Jaipur, Nov 10 Renowned social activist and Barefoot College founder Sanjit Bunker Roy was cremated at Tilonia in Rajasthan’s Ajmer district on Tuesday evening in the presence of a large number of activists and people who worked with him over the years.
Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot attended the funeral and paid floral tributes to Roy on behalf of the top Congress leadership, including Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and K C Venugopal.
Credited with turning a small Rajasthan village into an internationally recognised centre for rural development and women’s empowerment, Roy died at his home in Tilonia on Tuesday morning. He was 81.
Roy, who spent more than five decades working to make rural communities self-reliant, breathed his last at 6.15 am in the presence of his wife and noted social activist Aruna Roy, and others close to him.
His death was announced by the Social Work and Research Centre (SWRC), popularly known as Barefoot College, which he founded in 1972.
“He went peacefully as he wanted to in his own home in Tilonia, surrounded by Aruna and some of the countless people who loved and cared for him deeply,” the institution said.
In a post on X, Gehlot said Roy left a lasting impression through his social work and would always be remembered for his contributions to rural development, education and other fields.
Gehlot also offered condolences to the bereaved family.
Roy founded the Barefoot College in Tilonia in 1972, developing it into an internationally recognised centre for rural development.
His work was based on the belief that villagers, including those without formal education, could acquire technical skills and find solutions to problems in their communities.
Barefoot College trains rural people in solar energy, water conservation, education, healthcare and livelihood-related activities, placing particular importance on women’s participation.
One of its best-known initiatives trains rural women, many of whom never attended school, to install and maintain solar lighting systems.
Popularly known as ‘Solar Mamas’, these women take electricity to remote villages in India and other countries.
The institution also works on rainwater harvesting, rural healthcare and night schools for children who cannot attend regular classes because they work or help their families during the day.
Roy’s journey into social work began after he witnessed the sufferings caused by the Bihar famine of 1966-67.
He reached Tilonia in 1967 and began working alongside a farmer named Meghraj on water conservation before establishing the Social Work and Research Centre five years later.
His approach drew inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi’s principles of self-reliance and decentralisation.
Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh, Shashi Tharoor and Sachin Pilot expressed grief over his death.
Ramesh described Roy as a pioneer institution builder who inspired hundreds of young people to take up social work.
He recalled Roy’s association with former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and his role in expanding opportunities for voluntary organisations in development programmes.
Ramesh said Roy also worked closely with Sam Pitroda in implementing technology missions, particularly in drinking water, immunisation and adult literacy.
Tharoor said Roy challenged conventional ideas about education by demonstrating that rural women without formal qualifications could become skilled solar engineers.
Pilot said Roy transformed the lives of countless people, particularly women, through Barefoot College.
Roy received several national and international honours, including the Padma Shri in 1986, the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement in 2004, the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship in 2005, and the Blue Planet Prize in 2011.
He was named among TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2010 and received the Clinton Global Citizen Award in 2013.
The Barefoot College recalled one of Roy’s guiding beliefs: “There are no failures in Tilonia, every failure is a beginning. Everyone has a chance in Tilonia. This is a place for cop-outs, drop-outs and washouts.”
In its tribute, the institute said Roy’s contribution extended far beyond the institution he founded.
“His legacy will live on in the countless lives he transformed across the world,” it said.
(PTI News)
