Childhood and early life
Kailash Satyarthi was born on 11 january 1953 in Vidisha,a small town in Madhya Pradesh,a state in India.Even as a child he was a very compassionate individual.He noticed that some children did not go to school like he did and instead worked under harsh conditions to earn money.
Disturbed by the inequalities he witnessed,he decided to do something about it.He asked his classmates to donate textbooks and money to the underprivileged so that the pool kids too got a chance to study.
He studied electrical engineering in a Bhopal college and went on to earn a post-graduate diploma in high-voltage engineering.
After his graduation he began working as an engineer.A lucrative career lay ahead of him but the young man’s heart was not in an engineering job.He wanted to help the people,especially the poor children who worked as bonded labourers and thus he quit his job
He started a journal called “The Struggle Shall Continue” in 1980 in order to create awareness about the problem of child labor.When he learned of a factory in which children were forcibly kept and made to work,he decided it was time to take action.
He joined hands with a group of like-minded people and conducted raids on factories from where he rescued several children and their parents who were held as bonded labourers.This was a dangerous idea and he often got beaten up.
Appalled by the wide-spread nature of the problem he formed the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), a movement dedicated towards eradication of human trafficking and bonded child labor.
Bachpan Bachao Andolan was the first organization of its kind in india which worked to enlighten the society about the rampant evil of child labor and highlighted the importance of rescuing these children and providing them the chance olive a normal and healthy life.
The success of the BBA led to the creation of the South Asian Coalition on Child Servitude (SACCS) in 1989.SACCS has till date liberated several thousands of child labourers working in different industries.
Kailash Satyarthi realized that the work did not end with the rescue;these children needed to be rehabilitated so that they could live a normal life.Thus the Bal Ashram was formed in Rajasthan where the newly-rescued children are taught basic skills.
In 1998,he led the Global march against child labor.The march was a grassroots movement to motivate individuals and organizations to do their bit in the fight against child labor.Several international organisations supported this march.
He has served as a member of the UNESCO’s Education for all and has addressed the U.N.’s General Assembly,International Labor Conference,and U.N.’s Human Right Commission.