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Kailash Satyarthi
Early Life
Kailash Sharma, born on January 11, 1954, in the small town of Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh, was the youngest of five siblings in a modest, middle-class family. His father, Ram Prasad Sharma, served as a head constable in the state police, and his mother, Chironjibai, was the moral compass of the family—a homemaker with a heart full of compassion.
Life in Vidisha was simple yet vibrant. Kailash grew up in a close-knit mohalla (neighborhood) where Hindus and Muslims coexisted peacefully, exchanging stories, meals, and traditions. This rich tapestry of cultural harmony shaped his worldview, teaching him the importance of unity and justice. His childhood was filled with observations that others might overlook—moments that quietly built his understanding of the injustices deeply embedded in society.
As a boy, Kailash wasn’t content with the world as it was. Even at five, he saw injustice that others overlooked. On his first day of school, dressed in crisp new clothes, he noticed a cobbler’s son polishing shoes outside the school gate. Why wasn’t he inside the classroom? Kailash couldn’t shake the image from his mind.
When Kailash asked his headmaster, the answer—that poverty and caste kept children like the cobbler’s son out of school—stung him. Determined to find answers, Kailash mustered the courage to quiz the child’s father the cobbler. Visibly shocked, the cobbler responded, "My father worked as a cobbler, I am a cobbler and my son is also a cobbler. There is nothing new in it. We are born to work.” The apparent disparity unnerved a very young Kailash, and when other kids were playing and enjoying life, he set off on a very different path. That day, young Kailash began a journey of questioning traditions, defying norms, and dreaming of a world where no child would be denied their childhood.
By age 11, Kailash was already a selfless problem solver. He noticed that many children dropped out of school because they couldn’t afford books or fees. Instead of simply sympathizing, Kailash acted. With the prize money he received from his family as a reward for scoring well in the final exams, he borrowed a handcart and went door to door collecting used books from neighbours. The response was overwhelming and upon Kailash’s suggestion, the headmaster of his school took up the responsibility to lend the books to students. Slowly, other schools joined in and a ‘Book Bank’ was formed. The initiative became so huge, that after some time, a public library had to take over the reins of the Book Bank.
Still, books were only part of the problem. Many children couldn’t pay school fees. Inspired by the bustling crowds at Vidisha’s annual Ramleela fair, Kailash came up with another plan. What if they could set up a tea and snack stall, use the profits to help pay for school fees? With the support of friends and the generosity of fair organizers, Kailash opened the stall. Crowds flocked to the stand, and the proceeds paid for dozens of children’s education. These early efforts showed young Kailash the power of collective action and innovative thinking.
At 15, Kailash encountered one of the most defining moments of his life. Deeply inspired by Gandhi’s teachings, he decided to honour him in a way that went beyond a mere ceremony. He resolved to challenge the oppressive caste system, which was a root cause of inequality against the people labelled “untouchables.”
He organized a community meal, asking women who cleaned toilets to cook a simple dish of khichdi and inviting politicians and upper-caste leaders to share the meal. To his disappointment, none of the invitees showed up. Instead, Kailash faced backlash from his own community. People from his caste accused him of defiling traditions and demanded he purify himself with Ganga water and perform rituals to appease their anger.
That’s when the defiant and hurt teenager, Kailash made a bold decision: he renounced his caste identity. Dropping his surname, Sharma, he adopted the name Satyarthi, meaning “seeker of truth,” a declaration of his rejection of all forms of discrimination. It was a personal revolution and the beginning of a lifelong mission.
Kailash’s activism flourished during his years at Samrat Ashok Technological Institute, where he pursued electrical engineering. Along with academics, Kailash took on the role of a leader, organizing student movements that fought for their rights. He formed a non-political student union that grew so popular it inspired similar groups in neighbouring colleges.
When India’s Emergency was declared on the night of June 25, 1975, civil liberties were suspended, and dissent was silenced. Kailash, inspired by Jayaprakash Narayan’s call for democratic resistance, supported the JP Movement with unwavering conviction. He dreamed of bringing Jayaprakash Narayan to his college to inspire fellow students. However, with police crackdowns intensifying, Kailash became a target. He was forced to go into hiding, moving between Bhopal and Delhi to evade arrest. These years of resistance shaped Kailash’s resolve to challenge oppression in all its forms.
After completing his education, Kailash briefly worked as a lecturer, but his heart was elsewhere. He left his stable career to start a magazine, Sangharsh Jaari Rahega (The Fight Must Go On ), in Delhi. The publication highlighted stories ignored by mainstream media, especially issues affecting children and women. It was through this work that Kailash found his calling and rescued a young girl named Sabo, who was about to be sold at a brothel. And thus began a lifelong journey of social reform.
Globalisation of Compassion
A visionary global thought leader and social reformer, Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi is at the forefront of globalising compassion. Satyarthi's life and mission embody the profound impact of compassion, illustrating its transformative power to drive meaningful change. He strongly believes that compassion is not a weak emotion but provides endless energy and drive to take compassionate action to alleviate others' suffering as if it were one's own. Through his latest movement, Satyarthi Movement for Global Compassion, Satyarthi aims to globalise compassion to promote a just, peaceful and sustainable world using Compassion as a guiding force. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for his ‘struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education.’ Satyarthi's fearless and relentless efforts to eliminate violence against the vulnerable have sparked numerous mass movements and led to the creation of groundbreaking legislations worldwide.
Pioneering a New Era
As a worldwide campaigner, he has been the architect of the single largest civil society network for the most exploited children, the Global March Against Child Labour. The physical march led to the adoption of ILO Convention 182 on the worst forms of child labour in 1999.
He is also the founding president of the Global Campaign for Education, an exemplary civil society movement working to end the global education crisis. He successfully spearheaded a countrywide movement to make education a Constitutional Provision which subsequently paved the way for the Right to Free and Compulsory Education in India in 2009. Satyarthi is credited for establishing GoodWeave International (previously known as Rugmark), a first-of-its-kind certification and social labelling mechanism for child labour-free carpets in South Asia. He has worked to advance ethical business practices, to help businesses liberate their supply chains from child labour.
Satyarthi launched Laureates and Leaders for Children, a platform bringing together Nobel Laureates and leaders committed to working together for the world’s most vulnerable children. Alongside former child labourers and students, he also launched the 100 Million campaign in 2016 to inspire and mobilise young people to stand up and act for their rights and the rights of their peers. Satyarthi has been at the forefront of demanding social protection for vulnerable children living in African nations and other low-income countries.
Crusader For The Most Vulnerable
He has been at the forefront of driving child-related agendas into the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which resulted in the UN Secretary-General appointing him an SDG Advocate in 2021. Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation is ensuring an end to the exploitation of children in India and around the world by addressing the inequality, injustice and discrimination that lie at the core of child labour.
Through his organization, Bachpan Bachao Andolan, Satyarthi has liberated more than 138,000 children from child labour, slavery, trafficking, and other forms of exploitation and pioneered a successful model for their education, rehabilitation, and reintegration into mainstream society.
Satyarthi has dedicated his life to realising his vision of ending violence against children and building a world where every child is free to be a child.
Mile stones
1981
Sabo’s Rescue and the Birth of a Movement
Satyarthi launched a 64-page bi-monthly magazine titled Sangharsh Jaari Rahega (The Fight Must Go On) in January 1981 to highlight pressing issues faced by vulnerable children and marginalised communities. It was for the first time that a magazine was drawing attention to children forced into labour and exploitation which was ignored by mainstream media.
That same year, 15-year-old Sabo and 35 people were freed from slavery—the first ever documented civil society-led rescue initiative in India.
1983
Historic Fight Against Bonded Labour
After freeing Sabo, Satyarthi started gathering more information about bonded labour as he was deeply saddened by the fact that even in independent India, human slavery still exists. He filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court, leading to the release of thousands of bonded labourers. Among them was Laxman Master, now the treasurer of Bachpan Bachao Andolan.
1984
Fighting Communal Hatred
During the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Satyarthi gave shelter to his Sikh neighbours despite being fully aware that he and his family’s lives would be in danger.
1988
Defying Discrimination at Nathdwara
The 400-year-old Shrinathji Temple in Nathdwara, Rajasthan, barred Dalits from entry, a violation of the Right to Equality. On October 2, 1988, Satyarthi, accompanied by Dalit companions, entered the temple in defiance. Enraged, the priests brutally attacked him and attempted to burn him with acid, an act thwarted by timely police intervention.
This courageous act had widespread impact, leading to the late President R. Venkataraman and the then Chief Minister of Rajasthan to visit the temple with Dalits. The discriminatory sign was also permanently removed, and Dalits were granted entry to perform rituals, ending a centuries-old regressive practice.
1991
Establishment of Mukti Ashram
Mukti Ashram, India’s first short-term rehabilitation centre for children rescued from bonded and child labour, was established in New Delhi. Since then, the Ashram continues to provide informal education to children up to the age of 14, preparing them to transition to mainstream education. Older children also receive vocational training in areas such as sewing, woodwork, welding, electrical skills, construction, and cooking, helping them become independent and pave a secure future.
1993
Nagar Utari Yatra
Satyarthi undertook a 2000 km-long march against child labour in India from Nagar Utari (now Jharkhand) to Delhi. Thousands of villagers, activists, and children freed from bondage took part in the march, which lasted 15 days.
1994
Bharat Yatra
Satyarthi organised and led Bharat Yatra, a 5000 km-long march to raise awareness about child labour. The march began from the southern tip of India, Kanyakumari and concluded in Delhi.
1994
Launch of Rugmark
Rugmark is a one-of-a-kind certification and voluntary social labelling mechanism to certify that a particular brand or organisation did not employ child labour in their supply chain. It is one of the first examples of ethical consumerism that reinforced the protection of children in Europe and Germany.
Today, rebranded as Goodweave, the initiative has expanded its scope to home textiles, bricks, apparel, and fashion jewellery industry, driving positive change in manufacturing and supply chains while actively eradicating child labour.
1997
Mukti Caravan
The Mukti Caravan was a mobile grassroots campaign against trafficking and abuse of children, launched at Delhi’s Rajghat. The campaign also demanded an international law against child labour. Led by youngsters who had been freed from child labour, the Mukti Caravan started its journey from Bihar and moved across the country, spreading awareness about the organised crime of child trafficking and other forms of exploitation of children through interactions, Nukkad Nataks, wall writings, pamphlet distribution and screening of audio visual material.
1998
Global March Against Child Labour
Satyarthi conceptualised one of the biggest mass movement drives in history, mobilising 7.2 million people, covering 80,000 kms across 103 countries. Beginning on January 17, 1998, the movement, which unfolded in three phases- from Manila, Philippines; São Paulo, Brazil; and Cape Town, South Africa- called for an international ban on hazardous child labour.
It was a watershed moment, when children who had once been child labourers, from different parts of the world entered the corridors of the ILO headquarters in Geneva shouting slogans, ‘Child Labour, Down, Down’. This historic march led to the universal ratification of the ILO Convention 182 in 1999.
1998
Establishment of Bal Ashram
Located in Viratnagar, Rajasthan, Bal Ashram was established as a long-term rehabilitation center for children rescued from the worst forms of child labour, slavery, and trafficking. It serves as a secure and empowering home for child labourers who have lost their families, whose parents cannot be traced, or whose circumstances risk re-enslavement. Bal Ashram provides education, vocational training, and emotional support, nurturing children into self-reliant adults and ensuring a dignified and secure life.
1999
Global Campaign for Education
Satyarthi is the founding president of the Global Campaign for Education, an exemplary civil society movement working to end the global education crisis. The Global Campaign for advocates and campaigns at international and national levels to urge governments and the global community to uphold the right of all individuals to receive free, quality public education.
2000
Dialogue between a Former Child Labourer and US President
Twelve-year-old Kalu Kumar, who was rescued from a carpet-weaving industry and who stayed at Bal Ashram, was invited to meet then US President Bill Clinton at the launch of the book ‘Speak Truth to Power,’ written by Robert Kennedy’s daughter Kerry Kennedy. At the event Kalu asked Clinton what he was doing to eradicate child labour. He also told everyone present there, ‘You do not have to be the President to do something for children.’ Before the end of his term, Clinton increased the fund for the elimination of child labour globally by five times.
2001
Shiksha Yatra
Satyarthi embarked on the nationwide ‘Shiksha Yatra’ (Education March) spanning a total distance of 15,000 km across 20 states, demanding free and compulsory education for all. The march, which started from the southern tip of India in Kanyakumari, took 6 months to reach the national capital, New Delhi. Satyarthi’s slogan, ‘Har Bachche Ka Hai Adhikar- Roti-Khel-Padhai-Pyaar (Food, Play, Education, Love—Every Child's Right)’ continues to inspire millions across the country.
The same year, Satyarthi also launched the award-winning child-centred community development model, Bal Mitra Gram, which brought child leaders at the forefront of transformation. The first Bal Mitra Gram was formed in Papri village of Rajasthan.
2004
Life-threatening Circus Rescue Operation
After receiving reports of young Nepali girls being held hostage and abused in a circus in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda, Satyarthi and his team undertook the rescue operation, despite facing intense opposition. The highly influential circus owner hired goons who brutally assaulted Satyarthi and his companions and left them grievously injured, believing them to be dead. Unable to rescue the girls, Satyarthi, despite his wounds, announced a fast-unto-death. With public support, they approached the High Court, which ultimately led to the release of 24 girls. Later in 2011, a landmark judgment was passed by the Supreme Court prohibiting the employment of children in circuses in the writ petition (C) No. 56 of 2006, Bachpan Bachao Andolan Vs Union of India.
2006
Prohibition of Domestic Child Labour
Satyarthi's relentless advocacy led to the landmark amendment of the Child Labour Act, banning domestic child labour on October 10, 2006.
The fight began in 1996, when a young boy, who bore severe burn injuries was rescued from a government officer’s home, sparking a movement that culminated in the national law.
2009
Establishment of the All India Legal Aid Cell
Supreme Court formed the All India Legal Aid cell on Child Rights under the aegis of the National Legal Services Authority in India (NALSA) to be led by Satyarthi. The purpose of the Legal Aid Cell was to become a one-stop legal hub for violators of child protection laws, as well as providing access to rehabilitation and social integration programs for children.
2013
Missing Children Judgment and Justice Verma Committee
On May 10th, 2013, the Supreme Court passed a judgment on missing children based on a PIL filed by Bachpan Bachao Andolan. The Court directed that in case of every missing child reported there will be an initial presumption of abduction or trafficking unless proved otherwise during the investigation.
The same year saw the inclusion of Section 370 and 370A to address trafficking of persons in the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 2013, following suggestions that BBA gave to the Justice Verma Committee on defining human trafficking.
2014
Nobel Peace Prize
Satyarthi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway, on 10th December 2014 “for his struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education.” Satyarthi dedicated his Nobel prize to the nation in a ceremony with former President of India Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
2015
Child Labour Included in the Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, the United Nations adopted new development goals, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and included the elimination of child labour, slavery, trafficking and forced labour under SDG 8.7.
Satyarthi continues to play a pivotal role in encouraging countries to take concrete actions toward eradicating child labour and achieving this goal.
2016
Formation of Laureates and Leaders for Children (L&L)
Satyarthi launched ‘Laureates and Leaders’, a first-of-its-kind platform that brings together Nobel Laureates and global leaders from across the world to foster a sense of urgency and raise their voices for the cause of children. The first L&L conference was held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Delhi.
During the L&L, the then President Pranab Mukherjee flagged the 100 Million for 100 Million campaign to mobilise 100 million youth to devote themselves for a better future for 100 million marginalised children who have been denied their basic rights. Since its launch, youth, civil society organisations, trade unions, schools and universities from more than 36 countries have joined this campaign.
2017
Bharat Yatra Against Child Sexual Abuse and Trafficking
The 2017 Bharat Yatra, launched by Satyarthi to combat child sexual exploitation and trafficking across India began at Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari and culminated in New Delhi. The aim of the march was to raise awareness and demand a stringent law against human trafficking. Spanning 12,000 kilometres across 22 states, it mobilised 1.2 million participants, including Chief Ministers, judges, police, religious leaders, industrialists, social organisations, educational institutions, and professionals from various fields.
Bharat Yatra led to the Union Cabinet approving The Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018 in February 2018. Subsequently, the Bill was passed in Lok Sabha in July 2018. Bharat Yatra also led to the passage of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018 in both the houses of Indian Parliament.
2018
The Price of Free
The Price of Free is a documentary about Kailash Satyarthi. It depicts how Satyarthi left his comfortable career as an electrical engineer and decided to dedicate his life to freeing children from slavery and abuse. The documentary, which is available on YouTube, premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize. It was also nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Social Issue Documentary at the 40th News and Documentary Emmy Awards.
2022
Child Marriage Free India
Satyarthi launched a nationwide drive ‘Child Marriage Free India’ against the appalling practice of child marriage and sexual abuse in India. The campaign, which involved the participation of 76,000 women across the country, endorsed the Government's proposal to extend the marriageable age of girls in India to 21 from 18.
2023
Youth Summit on Human Fraternity and Compassion
Satyarthi in collaboration with the Zayed Awards for Human Fraternity brought together over 800 changemakers from more than 15 Indian states in Bal Ashram, Rajasthan for the Youth Summit. The event involved insightful discussions among youth leaders and the global thought leaders from 18 countries, including former heads of States, Nobel Laureates, activists, faith leaders, and climate advocates.
2024
Launch of the Satyarthi Movement for Global Compassion (SMGC)
Satyarthi had long championed the call of globalising compassion, a message emphasised in his Nobel Prize acceptance speech. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic amplified the urgency of this vision, underscoring the need to address the growing disconnectedness and apathy in the world. After years of brainstorming, collaboration and planning across India and globally, he formally launched the Satyarthi Movement for Global Compassion (SMGC) on March 11, 2024, in Delhi. The launch event was attended Nobel laureates, jurists, activists, corporate leaders, scientists, journalists, intellectuals, and youth.
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