Aruna Roy honoured with Lal Bahadur Shastri Award

Aruna Roy, social and political activist and member of the National Advisory Council, was on Friday honoured with the coveted Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for her “arduous journey” and dedication towards the issues of the common man.

The Rs five lakh award was presented to Roy, who has worked for transparency and the people’s Right to Information (RTI) and the Right to Work Campaign, by President Pratibha Patil at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

Her broad based collective campaigns have helped ensure the passage of the Right to Information Law and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in Parliament in 2005, the citation said.

Accepting the award, Roy, also a Ramon Magsaysay Award winner, said that peaceful satyagraha could lead to success of many of peoples’ entitlements like Right to Food Security.

The honour would be shared with members of Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) in which she is a founder member, Roy said, adding the prize money would be utilised to support the process of democratic struggle.