There are very few personalities in India who have completely dedicated their lives to the service of society, the nation, and humanity. Professor Dr. Rajdoot Diwakar Gulab Pendam is among those rare individuals whose life has become an inspiring example of struggle, service, and social justice. A resident of Usgaon in Maharashtra’s Chandrapur district, Dr. Pendam has earned nationwide recognition as a former Indian Army officer, human rights activist, tribal social worker, and strong advocate for social justice.
After serving in the Indian Army for 17 years, he devoted his life to the upliftment of tribal and underprivileged communities. For more than 23 years, he has continuously worked in the Naxal-affected tribal regions of Chandrapur and Gadchiroli. The remarkable aspect of his work is that most of it was carried out without any government financial assistance. Through determination, public support, and selfless service, he has transformed the lives of thousands of people.
After retiring from the Army, Dr. Pendam focused on the issues of remote tribal villages where basic facilities such as roads, electricity, clean drinking water, education, and healthcare were unavailable for decades. He not only raised these issues but also fought continuously at constitutional and legal levels to resolve them. By filing several petitions before the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission, he brought the real conditions of tribal areas before the administration and government authorities.
As a result of his relentless efforts, more than 300 tribal villages in Gadchiroli, Bhamragad, Jiwati, and Chandrapur witnessed improvements in roads, electricity, drinking water, education, and healthcare services. For areas deprived of development for decades, this transformation has been considered nothing less than historic.
Dr. Pendam has also been a strong supporter of social movements. He led several constitutional and peaceful movements for the development of tribal and rural areas. A movement that continued for nearly four and a half months paved the way for industrial development, railway connectivity, irrigation projects, and employment generation in the Surjagarh region. In addition, he carried out a 120-day hunger strike for the rights of workers associated with Gondwana University, bringing the voices of laborers to national attention.
Along with social service, he remains actively involved in religious and cultural activities. For the last 19 years, he has been organizing large-scale food service for millions of devotees during the Markanda Dev Mahashivratri Fair, known as the Kashi of Vidarbha. This reflects his deep compassion and spirit of service.
For his outstanding social contributions, he has received several national and international honors. Recently, he was conferred with the prestigious “Honorable Barrister” award, which is given only to highly distinguished personalities dedicated to the service of society and humanity. It is believed that this may be the first time such a “Barrister Honour” has been awarded to a social worker associated with tribal communities, making it a historic achievement in itself. Apart from this, he has also been honored with the “Bharat Bhushan National Award,” “Social Justice Excellence Honour,” “Pride of Nation Award,” and several human rights and social leadership recognitions.
Today, there is a need for the government not only to honor such personalities but also to entrust them with important responsibilities at the national level. Awards such as the “Barrister Honour” are received by only a few individuals and symbolize extraordinary service, leadership, and dedication toward the nation. Experienced grassroots leaders like Dr. Pendam should be given major responsibilities in areas such as veterans’ welfare, tribal development, human rights, and administration.
Professor Dr. Rajdoot Diwakar Gulab Pendam’s life proves that true patriotism is not limited to protecting national borders, but also includes safeguarding the rights and dignity of the weakest sections of society. Today, his life has become a source of inspiration for millions of people.
