The Indian School of Public Policy (ISPP) hosted an interaction with Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi
New Delhi: The Indian School of Public Policy (ISPP) hosted an
interaction with Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, at its premises, on 07
January 2019.
Born in the Vidisha district of Madhya Pradesh in India, Kailash Satyarthi worked as
a teacher in his hometown, post the completion of a degree in electrical engineering.
In 1980, he left teaching and founded the organization Bachpan Bachao Andolan,
which has freed thousands of children from slave-like conditions. He has also been
active in a wide range of other organizations working against child labor, and for the
rights of children. Following the tradition of Mahatma Gandhi, Mr. Satyarthi has
waged a peaceful struggle to stop children from being exploited as labor, and instead
attending school. He has also contributed to the development of international
conventions on the rights of children. In 2014, Mr. Satyarthi was awarded the Nobel
Peace Prize for his work against the suppression of children and young people, and
for the right of all children to education.
During his interaction with public policy scholars, Mr. Satyarthi touched upon his
journey, the challenges and milestones achieved, emphasizing on how youth serve
as an important solution for various challenges faced by the country; he also
stressed on the need for active participation of the youth of today, alongside proper
purpose, guidance and direction. Speaking on the subject of generating awareness
via important media such as social media, he added: “In today’s times, social media
plays an important role in drawing attention to injustice of any kind, spreading
awareness, and encouraging voicing important concerns. Silence is violence, as far
as injustice is concerned.”
Priyanka Mehta, a public policy scholar, who attended the sessions, recounts her
experience: “The iteration of Mr. Satyarthi’s journey reminded us that the power of
the citizen collective, coupled with that of democracy, creates an essential space for
empowerment. As policy makers, he made us consider the immense power of
advocacy. Consequently, we witnessed the necessitation and power of updating and
amending our legislation to suit the humanitarian cause of our nation.”