Kailash Bharati

Kailash Bharti is a veteran activist, being part of the historic and peaceful Bodh Gaya Andolan in the 1970s. Agricultural workers, mostly dalits, rose against the illegal occupation of 9,700 acres of agricultural land and inhuman treatment by Bihar’s feudal Shankaracharya Math in Bodhgaya. They were made to work as bonded labour on this land perpetuating the cycle of impoverishment, dispossession and exploitation.

In 1987, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of possession of the land by 10,000 families, most of them from the extremely vulnerable musahar community. This marked a decisive and inspirational victory for land reform in Bihar where land titles were given to women for the first time. Kailash’s exposure to this land movement and other leaders provided him with a deep understanding and motivation to work towards the root causes of inequality.

Mazdoor Kisan Samiti has been working with the most dispossessed and marginalised communities who have historically suffered under feudal social and economic relations. The sangathan has, over these years, mobilised public support for the assertion of rights over common land, rights for regularisation of land and recognition of rights in forest areas – and claimed their rightful demands for drinking water, health and education. Community-led efforts led by sangathan members for the construction of wells, and life irrigation have brought much-needed relief to the people.

With a long life of struggle, both personal and political, Kailash emerged as a leader of the sangathan and anchored it over two decades as the president. Recently, he took up more mentoring roles and passed on leadership to his comrades. Kailash has been active as a cultural performer, singing songs of resistance, performing the jattha, and undertaking youth-building activities along with his team of expert performers.