“One person can make a difference. And everyone should try.”
— John F. Kennedy
Vepa Shyam Rao was born in an orthodox Brahmin family in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh, on 21 September 1939. Since his father died when he was four years old, he was brought up by his maternal grandfather who had been the Diwan of the princely state Sakti.
After studying Law and Commerce, he became a lecturer in Management at St Xavier’s College, Kolkata. He also practised law as a junior to Sabyasachi Mukherji, who later became the Chief Justice of India.
Seeing the prevalent social and economic injustices, he quit his promising career to become a fulltime worker of the Arya Samaj in 1968. Renouncing his worldly possessions, family ties and high caste status in 1970 by embracing sanyas, he adopted the name Swami Agnivesh.
Influenced by great sages like Swami Indravesh, Swami Dayanand Saraswati, and Gandhij, Agnivesh founded the political party, Arya Sabha, on the principles of Arya Samaj that would work for social spirituality, rejecting materialism. Though the Arya Samaj expelled him in 1976, he continued to claim his fidelity to its ideals. Later, he founded the World Council of Arya Samaj, an organisation distinct from Dayanand Saraswati’s Arya Samaj, and served as its president from 2004-2014.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
STICKING OUT YOUR NECK!
Maybe it's having the twins, my grandsons from New York, back home again, that reminded me of a conversation I had with them a couple of monsoons ago: \"What's that?\" asked one of them pointing to a huge shell on the ground.
Hippos can get airborne while running fast
Hippos weigh up to two tonnes, but these bulky creatures can go airborne for a period of time.
Tree bark plays a vital role in removing methane from the atmosphere
Trees are known for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thus benefiting the climate. New research shows that they offer one more benefit.
Lunar caves could shelter astronauts on the moon
Scientists have found an underground cave on the moon not far from where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed 55 years ago.
Manasi Joshi
The Para-Badminton World Champion
International Day of Peace
In Search of Non-violence and Cease-fire
Non-Violent Communication
How to cope with conflict situations
FR ALOYSIUS G. REGO
A short-statured bearded figure glancing through a pair of spectacles, cane in hand, and head swinging with every step, was the most feared figure in the galleries of our school, St. Joseph's Collegiate, Allahabad.
The Architects of the Future
As we celebrate Teachers' Day on 5 September, students from St Charles School, Santacruz East, Mumbai, have come together to share their thoughts and perspectives on the challenges that teachers face in today's rapidly-changing educational landscape.
JUNG & KOOK
With music, stories and news of K-pop all over the place, on Instagram, Twitter, Thread and other social media platforms, and dozens of boy and girl bands emerging from South Korea, believe me when I say that K-pop is irresistible.
