Indian social activist Rajagopal P.V. received this year’s Niwano Peace Prize, dubbed as the “Nobel of religions,” in recognition of his his lifelong commitment and work for the poor in India.
The award conferred by the Niwano Peace Foundation honors individuals and organizations that have contributed significantly to inter-religious cooperation, furthering the cause of world peace.
“Mr. Rajagopal’s actions in favor of the poorest and most marginalized of his country, carried out through peaceful and nonviolent methods, and his struggle for the recognition of the equal human dignity and equal rights of every man and woman, irrespective of cast or gender, inspire great admiration,” read a statement from Flaminia Giovanelli, former UnderSecretary of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development who is part of the Prize Committee.
Rajapogal is known for facilitating the rehabilitation of drug dependents in India, the education of young people, and his commitment to the care for the environment.
His work for justice has been done through dialogue with institutions “with a view to counteracting the phenomenon of land grabbing, and obtaining, through appropriate land reform, the redistribution of land and the assignment of land ownership.”
Born in 1948 in Kerala, India, Rajagopal started dedicating himself to the promotion of non-violent social activism in the 1970s when he moved to the Chambal district of Madhya Pradesh.
His initiative in addressing violence in the district earned him the recognition as a “peacemaker.”
In the 1980s, he organized regional and national youth training programs to promote the concept of nonviolent action for social change.
“The inter-religious essence of Mr. Rajagopal’s activism is in bringing together the poor, united in nonviolent protest for their rights, without distinction of religion,” read a statement from the Prize Committe.
Rajagopal received the Prize during the presentation ceremony in Tokyo, Japan, on May 11, 2023.
The Niwano Peace Foundation was chartered in 1978 to contribute to the realization of world peace and the enhancement of a culture of peace, promoting research and other activities based on the spirit of religious principles and serves the cause of peace in such fields as education, science, religion and philosophy.
Former recipients of the Prize include Lutheran Bishop Munib A. Younan, the late Brazilian Cardinal Paulo Evaristo Arns, Anglican missionary priest and anti-apartheid activist Michael Lapsley, and the Community of Sant’Egidio. – with a report from Vatican News
