Kailash Satyarthi

By Dr. Ashok K. Sharma ; Kritika Bhardwaj

Kailash Satyarthi has several identities he is globally famous as an anti-child slavery change maker, a global crusader of children rights, a mass mobiliser who transformed the lives of children in several countries and a writer who created public awareness on lesser known issues plaguing humanity.
He started his career as an Electrical Engineer, but soon changed his mind to transform the destinies of countless children suffering across the globe. He has led the rescue of over 80 thousand child slaves all over the world and developed a successful global model for their education and rehabilitation. As it happens, invariably with all good and great people, Kailash Satyarathi also suffered numerous attacks on his life during his endless crusades to end child slavery of all sorts. A thrilling account of the life and times of a real life hero.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Diamond Books
• Release date: Dec 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9788128828133

Book preview

Crusader of Innocence

Kailash Satyarthi

Nobel Peace Prize Winner

eISBN: 978-81-2882-813-3

© Author

Publisher: Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd.

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Edition : 2015

Kailash Satyarthi

By - Dr. Ashok K. Sharma & Kritika Bhardwaj

To

Dr. Ramesh Pokhariyal ‘Nishank’, M.P. & former Chief Minister Uttarakhand Himalaya; a great teacher, greater visionary, genius writer and poet who shaped and transformed countless lives in the region in a noble manner. His words of wisdom invariably guide and inspire me to excel in life..

Kailash Satyarthi with the President, Pranab Mukherji

Being honoured by hon’ble Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi

Preface

The book is based on the life and struggle of the Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi. It is an endeavour to inform you about the vicious circle of slavery created especially for the children in our beautiful world. People who do not know Kailash Satyarthi will definitely be proud of this simple looking Indian.

Its a universal phenomenon in the developing countries that the weak and lower middle class children, above five years, are forced into child slavery, exploitation and are pushed into the factories to work in an unimaginable manner and conditions. You would be surprised to know that even the United States is not completely free from the cancer of child labour. It is bizarre to know that more than 210, 00,000 children, men and women are forced to live a life of a slave. Even before writing the book, I myself was unaware of the types of child-slavery-hell being created for children across the world.

The UN Convention on 2 December 1949 had signed a treaty to put an end to human trafficking, child slavery and prostitution; thereafter, an UN Convention declared on December 2, 2004 that every year this day would be as ‘International Day for the Abolition of Slavery’. Recently, last month, Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon accepted that even today 2.7 million people are victim of slavery of some or the other form. In spite of the many movements and subsequent reforms against slavery it has not been fully eradicated.

In his message to all the heads of the nations, he said that even 25 years after the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the child, boys and girls are still working in appalling conditions. Men, separated from their families, are still being locked in clandestine factories, working in situations of bonded labour with negligible wages and remote chances of ever repaying their debts.

The most dangerous, visible and organised face of slavery is child slavery under which children for different vested interests are beguiled into the trap and are made to work, trafficked after being kidnapped or bought, their body parts are trafficked, used as bonded labourers, used for sexual slavery and human trafficking. The enitre business across the world accounts for 8000 crores. Hence, the kind of investment made into it by the mafia can be imagined in spite of the governments wanting to put an end to it. Also, the danger of raising voice against the social evil is evident.

It should be noted that six to eight lakh people are trafficked every year across the world. Whatever these people have to go through is unimaginable. Governments across the world even do not have the numbers related to their rehabilitation. This was the reason that in 1980, an engineer, Kailash Satyarthi in the country India, which at that time was considered quiet backward in terms of development, decided to raise voice against the most lucrative, attractive and dangerous business. This automatically attracted the attention of the entire world towards him. His journey was not an easy one and neither did he get any support from the society and the government in the initial stage of his fight. It was his passion that made him keep moving towards his aim and this as well, helped in increasing his confidence.

Immediately after Nobel Peace Prize was announced for Kailash Satyarthi, Narender Verma, Chairman, Diamond Pocket Books decided to publish a book on him. According to him, after Mahatma Gandhi, Kailash is the only Indian who is being considered as the crusader of humanity. Kailash today has emerged as an ideal figure against child slavery at the global stage.

I would not hesitate to agree that it was only because of the book I could know a lot about the life, work, family, struggle, principles, hopes and his unimaginable sacrifices for humanity. I am greatly thankful to Narender Verma, for motivating me to write the book. Kritika Bhardwaj is the co-author of the book.

The first and foremost problem that I had to face was to collect information about Kailash Satyarthi. Before he was awarded the Nobel, he was not known to a common man. Authentic, reliable and enough information was not available on the internet and the libraries to be able to write a book on him that would be interesting at the same time. I tried getting in touch with him, but all my efforts were in vain. In fact I tried finding sources that could help me to reach him, but it was getting difficult with each passing day. I continuously tried contacting him via Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Linkedin, and even via his personal website. I even approached journalists who had written about him being given the Nobel award and sought their help. When nothing materialised, I, with the hope, searched the website of ‘Bachpan Bachao Andolan’(Save the Childhood Movement) and started approaching the coordinators of BBA in seven states.

At last, I was able to speak to Umashankar Yadav, Coordinator, Uttar Pradesh. I am really grateful to him for making a way for me to reach Kailash Satyarthi and his wife Sumedha Satyarthi. I had a very brief meeting with Sumedha who was on her visit to Rajasthan. She over the phone in an interview had informed me in detail about their personal lives on the basis of which I had written the chapter Love, Marriage and Struggle. Thereafter, Kailash Satyarthi himself called me and gave me a lot of information. When I told him about the topics that would be included in the book, he himself was surprised to know the list of them and said, ‘You actually have researched about me.’ I am grateful to him for his generosity and compassion. Kailash’s mother Pandita Rakesh Rani and his childhood friend from Vidisha, Rajya Sabha Member, Chaudhary Munawar Salim of Samajwadi Party also became a source of information to me. I am thankful for the help they have extended.

I am writting this book once again taking away some time from the time I spend with my wife Ranjana and like always I am overwhelmed with her sacrifice.

I have never co-written a book, but this time, a very intelligent author Kritika Bhardwaj, who is even younger than my daughter, helped me and hence she is partners in the success and popularity of the book. I would like to thank Dr. Hamidullah Siddique, Bureau Head, Aalmi Sahara for suggesting the name of the hindi book ‘Masoomon Ka Masiha’.

The information in the book, its compilation and research has mostly been done from Newspapers, various magazines, information on the internet. Every reference is authentic and genuine. At many places imagination has been used to hide the names of the people and at various places for lack of information, in spite many endeavours to find information, and because of statutory reasons.

We have tried to not disrespect anyone intentionally in the book, but if somebody’s feeling has been hurt, it will be corrected in the future issues. I am not charging anything for writing the book and the publisher has as well decided to donate the profits to an organisation working for the rehabilitation of the handicapped children. This book is a compilation based on various sources on Kailash Satyarthi’s life and struggle and should not be considered as a biography.

After reading the book you would, for the first time realise and confront the different faces of child slavery. Every country is known to a different role of Kailash Satyarthi, for fighting every form of social evil related to children. Articles, interviews, radio-television discussion on freedom from child slavery, child rights movement, child education, freedom from sexual exploitation of children, social awareness on child safety has always seen a new Kailash. It would be great experience for you to know him and people associated with him.

– Ashok Kumar Sharma

Kailash Satyarthi with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi

A historical moment

With Congress President Sonia Gandhi

Contents

• Preface

The Story of Rebirth

Notable Reincarnation

Child Revolutionary

Love, Marriage, and Struggle

Eradication of Child Slavery

Uncontroversial Nobel Peace Prize to Kailash Satyarthi

Solutions to the Problems

Rules for Success

Magic of Transparency

Revolutionary Ideological Energy

Struggle will Continue

• End Note

• You Are Just Ten Questions Away From A Complete Understanding On Child Labour

• Milestones Towards Child Labour Free India

Standing Ovation on Arrival at Oslo Nobel Award Ceremony

Kailash & Malala displaying their ‘Nobel Prize’

Chapter 1

The Story of Rebirth

The world may know the Nobel Peace Prize Winner Kailash Satyarthi by any name, but his brother Narendra Kumar has a different story to tell. He tells us that Kailash is the rebirth of Tahsildar Kailash Narayan Tiwari who was very religious and lived in Orchha, the city of Ram Raja many years back.

The world believes it or not, our family considers him the rebirth of Tahsildar Kailash Narayan Tiwari, on whose name the God Rama himself served food to three hungry Mahatmas in an ancient temple in Orchha. Kailash is in reality of God Rama’s blessing.

The story goes like this— Kailash Satyarthi’s father Police Constable Ramprasad Sharma started living an uneasy life after the unexpected death of their son Surendra in 1952. He used to remain hungry for many days at a stretch and was always sad. He was immensely religious, honest and a very cultured man. He believed in Lord Rama. He had, in his home, had a darbar of Lord Rama. He could not understand and accept the early and unexpected death of his son. He always used to ask his colleagues, friends and the people he met that why and for what did god punish him? What sin did he do? If he had done something in his previous birth, how is it related to this life? How did he know what wrong did he do in his previous life.

Entry Gate of Ram Raja Temple

On the consultation with his friends, he went to Lord Rama temple in Orchha. Orchha is a very famous religious place in Madhya Pradesh. It has always been known as a tourist destination. It is the only temple in India where Lord Rama is worshipped as a king and that too in a palace. It is believed that Lord Rama fulfils the wishes of childless couples here.

The story of Ram Raja Temple according to many local people goes like this: The King of Orchha Madhukar Shah was a devotee of Lord Krishna of Brindavan while his wife queen Ganesh Kunwari, also called Kamla Devi, was a devotee of Lord Rama. One day the King and the Queen went to Lord Krishna’s temple, but the temple had closed by that time. The queen urged the king to go back, but the king wanted to stay. So both the king and queen decided to stay back. They joined a group of devotees who were singing and dancing in praise of Lord Krishna outside the temple. The king and queen also joined in the prayers and started to sing and dance. It is believed that Lord Krishna and Radha personified and danced with them and golden flowers were showered from the heavens at that moment.

After that incident the king asked the queen to accompany him to Braj-Mathura the land of Lord Krishna, but the queen wanted to go to Ayodhya. The king got annoyed and told the queen to stop praying child form of Lord Rama and accompany him to Braj. But the queen was adamant, after which the king said that You keep praying to Rama, but Rama never appears in front of us, unlike Lord Krishna who danced with us along with Radha the other day. If you are so adamant to go to Ayodhya then go, but return only when you have the child form of Rama with you. Only then I will accept your true devotion. The queen took a vow that she would go to Ayodhya and return with the child form of Rama or else she would drown herself in Ayodhya’s Sarayu river. The queen left the palace and started the long journey to Ayodhya on foot to bring Lord Rama with her to Orchha. She didn’t tell the king before leaving that she had ordered her servants to start building a temple (Chaturbhuj temple) when she brings Lord Rama with her.

On reaching Ayodhya, the Queen started praying to Lord Rama close to Laxman Fort near Sarayu river. She ate only fruits, then she gave up fruits and ate only leaves, and eventually she gave up all food. The Queen fasted and prayed for about a month but Lord Ram did not appear, so eventually in despair, she jumped into the river at midnight. Just then something magical happened and Lord Rama appeared in child form in the Queen’s lap.

Four-Minarets Temple of Orchha

Lord Rama told the queen that he was happy with her prayers and she could ask for a boon, at which the queen asked Rama to come with her in child form to Orchha. Lord Rama agreed to go, but he put forth three conditions: I will travel only in Pushya Nakshatra. When Pushya Nakshatra will end I will stop and resume only when Pushya Nakshatra sets in again. In this manner I will travel from Ayodhya to Orchha on foot along with a group of sages. Secondly, once I reach Orchha, I will be the King of Orchha and not your husband. Thirdly, (since the child form of Rama would travel in the queen’s lap), the first place where you seat me will be my final place of stay and famous by the name of Ramraj. The Queen agreed and started her journey to Orchha with baby Rama in her lap. Since the queen travelled only in Pushya Nakshtra it took 8 months and 27 days for the queen to reach Orchha from Ayodhya on foot.

Images of Ram Raja

King Madhukar Shah meanwhile had a dream where Lord Banke Bihari scolded him on discriminating between Lord Rama and himself. Lord Banke Bihari reminded the King that Lord Rama and he are one and the same, there is no difference. The King was very apologetic when he woke up and found out that the queen was returning from Ayodhya. The King went to receive the queen with horses, elephants, servants, food, etc. and apologized to the queen. The queen did not accept king’s apology and refused the comforts offered to her by the King. The Queen claimed that she now possessed everything one could ever ask for (Lord Rama in child form). On returning to Orchha, the queen went back to her palace with baby Rama and retired in her room for the night, only to take Lord Rama to the Chaturbhuj temple the next day. But according to Lord Rama’s conditions he took the first place where he was seated, hence Lord Rama transformed into an idol and got transfixed in the queen’s palace itself. Since then the Ram Raja Temple is in the queen’s palace (Ranivaas or Rani Mahal) and not in the Chaturbhuj Temple (Orchha) which is right next to the palace. Originally, lord Rama was in standing position and the queen was serving Him 3–4 hours every day in standing position and used to get tired. Lord Rama requested to serve Him sitting only, but queen replied that Your Lordship is standing then how she can sit. The deity of Lord Rama sat down on hearing this from queen (source Bhaktmal by Nabhadasji Maharaj). Additionally, as promised by the queen, Lord Rama is the King (Raja) of Orchha, hence the name Ram Raja Temple.

So, we were talking about Kailash Satyarthi’s father Ram Prasad Sharma.