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OUR FOUNDER
Shyam Sundar Das,
the founder and moving spirit of CLAP was a lifelong Gandhian and an
eminent non-jail going freedom fighter who dedicated his entire life
for making of a sarvodaya order of society based on non-violence,
truth and peace. His public work commenced immediately after Indian
independence in 1947. He joined Bhoodan Movement and served as the
translator for Vinova Bhave during his march for land gift movement
in Odisha in 1952. He accepted voluntary poverty as a way of life
after receiving a Bachelor's Degree in Commerce and Philosophy from
Rajendra College, Bolangir and Bachelor's Degree in Law. He worked
in the remote tribal areas of Koraput District for liberation of
bonded labour and worked with Anna Saheeb Sahashrabudhe to run the
first and only Non-Governmental Development Block in Boipariguda.
During this period he started the first ever Cooperative Society and
became a Director of it for a decade apart from establishment of the
then largest Khadi production centre Tara Gaon Gramadani Sangha. He
also led Sarvodaya Relief Committee for a decade. He was appointed
as the Commissioner of Investigation by the Supreme Court of India
in the (in)famous starvation death and distress sale of children
among tribal of Kalahandi District of Odisha in 1986.
He realised
through his direct experience working with disadvantaged communities
that unless vulnerable communities are empowered with affirmative
law and justice provisions inequality would writ large in the
society. This conviction led this non-conformist human right
defender to establish Committee for Legal Aid to Poor (CLAP) with a
vision to empower marginalised and vulnerable through the use of
law, legal system and legal process. As a non-conformist human right
defender he relied on International Bill of Human Rights to draw
sanction for his actions for promotion and protection of human
rights of underprivileged section of the society. He consistently
endeavoured to make access to justice a constitutional mandate for
realisation of rights and entitlements of people having less or no
access to justice system. After incorporation of the provision of
Free Legal Aid and Social Justice in the Indian Constitution he
established Committee for Legal Aid to Poor, popularly known as CLAP
to give expression to the constitutional vision into every day
reality. The pro-bono services and public interest initiatives of
CLAP helped innumerable people living in disadvantaged position
since 1975 to secure for themselves freedom from injustice and
exploitation.
Shyam Sundar Das
had the unique distinction of being a lifelong Gandhian who always
directs his work on a right based approach and advocates for human
right of individuals. In fact he was among few Gandhians who always
focused his work on Rights of the People.
This unparalleled
champion of human right passed away on 14th August, 2011.
To know more about
him read The Icon of Justice…
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