Women’s Day’: Environment activist wants out of government campaign

NEW DELHI: Licypriya Kangujam wants no part in Government of India's women's day campaign titled "She Inspires Us".

All of eight, Kangujam from Manipur is an environmental activist. She was one of three children, including Greta Thunberg, to be featured at the United Nations Development Program in 2019. The same year, as the government's social media post reminded, she won the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Children Award, a World Children Peace Prize and an India Peace Prize.

That post was made on March 5 and was one of dozens recognizing women from across fields in the run up to the International Women's Day on March 8. They were all tagged "#SheInspiresUs".

However, on the evening of March 6, Kangujam wrote addressing the prime minister, Narendra Modi: "Dear @narendramodi Ji, Please don't celebrate me if you are not going to listen my voice. Thank you for selecting me amongst the inspiring women of the country under your initiative #SheInspiresUs. After thinking many times, I decided to turns down this honour. Jai Hind!"

Dear @narendramodi Ji,
Please don’t celebrate me if you are not going to listen my voice.

Thank you for selecting me amongst the inspiring women of the country under your initiative #SheInspiresUs. After thinking many times, I decided to turns down this honour. ??

Jai Hind! pic.twitter.com/pjgi0TUdWa

— Licypriya Kangujam (@LicypriyaK) March 6, 2020

The original post from the Government of India's MyGovIndia Twitter account said: "@LicypriyaK is a child environmental activist from Manipur. In 2019, she was awarded Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Children Award, a World Children Peace Prize, and an India Peace Prize. Isn't she inspiring? Do you know someone like her? Tell us, using #SheInspiresUs."

@LicypriyaK is an child environmental activist from Manipur. In 2019, she was awarded a Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Children Award, a World Children Peace Prize, and an India Peace Prize. Isn't she inspiring?
Do you know someone like her? Tell us, using #SheInspiresUs . pic.twitter.com/bJLEDIwfpH

— MyGovIndia (@mygovindia) March 5, 2020

Earlier on Friday, Kangujam's Twitter posts were on a climate strike in Mumbai. Thanking all participants, she wrote: "Our voice deserves to be heard by the world by fighting all odds. We are unstoppable. another world is possible. Change is possible. Jai Hind!" She had even directed a post at Modi telling him about the strike and demanding a "climate change law as soon as possible".

Although frequently associated with Thunberg, she doesn't like being referred to as the "Greta of India". In January, she had sternly written on Twitter that her movement began in July 2018, "even before Greta was started".

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