Swami Agnivesh

Infobox Person
name = Swami Agnivesh

|476px
birth_date = September 21, 1939
birth_place = Shakti, Madhya Pradesh, India
occupation = President of the World Council of Arya Samaj; thinker; activist; philanthropist
footnotes =

Swami Agnivesh is a prominent Arya Samaj scholar born in Shakti (Madhya Pradesh, India on September 21,1939. He is best known as the president of the World Council of Arya Samaj "Society of Nobles", a Hindu reform movement, founded by Swami Dayananda Saraswati in 1875.

He is also Chairperson of United Nations Trust Fund, President of World Council of Arya Samaj and Chairperson of Bonded Labour Liberation Front. [http://www.swamiagnivesh.com] .

He was a lecturer of Business Management in St. Xavier's College, Calcutta, India.

Among Swami Agnivesh's immense contributions is his championing of dialogue and peace activities, the anti-caste movement, liberation of bonded labour activities, a movement against alcoholism, and equal rights of women (such as their right to education and reading Indian scriptures).

He has been testifying before the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery at the [U.N. Human Rights Commission in Geneva. A movement led by him is strongly voicing its opinion against child labour. The Sati incident on September 4,1987 created a new task for emancipation of womanhood, which brought about the Commission of Sati (prevention) Act of 1987.

He also led a movement against large-scale female feticide practiced by some medical doctors and he was the main enactor of a challenge to the Shankaracharya of Puri for public debate against his views on Sati. He also led a provocation against denying Native Indians (Untouchables) entry into Hindu temples.

Swami Agnivesh in his address to the jamiat stated "it is wrong to attribute the wrongdoings of a few individuals to the whole community. I would not mince words to say that the United States is the terrorist number one. To defame the Holy Koran and Islam is the worst form of terrorism. Islam stands for peace and brotherhood and there cannot be a bigger lie than saying that Muslims are terrorists." [http://www.hindu.com/2008/06/01/stories/2008060159940800.htm]

Offices Held

* Member Haryana Legislative Assembly, 1977-82

* Minister Education Haryana Legislative Assembly, 1979

* President Bandhua Mukti Morcha (Bonded Labour liberation Front)

* Representative International Commission of Jurists (Geneva)

* Representative International Anti-Slavery Society (London)

Awards

* Anti-Slavery International Award -London, 1990

* Freedom and Human Rights Award -Bern, Switzerland 1994

* Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award -Delhi, India, 2004(Religious & Communal Harmony Award 2004)

* Right Livelihood Award 2004 - Sweden (Alternative Nobel Prize)

* M.A.Thomas National Human Rights Award2006, Banglore, India [http://www.swamiagnivesh.com] .

Criticism

Koenraad Elst has described Agnivesh as a "marxist in ochre rob"

Works

* Vedic Socialism (Hindi)

* Religion Revolution and Marxism (Hindi and English)

* Rajdharma- Chief Editor of this fortnightly (1968-1978)

* Kranti Dharmi-Chief Editor of this monthly (1989-1991)

* Religion, Spirituality and Social Action, New Agenda for Humanity, Hope India Publications, 2003

Contact Information

His permanent address: Dharma Pratishthan,7 Jantar Mantar, New Delhi - 110 001

References

* The Hindu, Sunday, June 1, 2008 [http://www.hindu.com/2008/06/01/stories/2008060159940800.htm]
* Official Website of Swami Agnivesh [http://www.swamiagnivesh.com]
* National Academy of Administration [www.lbsnaa.ernet.in/lbsnaa/research/guest/a2.doc] .
* The Right Livelihood Award [http://www.rightlivelihood.org/recip/2004/swami-agnivesh.htm]

External links

* Arya Samaj Forum [http://aryasamaj.forumwise.com]