I was 19 when I first met Dr Ravindranath Shanbhag in a small office in a law college in Udupi, Karnataka. His desk was overwhelmed with a mountain of countless papers and documents.

Behind the desk was a sizable cupboard that was filled with stacks of paperwork. Little did I know, this small room held the stories of those seeking justice. The air carried a sense of anticipation and anxiety as numerous people awaited their turn to discuss their matters with Dr Shanbhag.

Dr Ravindranath Shanbhag is a former professor of pharmacology-turned activist, and Founder and President of Consumer Forum Basrur and Human Rights Protection Foundation, Udupi.

Like many human rights activists, the 75-year-old wanted to reform the judicial system and address injustices faced by minority communities. However, he did not wait for progress to knock on his door.

It all began while Dr Shanbhag was imprisoned in a jail in Mangaluru, Karnataka, during the 1975 Emergency, which he calls “draconian”. He observed that the convicts were being exploited by the jail authorities, and interviewed prisoners to understand the root causes of their actions.

“During my time in prison, there were 600 political prisoners opposing the Emergency in India. I was one of them. With widespread reports of human rights violations within various Indian jails, I felt the need to protect the underprivileged and institute an issue-based movement with non-violent methodologies,” he explains.

In 1992, he founded the Human Rights Protection Foundation to offer assistance against any form of injustice—irrespective of its nature, the social status of the victim, or the party responsible for it. Moreover, in order to provide guidance to those in need, he enrolled himself in a law institute.

Dr Shanbhag hosting a workshop in the initial........

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