Trade unionist’ clean candidate: AAP’s pick for Bangalore North

by April 4, 2014 Governance
Babu Mathew has a highly intellectual background. He is known to be a rights activist. Will he be able to win against the seasoned politicians he is facing?

Pic courtesy: https://www.facebook.com/babu.mathew.7739

Professor Babu Mathew is contesting the elections from Bangalore North on an AAP ticket. He has donned the role of a ‘teacher’, ‘trade union activist’, ‘registrar’ and ‘director’ in different stages of his career.  

Brief profile

Name: Prof. Babu Mathew

Party: Aam Aadmi Party

Education: BSc, LL.M (Labour Law & Administrative Law), M.Phil- NLSUI, Bangalore

Profession: Party worker – AAP, former Visiting professor at National Law University, Delhi.

Age: 64

Assets:  Rs.9,48,52,273

Contact Details:
Address: ‘The Dawn’, No 12, King Street, Richmond Town, Shanthinagar, Bangalore – 25, Karnataka
Phone Number: 9448042333
Email ID: babumathewtu@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BabuMathewForBangaloreNorth
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ProfBabuMathew

Prominent positions held and awards

  • Country Director Action Aid, India.
  • Professor at University Law College, Bangalore
  • Faculty member at National Law School
  • Professor, Registrar and Chair of Juvenile Justice studies.
  • Founder, Centre for Child and the Law at the National Law School.
  • Vice- President of Trade Union International for two terms.
  • Country Director of ActionAid International in India
  • Awarded with the Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship

In his line of work he has acquired vast practical experience in labour law. He was a trade unionist who primarily organised workers to obtain their civil and political rights within a rule of law framework.

He was also a part of various other social movements taking up issues of bonded labour, child labour, displacement and destruction of the livelihoods of the marginalised.

He has engaged with a wide range of entrepreneurs and managements in Bangalore and went on to become the chief negotiator on behalf of workers at the local, regional and national levels and signed scores of wage agreements through collective bargaining with managements including those of small scale industry, MNCs and large public sector undertakings.

He combined teaching with the practice of human rights and in this capacity he was in charge of evolving a ‘Rights Based’ policy and implementing a Human Rights agenda with special focus on Economic Social and Cultural Rights in 25 states of India.

He led the process of presenting a Shadow Report focusing on the excluded communities of India before the relevant UN Committee in Geneva. He has been a resource person and speaker at several fora, speaking on issues related to law and labour / child / human rights.

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About Josephine Joseph

Josephine Joseph researches and writes on urban governance, civic and environmental issues in Bangalore City, from a 'citizen' point of view.
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