Swami Agnivesh, President, SAPS

In the month of May 2005 there was a general body meeting of the Sarvadesik Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, World Council of Arya Samaj and it was decided to launch a Multifaith Campaign against female feoticide in the country. Arya Samaj since its inception has been striving to restore dignity and social security of women by providing them equal opportunity to education and removing inhuman Sati system. The result of 2001 census put a question mark on social existence of women. It may be a demographic danger but the Arya Samaj believes that killing of unborn girl in the womb is constitutionally a crime and religiously a sin.

Swami Agnivesh as the president of World Council of Arya Samaj vowed to take up the Yatra called ‘Multi Faith Pilgrimage of Compassion for the Unborn Girl Child’. He decided to start it on 1st Nov. 2005 the day of Laxmi Puja the auspicious occasion dedicated to women also the great festival of Deepawali.

This Yatra would not have been successful without the support of many Religious leaders, organizations, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Department of Women and Child Development, Govt. of India, UNICEF, UNFPA and many Individuals all over the world. So, we would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to all the people and organizations for their solidarity.

We deeply express our sincere gratitude to:

Shri. Arjun Singh, Honorable Union Minister (HRD Govt. of India).
PT. Naval Kishore Sharma, Governor of Gujarat.
Dr. Ambumani Ramdoss, Honorable Union Minister (Health & Family Welfare).
Mr. Hendrik Vander Pol, UNFPA representative (United Nation Fund).
Mr. Cicilio Adorna, Country Director, UNICEF.
Shri. P.K.Hota, Secretary- Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
Shri. B.P.Sharma, Joint Secretary- Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
Smt. Reva Nayyar, Secretary Women & Child Development
Dr. Girija Vyas, Chairperson National Commission for Women.
Shri. Bhupendra Singh Hooda, Chief Minister, Haryana.
Ch. Virender Singh, Finance Minister Haryana
Capt. Ajay Singh, Minister, Govt. of Haryana
Smt. Guru Kanwal Kaur, Minister -Social Welfare, Punjab.
Shri. Prithvi Raj Chauhan, Former Minister of Youth & Sports, Minister for PMO.
Shri. Shakil Ahmad, Director General- Nehru Yuva Kendra Saghathan
Rev. Fr. Valson Thampu, Member -National Commission on Minority Education.
Maulana Mohammed Rafique Quasumi.jamaiyat-e- Islami Hind
Shri. Sushil Acharya Maharaj
Shri. Sardar Daya Singh
Sardar Jogender Singh Vedanti, Jathedar Akal Takhat, Golden Temple Amritsar
Mr. Udai Raj Anjana, former MP, Nimbahera Madhya Pradesh.
Swami Indervesh, former MP Haryana
Ch. Harisingh Saini, Ex. Minister Hissar Haryana
Ch. Mitrasen Sindhu, Rohtak
Smt. Sumita Singh, MLA Karnal
Dr. Ram Prakash, Working President HPCC
Justice Pritam Pal Singh, Punjab & Haryana High Court Chandigarh
Shri. Satya Pal Jain Advocate, Ex. MP Chandigarh
Mrs. Sushma Madan, Dirctor Health Govt. of Haryana.
Dr. Iqbal Singh, Ex. MP Jallandhar
Mr. Randhir Singh Cheema, Ex. Minister Punjab
Mrs.Jaspreet Kaur Talwar, IAS, DC Fatehgarh Sahib
Mr. Krishan Kumar IAS, DC Nawan Shahar
Mr. D.P.S. Nagal, IAS, DC Panipat
Swami Omvesh, State Minister, Govt. of Uttar Pradesh
Gyani Kewal Singh, Ex. Jathedar, Akal Takath Damdama Sahib
Prof. Manjeet Singh, Ex Jathedar, Akal Takath Anadpur Sahib
Mr. Hawa Singh Hooda, Advocate Genaral, Haryana
Mr. Lalit Bhatti, Ex. MLA, Ajmer
Mrs. Anjelika Lossek, Former MP, Germany
Mrs. Rama Mani, Geneva, Switzerland

I also sincerely apologize to those whose name we could not mentioned here due to lack of space. The Sarvadeshik Arya Pratinidhi Sabha is also thankful to all our colleagues, particularly Shri Jagveer Singh (Vice-President, Sarvadeshik Arya Pritinidhi Sabha), the chief Coordinator of Yatra, Dr. Kusum Nautiyal, the Coordinator and all office staff for their tireless efforts even months before the Yatra started.