Honouring unity and activism: 6th Ankit Junaid social harmony award recognizes youth leadership

By A Representative

Bhramcahari Sudhanand Ji and Karan Rawat have been honoured with the sixth Ankit Junaid Social Harmony Award at the Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi. The award, initiated by Khudai Khidmatgar in 2018, commemorates Hafiz Junaid and Ankit Saxena, both victims of communal violence, and aims to foster communal harmony among youth. The award includes a memento, certificate, shawl, and a cash prize.

The ceremony was attended by Magsaysay awardee Dr. Sandeep Pandey, socialist thinker and farmer leader Dr. Sunilam, senior Gandhian Ramesh Chand Sharma Ji, and Khudai Khidmatgar National Coordinator Faisal Khan. Following the award distribution, an interactive session on "Youth and Communalism" was conducted, moderated by Khudai Khidmatgar leader Rizwan Khan. Kripal Singh Mandloi spoke about the award’s mission, emphasizing the need to cultivate fraternity and coexistence among youth as future leaders of the nation.

Bhramcahari Sudhanand Ji recently completed his final year of LLB at Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna University, Uttarakhand. He has argued cases related to public interest across District Court Haridwar, Uttarakhand High Court, and the Supreme Court of India. Under the guidance of His Holiness Shri Gurudev Ji, he has committed himself to spiritual service and environmental activism, particularly focusing on the protection of the Ganga River.

Karan Rawat has been actively advocating for gender and religious minorities. He has collaborated with organizations such as The Humsafar Trust, Gandhinagar Pride Foundation, and grassroots initiatives like The Collective to promote inclusion and justice. His activism continues to support marginalized communities in their fight for equity and dignity.

Dr. Sunilam reflected on India's rural traditions, emphasizing the innate harmony and collective spirit of farming communities. He condemned political efforts to disrupt this unity and expressed solidarity with war-affected children in Gaza.

Dr. Sandeep Pandey highlighted the deeply ingrained caste-based discrimination, arguing that true social justice and human solidarity are the only means to combat hate. He called for embracing the philosophy of “Vasudeva Kutumbakam,” reinforcing universal compassion.

Senior Gandhian Ramesh Chand Sharma Ji reaffirmed India’s history of peaceful coexistence, criticizing divisive political agendas. He urged the revival of Gandhian values to restore communal harmony and concluded his remarks with a Gandhi bhajan.

Faisal Khan, Khudai Khidmatgar’s national coordinator, underscored the movement’s unwavering commitment to propagating peace in memory of Ankit and Junaid, reiterating the legacy of leaders such as Gandhi, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, and Baba Saheb Ambedkar.

Both awardees shared insights on youth and communalism, urging greater engagement in real social issues beyond communal divisions. Karan Rawat described his formative years in a Muslim-majority neighborhood, affirming his belief in unity beyond religion and caste. He dedicated his award to all victims of violence and injustice worldwide.

Sudhanand Ji reflected on his activism for the Ganga ecosystem, emphasizing the youth’s responsibility to shape an inclusive future based on constitutional values. He dedicated his award to Matri Sadan Ashram and Sant Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand Ji.

Sameera Ahmed, leader of Khudai Khidmatgar’s women’s wing, congratulated the awardees, commending their dedication to humanity, equality, and peace-building. The event saw participation from several social activists and legal professionals, reinforcing collective efforts for communal harmony.

Comments

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

History, culture and literature of Fatehpur, UP, from where Maulana Hasrat Mohani hailed

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Maulana Hasrat Mohani was a member of the Constituent Assembly and an extremely important leader of our freedom movement. Born in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, Hasrat Mohani's relationship with nearby district of Fatehpur is interesting and not explored much by biographers and historians. Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri has written a book on Maulana Hasrat Mohani and Fatehpur. The book is in Urdu. He has just come out with another important book, 'Hindi kee Pratham Rachna: Chandayan' authored by Mulla Daud Dalmai.' During my recent visit to Fatehpur town, I had an opportunity to meet Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri and recorded a conversation with him on issues of history, culture and literature of Fatehpur. Sharing this conversation here with you. Kindly click this link. --- *Human rights defender. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vbrawat , X @freetohumanity, Skype @vbrawat

Celebrating 125 yr old legacy of healthcare work of missionaries

Vilas Shende, director, Mure Memorial Hospital By Moin Qazi* Central India has been one of the most fertile belts for several unique experiments undertaken by missionaries in the field of education and healthcare. The result is a network of several well-known schools, colleges and hospitals that have woven themselves into the social landscape of the region. They have also become a byword for quality and affordable services delivered to all sections of the society. These institutions are characterised by committed and compassionate staff driven by the selfless pursuit of improving the well-being of society. This is the reason why the region has nursed and nurtured so many eminent people who occupy high positions in varied fields across the country as well as beyond. One of the fruits of this legacy is a more than century old iconic hospital that nestles in the heart of Nagpur city. Named as Mure Memorial Hospital after a British warrior who lost his life in a war while defending his cou...

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

Epic war against caste system is constitutional responsibility of elected government

Edited by well-known Gujarat Dalit rights leader Martin Macwan, the book, “Bhed-Bharat: An Account of Injustice and Atrocities on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-18)” (available in English and Gujarati*) is a selection of news articles on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-2018) published by Dalit Shakti Prakashan, Ahmedabad. Preface to the book, in which Macwan seeks to answer key questions on why the book is needed today: *** The thought of compiling a book on atrocities on Dalits and thus present an overall Indian picture had occurred to me a long time ago. Absence of such a comprehensive picture is a major reason for a weak social and political consciousness among Dalits as well as non-Dalits. But gradually the idea took a different form. I found that lay readers don’t understand numbers and don’t like to read well-researched articles. The best way to reach out to them was storytelling. As I started writing in Gujarati and sharing the idea of the book with my friends, it occurred to me that while...

Is India emulating west, 'using' anti-terror plank to justify state-supported violence?

Fahad Ahmad, Baljit Nagra* Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused India of being involved in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh leader, on Canadian soil. Narendra Modi’s right-wing Hindu nationalist Indian government is defiant and denies involvement. Indian officials have instead admonished Canada for being a “ safe haven ” for Sikh “terrorism,” a pejorative for Sikh self-determination .

Adani Group declares it will "self-finance" Australian coal mining project: Traditional group registers fresh opposition

By A Representative The controversial Adani Group's Carmichael coal mine and rail project in Queensland, Australia, will be "100% financed" through the Group’s own resources, Adani, Mining CEO Lucas Dow has said. A South Asia Times, Melbourne, report has quoted Dow as saying in Queensland, “We have already invested $3.3 billion in Adani’s Australian businesses, which is a clear demonstration of our capacity to deliver a financing solution for the revised scope of the mine and rail project." Dow Pointing out that "the project stacks up both environmentally and financially", he added, "Today’s announcement removes any doubt as to the project stacking up financially... The Carmichael Project will deliver more than 1,500 direct jobs on the mine and rail projects during the initial ramp-up and construction phase, and will support thousands more indirect jobs, all of which will benefit regional Queensland communities.” The project faces fierce opposition ...

Beyond the rhetoric: Gujarat’s 2047 promise and its hidden faultlines

By Rajiv Shah A few days ago, I met a veteran Gujarat-based economist, the author of several books offering a critical evaluation of the state’s economy, poverty, and gender discrimination . Also present was a retired Gujarat-cadre bureaucrat with an economics background, known for his popularity in the cities and districts where he served during his heyday.

Search This Blog