Name of Fellow: Rakesh Roshan Kiro
Genre: Social and Economic Justice
Area of Work: Ranchi, Jharkhand
Rakesh Roshan Kiro is an Adivasi rights activist from Ranchi. He is working with Adivasi youths and pursue them to opt for higher studies while teaching them about tribals rights, justice, violation of rights, land alienation, secularism, various Constitutional provisions to ensure tribal rights.
He became a social worker at an early age when he was 15 years old. While he was in secondary school, the southern region of undivided Bihar was witnessing tumultuous movements for separate state of Jharkhand including the tribal dominated areas. As an Adivasi student and coming from a humble background, he was eager to know why the tribals were demanding a separate state and what it would ensure for tribals. This urge brought him close to social movement groups, individuals, and Adivasi student organisations.
When Jharkhand became a separate state in 2000, it came under Fifth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. Once it became a Fifth Schedule state, various new acts and rules were implemented which were very different from Bihar. At that time, he started his college in Ranchi.
At the college the tribal students, including Kiro, used to debate and discuss the new rules and regulations. At this time, he got associated with a forum called Adivasi Yuva Chenta Manch. Then he started to participate in workshops, camps, and seminars organized by the collective. In these sessions he learnt about Fifth Schedule, PESA act, Jharkhand Panchayatiraj Ordinance, and other laws related to tribals. In this process he started meeting activists working for Adivasi rights and got to know how Adivasis were deprived of their rights.
While he was learning about the provisions made for Adivasi rights, Jharkhand was going through two other major movements. Adivasis were demanding 60 percent reservation in the state and special domicile provisions for Adivasis. Attending various meetings, he became inquisitive about these issues and to understand these issues, he came in contact with some Adivasi lawyers. At that time, he was given the Constitution to study and he developed interest in law. Then he pursued law studies and became a law graduate. During that time also, he used to learn about various movements against dams, how dams were displacing tribals etc. from prominent social workers. These interactions with social workers brought him even closure to the issues of tribal rights and rights violation in Jharkhand.
However, as young Adivasi and a lone child, he faced financial constraints after completing his studies. Despite that, he neither joined any government sector nor began to practice law. As he was gravitated towards social work, he joined a non-government organization and began researching on tribals issues and collaborating with various other social action groups in different states.
In his research and fact findings, he found out instances of CRPF camps being set up at schools which hampered the education tribals children. When this case was pursued in the court, the court ordered to reopen the schools for children and remove the CRPF camps from tribal schools.
During his professional work, he was close to students and continues to work with them to sensitise them about the Constitutional rights and values.
He was also booked under sedition law in 2018 during Patthalgarhi movement for posting a social media about the lives lost during the struggle. Later in 2021, the charges were removed by the state government.
He has created a peer group of 60-70 students where government authorities such DSP, CO, Advocates, Judge etc. have been added. On this platform, students are motivated by these influential people to attract the students into engagement. In the discussions Rakesh discusses issues ranging from career options, social issues, concepts of justice, fraternity, equality and secularism with the peer group.