Their Work With Dalits Is What Is Getting These 2 Indians The 2016 Magsaysay Award

SW Staff

The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation announced its awardees on Wednesday and the list includes two Indians – Carnatic singer TM Krishna and human rights activist Bezwada Wilson.

Here’s why the two have won the prestigious Asian award that is given annually and named after former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay. 

The award is “to honour “greatness of spirit in selfless service to the peoples of Asia”, says the website.

  • Bezwada Wilson
  • He is the national convener of Safai Karmachari Andolan, launched in 1993, an organisation that works for manual scavengers and their children.

b’Bezwada Wilson / Twitter’

Listen to him speak here:

The citation for the award says: “Wilson is receiving the award for his moral energy and prodigious skills in leading a grassroots movement to eradicate the degrading servitude of manual scavenging in India, reclaiming for the dalits the human dignity that is their natural birthright.”

  • Thodur Madabusi Krishna

An acclaimed carnatic musician, who is known for taking the tradition to “lower classes”

Watch a performance here:

The citation says Krishna is receiving the award for his forceful commitment as artist and advocate to art’s power to heal India’s deep social divisions, breaking barriers of caste and class to unleash what music has to offer not just for some but for all.

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