Jamnalal Bajaj Awards

Mr. Ramkrishna Bajaj

1979 President - Nyas Mandal

Since we met last year , there has been an irreparable loss to our Bajaj family. Our revered Mataji Jankidevi left us forever. She was devoted to the constructive work of Gandhiji throughout her life. Inspired with this, we have initiated one award in her memory from this year, which will be given to a woman or women’s organization for outstanding contribution in the field of social work. For complete speech, please click on the PDF button to download Read More

Mr. Rahul Bajaj (1994)

1994 Chairman - Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation

This is the first occasion since the institution of the Annual Awards in 1978 that we are meeting without respected Ramkrishnaji Bajaj in our midst. The glorious traditions of philanthropy and constructive work which were the most distinguishing features of my grandfather, Pujya Jamnalalji, were inherited by his two sons, my father, Shri Kamalnayanji and my uncle, Shri Ramkrishnaji. The Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation was set up in 1977 to further the cause of constructive work on Gandhian lines by .... Read More

Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee

1998 Prime Minister - India, Chief Guest

Along with the Government’s power, people’s power is essential. To keep a check on the governmental authority as also to save people from its all consuming instinct. We do not want a society where solely the government would take care of you right from the birth till death. We want a self-reliant society; a society with self-esteem. A government can not create such a society. This can be accomplished through constructive work. There are thousands of such people in the country. Tod .... Read More

Mr. Chewang Norphel

2010 Outstanding Contribution in Application of Science & Technology for Rural Development

"Flash floods, deficient and erratic snowfall, outbreaks of pests, extended wintry conditions and delayed release of water from the glaciers and the resultant scarcity of water for sowing crops are some of the nature’s perplexing manifestations the region has been experiencing over the last two decades. The natural and man induced factors led us to the innovation of the technology of ‘Artificial Glacier’, a technology with social, economic and environmental relevan .... Read More

Mr. Chunibhai Vaidya

2010 Outstanding Contribution in Constructive Work

“Vinobaji counted two types of social work – Relief Work and Revolutionary Work. He had instructed that if you want to do the revolutionary work of changing the social order, then do not establish any institution. Why? Because in that case, you will have to depend on ‘funds’ and the ‘administration’. You will not be able to speak and conduct freely. I tried my level best to follow his path – I did not establish any institution; so there is no building .... Read More

Smt. Pratibha Patil

2010 Chief Guest

"There are many complementarities that exist between farming communities and the corporate world, because both are private enterprises. The possibilities of a win-win partnership between agriculture and industry should be fully explored. We must not forget that the food security of India is dependent on the growth of the agriculture. We should aim at enhancing productivity by using better technology and innovative farmingpractices, with the active participation of the Panchayats to usher .... Read More

Mr. Rahul Bajaj (2009)

2009 Chairman - Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation

We are living through a period of unprecedented change. This change is economic, social, environmental and political. During the last two years many iconic names in world business have vanished. Many more have gone into losses. This gives an inkling of the scope and severity of this change. The developed world faces the prospect of slow growth and unemployment. Our economy is integrating rapidly with the global economy exposing us to its opportunities and risks. Hence, we in India have b .... Read More

Baba Ramdev

2009 Chief Guest

This dignified function today is a celebration of the service to humanity, to our country. It is a tribute to the spirit of service and sacrifice, to the message of Gandhiji and legacy of Jamnalalji. Our culture is over 5000 years old. We have a long tradition in the fields of medical sciences, agriculture, education, jurisprudence to name a few. Gandhiji had devoted his whole life for the freedom of our country. But what we have today is not the country of Gandhiji's dream; thi .... Read More

Smt. Anutai Wagh

1985 Outstanding Contribution to Development and Welfare of Women And Children

Adivasi children are little kings of the jungle. Be it hot sun, or cold, or heavy rains, they move about in the jungle freely; they climb up the trees, jump about, scale up the mountains and come down speedily. They swim in the river, catch fish, hunt birds. They run behind hares and deers, can eat even raw fruits. By the very nature, they are fearless, always smiling. They have sharp eyes and strong brains and are used to self-help. Really speaking, they are a treasure of precious gems; but .... Read More

Mr. Popatlal Shah

1984 Outstanding Contribution in Constructive Work

Through the spirit of service, self-reliance, co-operation, and love for the society, the social worker should continue to undertake various kinds of constructive activities. Their work should be expanded and developed. It is my heart’s desire that constructive work should continue getting the desired encouragement so that the suffering of the society could be alleviated. Under the present atmosphere, some people express disappointment about constructive work. But what is the alternativ .... Read More

Mr. T.S. Avinashilingam

1985 Outstanding Contribution in Constructive Work

Our national unity cannot be on the basis of a common political ideology or language as in other countries. Our national integration does not mean unity of language or religion. It is as we have proclaimed many times, unity in diversity. The basis of national integration should be widely shared goals and values, commitment to ‘Indianness’ without sacrificing the identity of sub-cultures. For complete speech, please click on the PDF button to download Read More

Mr. Sanjit Roy

1985 Outstanding Contribution in Application of Science & Technology for Rural Development

A large percentage of these ostensibly highly qualified people neither have the interest nor the inclination to work in the rural areas and their presence is destructively counter-productive. It is more than a question of overskill; it is a question of attitudes which isolates them from the rural poor. Yet we post them by the thousands in villages expecting wonders from this man or woman who looks down on the poor and considers him inferior, illiterate and backward. For complete speech, .... Read More

Mr. Mohan Parikh

1984 Outstanding Contribution in Application of Science & Technology for Rural Development

While studying the agricultural implements, I could get an idea about the direction in which research centres of India are going. But if I have to name a guru or a guide in the matter of improvement of agricultural implements, I would say it is the farmer. Only after knowing the problems of farmers that I could see the direction clearly and draw a programme for that. For complete speech, please click on the PDF button to download Read More

Smt. Gaura Devi

1984 Outstanding Contribution to Development and Welfare of Women And Children

Perhaps you may not be much acquainted with Himachal Pradesh. I would like to tell you that even today our habitations are situated at inaccessible locations like up on mountains and deep down in the valleys. It had been extremely difficult to reach the places where there was no means of transport, the roads were no broader than footways, and that too, covered with ice. By the grace of God and with the inspiration of Gandhiji, I could visit such places. To fulfill of the objectives of the Kas .... Read More

Mr. P.V. Narsimha Rao

1986 Home Minister - India, Chief Guest

(Read in absentia) It is my conviction that Human Resource Development holds the key to the future of our country. There was a time when progress of mankind was considered to be primarily the result of economic development, i.e. improvement in the material means of life. And economic development was supposed to be the consequence of investment of capital in the form of machinery and materials and also the money which bought them. Economists were totally pre-occupied, in fact obsessed, wi .... Read More

Mr. Ismail Serageldin

2006 Recipient, International Award

Today, incredible wealth is accompanied by a remarkable lack of caring for the weak and the marginalized… But a world divided cannot survive. The human family cannot live partly rich and mostly poor.We must change the world. We must harness the emerging universal values of our common humanity, and see beyond individual wealth and growth of GNP… and remember, as Robert Kennedy said, that: "The Gross National Product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality .... Read More

Mr. Narayana N. R. Murthy

2006 Chairman - Infosys Technologies Limited, Chief Guest

Today, 10.7 Million children do not live to see their fifth birthday, and more than 2.5 billion people-40% of the global population are forced to survive with less than $2 a day. According to James D. Wolfenson, former World Bank chief, “poor people don’t want charity. They want a chance, they want an opportunity, they want recognition, they want voice, they want peace and they want to fix the future themselves, and if they do, all of us will live a better life’’. Pove .... Read More

Prof. Amartya Sen

2005 Nobel Laureate, Chief Guest

So, what is the relevance of Gandhian values in the wide world today? The aspect of Gandhian values that tend to receive most attention, not surprisingly, is the practice of non-violence. Gandhiji’s championing of non-violence, even when facing a violent adversary, has stimulated public reflection and kindled political action in different forms right across the world. Not least of Gandhiji’s influences can be seen in the way courageous and visionary political leaders in many other .... Read More

Mr. Viren J. Shah

2003 Governor - West Bengal, Chief Guest

There appears to be a crisis in governance. There seems to be a growing culture of intolerance and insensitivity wherever and whenever the poor and the weak raise their voices to assert their legal and Constitutional rights. Empowerment of the masses through the enforcement of their legal rights seems to be an anathema to the governing establishment cutting across the party lines. All the noble ideas and maxims enshrined in the Directive Principles of State Policy are far from being realized .... Read More

Dr. Manmohan Singh

2001 Finance Minister - India, Chief Guest

Despite significant industrialization, even today the proportion of our people dependent on the agriculture has declined only marginally since independence. At the same time, the share of the agriculture in our national income has declined drastically form 50% at the time of independence to less than 25% now. As a result the gap in per capita income and living standards between rural India and urban India has greatly widened, giving rise to increasing social tensions as well as violence in ma .... Read More

Dr. P. C. Alexander

1999 Governor - Maharshtra, Chief Guest

On the social plane, fear had gripped the society - fear of the peasant about the landlord, fear of the ordinary person in the rural areas or towns about the oppressive powers or the minions of the Government, whether a sub inspector or a Tehsildar or whoever. Even the maharajas and princes who had life and death power over their own people lived in great fear of the political legend or the Resident in their own states. They were terribly scared of the British representative in their midst. E .... Read More

Dr. Herbert Schambeck

1990 Vice - President, Federal Council of the Republic of Austria, Chief Guest

Since the Jamnalal Bajaj Awards are given for constructive work in the Gandhian tradition, it seems most befitting to choose for my address the topic “The relevance of Mahatma Gandhi in the modern world. “This gives me, a Western European by origin, and a Christian by faith, an opportunity to reflect on the lasting impact of the life and teaching of one of our greatest contemporaries, an Asian by origin, and a Hindu by faith, after more than forty years having passed since his unt .... Read More

Mr. R. Venkataraman

1985 Vice President - India, Chief Guest

The freshness of some occasions remains unaffected by repetition and the passage of time. The annual presenting of the Jamnalal Bajaj Awards belongs to this category. Without doubt this is in a large measure due to the stature of the man Jamnalal Bajaj in whose memory the awards have been instituted. For complete speech, please click on the PDF button to download Read More

Mrs. Indira Gandhi

1982 Prime Minister - India, Chief Guest

Gandhi initiated many waves in our country. The freedom movement was biggest of them all. But he told us from the very beginning that if constructive work is not undertaken, the freedom movement will not get the desired strength. At the same time, we would not be able to achieve the goal for which we want freedom, that is, development. For complete speech, please click on the PDF button to download Read More

Swami Ranganathananda

1988 Chief Guest

We can say that sometimes the foreigners may make better use of Gandhiji than we did. There is one Cesar Chavez in America. There was a strike by Grey Pickers in the California. They wanted more salary and could not get from the owners. Chavez was the leader of the Union. He started a satyagraha. He had Gandhiji’s photo in his own office room. He fought for the labour class, using Gandhiji’s methods without any violence and a settlement came between the owners and the workers. Sim .... Read More

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