Silence Over Celebration: A Birthday of Reflection and Resistance

 Silence Over Celebration: A Birthday of Reflection and Resistance
By Lenin Raghuvanshi

“I will not celebrate my birthday on 18 May.”

— Lenin Raghuvanshi

This year, I choose silence over celebration.

As the world continues its chaotic churn, I pause—not for joy, but for justice.

The painful incident in Pahalgam, Kashmir, still haunts us. Innocent lives lost to senseless violence. And closer to home, 150 marginalized girls supported by our initiative have been denied scholarships—their education halted due to preventable administrative delays. This is not a moment to blow candles. It is a moment to stand still and confront the pain.

In Place of Celebration, Solidarity

In this silence, I am not alone.

From Germany, my friend and fellow traveler Stephan Braig shared this moving message:

"Dear Lenin, I stand with you in silence and in remembrance of the victims of senseless violence and in sorrow that young girls were deprived of the chance of education and self-development.

I'm sending you a picture, a moment with both of us, me on the phone, you in thought and brief relaxation. These were my favorite moments, being on the road with you, being able to somehow support you in your work and your fight. Memories of such beautiful moments give me strength - and I wish you the same"

From Italy, anthropologist and friend Leonardo Verzaro offered warmth and light:

"Happy Birthday Lenin!! 🎉🥂🎂🫶🏻🎊 Even if you're not celebrating I send you my warmest wishes... have a fantastic day! Lots of love 🧡"

A Portrait in Resilience – Leonardo Verzaro’s Ethnography

Leonardo Verzaro, who lived and worked in Varanasi while conducting field research with PVCHR, documented our work in his Italian ethnography:

“Costruzioni e Trasformazioni del sé a Varanasi – etnografia di un’esperienza umanitaria.”

In his study, Leonardo introduces a powerful concept to describe my journey: “vitalità resistente” – resilient vitality.

“Lenin Raghuvanshi is a complex, countercultural, creative, and reflective subjectivity. He has made sense of his personal suffering by transforming it into social action, activism, and resistance to oppressive structures of power.”

He traces how, shaped by the trauma of a strained family history and inspired by the Gandhian values of my grandparents, I redirected pain into purpose—through the founding of PVCHR (People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights).

Leonardo writes:

“His activism is not only political—it is therapeutic, spiritual, and transformative. Lenin offers victims of torture and caste oppression a path from trauma to dignity through what he calls ‘testimonial therapy.’”

The therapy we practice at PVCHR helps victims of custodial torture reclaim their voice. Through Honour Ceremonies, we reintegrate them with public dignity—often empowering them to become defenders of human rights themselves.

Who I Am and Why I Choose Silence

I am:

• Lenin Raghuvanshi,
  Founder-Convenor, People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR)

• Former CEO, JanMitra Nyas (UN ECOSOC Special Consultative Status)

• Visiting Senior Fellow, IMPRI Impact and Policy Research Institute

📍 Address: SA 4/2 A Daulatpur, Varanasi – 221002, India

📧 Email: lenin@pvchr.asia

🌐 PVCHR Website | Personal Blog

📘 Facebook | Wikipedia

Let Us Reflect. Let Us Act.

This birthday is not mine. It belongs to:

• The girls deprived of education.

• The victims of conflict and systemic violence.

• The oppressed who have yet to be heard.

Let us reclaim this silence as a call to compassion and action.

To those who sent me messages of solidarity—thank you.

Your words are not whispers. They are echoes of a deeper truth:

Justice cannot wait. And neither can we.

🕊️ To support the education of marginalized girls or learn more about our work, visit pvchr.asia