New Delhi (AsiaNews/Agencies) – He might be well known abroad for his commitment to fighting corruption in his native India, but Arvind Kejiriwal, 38, is ignored if not hindered by the authorities at home.
This year he is one of the recipients of the Ramon Magsaysay Award. His name appears in the 'emergent leadership' category on the list of laureates released on July 31. The award ceremony is scheduled for August 31.
Mr Kejriwal distinguished himself by "activating India's right-to-information movement at the grassroots, empowering New Delhi's poorest citizens to fight corruption by holding government accountable to the people."
After learning of the award he said he was sad that he could not get the same consideration in his own country. "It is nice feeling but at the same time I am sad that while a foreign institution has recognised our work, the same has not happened within the country," he said.
Mr Kejiriwal is a frontline activist fighting for greater transparency in public institutions. In cooperation with other NGOs and students he launched an awareness campaign about citizens' right to information, threatened in his opinion by a government plan to amend the current Right to information Act.
A mechanical engineer by training, he worked for the Income Tax Department. And it is against his former employer that the NGO he set up in 2000, Parivartan, launched its first campaign.
When he was still an employee he wanted his department to be transparent in its dealings with the public. When he didn't get any answer, he quit his job, set up his organisation and began campaigning against corruption in government offices.
His crusade was met with threats and anger by some of the officials in the Food and Civil Supplies Department whom Kejiriwal had taken to task. He and other members of his organisation were threatened and beaten several times but did not give up. In the end they won, when the Public Distribution System was forced become more transparent.
Among its other winning campaigns, Parivartan successfully opposed the water privatisation in the Indian capital as required by a programme promoted by the World Bank.
