Recognized for his work against Jindal Power and Steel.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: Indian environment activist Ramesh Agrawal has been announced as the winner of the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize, and will accept the award at a lavish ceremony at the San Francisco Opera House today.
The award is given in recognition of grass-roots environmental movements organized by individuals around the world. Founded in 1990 by Richard N. Goldman and his wife, Rhoda H. Goldman, the recognition comes with a cash prize of $175,000, to be used however the recipient chooses, and winners also participate in a ten day-long media tour through San Francisco and Washington, DC.
Agrawal (58) is being awarded for his work in blocking the efforts of Jindal Power and Steel to build a coal plant in his home state of Chhatisgarh, which could have tremendous adverse effects on the local environment. He is the founder of Jan Chetana, an organization he created in 2005 to spearhead environmental efforts around the country.
Agrawal’s efforts have inspired both intense support and harsh criticism from the local community, with some saying that a local plant would create jobs while others side with Agrawal’s attempts to preserve the ecosystem.
In 2012, Agrawal was violently attacked for his opposition to the coal factory. Agrawal was shot twice in the leg, with one bullet shattering his femur, causing him to have a permanent limp. Jindal Power and Steel denied involvement, but a Jindal security guard and three other associates were arrested in connection with the shooting; that case, according to the Los Angeles Times, is still pending.
Agrawal has also made extensive use of India’s Freedom of Information legislation, which allows the country’s citizens unprecedented access to laws and other resources that help them fight against corruption and other bureaucratic issues in an effort to improve the quality of life around the country.
He has led a number of successful lawsuits against large corporations involved in activities similar to Jindal Power and Steel, and has helped to empower environmental activists throughout India, who have faced growing violence over the last several years for their advocacy efforts.
The Goldman Environmental Foundation awards one person from each of six different geographic zones: Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands and Island Nations, North America, and South/Central America. Agrawal is the winner for all of Asia, and the other five winners for this year are: Ruth Buendia (Peru), Suren Gazaryan (Russia), Helen Slottje (USA), Desmond D’Sa (South Africa), and Rudi Patra (Indonesia).