“I can’t promise to solve all your problems but I can only promise that I will never let you face them alone.”
Mr.K.R.Raja
Founder /Managing Director of the Board-Tamil Nadu
About The Founder
"A Commitment to Equality: Meet the Founder of Global Network for Equality - India"
K.R.Raja is a psychiatric social worker turned lawyer practicing before the Madras High Court. He holds a Master's Degree in Social Work (Medical and Psychiatric Specialization) from Pondicherry Central University, Masters in Criminology and Police Science from Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli. He also earned LL.B from Govt. Law College, Madurai and obtained LL.M from NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad.
At present, he lives in Madurai, Tamil Nadu India. He gained field experience by putting into practice social work principles to redress problems among different sections of people such as people with HIV/AIDS and psychiatric illness, destitute, intellectually challenged children, abandoned elderly citizens, victims of organ trafficking and prisoners and their children. He was awarded with a one- year fellowship for social entrepreneurs by Kanthari International Institute of Social Entrepreneurship. He has volunteered and worked with an NGO called "Prisoners Assistance Nepal", in Kathmandu, and have assisted in Children’s home management.
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As part of course requirements he made many field visits and interacted with various people facing varied difficulties. For instance he met people with psychiatric disorders, others who had sold their kidneys for survival among other categories. He served them passionately and felt that that we can make a difference in the lives of others. There are always people around us who need someone’s help. The question is, can he be that person!
Raja also conducted a research in the prisons to identify psychopathic deviation and adjustment patterns of prisoners during his second year in the University. After his research the visits he made to prisoners’ homes revealed much. He had not directly experienced the pain of imprisonment When for the first time he encountered the children in Pondicherry who has suffered parental separation due to crime and is now imprisoned, he was shell shocked by the pathetic living conditions of those children. They were vulnerable, oppressed, socially excluded and had high malnutrition because of the social stigma associated with being a murderer’s child. No child plays/talks with these children and they are looked upon as outcasts, forbidden and threats. They need emotional support in such an environment of undue hostility. Raja tried admitting them to a children’s home, but they virtually refused to take the risk of giving any attention to these criminals’ off-springs. Thus, he decided to take the onus on myself, and he is really happy about it.
Before he proceed, let share something about the family structures in India. The joint family is giving way to nuclear families. There are no elders to guide them and due to family problems and frustrations, rate of murder has increased. The man murders the wife leaving the children alone. The man is taken to jail where he serves a period of jail not less than 14 years. The question remains ‘ what is the fate of the innocent children’?
He felt the need to establish an organisation through which these children could be supported to grow, be educated, healthy and morally strong. When he discussed this with others, the desire to help these children was born and a few of us who were like minded decided to establish a NGO in India.
Now K.R.Raja is a founder cum Executive Director of 'Global Network for Equality - India' is a registered non-profit organization located in Tirunelveli and Madurai districts of Tamilnadu, India. GNE-India primarily aims to reconstruct the lives of children of crime victims in India. It works towards eliminating the social stigma around these children by providing appropriate care, education and emotional support in an inclusive environment that enables them to cope with the deprivation of parental care.
Further, these practices help in reducing the rate of intergenerational crimes by enabling and implementing restorative justice principles. Raja has work experience of 3 years in Palayamkottai Central Prison, Tirunelveli and acquired field exposure eight years by working with the prison inmates and victims of crimes for their rehabilitation.
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