Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation Honours the Gandhian ‘Warriors’

Jamnalal Bajaj

(1889 - 1942)

As a young man, he renounced his claim to the family wealth. He was among the very few businessmen who incurred British wrath for supporting the freedom movement; the only one who renounced the titles of ‘Honorary Magistrate’ and ‘Rai Bahadur’; the social reformer who walked his talk - abolishing the purdah system in his own home, opening the doors of his family-owned temple to ‘Dalits’ - the first temple in India to be so opened; the freedom fighter who suffered protracted jail terms, the 'Merchant Prince' who lived a lower middle class life, the humble spirit who gave himself completely to the freedom movement - mind, body and soul. He was adopted by Gandhiji as his ‘fifth son’.

Jankidevi Bajaj
(1893 - 1979)

She followed her husband Jamnalalji's footsteps. She discarded orthodox customs like 'purdah' and untouchability and worked all her life for promoting Gandhian values. She participated in the freedom movement and suffered imprisonment. She actively participated in the Bhoodan Movement and enunciated the ‘Koopdan’. Government of India honoured her with Padma Vibhushan in 1956.

Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation instituted, in 1980, a special award in her memory for women workers for Outstanding Contribution to the Development & Welfare of Women and Children.

Rahul Bajaj
Chairman, Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation

Capitalism has its flaws, Communism is virtually discredited and democracy is yielding inadequate outcomes. We can see a decline in civility and the rise of crass behaviour, a self-centred “me-myself” society. Minds, as much as economies, seem to be closing.

At such times, I derive hope and strength from three quarters. First, from the sagacity of our civilisation. We have many ideas, especially “dharma” that can guide us. Second, the spirit of ordinary people. Their aspiration and drive to improve their lot. Third, from exemplars who pursue the common good, “sarvodaya”.

Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation is essentially looking for such exemplars, and it is very heartening to find so many of them.

Kamalnayan Bajaj
(1915 - 1972)

Jamnalalji's elder son. A man who was brought up by three great souls - father Jamnalal Bajaj, mentor Mahatma Gandhi and kulguru Vinoba Bhave. He endeavoured to fulfil his father's wish to put into practice Gandhiji's theory of trusteeship. He founded Jamnalal Bajaj Sewa Trust and extended help to many causes like education, medical care and famine and flood relief. He was an original thinker and a maverick; a capitalist with a social outlook and a politician with a conscience. He fueled the industrialisation of a free India and the spirit behind her quest for self reliance.

Ramkrishna Bajaj
(1923 - 1994)

Jamnalalji's second son who continued to keep alive the memory of Jamnalalji as a social worker par excellence. He was among the founders of the Council for Fair Business Practices. He set up, on behalf of the family, Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation to fulfil the ideals for which Jamnalalji had dedicated his life and promote the kind of constructive activities in which he himself was deeply involved during his life time.

Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar, FRS
Chairman, Council of Advisors

Our awards carry a great prestige, great value, not just the monetary one, but the value that is associated with the very name of Jamnalal Bajaj.

The Gandhian values are even more important today.

We celebrate all our illustrious 2021 awardees. We salute not only their inspiring life and work but also the way, with amazing perseverance and passion, they have pursued a noble purpose, creating a better world for all with timeless Gandhian values.

Chief Guest

Nobel Peace Laureate
Shri Kailash Satyarthi
Founder, Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation

Recipients of Jamnalal Bajaj Awards - 2021

Award for Constructive Work

Shri Dharampal Saini
Chhattisgarh

Founder of Mata Rukhmani Sewa Sansthan through life skills training and education spreads the teachings of Gandhiji and Vinobha Bhave. His selfless contribution to transform the lives of the courageous girls of Bastar is exemplary.

Award for Application of Science and Technology for Rural Development

Dr. Lal Singh
Himachal Pradesh

Set up Himalayan Research Group to strengthen the livelihoods, biodiversity conservation, and overall development of rural mountain communities with application of need based technology models in different parts of the North Western Indian Himalayan Region.

Award for Development and Welfare of Women and Children

Sister Lucy Kurien
Maharashtra

Set up Maher in 1997, to provide safe haven for destitute women, abandoned children, men and the old and aged people. Since inception has provided care and shelter to more than 5000 children and 5900 women.

Award for Promoting Gandhian Values Outside India

Mr. David H. Albert
United States of America

David Albert co-founded Friendly Water for the World to propagate social technology, making it conceivable for communities in sub-Saharan Africa to revive themselves through asset-based community development, community engagement, and longer-term empowerment.

Board of Trustees

Rahul Bajaj (Chairman)
Madhur Bajaj
Dhirajlal Mehta
Kailash Satyarthi

Council of Advisors

Dr. R. A. Mashelkar, FRS (Chairman), Anu Aga, Radha Bhatt, Dr. Pheroza Godrej, Dr. Sudarshan Iyengar, Dr. Anil Kakodkar, Sanjit (Bunker) Roy, Supriya Sule, Dr. M. S. Swaminathan,

Dr. Mariamma A. Varghese, Minal Bajaj (Hon. Director)

Earlier Chief Guests

N. Sanjeeva Reddy, Dada Dharmadhikari, Indira Gandhi, Dr. Norman Borlaug, James Callaghan, R. Venkataraman, Justice M. Hidayatullah, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, Rajiv Gandhi, Swami Ranganathananda, Dr. Herbert Schambeck, C. Subramaniam, K. R. Narayanan, Pandurang Shastri Athavale, HH Dalai Lama, H. D. Deve Gowda, Manohar Joshi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Dr. P. C. Alexander, Krishan Kant, Dr. Manmohan Singh, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Viren J. Shah, Dr. L. M. Singhvi, Prof. Amartya Sen, N. R. Narayana Murthy, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Hamid Ansari, Swami Baba Ramdev, Pratibha Patil, Morari Bapu, Dr. Justice C. S. Dharmadhikari, Pranab Mukherjee, Kailash Satyarthi, Rajmohan Gandhi, Arun Jaitley, M. Venkaiah Naidu and Sadhguru

Virtual Awards Function - 2021

Date: Monday, 06 December, 2021

Time : 06.30 pm

Link: JBFAwards.dreamcast.in

"Whenever I wrote of wealthy men becoming trustees of their wealth for the common good, I always had this merchant prince principally in mind."

- Mahatma Gandhi in Harijan, 14-3-1942

Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation

Bajaj Bhawan, Jamnalal Bajaj Marg, 226 Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021

Phone: 022-2202 3626.

Email: info@jamnalalbajajfoundation.org,

nominations@jamnalalbajajfoundation.org

(ONLY for Nomination inquiries & submissions)