Hindus for Human Rights Announces 2025 Swami Agnivesh Memorial Award Honorees |
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Ajay Kumar, Ani Zonneveld, Anuradha Mittal, and the Indian Muslim Council (United Kingdom) to be Recognized at December 13 “Celebration of Hope” Gala |
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December 4th, 2025 (New York, NY) — Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) is proud to announce the recipients of the 5th Annual Swami Agnivesh Memorial Awards, honoring individuals and organizations whose moral courage, spiritual conviction, and commitment to justice carry forward the legacy of Swami Agnivesh—a Hindu religious leader whose courage and clarity fearlessly opposed Hindu nationalism and caste oppression.
This year’s honorees include the late Ajay Kumar, a beloved colleague and collaborator we lost in August 2025. A brilliant strategist, tireless advocate, and dear friend, Ajay’s wisdom, fire, and deep humility shaped our work and touched our hearts. The awards will be presented during HfHR’s Celebration of Hope Gala on December 13, 2025—an online event honoring movements for justice, solidarity across faiths, and the liberatory vision that guided Swami Agnivesh’s life and work. |
Swami Agnivesh’s understanding of vasudhaiva kutumbakam—the world is one family—drove him to champion the rights of communities far beyond his own: bonded laborers, religious minorities, Adivasis, caste-oppressed people, and all who faced violence and marginalization.
From sheltering Sikhs during the 1984 pogroms to confronting Hindu extremist mobs in Delhi and abroad, his life embodied principled nonviolence and interfaith solidarity.
The Memorial Award recognizes individuals and organizations whose faith and courage animate their struggle for human rights today and honors leaders and formations whose work is deeply aligned with Swami Agnivesh’s spirit. |
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Ajay Kumar (posthumous) Founder, RIGHTS; Director, Equitives Foundation; Global Convenor, Alliance of Climate Front-line Communities |
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Ajay Kumar, who passed away in August 2025, was not just a movement leader—he was a comrade, teacher, and fierce ally in the fight for justice. Founder of RIGHTS and Director of the Equitives Foundation, as well as Global Convenor of the Alliance of Climate Front-line Communities, he spent his life organizing alongside those most affected by injustice: Dalit and Adivasi communities, women workers, children pushed out of school, and climate frontline communities.
A veteran of the Narmada Bachao Andolan, Ajay grounded his politics in environmental justice and grassroots resistance. In Kerala, he founded RIGHTS, a women-led organization that combined education justice, disaster response, and economic self-reliance—supporting Dalit women’s bamboo-based enterprises and centering women’s leadership at every level.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ajay launched the Bhim Online Classroom, an innovative network of digital learning centers that brought quality education and connectivity to marginalized villages and directly confronted the digital divide. Later, through the Equitives Foundation, he turned to budget justice, helping communities analyze public spending and demand equitable allocations. As Global Convenor of the Alliance of Climate Front-line Communities, he connected local struggles to international climate forums, insisting that those most impacted must shape climate policy.
For Hindus for Human Rights, Ajay was a cherished collaborator whose principled leadership, grassroots imagination, and transformative solidarity will continue to guide our work, even as we mourn his loss. |
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Ani Zonneveld Founder and President, Muslims for Progressive Values |
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A writer, singer-songwriter, activist, and leading global voice for inclusive, rights-affirming Islam, Ani Zonneveld has dedicated her life to championing gender justice, LGBTQ+ inclusion, freedom of conscience, and freedom of expression. As founder and president of Muslims for Progressive Values, she has expanded MPV into a global network, brought advocacy to the United Nations, and developed groundbreaking curricula and media on progressive Islamic ethics.
A Grammy-certified artist, Ani uses music, storytelling, and art to counter extremism and cultivate peace. Her cross-continental upbringing—from Malaysia to Germany, Egypt, and India—shaped the global perspective she brings to interfaith solidarity and human rights. |
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Anuradha Mittal Executive Director, Oakland Institute |
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Internationally recognized for her leadership on human rights, development, land justice, and environmental policy, Anuradha Mittal has transformed the Oakland Institute into one of the most trusted watchdogs on land grabs and exploitative investment practices across the Global South.
Her research and advocacy have shifted national and global policy conversations, strengthened community movements, and led to widely covered exposés on forced displacement and corporate misconduct. Anuradha frequently testifies before the U.S. Congress and the United Nations and has received numerous national and international awards for her contributions. |
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United Kingdom - Indian Muslim Council (UKIMC) Organizational Award Recipient, Award Accepted by Mohamed Owais |
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Founded in 2022, the UK-IMC is a pioneering advocacy organization representing the concerns, contributions, and human rights of British Muslims of Indian heritage—both in the UK and in India.
In a time of rising Islamophobia, caste-based discrimination, and transnational nationalist extremism, UK-IMC works with government bodies, civil society, and interfaith partners to protect freedom of expression, freedom of religion or belief, and the rights of socio-economically vulnerable communities. Their mission upholds social cohesion, challenges imported hate, and ensures that British Indian Muslims have the tools and support necessary to participate fully in public life.
UK-Indian Muslim Council has been a crucial voice for justice, peace, and intercommunal harmony in Leicester as well as the UK more broadly. Leicester, for the last few decades known widely as an example of strong multicultural relations, has sadly been a flashpoint in Hindutva intimidation and has seen a breakdown in that decades-old record. While there are still countless bonds that tie Muslims and Hindus together, dynamics have changed and distrust has risen.
UK-IMC has been a clear leader in the effort to understand ongoing tensions and repair interfaith relations. From several detailed reports through informative events to advocacy efforts on the streets and with key local stakeholders, Indian Muslim Council has made every effort to improve the lives of Leiceter’s communities and we at Hindus for Human Rights UK are so proud to have a close relationship or solidarity and action with this group.
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Sunita Viswanath, Executive Director, Hindus for Human Rights
“Swami Agnivesh taught us—through his life, and often at great personal risk—what it means to stand up for those whom society seeks to erase. This year’s honorees embody that fearless love. In their fight for justice, dignity, and human rights, they remind us that faith is never an excuse for bigotry but a call to defend the vulnerable.” Sravya Tadepalli, Deputy Executive Director, Hindus for Human Rights
“Each of these honorees shows how moral courage can reshape our world. Whether through research, advocacy, storytelling, or community protection, they challenge the violence of nationalism and casteism—and model the inclusive, justice-centered future that Swami Agnivesh envisioned.” |
HfHR’s Celebration of Hope Gala
December 13, 2025
12 PM PT / 3 PM ET / 8 PM GMT
This year’s Celebration of Hope gala will feature the Swami Agnivesh Memorial Award ceremony, reflections from honorees, interfaith messages, and unforgettable performances by Amritarupa (blending Bharatanatyam, waacking, and jazz), Vaibu Mohan and Zachary Catron (sharing selections from Sati: Goddess Incarnate), and mridangam innovator Rajna Swaminathan. Learn more and register here. |
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Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) is an education and advocacy organization rooted in the core Hindu values of satya (truth), nyaya (justice), and shanti (peace). We work to advance human rights for all by opposing caste, Hindutva, religious nationalism, racism, and every form of bigotry justified in the name of faith.
With affiliates around the world and chapters across the United States, HfHR brings together secular and religious Hindus—as well as allies of every background—to build a pluralistic future grounded in dignity and equality. We pursue this mission through policy advocacy, public education, interfaith partnerships, and cultural work that lifts up liberatory traditions within Hindu thought. Please direct all media inquiries to: Faria Rehman, Hindus for Human Rights Campaigns & Public Relations Manager [email protected]
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