The well-known social activist and educator Sanjit Bunker Roy died in Tilonia, Rajasthan, on Tuesday at the age of 81. The news was confirmed by his friends.
He was with his wife, Aruna Roy and others close to him when he breathed his last, according to a statement by people familiar with him, including fellow activist Nikhi Dey.
"Bunker Roy passed away peacefully at 6.15 a.m. this morning with Aruna and others around him. He went as he wanted to, in his own home in Tilonia, surrounded by some of the countless people who loved and cared for him deeply and passionately," a note by Dey read.
His funeral will take place in Tilonia at 4 pm.
Roy garnered international recognition for founding the Social Work and Research Centre, popularly known as Barefoot College, in Tilonia in 1972.
The Barefoot College works and trains rural people in the fields of providing drinking water access, solar electrification, women’s empowerment, skill development, education and healthcare.
The programs in the centre is influenced by Gandhian philosophy and the idea that those without formal educations or access to it can be made self-reliant by being taught technical skills which could solve problems in their communities.
He received the Padma Shri in 1986. In 1998 it received the Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar (Indira Gandhi Environment Award).
In 2010, Roy was named one of Time 100’s 100 most influential personalities.
In 2013, Bunker Roy received the 'Clinton Global Citizen Award', along with youth activist Malala Yousufzai.
Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot expressed his condolences, saying,“Guided by Mahatma Gandhi’s principles, he made remarkable contributions to rural self-reliance, education and various areas of development. His entire life was dedicated to empowering villages and bringing positive change to the lives of disadvantaged communities.”
Congress MP Shahsi Tharoor also offered his condolences and said, “His extraordinary vision of training rural grandmothers into 'Barefoot Solar Engineers' illuminated thousands of off-grid homes across India and the developing world, leaving behind an indelible legacy of dignity, community empowerment, and environmental stewardship”
Author Amitav Ghosh called him a “true hero and pioneer.”
