awards// Indian and Pakistani relations certainly affect international political dynamics across the world. Another clear picture of this view emerged when an Indo-Pak and Hindu-Muslim combination of Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai shared the Nobel Peace Prize honours for 2014 for their work on promoting child rights in the troubled sub-continent. The Committee said it “regards it as an important point for a Hindu and a Muslim, an Indian and a Pakistani, to join in a common struggle for education and against extremism.”

The Norwegian Nobel Committee said the ward was given “for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education,” the jury said. Satyarthi, who runs NGO Bachpan Bachao Aandolan (Save Childhood Movement), has been “focusing on the grave exploitation of children for financial gain,” the Nobel committee said.

Satyarthi’s Bachpan Bachao Andolan has rescued 0ver 80,000 children from trafficking and slavery. He has also been involved with the ‘Global March Against Child Labour’ and has been credited for enactment of national, international legislations on child labour and education.

Satyarthi told PTI he was extremely delighted with being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and called it a “recognition of our fight for child rights”. “I am thankful to Nobel committee for recognising the plight of millions of children who are suffering in this modern age,” Satyarthi said.

Malala, the 17-year-old Pakistani girl of Pashtun origin who was shot by the Taliban for advocating women rights and education in Pakistan has stunned her critics and attackers with her strong stance on education for women. Malala survived the attempted homicide and was transferred to the UK with her family, where she got the treatment and went to school, and has since become a worldwide symbol for the fight against oppression of women and the right to education.

She has become the youngest Nobel laureate.