labour abolition Act 1976 by the Governor of UP in 2002. He filed an FIR (First Information Report
) against Rajendar Thripathi, the village head of Belwa in the Badagaon
administrative district in his capacity as a member of the Disctict Vigilance Committee. However, Rajendar escaped arrest, and Lenin has been reported to be receiving death threats since then. In revenge, the head of Belwa village filed a case against Raghuvanshi and two PVCHR staff members for "statements conducing to public mischief" and "anti-state activities"; the latter proceeding of case was stayed by High Court.
In 2004, he conceptualised the 'Jan Mitra Gaon' (People-friendly villages) project, under which three villages and an urban slum were adopted with the motives of eradicating child labour, providing education to girls, reintroducing non-traditional education and improving the state of educational institutions.
, briefing on the reportedly poor situation of the Varanasi
weavers. Bunkar Dastkar Adhikar Manch is a Varanasi based outfit, founded by Siddiq Hassan, in 2004, that lobbies for the weaver community. Varanasi Weavers Trust was conceptualised in 2004 by the Sri Lankan economist Darin Gunasekara and Raguvansi, with the objective of easy accessibility of the capital and market to the poor in a democratised way. The demand was then put forth to the Indian Government for the establishment of the trust.
, Germany, chose him for the 2010 International Human Rights award.
Weimar
Weimar is a city in Germany famous for its cultural heritage. It is located in the federal state of Thuringia , north of the Thüringer Wald, east of Erfurt, and southwest of Halle and Leipzig. Its current population is approximately 65,000. The oldest record of the city dates from the year 899...
(2010).
Personal life
Lenin Raghuvansi was born in a higher caste Hindu family, to Surendra Nath and Shrimati Savitri Devi, on May 18, 1970. His grandfather Shanti Kumar Singh, was a Gandhian freedom fighter. He did his bachelor's course in Ayurveda, Modern Medicine and Surgery from the State Ayurvedic Medical College, Gurukul Kangari, HaridwarHaridwar
Haridwar is an important pilgrimage city and municipality in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India...
in 1994. Lenin married Shruti Nagvanshi on 22 February 1992 and has a 12 year old son, Kabeer Karunik.
Initial years
From the beginning, Raghuvansi was averse to the caste system that is still rampant in the Hindu society. He refers to his higher caste Hindu upbringing as "feudal". This sprung the seed of social activism in him. He became the president of the Uttar Pradesh chapter of United Nations Youth Organisation at the age of 23 (1993). With his exposure into the mainstream society, he realised that casteism is present in all walks of life. With the Indian Government tackling the issue with its reservation policies and making it perennial, Raghuvansi chose the path of uplifting them by making their voices heard. He founded the People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) in 1996, along with his wife, Shruti Nagvanshi, historian Mahendra Pratap, musician Vikash Maharaj, and poet Gyanedra Pati.On bonded labour and children's right to education
In 1999, Raguvanshi founded a community based organisation, Jan Mitra Nyas (People-friendly Association), which was backed by ActionAidActionAid
ActionAid was founded in 1972 as a child sponsorship charity when 88 UK supporters sponsored 88 children in India and Kenya, the focus primarily being to provide children with an education. Global accounts are now reported in Euros and in 2007 and 2008 turnover was close to 180m Euros...
. The movement adopted three villages near Varanasi and an urban slum, with an objective of providing better education to the children there. He was elected in 2001 into the executive council of Voice of People, supported by Child Rights and You
Child Rights and You
Child Rights and You commonly abbreviated as CRY is a non-profit organization in India that aims to restore children's rights in India. The organisation was established in 1979. The organization partners with grass-roots Non governmental organisations to uplift thousands of Indian children denied...
(CRY), an organisation active in 15 districts of Uttar Pradesh, which works for the rights of the children. He was appointed as a member of the District Vigilance Committee on Bonded Labour under Bonded Labour abolition Act 1976 by the Governor of UP in 2002. He filed an FIR (First Information Report
First Information Report
A First Information Report or FIR is a written document prepared by the police in India, Pakistan and Japan when they receive information about the commission of a cognizable offence. It is a report of information that reaches the police first in point of time and that is why it is called the First...
) against Rajendar Thripathi, the village head of Belwa in the Badagaon
Badagaon
Badagaon is a town and a nagar panchayat in Tikamgarh district in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India.The Town code of Badagaon is 40813000-Demographics:...
administrative district in his capacity as a member of the Disctict Vigilance Committee. However, Rajendar escaped arrest, and Lenin has been reported to be receiving death threats since then. In revenge, the head of Belwa village filed a case against Raghuvanshi and two PVCHR staff members for "statements conducing to public mischief" and "anti-state activities"; the latter proceeding of case was stayed by High Court.
In 2004, he conceptualised the 'Jan Mitra Gaon' (People-friendly villages) project, under which three villages and an urban slum were adopted with the motives of eradicating child labour, providing education to girls, reintroducing non-traditional education and improving the state of educational institutions.
Contributions to the Weavers Community
Raghuvansi represented the Bunkar Dastkar Adhikar Manch in the People's Tribunal on Human Rights, chaired by Sayeda Hameed, a member of the Planning Commission of IndiaPlanning commission of India
The Planning Commission is an institution in the Government of India, which formulates India's Five-Year Plans, among other functions.-History:...
, briefing on the reportedly poor situation of the Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
weavers. Bunkar Dastkar Adhikar Manch is a Varanasi based outfit, founded by Siddiq Hassan, in 2004, that lobbies for the weaver community. Varanasi Weavers Trust was conceptualised in 2004 by the Sri Lankan economist Darin Gunasekara and Raguvansi, with the objective of easy accessibility of the capital and market to the poor in a democratised way. The demand was then put forth to the Indian Government for the establishment of the trust.
Bringing together the South Asian countries
On January 15, 2005, human rights groups from India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Srilanka, PVCHR (India), INSEC (Nepal), People's Forum for Human Rights (Bhutan), Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, LOKOJ (Bangladesh) and Wiros Lokh Institute (Srilanka), met with an objective of a united South Asia, working for the common good, in Kathmandu. This convention was named People's SAARC, leading to the formation of a South Asian People's Forum, with Raghuvansi as its coordinator. Afghanistan was later added to this SAARC.Recognition
Raghuvanshi is a 2001 Ashoka Fellow. He was appointed as the state director for the European Union funded National Project on Prevention of Torture in 2006, in recognition of the reports published by PVCHR on torture incidents in the state. He drafted a Testimonial model for India along with Dr.Inger Agger, working further on dealing with torture. He was awarded the Gwangju Human Rights Award in 2007, along with Irom Sharmila In 2008, he received ACHA Star Peace award from Association for Communal Harmony in Asia USA along with B. M. Kutty, Karamat Ali and Mubashir Mirza from Pakistan. In 2010, he was elected as the president for the Association of Cultural Harmony in Asia, USA. City council of WeimarWeimar
Weimar is a city in Germany famous for its cultural heritage. It is located in the federal state of Thuringia , north of the Thüringer Wald, east of Erfurt, and southwest of Halle and Leipzig. Its current population is approximately 65,000. The oldest record of the city dates from the year 899...
, Germany, chose him for the 2010 International Human Rights award.