Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi's Autobiography DIYASALAI Release at JLF

Autobiography was released by six such youths who were once freed from child labor.

JAIPUR: Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi's autobiography, 'Diyasalai,' was launched today on the stage of the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF). This book depicts Satyarthi's life journey, his struggle, and his inspiring story of freeing children from exploitation across the world. 

During the launch, Kailash Satyarthi shared the experiences related to chapters of the autobiography. In the 24 chapters of Diyasalai, Kailash Satyarthi has written about his journey from birth in a simple police constable's family in Vidisha to international recognition and the Nobel Peace Prize.

Satyarthi's biography is an inspiring saga of challenging social stereotypes in adolescence to the struggle to free children from exploitation. 

During the book discussion, he told how once he was ostracized by his own society for eating food from the hands of a so-called untouchable woman and he had to spend time alone in a small room, away from his family. It was after that episode that he decided to drop his caste surname Sharma. "...and I became Satyarthi, the protector of truth." 

He said, "When I received the Nobel Prize, some senior journalists and even Nobel Committee members asked me to tell in one or two sentences what I have achieved in my life. So, my answer was very simple that my most humble contribution to humanity is that I was able to bring the most neglected and nameless children to the fore. That is why those children are being heard now. No government can ignore those who have remained nameless for centuries." 

नोबेल पुरुस्कार मेरे लिए कोई निजी उपलब्धि नहीं थी, इसलिए 10 साल पहले संत कबीर का दोहा 'तेरा तुझको सौंपते, क्या लागत है मोर...' दोहराते हुए, उसे देश को समर्पित कर दिया। आज वही भावना लेकर अपनी आत्मकथा दियासलाई भी आपके हाथों में सौंप रहा हूँ।
यह सिर्फ मेरी कहानी नहीं, यह मेरे परिवार… pic.twitter.com/6XGH1W9nkJ

— Kailash Satyarthi (@k_satyarthi) January 30, 2025

The book discussion was also attended by Yuva Ekta Foundation founder trustee Punita Roy and senior author Namita Gokhale.

In the autobiography, Satyarthi writes, "Darkness always ends with a small spark. Just as a diyasalai can spread light by breaking through the darkness of centuries, similarly, within every person, there are immense possibilities hidden to make the world better. There is a need to recognise and illuminate them." The autobiography has been published by Rajkamal Prakashan.

Kailash Satyarthi has dedicated the autobiography to his parents and those three friends who sacrificed their lives in the fight to save children from child labor, exploitation and injustice. 

His autobiography was released by six such youths who were once freed from child labor. These youths - Kinshu Kumar, Lalita Duharia, Payal Jangid, Shubham Rathore, Kalam and Manan Ansari - are today bringing change in the society with their successes. They are working as engineers, research scholars, management professionals and social workers and are taking forward the inspiration received from Satyarthi. 

In this way, the launch of the Diyasalai on the stage of JLF was done by literature lovers and It became a memorable occasion for social workers.