What the govt. today is talking of is a lopsided model of development, says Niwano Peace Prize recipient P.V. Rajagopal

On May 11, 2023, P.V. Rajagopal received Niwano Peace Prize at a function in Tokyo. A Gandhian and president and founder of Ekta Parishad, he was the 40th person and the third Indian to receive this prestigious award after Ela Ramesh Bhatt and Dr. Aram. Recently, he was in Madurai and in a free-wheeling chat, punctuated by evocative gestures as a hat tip to the dancer in him, he shared the experiences that still drive him onward and ahead.

On May 11, 2023, P.V. Rajagopal received Niwano Peace Prize at a function in Tokyo. A Gandhian and president and founder of Ekta Parishad, he was the 40th person and the third Indian to receive this prestigious award after Ela Ramesh Bhatt and Dr. Aram. Recently, he was in Madurai and in a free-wheeling chat, punctuated by evocative gestures as a hat tip to the dancer in him, he shared the experiences that still drive him onward and ahead.

This journey of yours began in a little village in Kannur district in Kerala. A little about that life and how it shaped you.

When I was growing up, Cmmunism was making inroads into Kerala. It was a period of political activism. My father was a freedom fighter and was more often in hiding. But whenever he visited us, the talk around the dining table was about Gandhi and the freedom struggle. Sometime later, I shifted to Calicut with my father who by then had taken up spinning and weaving khadi. There, I was exposed to Gandhi’s Nai Talim education which is what is now called experimental form of education. Later, I took a little detour and joined Kalamandalam, saying I wanted to learn Kathakali. But after some time, I was back and rounded off my education by doing Agricultural Engineering at Sevagram. It sure was a tough life but then it was a strong foundation.

After this phase, what was the turning point that made you move to Chambal and all the lawlessness that entailed?

The turning point I would say came in 1969, when the country decided to celebrate the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi by organising a Gandhi Darshan train. The train with 10 compartments showcased the journey of how an ordinary boy called Mohan became the Mahatma. I was a volunteer on the train and one whole year I travelled across India explaining Mahatma’s ideology to thousands of people, including children, who came to visit. It was during one such halt, that a group of young people asked me whether the concept of nonviolence was still relevant and whether it could still achieve any result. This got me thinking and when I was offered an opportunity to go to Chambal, I grabbed it.

What did you achieve in that region, in your own estimation?

It was a challenge and I love challenges so I joined the Mahatma Gandhi Sewa Ashram started by Gandhian S.N. Subba Rao in Joura in 1970. The first two years we were working with the children there. We reached out to the villagers who were a bit apprehensive at first but later this programme of integrating with the locals helped. What the government could not achieve was achieved by activists like Jayaprakash Narayan and Vinobha Bhave. On April 14, 1972, I witnessed the dreaded dacoit Madho Singh along with 200 bandits lay down arms before the portrait of Gandhi. Non-violence had achieved what many had considered an impossible task. The bandits were ready to face their time in prison but the only condition sought was that no one would be hanged for the numerous murders they had committed. But what happens when these dacoits finish their jail term and come out? There were people outside waiting to take revenge. This had to be prevented, so we started the next process which taught me a valuable lesson. For reconciliation, we initiated a dialogue between the perpetrator and the affected. When they finally walked free, there was no retribution in any form. Peace had been made.