Stockholm, Agencies: Indian couple Krishnammal and Sankaralingam Jagannathan and their organisation Land for the Tillers Freedom (LAFTI) have been awarded the Alternative Nobel Prize 2008 for social justice and sustainable human development, an official said here.
They have been given the award "for two long lifetimes of work dedicated to realising in practice the Gandhian vision of social justice and sustainable human development", said Ole von Uexkull, executive director of the Right Livelihood Award Foundation.
LAFTI, an NGO works in Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur and East Thanjavur districts of Tamil Nadu.
The couple decided early in their life that one of the key requirements for building a Gandhian society was to empower the rural poor by redistribution of land to the landless. Between 1953 and 1967, the couple played an active role in the Bhoodan movement spearheaded by Vinoba Bhave, through which about four million acres of land were distributed to thousands of landless poor.
In 1981 the couple founded LAFTI to bring the landlords and landless poor to the negotiating table, obtain loans to enable the landless to buy land and then to help them work it cooperatively.
Krishnammal managed to overcome many hurdles and by 2007, LAFTI had transferred 13,000 acres to about 13,000 families through social action and a land-purchase programme.
Krishnammal says, "Vinoba Bhave, by whom my husband and I were inspired, said 'Jai Jegath' (long live the world). I sincerely believe that the social, economic and spiritual crisis we are facing today can be overcome through universal sisterhood and science and spirituality coming together for the good of the entire humanity."
They have been given the award "for two long lifetimes of work dedicated to realising in practice the Gandhian vision of social justice and sustainable human development", said Ole von Uexkull, executive director of the Right Livelihood Award Foundation.
LAFTI, an NGO works in Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur and East Thanjavur districts of Tamil Nadu.
The couple decided early in their life that one of the key requirements for building a Gandhian society was to empower the rural poor by redistribution of land to the landless. Between 1953 and 1967, the couple played an active role in the Bhoodan movement spearheaded by Vinoba Bhave, through which about four million acres of land were distributed to thousands of landless poor.
In 1981 the couple founded LAFTI to bring the landlords and landless poor to the negotiating table, obtain loans to enable the landless to buy land and then to help them work it cooperatively.
Krishnammal managed to overcome many hurdles and by 2007, LAFTI had transferred 13,000 acres to about 13,000 families through social action and a land-purchase programme.
Krishnammal says, "Vinoba Bhave, by whom my husband and I were inspired, said 'Jai Jegath' (long live the world). I sincerely believe that the social, economic and spiritual crisis we are facing today can be overcome through universal sisterhood and science and spirituality coming together for the good of the entire humanity."
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