Education for the Underprivileged - A Holistic Approach

The fact that education of the underprivileged is a critical requisite to bring about social change in India has been recognized by many individuals and organizations who want to bring about social reform. Individuals, either single or in groups, and non-governmental organizations have begun working in their own small way to achieve this objective.

They deserve all the accolades for their work in this endeavor, but what is disconcerting is that it does not look like they realize the enormity of the problem.  They are mostly working on an ad hoc basis and do not seem to have the vision to attain a wider reach.  They mostly concentrate their work on being conduits between the magnanimous donors and a small number of needy children.  Fundraising and fund disbursal is the main thing they are involved in if not the only thing.

The donors are almost always the foreign-settled educated Indians with middle class backgrounds.  With their newfound financial stability and success, they can afford to be magnanimous.  They are thankful to India which gave them the education that they have capitalized on and want to give something back.  Also, they derive a sense of satisfaction, of playing part in a worthy social cause.  The organizations back home act as effective channels in making good use of the money they provide.  In a small way, it is wonderful

work being done.

But is it enough given the enormity of the problem?  Is it enough if the organizations inform and enlighten just the potential donors, at home or in foreign lands, of the needy and their needs?  Should not efforts need to be made to make the problem of education part of the consciousness of people across all sections of the society?  Education is increasingly getting out of reach for a substantial percentage of the population.  It is not only the destitute children who are out of the loop.  What efforts are being made to reverse the process?  Do the children need to depend on the philanthropy of good-natured individuals for what is their fundamental right?  What the State, which holds the responsibility, has been doing?  Are the organizations making efforts to involve the State or at least remind it of its responsibility?

In our society, education of children is seen as a family issue.  And the less said the better about the children without proper families or no families.  But the social cost of lives gone wrong would have to be borne by the entire society.  It is not a sin to be selfish, but it is simply cruel to be indifferent.  The fortunate few should be made aware that they share a responsibility.  It is the duty of the organizations to sensitize people about the problem.  Also, the underprivileged should be made aware of the importance of education and its role in making them escape the cycle of poverty.  It is not just the donors, but the society as a whole that should be made aware that the problem exists. 

Making people understand that they have a responsibility too is the job half done.  The people, aware of their responsibility, can bring positive pressure upon the government.  It goes a long way in realizing the ultimate objective, of making the State accept and fulfill its responsibility of providing every child free and equal education in spite of its social and economic background.

Is it not a wonder that such an important social issue has never been a significant poll issue in our six-decade-long democracy?  Have we allowed the definition of democracy to be crystallized into the vote-politics-leaders prototype?  Is the State responsible only to maintain the status quo?  Is protecting and enhancing the wealth of the privileged the only function of the government?  Have people come to accept that the only result of the five-year periodic change of guard is a change of players?

The existing conditions continue as long as education, the only means of the poor to become upwardly mobile, continues to remain a privilege of the rich.  It is not just education, but childhood that is the responsibility of the State.  By providing free and equal education, the State helps the child overcome its disadvantages of birth.  It will make irrelevant the differences of class, caste, and creed.

The non-governmental organizations and committed individuals should take a holistic approach in trying to solve a problem of this dimension.  A concerted effort to involve the public should be made.  A parallel can here be drawn to what Gandhiji had done to the Congress.  Gandhiji transformed the Indian National Congress from a drawing room discussion forum of the upper middle class into a mass organization.  The power capable of change lies always with the masses and the masses alone.

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This article was written in 2005 when my belief that change is possible only through political action was growing.  It also marks the beginning of me losing faith in bringing change solely through NGO action.  I started searching for avenues to be politically active.  This article stresses the need to make the cause of accessible education a political issue rather than trying to mitigate a very minute part of the problem by NGO action alone.  It stresses the need for NGOs and individuals to make efforts to remind the public that accessible education is the duty of the society as a whole, which automatically becomes the duty of the government.  One can see that I unwittingly used the language of LSP ..........."the only result of the five-year periodic change of guard is a change of players."  Any wonder that I jumped up and joined Lok Satta Party as soon as Dr. JP announced the party in 2006?

The Importance of Being Nose

Have you ever realized that without your senses, the world would not exist for you? Unless you realize that, you would not be able to appreciate the importance of Nose, the sense organ that is in-charge of our faculty of smell.

Apart from its ability to smell, Nose is important for many other reasons too.  Nose helps us keep alive. Duh!! We breathe in air to absorb oxygen and exhale through nose.

Though the above two functions of Nose are enough to accord it a celebrity status, they are often taken for granted.  Instead of its life-sustaining and sensory functions, people are more concerned about the aesthetic value that Nose imparts to their face.  This is because Nose is perhaps the most striking feature of a human face.  It is so strategically situated in the face that it almost always determines whether you look good, bad, or ugly. 

However, if  God was unfair to you while making you, you need not wait for your next incarnation to get a  better nose.  Through plastic surgery, you can get the nose of the size and shape of your liking.  Given a chance, many  are open to the idea of tinkering with their nose. However, as always, too much is too bad. Michael Jackson, the King of pop, had his nose tinkered with so many times that the gentleman now has to hold  his nose  tight before every cough or sneeze.

Nose, as a prominent facial feature, often defines one's look and indicates one's outlook and attitude.  It is said that after a certain age you are responsible for your face.  But if you were born with a silly-looking nose, no matter how much wisdom you accumulate inside your head or how hard you work out, you would look silly throughout your miserable life.

If all the above is not enough to give Nose its due importance, just imagine the difficulties Benjamin Franklin, the statesman, printer, scientist and what not, of the 18th century America, would have been through to design the bifocal lens, if the Nose were not located in its customary position!

It is often the short nosed people that feel short changed about their nose. However, they have one advantage that nullifies whatever perceived disadvantages there might be.  Only they can enjoy a real close kiss!

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This won me a prize in an essay-writing competition. The topic was given on the spot and we were given 30 minutes to write. I won it "hands down" according to the compere at the prize distribution ceremony.

Greenpeace

A typical Hyderabadi early December evening it was --- pleasant, cool and bindaas.  The traffic my brother was negotiating was also not out of the ordinary.  Pillion riding, I was enjoying the cool breeze from over the Hussein Sager lake.  Catching the Buddha in his evening glory is a privilege, but I was surprised to see the usually placid Buddha in a cheerful and a particularly beneficent mood.  Observing keenly, he was showering all his blessings on something that was closer to his own ideals.

I could not help but turn to the other side to see what made the 'nirvikara' Buddha so happy.  I saw, exactly facing the Buddha, at the poetess Molla's statue, a small gathering.  On either side of it was a long stretch of colourful banners and placards.  The general mood in the gathering was solemn but there was a streak of anguish running through.  We stopped our vehicle and were guided to the parking lot by a volunteer.

I came to know from him that it was being organized by Greenpeace, the international environmental organization.  They were commemorating the 20th anniversary of the world's worst ever industrial disaster --- “The Bhopal Gas Tragedy,” that happened at five past midnight, 2-3 December, 1984.  I began reading the banners which were improvised from old sarees and painted by amateur painters.  They reflected what Greenpeace stands and fights for.  Some demanded proper justice to the Bhopal victims, some warned against the hazards of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO), while some advocated the use of renewable energy sources.

As I was ambling through the pavement, one of the banners screamed for my attention saying “Patancheru:  Bhopal in slow motion.”  I was horrified when a volunteer informed me that there are 24 toxic hotspots in India and an incident like Bhopal may happen anywhere amongst them.  Closer home, we have the highly industrialized Patancheru area where the pharmaceutical industries have been releasing their toxic effluents into the nearby lakes, polluting them.  The contamination is seeping into the nearby farmlands and the farmers are unable to raise any crops.  Other industrial areas around Hyderabad like Jeedimetla and IDA Bollaram are not lagging far behind.  I understood that Bhopal is not a remote issue and that everyone has a stake in saving the environment.

Darkness started setting in and I was handed a candle by a volunteer.  The “candle light vigil” was to show our solidarity to the Bhopal victims.  More people were streaming in to join us with their own candles.  I was pleasantly surprised to see the organiser of Blue Cross Society, Amala Akkineni, solemnly paying her homage.  All through the event, the ideals of Greenpeace were adhered to.  Any waste created was guided into the 'Greenbins' brought in and to be cleared away by Greenpeace volunteers.  The traffic was in no way disturbed and some volunteers were seen minding it.

A bearded man, whom I came to know as the toxic campaigner of Greenpeace in Hyderabad, Mr. Bidhan Chandra Singh, was addressing a gathering.  The villagers of Patancheru then shared their sorrow.  Mr. Bidhan surprised me with his singing ability.

Jhadu maro jhadu maro,

DOW ko jhadu maro

cried he and we all sang in chorus with an accompaniment of various musical instruments.  I was overwhelmed with joy when he sang with perfect diction, our own Telugu folk song 'adavi talliki dandalo………….'.

An enlightening and enriching evening it was.  As we prepared to leave, I saw a volunteer holding a white board.  One by one, people were scribbling their thoughts on it as a photographer took shots to pass them on to the web.  I impetuously wrote “Greenpeace, I am with you'.”

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I was volunteering for this effort of Greenpeace to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Bhopal Gas tragedy.  I was delighted to catch a glimpse of Amala Akkineni.  I translated the press release into Telugu.  I wrote this account from an outsider's point of view and sent it to Deccan Chronicle's college page.  It got a response from them asking for more details, but even after supplying them those details, it was not published the next week, much to my disappointment.

I am now skeptical about Green Peace and their nefarious agenda and designs.  However, I cherish this experience.

Funny, My Dog

He was a little more than a pup when father brought him home two years ago.  He was a very amiable young dog who would curiously pursue insects and delighted in chasing away birds in our garden.

I am no expert to tell his pedigree. A strange-looking fellow, he is strongly built, short in stature, has light brown fur covering his body and has a pair of drooping ears.  As an additional qualification, he is lame in his left forepaw. That, of course, is no handicap as he is as swift as any dog can be. In fact, this supposed handicap adds a swagger to his gait. Perhaps he is one of his kind.  But seeing him first, I could not help but call him "Funny".

Now, at the prime of his youth, Funny is indisputably the handsommest dog in the street.  He is so successful with the females of his kind that I can only dream of to be with that of mine.  The little rascal grew up before my eyes, but sadly will grow old too.

Funny badly needs some discipline.  He does not like being leashed and loves running after father's bike.  He spoils our cricket, catching hold of the ball with his teeth and running away.  Perhaps a training stint would do him some good.  However, the trainer would surely need a couple of sniffer dogs to be set in trail of Funny when he does any mischief or plays truant!

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I  remember writing this as a pet story to be sent to Amala Akkineni, for publishing in Deccan Chronicle.