Licypriya Kangujam

Licypriya Kangujam is an Indian child environmental activist who was born on October 2, 2011. At the 2019 UN Climate Change Conference in Madrid, Spain, where she was one of the world's youngest climate campaigners, she urged world leaders to act immediately on climate change. Since 2018, Licypriya has been advocating for climate action in India, trying to pass new laws to reduce the country's high pollution levels and mandate climate change literacy in schools. Though she objects to the name being used to describe her, she has been called India's Greta Thunberg.

In July 2018, Licypriya began speaking out against climate change. Motivated by Greta Thunberg, Licypriya began conducting a week-long protest outside the Indian parliament building on June 21, 2019, urging PM Narendra Modi to sign an Indian climate change bill.

Backdrop of Licypriya Kangujam

The eldest daughter of Meitei-ethnic Kanarjit and Bidyarani Devi Kangujam Ongbi, Licypriya Kangujam, was born on October 2, 2011, in Bashikhong, Manipur, India. Her vocalization against the effects of climate change and reducing the risk of disasters started when she was seven years old.

The youngest climate activist in India, Licypriya Kangujam, shared details on her living situation and the ways she is assisting victims of climate change and promoting children's education on Twitter. The 11-year-old activist, however, has once again gone viral on social media after sharing her struggle in a Twitter thread. The activist talked candidly about her living circumstances, the merit-based scholarship that helped pay for her education, and how she is contributing to the cause of helping victims of climate change and promoting children's education.

The activist said in her main tweet that her family doesn't even have a bed to sleep in, much less "any property, a house, or a car," and that she attends a school that gives "free merit scholarship till grade 12." She added that her mother works as a street vendor. "I go by Licypriya. I am eleven years old". She resided in Delhi in a rented home. Up to Grade 12, she attended a school where merit scholarships were awarded. Her mother owns a little street vendor business. Her family doesn't have any real estate, a home, or a vehicle. "I have represented India in more than seven UN events," Licypriya Kangujam tweeted along with a photo of herself.

When discussing her travel costs, Kangujam reveals that the "organizations/institutions inviting" her to speak pay for them. Despite having represented India at the UN on multiple occasions, she does not view herself as a "celebrity" but rather as someone "who loves and cares" about the planet Earth."We even lack a bed on which to rest. All of my travel costs are covered by the organizations and institutions that invite me to speak at their events. I'm not well-known. Not that I'm a millionaire. I'm just a girl that cares for and loves the environment. I'll speak up when the moment is perfect,"< she stated.

Furthermore, Licy toured the White House while in Washington, D.C. However, Licy's most notable achievement may have been persuading authorities at the Taj Mahal tomb to remove rubbish from the ancient site. She claims that upon her initial June visit, she was taken aback by the sight of heaps of trash surrounding the nearly four centuries-old white marble structure, which houses the tombs of Emperor Shah Jahan and his spouse. Her protest consisted of holding a banner that said, "Plastic pollution is behind the splendor of the Taj Mahal," and posing for pictures.

Social media, according to Licy, has been a useful tool for her in keeping herself informed about environmental issues and speaking out about them. It also aids in her receiving support from her fan base. She has almost 37,000 YouTube subscribers, nearly 21,000 Instagram followers, and nearly 157,000 Twitter followers. Her accounts, which need owners to be at least 13 years old, are handled by her mother.

"People follow me more and more every time I raise my voice," she remarked. In an effort to quiet my voice, I simultaneously encountered a lot of false propaganda, threats, and harassment. Licy claims her life as a nonactivist is normal in spite of all of that. She attends Ryan International School in the fifth grade, and math is her favorite subject. Her eight-year-old sister Irina and she enjoy swimming, painting, and watching the animation "Doraemon'' together when she isn't studying or taking speaking engagements at other schools.

In an effort to "make our planet green again," she also has a campaign that encourages children to plant saplings every Monday. Her goal is to plant one million trees this year. Licy has recommendations for other young people who aspire to be activists: Convince your parents to use public transportation, walk, or bike. Put away your single-use plastics. Additionally, ensure that rubbish reaches the wastebasket.

Activism of Licypriya

Indian climate campaigner Licypriya is eleven years old. Since she was six years old, she has fought to combat climate change in order to save, maintain, and improve our environment. During the United Nations Climate Conference 2019 (COP25) in Madrid, Spain,she, as one of the youngest climate campaigners worldwide, addressed the world's leaders and urged them to take prompt climate action in order to save the Earth and future generations.

She is a vocal young leader who inspires millions of people worldwide and is one of the main advocates for climate change in the globe. In addition, she has the record for the cleanest planet in the world.

In June 2022, she turned the famous Taj Mahal into an architectural masterpiece free of plastic trash. As one of her long-standing demands to the government, Delhi University made it mandatory for every student to plant at least one tree year in order to pass their final exam. At her request, thousands of Indian schools have gone from having no climate education to studying it. The President of India approved an ordinance to implement a new rule to control the air pollution issue in Delhi on October 28, 2020, following a week-long protest over the situation.

With the goal of eradicating single-use plastic waste from the planet and preventing it from reaching the oceans, rivers, and lakes, she opened a "Plastic Money Shop" in Delhi where customers can bring single-use plastic waste from home and receive free rice, stationery, or a sapling from her store. In 2020, she started a project known as Mondays for Mother Nature, in which she plants a tree every week with schoolchildren on Mondays with the goal of planting a million trees a year.

In 2019, she received appreciation from Mr. Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who said that "eight-year-old Licypriya is the reminder of the world's obligations towards future generations." She was present at the UN General Assembly's 77th Session in 2022. As part of her movement, she spoke to adults about the threat posed by climate change by speaking at over 400 organizations and other sites in over 32 nations. In addition to serving as the Climate Advisor for Child Rights International Network (CRIN), London, she is currently employed as the President of Timor Leste's Special Envoy.

On August 24, 2018, Licypriya sent the Kerala Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, her savings of Rupees 100,000 in order to support the children who had been affected by the severe floods in Kerala in 2018. The government of Kerala sent her an acknowledgment letter two years later. The Chief Minister received funding from Licypriya to boost efforts to safeguard flood-affected youngsters. In a difficult moment, she believed her meager effort would make a difference.

Licypriaya was invited by UNESCO, the African Union, and the Angolan government to attend the UNESCO Partners' Forum 2019 (Biennial Luanda) in Luanda, Angola. Together with Angolan President João Lourenço, Presidents of Mali, Malawi, and Congo, President Denis Sassou Nguesso, First Ladies Ana Dias Lourenço and Monica Geingos in Angola and Namibia, Deputy Prime Minister of Guinea François Lonseny Fall, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, and African culture ministers, she spoke on climate change.

To reduce air pollution, Licypriya unveiled a symbolic tool on October 4, 2019, dubbed SUKIFU (Survival Kit for the Future). When pollution levels are high, SUKIFU is a virtually free kit made of rubbish that offers fresh air to breathe. This wearable plant demonstrates the Green Movement's acknowledgment of air pollution. Anyone can develop this idea at home by recycling garbage, which allows fresh air to enter the lungs directly. Licypriya introduced it in front of the legislative assembly building for Punjab and Haryana. She called on the authorities to come up with quick fixes to the air pollution problem in Delhi and the National Capital Regio

She went on to say that while Delhi's air pollution served as inspiration for the project, she wanted the environmental aspect to be something other than its sole focus. Rather, it's precisely the same resilience that will allow her to survive both now as well as in the future, she added, along with the same flexibility that led her to come on board with a mission. Professor Chandan Ghosh of the Indian Institute of Technology, Jammu (IIT), assisted her in developing the model.

Recognitions

At an event hosted by the Maldivian government's Ministry of Youth Sports and Community Empowerment and the Regional Alliance of Fostering Youth, Licypriya was awarded the World Children Peace Prize 2019 on August 31, 2019. The award was given to her by Charles Allen, Director of Partnerships at the Institute of Economics Peace (IEP) in Australia. The Institute for Economics and Peace stated on Twitter that "we do not issue awards." therefore especially, the World Children Peace Prize Award, which was handed to Licypriya in 2019 and marketed as an honor given by the Global Peace Index, turned out to be a hoax, according to The Times of India.

Additionally, Licypriya received recognition as a "Rising Star '' from the Washington, D.C.-based Earth Day Network headquarters. The "SDGs Ambassador Award 2019" was given to her at Chandigarh University on November 19, 2019, by Dainik Bhaskar and NITI Aayog, the Indian government's joint venture organization. Additionally, Lieutenant Governor of Pondicherry Kiran Bedi presented Licypriya with the "Global Child Prodigy Award 2020" on January 3, 2020, in New Delhi.

Other Side of the Story

According to a June 2021 article in The Times of India, Licypriya received all of her honors from her father's organizations from the beginning. A passage from the Times of India story "Is India's Greta Thunberg a pawn in the possession of an unscrupulous father?" was also shared by a user. The unique report presented an alternative viewpoint and escalated a number of conflicts. The credibility of the accolades Licy claimed that she received was one of these grounds, which was later exposed.

Afterwards, once her father and legal guardian,Kangujam Karnajit, was arrested on May 31, 2021,they also revealed Licy's crowdfunding request, which was a scam asking for one crore rupees to purchase 100 oxygen concentrators. Her father is being held on allegations that he defrauded hotels, self-help organizations, and several individuals for about ₹19 lakh.

Karnajit also referred to as K.K. Singh, remains quiet despite his daughter's rise to prominence. However, activists have brought up the fact that her father was involved in a number of the accolades Licypriya had previously won, raising doubts about the integrity of her claims and the possibility that he employs her as a front for his own goals. Both Licypriya and K.K. Singh refuted any misconduct regarding the manner in which she was awarded in an interview with ThePrint from the previous year. Before his arrest, calls and messages were made to him, but no one answered, and as of yet, no attorney had offered to represent him.

Global students have frequently claimed that K.K. Singh conned and stole from them, asking for huge payments. K.K. Singh's activities have been brought to the attention of the government and Indian embassies by at least three letters. In March of last year, the ministries of Women and Child Development, External Affairs, and Home Affairs received a letter from five activists who claimed to have been "duped" by him, pleading with them to take action. All of these letters are accessible to ThePrint.

K.K. Singh is the chairman of the International Youth Committee (IYC), a group that caters to young people from low-income families who want to improve their lot in life. The IYC has its headquarters at an address that doesn't exist in New Delhi. The organization was founded to host conferences and seminars in which young people might take part. The International Youth Conference (IYC) adopts the language of the United Nations and its affiliated organizations in all aspects, including the significance of resolution-making.

Its mission and acronym are similar to those of the International Youth Council, a civil society organization dedicated to creating a global platform where young people can unite and take collective action towards social, economic, and environmental progress, and which was established during the 2007 UN Youth Assembly. The concept paper for the event stated that the Sri Lankan government was a "co-organizer" of an event that the IYC hosted in Sri Lanka in 2018. Addressing subjects pertaining to the summit's theme, "Building a Sustainable Future in a Fragile South Asia," speakers were invited to the South Asian Youth Summit. Ministers of youth and sports from a number of nations, including Malaysia, Mauritius, and the Maldives, attended the event.

According to their complaints, receipts, and other supporting paperwork, participants paid up to Rs 60,000 in program fees. Some have even verbally accused others. Due to the exemption of participation fees for events from the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, it did not apply.

But one by one, every occasion was "postponed" indefinitely. After being assured a position at the upcoming summit, conference, or program, participants were sometimes faced with a second or even third indefinite postponement. They requested refunds on multiple occasions, but their money was never given back to them.