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HfHR announces Swami Agnivesh Memorial Award Honorees
The awards will be presented to individuals and organizations whose moral courage, spiritual conviction, and commitment to justice carry forward the legacy of Swami Agnivesh.
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Rwittika Chakraborty
- Fri, 05, Dec 2025
- 03:56 EST
- 19
Ajay Kumar (left) and Anuradha Mittal (right) / Hindus for Human Rights
Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) will be honoring Indian-born Ajay Kumar and Indian American Anuradha Mittal in its 5th Annual Swami Agnivesh Memorial Awards on Dec. 13.
Ani Zonneveld, a Malaysian-American activist and the Indian Muslim Council (United Kingdom), an advocacy group, are also the recipients of this year’s awards.
The awards, presented to individuals and organizations whose moral courage, spiritual conviction, and commitment to justice carry forward the legacy of Swami Agnivesh, will be held during HfHR’s Celebration of Hope Gala.
HfHR’s Celebration of Hope Gala is an online event that honors movements for justice, solidarity across faiths, and the liberatory vision that guided Swami Agnivesh’s life and work.
Ajay Kumar, who passed away in August 2025, was a movement leader, teacher, founder of RIGHTS, and Director of the Equitives Foundation, and Global Convenor of the Alliance of Climate Front-line Communities.
He fought against the injustice and worked for the betterment of Dalit and Adivasi communities, women workers, children pushed out of school, and climate frontline communities.
Anuradha Mittal, executive director of Oakland Institute, has been internationally recognized for her leadership on human rights, development, land justice, and environmental policy. She frequently testifies before the U.S. Congress and the United Nations and has received numerous national and international awards for her contributions.
Ani Zonneveld, a writer, singer-songwriter, activist, and leading global voice for inclusive, rights-affirming Islam, has dedicated her life to championing gender justice, LGBTQ+ inclusion, freedom of conscience, and freedom of expression.
As the 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.
United Kingdom - Indian Muslim Council (UKIMC), founded in 2022, 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.
Speaking about the awards and honorees, Deputy Executive Director of Hindus for Human Rights, Sravya Tadepalli, said,
“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.”
This year’s Celebration of Hope gala will feature the Swami Agnivesh Memorial Award ceremony, reflections from honorees, interfaith messages, and performances by Amritarupa, Vaibu Mohan and Zachary Catron and mridangam innovator Rajna Swaminathan.
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