Awards & Achievements

Launched the Anti-Liquor Movement in Haryana, UP and Rajasthan. Led numerous marches against alcoholism. Introduction of total prohibition in Haryana has been a significant success. (from Ist July 1996 – 31st March, 1998). It was subsequently withdrawn by the Haryana Government.

Founded a political party - Arya Sabha - 1970-77. This party has been in the forefront of struggles for farmers, labourers, women, teachers and students.

Led a successful movement of wheat-growers for remunerative prices for their produce (1973-1974).

Organised a communal amity march from Delhi to Meerut against the massacre of some 42 Muslim youth by the police and against the VHP led movement on Ayodhya.

RAJIV GANDHI NATIONAL SADBHAVANA AWARD - 2004

Every society has a few exceptional persons as its conscience - keepers. With piercing eyes they perceive the injustices committed and with impassioned accents they rally their fellowmen to fight against evil. One such outstanding concience-keeper of our country is Swami Agnivesh. He has been rightly described as a global firebrand for humanism. There is no endeavour to enlarge social justice within the country and in the wider world in which he is not in the forefront, be it the ending of bonded labour and child labour of all kinds, or the enforcement of equal rights for women. He has been an eloquent champion of the poorer peoples rights in this age of rapid globalisation and also of environmental protection. But above all it is in the fight against religious fundamentalism and the growth of communal hatred that Swami Agnivesh has made his greatest contribution.

The marches he organized at the time of the Sati incident in Rajasthan in 1987 and to have the doors of Nathdwara temple opened to Dalits in 1988, the Delhi - Meerut peace march of 1989 and the march of 51 leaders of various denominations to Manoharpur in 1999 to offer sympathy to Mrs. Gladys Staines after her husband had been killed by fanatics, and the way he countered the communal forces in Gujarat in 2002 have all evoked widespread admiration.

Swami Agnivesh deplores the fact that religions have allowed themselves to be politically exploited. Instead of nurturing and enabling our humanity, religions have unleashed hatred and violence. In his view the very idea of religion needs to be reconstructed with spirituality and social justice at its core.

It is in recognition of his dedicated and tireless work to remove the seeds of hate form our land that this extraordinary man of religion, Swami Agnivesh, is being honoured with this year's Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award.

Annual report