Ahimsa Foundation of Indore, established specifically to spread the awareness of the concept of Ahimsa worldwide awarded Ahimsa Ratna Award to the well-known laureate and a Jain intellectual Padmashri Dr Kumarpal Desai. The award giving ceremony took place on 20th March 2016 at the Anand Mohan Mathur Auditorium, Indore. Dr Desai was presented with a cash award of Rs One Lac, a memento and a certificate of honour.
The Chairperson for the award ceremony, Jain Ratna Shree Nemnathji Jain commented with his astonishment at the range of activities that Dr Desai had managed to get involved in within a single life time. The Registrar of the Foundation, Shree Mulchand Anchalia said that this award ceremony was an occasion for celebration in Indore as Dr Desai was the third deserving recipient being honoured with the award following in the footsteps of the well-known and respected humanitarian, Rashtra Sant Bhaiyuji Maharaj and Shri Anna Hazare.
The Director of the Foundation, Shree Abhay Lalvani elaborated on the reasons for making the award to Dr Desai. He said that the award is given for spreading the awareness of Ahimsa and undertaking humanitarian activities with compassion. He went on, Dr Desai has been active both in India and abroad. He has had been given audiences by Pope John Paul II at the Vatican and by Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. He had lectured at the Chapel in the United Nations.
Shri Atul Zamad the Regional Chairman gave a brief account of the specific humanitarian work undertaken by Dr Desai. This included being an International Director of Eye Care Trust, Chairman of the Indian Red Cross (Botad Branch), Trustee of Anukampa Trust and Sulabh Health & Heart Trust.
Shri Suresh Kothari and Shrk Pankaj Sanghavi both congratulated him for this distinctive honour.
The Directors of the Institute of Jainology also congratulated Dr Desai who is also the Managing Trustee of the Institute in India for this honour.