Born as Kailash Sharma, on 11 January, 1954 , at Vidisha, M.P., Satyarthi became world famous when he was awarded a Nobel Prize for Peace, along with Malala Yousufjya 2013, ’for their struggle against the suppression of children & young people and for the right of all children to education. After his schooling in Vidisha, he got his degree in electrical engineering & a Master of Engineering Degree from Barkatullah University, Bhopal.
After a stint as a lecturer in his Alma Mater i.e. Samrat Ashoka Technology Institute, he plunged into social work. He and his team have liberated 86,000 children from slavery and trafficking. In 1998 he led a march against child labour traversing a distance of 90 thousand Kms across103 countries.This was reflected in the Draft of ILO Convention182 on the Worst Form of Child Labour. Satyarthi was among the Future Magazine’s list of world’s Greatest Leaders in 2015 and featured in Linkedin’s Power Profiles in 2017 & 2018. He was also a leader of a long March called Bharat Yatra covering a distance of 19 thousand Kms in 35 days that led to a legislation against child sexual abuse & trafficking.
In 1980 he gave up his electrical engineer career and founded the Bachpan Bachao Andolan Global Manch against child labour, International Centre On Child Labour & Education (I C C L E), a worldwide community of N G s, teachers and trade unionists. Satyarthi also established a Goodweave International (formerly known as Rugmark), a first voluntary labelling, monitoring & certification system of rugs manufactured without child labour in South Asia.
Satyarthi,a seeker of truth, is on board of several international organizations including U N E S C O. He has been awarded prizes & his monumental work has inspired at least three generations. Satyarthi has become an icon for social workers. One can easily say about him that there have been many great persons, there will be several eminent men & women, but he can be compared to himself. Jhale Bahu, Hotil Bahu, Parantu Yasam Ha (Marathi).
A list of awards & prizes given below shows how he was universally acclaimed.
1. 1993:Elected Ashoka Fellow (U S A)
2.1994:The Aschera International Peace Award (Germany)
3.1995:The Trumpeter Award (U S A)
4.1995:Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Award
5.1998:Golden Flag Award (Netherlands)
6.1999:F E Stiftung Award (Germany)
7.2002:Wallenberg Medal-‘varsity of Michigan
8. 2006:Freedom Award
9.2007:Golden Medal of the Italian Senate
10.2008:Alfonso Comin International Award (Spain)
11.2009:Defence of Democracy Award (U S A)
12.2014: Nobel Peace Prize
13.2014:Honorary Ph D- Alliance ‘varsity
14.2015:Honorary Doctorate from Amity ‘varsity, Gurugram
15.2016: LL D Honoris Causa from W B. ‘varsity of Juridical Sciences
16.2017:Guinness World Record for Largest Child Safeguarding Lesson.
17.2017:P C Chandra Purashkar
18.2018:Wockhardt Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award
19.2019:Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice- Asia News
Books by Kailash Satyarthi
1.2006: Globalization, Development & Child Rights
2.2016: Azad Bachpan Ki Or
3.2017: Will for Children
4.2018: Because Words Matter
5.2018: Badlav me Bol
6.2021: Covid-19 Sabhyata ka Sankat air Samadhan .
Satyarthi is a true Gandhian. His simple living and high thinking gives us hope that
thousands of children affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will be able to lead a normal life in
near future. He has appealed all the philanthropists and U N I C E F to come forward to
rehabilitate these helpless children.
