Agnivesh | |
---|---|
Born | Vepa Shyam Rao 21 September 1939 |
Died | 11 September 2020[1] | (aged 80)
Occupation(s) | Social worker, scholar, politician |
Political party | Arya Sabha |
Awards | Right Livelihood Award |
Swami Agnivesh[2] (born Vepa Shyam Rao; 21 September 1939 – 11 September 2020[3]), was an Indian social activist and the founder of Arya Sabha, a political party based on the principles of Arya Samaj.[4][5] He also served as a cabinet minister in the state of Haryana.[6][1] He is best known for his work against bonded labour through the Bonded Labour Liberation Front, which he founded in 1981.[1]
He was a founder of the World Council of Arya Samaj, an organisation distinct from Dayanand's Arya Samaj,[7] and served as its president from 2004 to 2014.[8] He had also served as the chairperson of the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery from 1994 to 2004.[9][8]
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