Karmaveer Noble Laureates 2009-10
MEDIA CITIZEN KARMAVEER PURASKAAR, 2009
Documentary Filmmaker
Ridhesh Sejpal
Mr. Ridhesh Sejpal is a documentary filmmaker and has been experimenting with the medium of cinema. At the age of 21, he has already directed marvelous documentaries on diverse social subjects and has always accumulated the essence of the appeal brilliantly. These documentaries and films have been globally recognized and awarded over the years. Mr. Ridhesh has also served as the Vice President, Community Service Director and a Volunteer for the Rotaract Club of Mulund.(Mumbai) He has coordinated several projects such as Aids Awareness Campaigns, Polio Dose Camps, Ban Plastic Camps, Relief to 7\11 Blast Victims & Film Screenings for BMC School Students. He also worked for the global warming issues as an active member of the Global Warming Research team for the Vidhyarthi Pratinidhi Mandal(Ruia College).
MEDIA CITIZEN KARMAVEER PURASKAAR, 2009
Print Media
Tarun J Tejpal
Mr. Tarun J Tejpal is a journalist, publisher and novelist and in his 26-year career he has worked with India Today, Indian Express, The Telegraph and Outlook. In 2000 he started Tehelka, a news organization that has earned a global reputation for its aggressive public interest journalism. Mr. Tejpal has been listed as one of Asia’s 50 most powerful communicators and among 50 leaders at the forefront of change in Asia. His debut novel The Alchemy Of Desire was hailed as a "masterpiece", and his new one, The Story of My Assassins, has been termed "an instant classic". Both have been translated in more than a dozen languages worldwide. Both as a journalist and a writer, his work is seen as courageous and pathbreaking.MEDIA CITIZEN KARMAVEER PURASKAAR, 2009
Author
Gregory David Roberts
Gregory David Robert’s novel SHANTARAM has been acclaimed as ‘a masterpiece’ by a number of critics and reviewers across the globe. He has devoted much time, energy and money in helping to raise the health standard of the people living in the Cuffe Parade Zhopadpatti (Ambedkar Nagar). Gregory David Roberts works as an ethical consultant for major international corporations. Further, he has focused on employment and education related issues. He has himself funded ‘THE SHANTARAM’ initiative and never accepted from anyone. Mr. Gregory Roberts has been closely involved in providing free, open and universal education to the poor. His Shantaram initiative works towards educating poorest of the poor, in order to help break the poverty cycle that keeps families without access to education. He has also been working with like-minded charities like Akanksha and The Heart for India Foundation, to create positive synergies and expand his work.
SPORTSPERSON 4 CHANGE KARMAVEER PURASKAAR, 2009
Bittoo Sondhi
Bittoo Sondhi, popularly known as Bittoo Bikewallah, started his life as a child labour. He went on to drive an auto rickshaw and later a truck but now he is an authorised dealer of world famous bikes Suzuki (Bittoo Suzuki). He pursued his dream to become a National and International bike racer, and is now supporting others to chase their dreams, whatever they may be, through “Dream on Wheels”. Bittoo’s passion for bike driving gave him the strength, not only to continue his bike racing even after multiple fractures, but also to fight the doctor’s decision to amputate his right leg due to cancer. He started participating in rallies from 1988 and still continues. Over the years he has participated approximately in 65 rallies, both national and International, like Great Desert Himalayan (GDH), Raid the Himalayan, South India Rally, Hot Weather Rally etc, always finishing in top 5 positions. His determination to give back to the society led him to motivate children and youth across India, through his association with organizations like Action Aid, Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Smriti, UNICEF, Vikalp, World Comics and many more. He has supported diverse issues like disability, girl child, polio etc. He is also working for the peace, in conjunction with Gandhi Smriti and has organised the rally “Bike for peace”. He has also made a documentary film Chittee Hattiya. . Bittoo has voiced his concerns at every given opportunity and his perseverance has no periphery..
SPORTSPERSON 4 CHANGE KARMAVEER PURASKAAR, 2009
Malathi K Holla
Ms.Malathi K Holla is truly a Champion of Champions, a born athlete and a Bank Manager and Social Activist by profession. With a number of laurels to her name including the Padmashri Award, Arjuna Award, Ekalavya Award and many more, Ms.Malathi is an achiever in all fronts with a limitless capacity to excel in whatever she is engaged in. However, despite her own personal physical trials and challenges, Malathi has a laudable vision of reaching out to her fellow paraplegics and setting an example that life is surmountable no matter what, and that given courage, discipline, perseverance and an indomitable spirit, one can reach the most formidable of goals and that nothing is impossible. With the moral support of her friends, she has opened a Foundation called MATHRU FOUNDATION where she is providing free shelter, school and medical facilities to the poor and needy physically disabled children aged between 5-12 boys. With over 300 Gold, Silver and Bronze State/National/International medals at Paralympics/Asian/World masters/Open Athletic Championships in different parts of the world, she has an amazing “never say die” and an overwhelming spirit that defies the limits of human endeavor.
PROFESSIONAL CITIZEN KARMAVEER PURASKAAR, 2009
Lawyer-Asim Sarode
The fire brand Human Rights activist, Advocate Asim Sarode is seeking to change the power equation between the judiciary, witnesses and victims. He is a leading criminal lawyer and it is his dynamic personality that is successfully spreading the wings of justice. He is a firm believer of Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non violence and it is the non violent communication that is his main tool of work. Asim is well known for his remarkable socio-legal movements amongst the communities and has recently been elected for the internationally reputed ‘Ashoka Fellowship for the Innovators’ of Washington (USA). For the last ten years, he has been intervening in the courts with a socio-legal perspective so as to increase and strengthen the access to justice of the vulnerable groups. With the Human Rights and Law Defenders (HRLS), legal wing of Sahyog Trust, he has been working to make the judiciary people oriented. He represents and assists marginalized people who cannot afford to appoint a counsel in the court and is working to provide legal aid to the prisoners, victims of Domestic Violence, sex workers, People Living with HIV and children.
PROFESSIONAL CITIZEN KARMAVEER PURASKAAR, 2009
IT Professional- Partho Bhowmick
An IT professional, Mr.Partho Bhowmick got involved with social work just by accident. His passion for photography made him contact Evgen Bavcar, an accomplished blind photographer in Paris and then began his study on blindness and visual art. After his independent research on art by the blind, Mr.Partho started a workshop to teach photography to the visually impaired. With a lot of hurdles in his way, with hardly any support and just 1 student to begin with, he began his workshop inculcating the idea of “seeing through the eye of the blind”. His workshop was designed to trigger systematic visual thinking in the visually impaired and enhance their mental image formation. With time the workshop culminated into the “Blind With Camera” project and later the national traveling exhibition “Beyond Sight.” His efforts of bringing a change, changed him as a person and today, he believes that ‘the blind are not totally blind and reality is not totally real
PROFESSIONAL CITIZEN KARMAVEER PURASKAAR, 2009
Doctor- Ramesh Chandra Srivastava
Doctors are often referred to as ‘Gods in Disguise’ and Dr. Ramesh Chandra Srivastava has proved it right by dedicating his life to serve the poor and needy. It is astonishing to witness a long queue of patients outside his clinic every day. In his 40 years of practice he must have seen more than 36 Lac patients without charging a consultation fees and giving them free medicine. He works round the clock, six days a week and devotes his free time in organising medical camps for eye, polio vaccination and daily check -ups. He is an exemplary example of mobilising one’s profession for community benefit.KIDS 4CHANGE KARMAVEER PURASKAAR, 2009
Rijuta Lamba
A 12th standard student of Springdales School, Rijuta is closely associated with the issue of violence towards children. She was an integral part of CSE – a 5 day volunteer programme where she worked towards spreading awareness regarding eco friendly ways of living. Rijuta has been a part of the Gandhi Media Literacy Programme, an initiative by Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti. She is the editor of THE YAMUNA, a quarterly newspaper that focuses on various social issues that plague society especially relating to violence towards children. This passionate young girl, all of 17, was featured on THE YOUTH EXPRESS, a show on Doordarshan. Rijuta also assisted NCERT on their media literacy training programmes.