Arbind Singh, a well-known development activist from India, was on Friday given the prestigious Skoll Foundation Social Entrepreneurship Award at a function in Oxford for his work in the informal labour sector.
The Foundation, set up by Jeff Skoll, a philanthropist and social entrepreneur, works with local activists to drive social and economic change among the neglected sections of society.
``The Skoll Award provides a three-year core operating support grant for recipients to extend their already impressive reach,’’ the Foundation said in a statement.
Mr Scoll described Mr Singh, who heads the National Association of Street Vendors of India, as a “visionary social entrepreneur whose spirit and ability has shown that the solutions for the bottom billion in India and around the globe can be found in the bottom billion themselves”.
Mr Singh said that informal workers formed the ``backbone’’ of Indian industry and yet they were hugely neglected.
“Informal workers in India are street traders, domestic workers, construction laborers, market vendors, agriculture workers and more. They toil hard, often in actual waste piles, of garbage and scraps, but broken systems and structures keep them there in a vicious cycle with no forward progress. They are entrenched in a curious nexus of economic and social bondage. To break that bondage, we have learned, one needs innovative methods of organizing, new economic development activities and use of technology, combined with advocacy. That’s how the system gets challenged and changed,” he said.
Any awards from foreign countries and institutions for Indian social workers should be viewed with suspicion. These social activits act as "hunter-gatherer" for thee foreign institutions and purely focus on only the negative things. They get to go on foreign trips and get handsome allowance if they agree to go abroad and bash India. These are sponsored by Judeo-Christian Institutions abroad, mainly from the USA. I recommend everyone to read "Breaking India" by Shri Rajiv Malhotra and get educated about the sinister plot to deride Hinduism and make us hate our own religion and move towards Christianity and westernization. This is a question of power, control and business and all of us should be aware of it and take appropriate actions from our end.
Congratulations Mr Arbind Singh. May your example inspire others.
Please Email the Editor