74-year-old Indian activist Rajagopal, a descendant of Mahatma Gandhi, has introduced a non-violent method of approaching conflict among youth gangs and farmers’ marches for land rights in India. On 11 May 2023, he received the Niwano Peace Prize, a prestigious annual recognition for peace efforts conferred by the Foundation of the same name.
Rajagopal, who goes by only his first name in public to avoid being identified with a caste, has been fighting for the rights of the poorest and most marginalized people of the country for fifty years, based on the Gandhian principles of non-violent activism. He began his efforts in this regard by dedicating himself to the members of the dacoits, the violent youth gangs present in the most underprivileged segments of the Indian population. He was able to negotiate the reintegration into society of some of these groups while at the same time initiating national programs to educate young people to service of India’s neediest people.
Considered the “Nobel prize” in the area of religion, the Niwano award–which commemorates Nikkyo Niwano, the first president of the Buddhist organization Rissho Kosei-kai–was officially presented to Rajagopal in Tokyo in recognition of his extraordinary work in the service of justice and peace. The list of contenders for the award consisted of 600 individuals, as well as organizations representing 125 countries and numerous Faiths.