Veteran journalist-turned-human rights activist John Dayal was among three individuals recognized on March 5 for their contributions to civil liberties and religious freedom.
The Quaide Milleth Award, an annual honor established in 2015, is presented by the Chennai-based Quaide Milleth Educational and Social Trust, which focuses on uplifting underprivileged communities.
This year, the selection jury, which included Church of South India Bishop V Devasahayam of Thoothukudi-Nazareth, named Dayal alongside Navid Hamid and Vipin Kumar Tripathi as recipients of the award.
Dayal, a New Delhi-based journalist and activist, has held various key positions, including treasurer of the Editors’ Guild of India and membership in the National Integration Council. The 76-year-old Catholic has also served as secretary general of the All India Christian Council and president of the All India Catholic Association, the country’s largest Catholic lay association.
Navid Hamid, another awardee, has also been a member of the National Integration Council, which was formed in 1961 as a platform for senior politicians and public figures to assist the federal government in addressing issues like communalism, caste discrimination, and regionalism. He previously served as president of the All India Majilise Mushawarat, a coalition of Indian Muslim organizations, and as general secretary of the Movement for Empowerment of Muslim Indians.
The third recipient, Vipin Kumar Tripathi, is a distinguished scientist and former professor at the Indian Institute of Technology in New Delhi. As he approaches his 77th birthday on March 11, he remains active in social causes. Following the Bhagalpur riots in 1990, he founded the Sadbhav Mission, a grassroots initiative aimed at combating communal tensions and addressing fundamental concerns such as education. Today, the organization also works toward rehabilitating victims of sectarian violence.
The term “Quaid Milleth” translates to “leader of the (Muslim) community,” and the award pays tribute to Mohamed Ismail Sahib (1896-1972), a Tamil Nadu-based politician and social worker.
Since its inception, the award has honored numerous activists and leaders. The inaugural recipients in 2015 were social activist Teesta Setalvad and Communist leader R Nallakannan. In 2013, the award had been presented to senior journalist N Ram and Abusaleh Shariff, the chief scholar and mentor at the US-India Policy Institute in Washington.
John Dayal was born on October 2, 1948, in New Delhi. He pursued physics at St. Stephen’s College in Delhi before transitioning into journalism. His career included roles as a war correspondent and foreign correspondent, covering developments in the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and Europe.
At one point, he served as editor and CEO of Delhi Mid Day, an afternoon newspaper.
Even today, Dayal continues to contribute to print media and appears frequently on national television and radio as a commentator and analyst. In addition, he has served on the governing boards of multiple Delhi University colleges and has lectured as a visiting professor at universities across northern India.
Beyond journalism, Dayal has dedicated decades to activism, focusing on issues such as the displacement of tribal communities, opposition to nuclear weapons, enforced disappearances, and impunity for human rights violations. Over the past 40 years, he has investigated numerous cases of violence and discrimination against Christians.
In 2007, he was part of a five-member fact-finding team that traveled to the Phulbani area of Kandhamal district in Orissa to investigate violence targeting Christians.
