Climate activist, winner of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Children Award, turns down PM Modi’s #SheInspiresUs honour

The Indian climate activist, Licypriya Kangujam, who was awarded Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Children Award has rejected Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s #SheInspiresUs campaign invitation which was launched by the PM to facilitate women influencers on Women’s Day.

The 8-year-old activist is displeased with PM Modi and his government for neglecting her demands related to climate changes as she had protested outside the Parliament last year in July.

Licypriya Kangujam, the World Children Peace Prize, and India Peace Prize winner activist has raised issues like carbon emissions and greenhouse effects and requested to make this as a compulsory subject in school curriculum which may help them to understand how to curb the environment-related problems. She also demanded that the plantation of 10 trees should be made mandatory for each student to pass the final exam.

The Modi government had tagged the activist and tweeted the story of the eight-year-old as an influencer on Friday, “@mygovindia @LicypriyaK is a child environmental activist from Manipur. In 2019, she was awarded a Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Children Award, a World Children Peace Prize, and an India Peace Prize. Isn’t she inspiring? Do you know someone like her? Tell us, using #SheInspiresUs,”

To which Kangujam replied while expressing her anguish, “Dear Narendra Modi ji, Please don’t celebrate me if you are not going to listen to my voice. Thank you for selecting me amongst the inspiring women of the country under your initiative #SheInspiresUs. After thinking many times, I decided to turn down this honour. Jai Hind!”

While talking to The Indian Express Kangujam said, “It (the campaign) may be a good initiative to them, but considering the crimes against women and children, I don’t think it can solve anything. This will be like applying a fairness cream on our face which no longer stays once you clean yourself. Instead, I want him (Modi) to listen to my voice and our leaders to take climate change seriously.”

The reason behind her refusal is to draw the attention of the government towards her demands.“When I first got the news, I couldn’t believe it. After confirming the same, I felt proud but was also very sad. I asked myself if I should accept such a recognition rather than continuously pushing my demands forward to the governments”, she added.

Further, she said, “I believe my rejection will force the government to pay heed to my demands. I have neither been called nor invited to discuss my concerns. Our leaders and politicians never consider climate change to be a serious issue and that is perhaps is the saddest part,”

Discussing her demands, she said, “All the above three policies are possible to change and other countries of the world can follow the same. This can help to fight climate change and also to change the system of the world.”

Kangujam has started ‘The Child Movement’ which is aimed at urging the leaders all around the world to take immediate action to stop climate change. She also addressed a UN event in Mongolia on July 4, 2018.

The social media #SheInspiresUs is a campaign started by the prime minister for the women “whose life and work will help ignite motivation in millions”. “This Women’s Day, I will give away my social media accounts to women whose life & work inspire us. This will help them ignite motivation in millions. Are you such a woman or do you know such inspiring women? Share such stories using #SheInspiresUs,” Modi had tweeted on March 3.