Ziad Medoukh gets 40th Jamnalal Bajaj Award

Ziad Medoukh gets 40th Jamnalal Bajaj Award
x
Highlights

Renowned Gandhian Ziad Medoukh of Palestine was on Saturday conferred this year\'s \"Jamnalal Bajaj International Award for Promoting Gandhian Values Outside India\".

Mumbai : Renowned Gandhian Ziad Medoukh of Palestine was on Saturday conferred this year's "Jamnalal Bajaj International Award for Promoting Gandhian Values Outside India".

Besides, Shashi Tyagi, founder and secretary of Gramin Vikas Vigyan Samiti (GRAVIS), was chosen for "Outstanding Contribution in the field of Constructive Work"; Praveen Nair, the founder-trustee of Salaam Baalak Trust, New Delhi for "Development & Welfare of Women and Children", while Delhi NGO Jan Swasthya Sahyog was named for "Application of Science & Technology for Rural Development".

Presenting the awards here this evening, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley recalled the services of the late industrialist and freedom-fighter Jamnalal Bajaj in whose memory the annual awards were instituted 40 years ago.

"The power of freedom struggle of Mahatma Gandhi was such that it inspired people from every section of society to become a part of it. Ordinarily, one would consider members of society who had large businesses and industry to defend, to protect, to be reluctant to become part of this (Freedom movement).

"However, this was one relationship between Gandhiji and Jamnalal Bajaj in which a business leader had put almost everything at stake and sacrificed, not merely sacrificed, but had most members of his family become activists in the freedom struggle, and many landed in jails.

"We have very few such examples of this kind of transparent relationship between those in public affairs and those in industry," Jaitley said.Lauding the 2017 awardees, he said these individuals have worked in these different areas of work under extremely difficult and challenging circumstances.

"They are marginal people who don't do it for any rewards or awards or the fame they got today. For them, it’s all incidental, they do their work for the deep sense of social commitment and leave their footprints in history. Their contribution is most remarkable," he said.

A staunch believer in democracy, freedom and human rights, Medoukh is researcher, professor and the Director of the French Department at the Al-Aqsa University in Gaza.

Show Full Article
Print Article
Next Story
More Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENTS