### P. Sainath to Deliver Fifth Prof. R.N. Vyas Memorial Lecture
Udaipur: Renowned journalist and Ramon Magsaysay Award winner P. Sainath will deliver the Fifth Prof. R.N. Vyas Memorial Lecture on Sunday at the Vigyan Samiti Bhawan in Ashok Nagar. The lecture, centered on the theme “Indian Agriculture: The Crisis of Inequality,” is expected to bring together academics, intellectuals, journalists, writers, poets, students, and social activists from across the city.
The session will be chaired by noted writer and Ambedkarite thinker Dr. Kusum Meghwal, while former IAS officer and former President of Vidya Bhawan Society Ajay Mehta will attend as the chief guest.
Prof. R.N. Vyas, former Dean of Mohanlal Sukhadia University and coordinator of the Janatantrik Vichar Manch, was widely respected for his lifelong commitment to civil rights, labour welfare, and farmers’ movements. Through his leadership, he inspired generations of students who today continue to contribute meaningfully in their respective fields while remaining connected to public concerns and social justice.
The Prof. R.N. Vyas Memorial Committee organizes the annual memorial lecture on his death anniversary. Previous speakers in the series have included distinguished intellectuals and public figures such as Amitabh Kundu, Apoorvanand, Bhasha Singh, and filmmaker Avinash Das.
Widely regarded as one of India’s most fearless and influential journalists, P. Sainath has devoted his career to documenting the struggles of India’s rural poor and marginalized communities. His work provides a powerful and deeply analytical understanding of Indian agriculture, rural distress, and economic inequality. Nobel laureate Amartya Sen once described him as the finest chronicler of rural India’s realities.
Recipient of more than two dozen national and international honours, Sainath notably declined the Padma Shri in 2009, stating that journalists should remain independent from government recognition as they serve as external auditors of power.
His landmark book Everybody Loves a Good Drought, based on extensive travels through drought-affected regions across India during the 2000s, gained international acclaim for exposing the harsh realities of rural deprivation. In 2021, he received Japan’s prestigious Fukuoka Grand Prize carrying an award of 50 lakh yen, a portion of which he donated to support families of rural journalists who lost their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sainath also founded the People's Archive of Rural India, an initiative dedicated to preserving stories of rural India while supporting Dalit and tribal journalists through fellowships. His documentary film Nero’s Guests, focused on agrarian distress and farmer suicides linked to rural indebtedness, received the Gold Medal from the Indian Documentary Producers Association.
The lecture will commence at 4 PM at the Vigyan Samiti Bhawan and is expected to spark meaningful dialogue on the growing inequalities confronting Indian agriculture and rural society.
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