Rajagopal P. V. (born 1948) is an Indian Gandhian activist, a former Vice Chairman of the New Delhi Gandhi Peace Foundation,[1] as well as the president and founding member of Ekta Parishad.[2][3] In 1972, Rajagopal started working alongside Gandhian activists J.P. Narayan and Subba Rao to disarm 578 bandits in the Chambal region of India.[4]
A second effort of national activism occurred in 2012, when Rajagopal led a march together with 100,000 supporters toward the capital, to demand popular control over land and resources to secure the livelihood of laborers without access to the means of production. The effort resulted in the signing of a ten-point agreement with the Union government.[4]
Biography
Rajagopal was born in 1948 in Thillenkery, Kerala, as the fourth of five children. His full name is Rajagopal Puthan Veetil. He attended He attended Seva Mandir school, which followed Gandhian principles,[5] and later studied classical Indian dance and music. He completed his education in agricultural engineering at Sevagram, Gandhi's Ashram in Maharashtra, where he also learned English.[citation needed]
In the early 1970s, he worked in the violence-ridden area of Chambal in Madhya Pradesh to help rehabilitate dacoits.[6]
Since 2001, Rajagopal is married to Jill Carr-Harris, a Canadian fellow social activist.[7]
Rajagopal consolidated a membership of 200,000 people, primarily women, across six states. Using Gandhian methods like foot-marches or padayatra, he led a 340-kilometer march from Gwalior to Delhi. The movement pressured the government to take action on land reforms and forest rights.[8]
This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(November 2012)
The Jan Satyagraha 2012 Yatra, which started from Gwalior Oct 2, had intended to reach Delhi on Oct 28 if no agreement was reached with the government. Nearly 35,000 people were part of the protest march.[9]
Though the Land Reform Commission has issued its report, the government has not yet accepted it.
Jan Andolan 2018
In October 2018, Rajagopal led a march from Gwalior to Morena with around 25,000 people asking for land rights and tribal rights. Initially the march was planned from Haryana to New Delhi.[10] The march took place in the context of the 2018 Madhya Pradesh Legislative election and some months ahead of 2019 national elections. Political leaders such as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan addressed the marchers in Gwalior before their departure, promising to create a committee to address land rights issues.[11] According to Ekta Parishad, the marchers were not satisfied with the proposals and decided to go ahead with the march.[12] In Morena, leaders from Indian National Congress, the main opposition party addressed the marchers and promised if elected to satisfy their demands.[13][14] Ekta Parishad indicated that they were satisfied with these commitments and decided to stop marching and not to continue to New Delhi, as initially planned.[12]
In 2015, Rajagopal launched, with Ekta Parishad, the extraordinary challenge of Jai Jagat, building upon existing groups, mainly in India and Europe. The core vision of Jai Jagat is to create a space where groups and movements can come together to make change nonviolently and address issues related to justice and peace.
The urgency of having such convergence is to change global public opinion to enhance the emergence of an alternative development process that is pro-people, pro-poor and pro-nature. The 2019-2020 Global Peace March (Delhi-Geneva) reached individuals, groups and organizations outside those historical Ekta circles and created a dynamic in many countries.
The March had to overcome many hurdles and was suspended halfway in Armenia in March 2020, because of COVID-19. A few marches to Geneva at the end of September 2020 marked the last significant mobilization, at least outside India, under the umbrella of Jai Jagat. Since then, initiatives have been taken, such as the organization of marches or a cartoon exhibition, by local and regional groups.
Land reform Advocacy
Rajagopal's organization of Ekta Parishad with its mobilization of tribal peoples, women and youth as well as its advocacy of land reform. His efforts are seen as a peaceful alternative to violent movements like Naxalism in central rural India.
New land reforms, 2014 and conflicts
The Modi government has proposed two major changes in the land acquisition act:
It seeks to dilute provisions such as the mandatory consent of 70 percent of those affected in case of public-private partnership (PPP) projects.
It removes the provision of mandatory requirement for a time-bound Social Impact Assessment for land acquisitions.
Rajagopal accuses Modi of being pro-corporate and claims that it will further aggravate the difference between the rich and poor in the country.[15]
Documentation
Articles
Voice of Hope and Voice for Change (English) – A collection of articles by Rajagopal P.V. published by National Center for Advocacy Studies, Pune.
Land for Life (English) – A collection of village data during the foot march by Rajagopal P.V. published by National Center for Advocacy Studies, Pune.
Main ne Dekha Hain (Hindi)- A collection of village stories during the foot march by Rajagopal P.V. published by Ekta Parishad.
Pagdandiyom par paav (Hindi)- A collection of village people's story during the foot march by Rajagopal P.V. published by Ekta Parishad.
Gulamon ki Basti se Gujar raha hoon (Hindi) - A collection of village based story during the foot march by Rajagopal P.V. published by Ekta Parishad.
Jo Ghar Khoya Apana (Hindi)- A collection of village data during the foot march by Rajagopal P.V. published by Ekta Parishad.
Sab ki apani Ho Jameen (Hindi) - A collection of village data during the foot march by Rajagopal P.V. published by Ekta Parishad.
Journey to the other India – A collection of articles in English during the year long samwad yatra in 2011 – 2012.
The legacy of Gandhi, Rajagopal P.V. – A life for non-violent resistance by Carmen Zanella of Switzerland.
Biography of Rajagopal by Dr. Julius Ruibke of Germany.
Audio-Visual
"Janadesh" (People's Verdict) A film on 25000 people on foot in 2007 from Gwalior to Delhi (English, Hindi, Spanish, German and French) Film makers from France, Switzerland, Spain and India.
"Land First" A Film on Orissa foot march by Amanda, England.
"Is Small still Beautiful" A Film Broadcast on BBC News, Traccy Winchester, England.
"Raja's Raise" A Film based on a story of Elephant, Karl Saurer from Switzerland.
"Ahimsa"(based on Non-Violence training and Social action), Karl Saurer from Switzerland.
"Jansatyagrah" (Truth Force) Rajagopal and his initiatives, Vikram Nayak, New Delhi.
"Peoples Movement Processes", Praveen Pagare, Nasik.
"Jan Chetana Ka Uday" Struggle of Peoples Movement, Ritu Datta , New Delhi.
"Manzil ki Aur" Community based Nonviolent Struggle for right, Ritu Datta, New Delhi.
"Millions can walk" Film on Jansatyagraha by Christoph Schaub, Switzerland.
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