This year, the winner of the 40th Niwano Peace Prize is Rajagopal P. V. of India, the founding president of Ekta Parishad, in recognition of his efforts to establish justice and peace. He is known to have dedicated himself to the poorest and most marginalized of his country, through peaceful and nonviolent methods, and to have struggled for recognition of equal human dignity and equal rights for every man and woman, irrespective of caste or gender. These accomplishments inspired great admiration among the members of the Niwano Peace Prize Committee, which consists of nine religious leaders from various parts of the world.
“To be frank I had difficulty to believe that I was the one selected to receive this prestigious award. I accept it with humility,” Rajagopal, who uses only his first name in public, wrote in his acceptance letter. “In receiving this prize, I believe it is my good fortune to have been born in the same geographical area as the birthplaces of Gautum Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi.” He explained that while the idea of nonviolence may sound commonplace in Asia, where Buddha’s influence has been widely felt, in many parts of the world people have not seriously embraced the idea of nonviolence.